Why some communities dey bury pesin wey drown by river bank?

Wen Preye Peter and her sister go swim for river wit odas for dia village for Otuan, Southern Ijaw local goment of Bayelsa State, na just to catch fun as dem see oda pipo dey enjoy demsefs wia dem dey swim.

Unfortunately, Preye sister drown for di water as she no sabi swim. Dem find her bodi few days later wen e float.

Di community bury her by di river bank wia dem find her bodi.

But becos we bin dey very close, dem gatz to do some traditional sacrifices to separate us as dem belive say her spirit go come dey worry me."

'Death by drowning na taboo'

Many riverine communities dey see death by drowning or any death wey happun for water weda na boat wey capsize wit pipo wey dey travel or pesin drown wia e go swim or go fishing as a "bad death”.

For dis reason dem no dey bring such pesin deadibodi come land for burial but dem go bury am by di river banks - as soon as dem find him or her.

Dima Braide, from Bakana a kalabari community for Degema local goment area for Rivers State, explain to BBC say dem no dey bury dat kain pesin for land becos dem believe say di gods of di river don take dat one so dem dey give him/her to di water wia dem die.

"Failure to do so go make di water spirits to come afta di family members of di pesin wey die and so dat family go dey experience family members wey go dey die for water either by drowning or by boat accidents. We see am say death by drowning or any kain death for water na bad death, na taboo."

Dis na supernatural belief wey science neva prove.

Braide explain say, for Kalabari tradition, e get times wen dem bury pesin wey drown for land but no be for any kalabari community.

Dima Braide observe say most times by di time dem find di bodi of di pesin wey drown, [most times bodi of pesin wey drown dey float on top di water after three days] e dey dey in a very bad state.

Also, considering di financial costs wey dey involved - like to deposit di body for mortuary and pay mortuary bills, secure space for cemetery; dress di body coupled with di huge cost of a burial ceremony, many families prefer to just bury di pesin immediately make e pass, especially as dem see am say na bad death.

Some go do traditional cleansing for di family afterwards.

Na di same tin for upland communities like Ikwerre, Etche and oda place like Akwa Ibom wey be say dem dey bury pipo wey drown by di river bank.

For Ikodi-Ekpeye for Ahoada West LGA for Rivers State, as Michael Chibunam Solomon explain say wen dat kain death happen, di family pipo of di pesin wey die gatz to do some traditional sacrifices before dem go bury di pesin by di river bank.

Dis sacrifice dem dey do Chibunnam add na to cleanse di family and stop more water related deaths in di family and so e no go affect di community too.

But e get some communities wey say weda pesin die for water or for land, na accident wey happen so dem dey bury dat person well for land.

Ma Margaret Peretubo for Torugbene Burut LGA of Delta State say her community don abolish to dey bury pesin wey die by drowning water by di river bank long time ago.

So now any pesin wey die either by drowning or boat accident, dem dey bring am come bury for land as any oda person, especially if di pesin no commit suicide.

Any consequences to di environment?

As to weda to dey bury pesin wey die for river for river banks get any consequences to di environment, Prof Precious Ede of Geography Department, Rivers State University say e no get any bad consequence as na once in a while occurrence.

But wia e get concern na di one wey some communities dey bury pesin beside di family house.

"To bury deadibodi for river bank no get any consequences becos na once in a while occurrence, no be wetin dey happun regularly, and becos of di big nature of di water around dis communities, di contribution to environment degradation dey very liitle becos marine organisms dey eat di bodies and easily degrade am.

"But wia my concern dey na di one wey our pipo dey like bury pesin within dia compound and dem get borehole very close to di graves."