A mother has said she does not want her daughters to get married, sparking widespread reactions on social media in Nigeria. Chief Omekannaya Oyinna Ogbonna took to Facebook to make this known after reports emerged that a 24-year-old woman passed away, leaving behind her 1-year-old twins.
It is not yet clear what led to the woman's death, but her sister made a post stating that she may never forgive him for 'making her lose her sister.'
Reacting to the tragedy, Oyinna, who is a titled chief in her hometown, wrote on Facebook: 'Igbo marriages oh!!!! I AM TIRED!!!!! The bad news never stops!'
She continued: 'Women cannot even live to a ripe old age in peace because too many men are destroying them physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally! These men are ENERGY VAMPIRES, draining the very life out of women who entered marriage hoping to build loving families!'
Oyinna went on to say that when women speak about men's destructive behavior, expose their misogyny, and challenge the pathology behind their treatment of women, they are often labeled bitter, wicked, and anti-marriage. She argued that giving men the benefit of the doubt, ignoring red flags, and rushing into marriage have sent far too many women to early graves.
'I DO NOT WANT MARRIAGE FOR MY DAUGHTERS! I went through too much to bring them into this world, and I will be DAMNED if any man born of a woman thinks he can lay a finger on my beloved daughters, whom I love with every fiber of my existence!'
The post was shared by Linda Ikeji Blog, which reported on the story. The comments section on social media was flooded with reactions from Nigerians across various platforms, with many echoing the mother's concerns about the dangers of marriage and the rising rate of femicide in the country.