idoma wedding © I am Benue 2019

Returning Our Daughters Home; Our Customs And Traditions

Culture, Stories 10/03/2019 by Angela Omaji

Diary of an Idoma lady

The Idoma people have so many customs and traditions which bid our people together and to the modern generation (21th century generation) it seems overbearing especially to the female gender. Most of these customs are gender sensitive and applied mostly to the female gender 

Daddy girls even after marriage still prefers to be buried beside their father since he was their first love. 

From the popular “alekwu”; to our married Idoma women who after death must be returned to her father’s house to be buried. It doesn’t matter if it is to an Idoma man or an outsider. It is believed their daughters are not sold out by their fathers and their place is always in their father’s houses and such must be returned there after death, unlike some traditions that say the wife belongs to the husband and should be buried in his compound.

There are a lot of stories and myths, of how the woman’s kinsmen threatened to cause serious problems if her corpse is not released to them for burial. Even more serious cases her kinsmen stealing her remains from her husband who refused to release his wife’s corpse.

Angela Omaji © I am Benue 2019
Angela Omaji, I am Benue

What if I want to be buried in a cemetery in the city where my loved ones and friends could often visit and send flowers.

A young Idoma girl is taught these traditions at home and also while growing up and she must have seen a married aunty been brought back home to be buried in the family house (extended family house). To some, it is a normal way of life, especially the daddy’s girl even after marriage still prefers to be buried beside their father since he was her first love. Some other ladies don’t seem to bother about these traditions since it happens after they are gone (who cares what happens after I am gone) others see it as a normal way of life until education, socialization, modernization, begins to change her ideology.

She begins to ask herself certain questions like; what if I want to be buried beside the love of my life (her husband) and not beside my father; what if traditions of my husband forbids it; or what if I want to be buried in a cemetery in the city where my loved ones and friends could often visit and send flowers rather than travelling all the way to visit my grave in the village. An Idoma woman cannot ask these questions because her customs and traditions forbid her.

12 thoughts on “Returning Our Daughters Home; Our Customs And Traditions

  1. Dee kay

    The title is not clear

    Reply
  2. Ig

    Very lovely article, it’s a Good read. Thanks for making know more about my culture… Godbless sunshine

    Reply
  3. Benjamin Esther Yamma

    Wow….its indeed confusing for me. Anyway am not an Idoma but if I were, I would prefer been buried by my husband people.

    Reply
    • Angela Omaji

      The 21st century idoma lady will prefer this too but traditions are traditions.

      Reply
      • Ameh SA

        My culture, my pride.
        No matter how far you go, your father land is your Ideal home.

        Reply
  4. Memories

    Please what are the teenage rite in idoma land

    Reply
  5. Mazi Nkpor

    Wao….Nice article, but I’m backing off.

    So an Anambra man get married to idoma lady, if happen the man pased away b4 the lady, the children will have to suffer taking their mother’s cop home to be buried. Culture !!

    Reply
    • Angela Omaji

      Sadly her children will have to go through the stress of bringing her home. But on a brighter note, they get to visit their mom’s village and learn about her people and culture.

      Reply
  6. Winifred

    An interesting & well written article. It throws more light on the idoma traditions.

    Reply
    • Angela Omaji

      Thank you

      Reply
  7. Bishop Alfred

    Wow I thought this tradition is practiced or hold only by the Ejagham people of Eyumojock Subdivision in Manyu Division of the Republic of Cameroon, I never knew it can be found also in Nigeria, the world is just a global village.

    Reply
  8. Rachael Ebute

    What if they are outside the country

    Reply

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