The Lady Who Stopped the Killing of Twins
Defeating the demonic superstition that claimed so many young lives
Most people don’t believe that in the past centuries, twins were killed in a certain part of Africa. As far back as the 19th century, the barbaric and archaic custom of killing twins once existed amongst the Ibibio people of Nigeria.
According to this custom, it was considered taboo to have twins. Twins were seen as powerful beings, not humans. They were perceived as bad luck and mini-gods and it was believed that evil had befallen any community where they were born.
While the usual tradition of killing twins persisted, their parents and families were also treated as outcasts. Sometimes it got so bad that some mothers of the “forbidden twins" were banished from the land without any means of support.
The ancient custom would usually require a witch doctor to prepare a poisonous liquid which would be given to the twins to kill them. In villages where this happened, the inhabitants were fully aware of the prevalence of such a custom because many generations were affected and still have stories to tell about it.
In 1876, Mary Slessor, a Scottish missionary was assigned to Efik Land in Calabar, Nigeria. She was well known for her genuine interest in the rights and…
