In the quiet corners of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, a bitter secret is cutting short the lives of both young and aged desperate women.
To the casual observer, ‘Egusi ai je’ is merely a wild, bitter melon crawling across the soil but to others, it has been whispered about in low tones as an ancestral ‘remedy’ for unwanted pregnancies.
It is not a new trend; it is an entrenched ancestral practice, a substance not brewed or swallowed, but inserted into the vagina.
For 35-year-old Ashabi (not real name) a resident in the Abeokuta South local government area of the state, this herbal gamble proved to be a fatal mistake, turning a private crisis into a public tragedy and leaving her family to mourn a life cut short.
The mother of three wasn’t new to it as it had always been her safe haven until the very day it claimed her life.
According to her younger sister who spoke under anonymity, Ashabi left it too long in her, leading to the disruption of her intestines and then her death.
“If it stays long in your body, it can get to your stomach and damage your intestines.
“My elder sister already had three kids and got pregnant so she decided to use it. She has been using it before and it was okay but on that day she did it, It wasn’t perfect.
“After using it, she saw the blood…let’s say 3 hours after insertion but forgot to remove it back.
