A terrible secret is ending the lives of desperate women of all ages in the shadows of Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State.
Some people have talked about ‘Egusi ai je’ as an ancestral’remedy’ for undesired pregnancies, but to the uninitiated, it may just look like a wild, bitter melon creeping across the ground.
The habit of inserting a material into the vagina rather than brewing or swallowing it is not a recent fad but rather an ancient one.
Ashabi (not her real name), a 35-year-old from the Abeokuta South LGA of the state, had her life tragically cut short after taking a herbal gamble. Her family is now grieving her loss.
It had always been the mother of three’s refuge until the day it killed her, so she was no stranger to it.
Anonymously speaking, Ashabi’s younger sister stated that the substance was left in her system for too long, which caused intestinal disruption and ultimately led to her death.
The risk of harm to the intestines increases the longer it remains in the body and the risk of reaching the stomach.
My older sister opted to utilise it since she became pregnant after already having three children. Previously, she had used it successfully, but on that particular day, it fell short of her expectations.
After using it, she saw blood about three hours after insertion, but she neglected to take it out again.
It was now too late to get her to the hospital quickly enough to get it drained out. According to her account relayed to DAILY POST by the doctor, it had harmed all of her intestines.
Be very careful if you wish to use it; it is extremely deadly if you aren’t careful. Many people I know use it, and every time it turns out great.
Be careful not to introduce it too deeply; it is very powerful; and you must remove it immediately upon seeing the presence of blood. It’s inside, she emphasised.
An anonymous woman named Kafilat described the ordeal of using it in conjunction with other herbs to remove an ectopic pregnancy as “hell” when speaking with DAILY POST.
For the purpose of eliminating an ectopic pregnancy, I have also used it, although in a combination with other herbs. The memories made her grimace and shake her head; she recalled feeling like she was about to die after taking the herbs and the excruciating pain of the bleeding that followed.
“It’s not kept around children because it’s very dangerous,” Kafilat warned.