Chief Fidelis Okoye (not real name), an indigene of Umuobasi – Umuanigwe, Enugwu – Mmaku in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State has created history of sort when he married two sisters – Esther and Susan (surname withheld).
The marrying of two sisters, which used to happen in the past has become acceptable in the society today. Many men are known to have married their wives’ sisters. The reasons for such relationships vary from culture to culture even as some cultures view it as a taboo.
For instance, in Mmaku, where Chief Okoye comes from, a leader in the community said it is not the tradition of Mmaku people. “It is true that the man married two sisters. After he got married to the first lady, the sister in-law went to the house of the brother in-law. I don’t know whether she went to baby-sit or stay with them but the fact was that she became pregnant. He said that he would marry the sister in-law but the family members were divided over the issue. But the man in question is wealthy, so some of them supported the idea while some opposed it. There was some sort of misunderstanding and quarrel. At the end of the day, the two sisters started having children for the man. But it is not the tradition of Mmaku people.”
Asked if the man duly married and paid bride price on the two women, the community leader said: “Yes, he paid bride price on the two women. The family accepted the bride price, that’s why he is living with them. The man wanted to be Igwe of the community but he was opposed because he married two sisters. I cannot say it is a taboo or sacrilege but it is not good. It is not done; no one else has done it. I think they are living in peace, and they have many children. They have 19 children or thereabout.”
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