A popular restaurant owner, name withheld to protect her identity and business from stigmatisation, recently became the target of a violent attack orchestrated by her husband’s brother and sister-in-law in the bustling Shomolu area of Lagos.
The assaulted woman was accused of involvement in alleged witchcrafting to fuel her flourishing food business, but the timely intervention of customers and passersby halted the attack.
The victim, a successful entrepreneur known for her thriving restaurant, found herself at the centre of the controversy when her in-laws confronted her in the shop.
Armed with the misguided belief held by her less literate relatives, the woman was confronted over an allegation of using dark rituals for business growth by using her husband glory, especially considering her husband’s deteriorating health. This is a believe common among the Yoruba tribe commonly referred to as using ‘asiki.’
The husband, once an active individual, has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Despite medical evidence attributing his condition to the neurological disorder, the in-laws ignorantly blamed the wife for his sickness, asserting that she was a witch.
“This misconception fueled the violent attack on the restaurant owner,” one of the customers present at the time told the media.
Eyewitnesses at the scene revealed that the situation escalated quickly, and it was only the swift action of customers and passersby that prevented a potentially fatal outcome as the attackers seemed determined to inflict harm on the woman.
Following the incident, it was reported that the matter had been brought to the attention of the family’s head for possible resolution. However, a source close to the family expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the family meeting in quelling the tensions.
“Despite the so-called family meeting, you need to see how these in-laws were still threatening to deal with the woman. As a matter of fact, there is sufficient reason to believe that the poor woman’s life is still in danger,” the source declared.
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