The Lagos State Police Command has declared a 28-year-old woman, Motunrayo Akinleye Dorcas and her daughter, Akinleye Muhazat Veronica missing under troubling circumstances linked to her refusal to allow her daughter underg circumcision. Dorcas, a resident of Horizon 2 Estate, Meadow Hill Way, Ikate in Lagos, was reported missing after allegedly fleeing threats tied to the controversial traditional practice.

Sources familiar with the case disclosed that Dorcas had long resisted pressure from her extended family for her daughter to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM), a deeply rooted cultural practice in her hometown of Ewekoro in Ogun State.

According to a family member who spoke on condition of anonymity, the issue began after the seventh day they gave birth to Akinleye Muhazat Veronica when they asked her mother to bring her forward for the tradition on 13th of October 2023, but she refused and escaped to Lagos to avoid being subjected to the ritual.

However, her relatives reportedly tracked her down and forced her return to Ewekoro, where attempts were made to compel her daughter into undergoing the circumcision against her will. The source alleged that despite warnings from community elders and repeated public campaigns by the federal authorities against FGM, key figures within the family remained adamant.

The situation reportedly escalated after Dorcas managed to escape with the daughter again and returned to Lagos. Her extended family, allegedly led by a traditional head and chief priest, was said to have issued threats, insisting she must comply and bring her daughter for the ritual or face severe spiritual and physical consequences regardless of her location.

A neighbour at her Ikate residence told investigators that shortly before her disappearance, some individuals described as traditionalists visited Dorcas’ home. When they failed to find her, they reportedly left a message warning her to return to her hometown within two weeks with her daughter or risk death for defying the long-standing family tradition.

Since receiving the threats, Dorcas’ whereabouts have remained unknown, raising fears for her safety. Efforts by the police to locate her are ongoing, while authorities are also investigating the alleged threats and possible coercion linked to the outlawed practice of female genital mutilation in Nigeria.