Amnesty International supports CDD to end killing of twins in Abuja community

In Tugbudu community, it is an abomination to give birth to twins.

The Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD, with support from Amnesty International, now works on a micro project to stop killing of twins at Tugbudu community in Abuja.

This it does through its partner, Christian Missionary Foundation, by delivering human rights education to the community, mobilising and educating them on the need to stop the harmful traditional practice of killing twins.

In Tugbudu community, it is an abomination to give birth to twins, and for a woman to die within three months after she gives birth. It is also abomination if a child grows upper teeth first or when a child is born with any form of disability.

To the inhabitants of this community, these are signs that the child is from the evil world and the punishment for such a child is to be buried alive.

When twins are born, they are poisoned. Alternatively, they are forcefully taken away from their mother by masquerades and strangled. After the killing of the twins, an altar would be erected in the house, as sacrifice to Tuwa, their deity, to ensure the twins do not return.

If, in the parturition process, the woman dies, and the child survives, the child would not be allowed to live. The new-born will be tied to the corpse of the deceased mother and buried with her. However, if the nursing mother dies without weaning the infant, the baby will be killed; they believe the child is in possession of strange powers that is responsible for the death of the mother. Alternatively the twin will be dumped in their mother’s grave whereas some are left to die of hunger.

Effort to bring this practice to an end informed the decision of the Centre for Democracy and Development through its partner Christian Missionary Foundation to implement a micro project, supported by Amnesty International on stemming the killing of twin in Tugbudu community.