Abolished, not erased: Lingering scars of Cross River women traded for debts (2)

In Cross River’s Becheve communities, debt once had a human price—paid not in currency, but in the lives of young women. Though the law now firmly rejects such practices, the consequences continue to echo through the lives of survivors still grappling with its aftermath, writes ADEBAYO FOLORUNSHO-FRANCIS in the final part of this report

According to Bolaji Oluwatosin, the perpetrators of forced marriages should also face prosecution under human trafficking laws.

“I also think there is need for the Ministry of Women’s Affairs to intervene more than they have ever done before. They should be involved in the rest of the operation. They should not just sit idly by and get the funding from the government. They should do something.

“Our traditional rulers should also be sensitised to understand that we are in the 21st century. We are no longer in the era of 1902 or the Stone Age,” Oluwatosin noted.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adebayo Adedeji also shared his sentiment.

The legal luminary said no recognised system of law in Nigeria permits the use of a human being as security for debt, warning that such an arrangement is not merely barbaric but also legally wrong.

He said, “By virtue of Section 14 (3) of the Evidence Act, 2011 (as amended), a custom shall not be enforced if it is contrary to public policy or if it is not in accordance with natural justice, equity, and good conscience. This provision captures what has long been known as the repugnancy test.

“When subjected to this test, the so-called “money woman” practice will most likely fail comprehensively. Apparently, it is a custom that dehumanises its victims, strips them of their modesty, and treats them as transferable objects. It is my considered view that no court of law in this country can give its blessing to such an arrangement.”

Citing the Supreme Court decision in Nwagwu v. Okonkwo (1987), he notes that such customs are considered repugnant to natural justice and therefore unenforceable.

He further explains that the 1999 Constitution, being supreme, overrides any customary practice that violates fundamental rights.

The legal expert also situates the issue within Nigeria’s international obligations, noting that treaties such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights require the country to eliminate harmful practices against women.

“The implications are straightforward. No tradition, however ancient, can stand where it conflicts with constitutional guarantees. On the whole, the practice is a legal aberration that is inconsistent with both our laws and domesticated treaties.

“The responsibility now lies with all stakeholders, including the Courts, enforcement agencies, and civil society organizations, to ensure that the guarantees of dignity and liberty are properly litigated and affirmed as contained in the letters of the law,” Adedeji argued.

Turning Point

In April 2026, there was a coordinated effort involving the Nigerian Police, women’s rights advocates and traditional authorities to secure the freedom of the first 57 survivors still trapped in the practice in Cross River State.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja, the founding Executive Director of the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development, Dr Otive Igbuzor, disclosed that N6.2m had been raised to facilitate the release of the first batch of affected women.

He said, “What we have done today is to effectively release 57 women from this practice. We will also document this model and explore opportunities for replication in other communities. I was just discussing with Erelu (Bisi Fayemi) on other communities that practice similar things. We need to look at how we can replicate this.

“We call on the media to amplify these stories responsibly, on policymakers to strengthen protection for women’s ideas and on partners to support the next phase of this work.

“Above all, we reaffirm our commitment to a Nigeria where no girl is used to settle debts, where no woman is denied freedom in the name of tradition, and where justice is a lived reality.”

Igbuzor also commended traditional rulers and community leaders for supporting the reform, noting that their stance underscored the possibility of aligning culture with human dignity.

Also speaking,  aformer First Lady of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, stressed that harmful traditional practices remain widespread across the country and require collective action to end.

She said, “In every part of Nigeria, there are practices that discriminate against women and girls. And in every community, we have what we call harmful traditional practices.

“Unfortunately, all the research and data we have points to the fact that a lot of harmful traditional practices do exactly that, such as female genital mutilation, child marriage, negative women’s practices and so forth.

“So, the call here today is to appeal to men who are the ones who have the power to ensure that their mothers, sisters, daughters and wives are not subjected to any of these harmful traditional practices.”

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, represented by Deputy Force Secretary, Suleiman Gulma, said the police were committed to supporting victims and tackling related abuses nationwide.

“The IG is proud to be associated with this initiative and to find a lasting solution to this practice, especially in the area of domestic violence too.

“It may interest you to know that across every police command in the country, we have established a desk for gender-based violence to support victims and ensure that justice is served,” he said.

In his remarks, the Paramount Ruler of Becheve community, HRH Amos Uyumulam, who read a communiqué from community stakeholders, reaffirmed the total abolition of the practice and outlined agreed steps to enforce compliance.

“It was also agreed, that the bride price be returned to the man, that is the husband of the girl to set her free from the “money woman” marriage agreements.

“The said agreed bride price to be returned was pegged at N100,000 only, irrespective of whatever items were involved.

“It was also agreed that N100,000 can be used to empower the woman who is old and cannot leave the marriage again, but to stay with her children.”

Efforts to get the reaction of the Cross River Commissioner for Information, Dr Erasmus Ekpang were unsuccessful.

However, in an exclusive interview, Linus Obogo, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Bassey Otu, said that though the tradition has been outlawed, he could not independently confirm whether it still persists in some communities.

“It is not something you would describe strictly as a law that was repealed; it is a custom of the people. From what I know, efforts were made to stop it, and it is believed to have been abolished,” he said.

“But I cannot authoritatively say whether it is still in practice. As I speak, I have no knowledge of its continued existence. Anything beyond that would be speculative.”

According to him, cultural practices can sometimes continue discreetly despite official prohibitions.

He added that, in some cases, families resort to informal arrangements resembling collateral systems.

“There is always the possibility that even when something is openly prohibited, it may still be carried out behind the scenes,” he said.

“People use different forms of collateral — land, vehicles and others. In some situations, someone may say, ‘Let me send my children to work for you for a period in exchange for money.”

The commissioner stressed that verifying whether the “Money Woman” practice still exists would require deeper, independent investigation.

“The only way to establish that is for someone to go into the community, live among the people and carry out a thorough, on-the-ground inquiry,” he added.

The latest intervention highlights growing collaboration between civil society, law enforcement, traditional institutions and the state government to dismantle entrenched practices that undermine the rights and dignity of women and girls, even as stakeholders push to replicate the model in other affected communities.

Between freedom and fear

Yet, abolishing a practice on paper is not the same as erasing it from lived reality. For many survivors, the chains are no longer physical — but psychological.

They live between two worlds: one where the law says they are free, and another where tradition whispers that freedom comes at a cost.

And so, they stay.

Not because they want to — but because they are afraid not to.

For Ochu, it begins with a form — a JAMB registration slip — and a dream of studying nursing. For others, it begins with telling their stories. For the community, it begins with confronting its past.

And for a nation, it raises a question that cannot be ignored: How many more girls must be traded before tradition finally bows to humanity?

Until that answer is fully realised, the echoes of Becheve will remain — a reminder that some debts are paid not in money, but in lives.