A Lagos resident, Prince Fadina Adedeji Fola, has accused members of his extended family of forcibly subjecting his daughter to female genital mutilation (FGM) — a procedure he says led to her tragic death.
His daughter, Princess Fadina Eniola Elizabeth, reportedly died on February 5, 2022, after suffering severe complications arising from the alleged forced circumcision.
Speaking with NewsHeadline247, the distraught father described how certain members of his family remain deeply attached to a longstanding belief that every girl must undergo FGM upon reaching a particular age. According to him, relatives frequently pressure and threaten parents until the ritual is carried out.
He explained that this cultural insistence was what led to his daughter being taken for the procedure without his consent.
“They summoned me to the family house in Lagos on January 8, 2022, and that was when they forcefully took her and carried out the circumcision,” he said.
Despite its illegality under Nigerian law, FGM is still practiced in some communities as a traditional rite. In Eniola’s case, the family allegedly applied local herbal mixtures after the cutting, a move doctors later described as unsafe.
Prince Fola said that when Eniola returned home after the procedure, she immediately complained of pain.
“Her mother, unaware of what had happened, treated her with paracetamol. For days, there were no alarming symptoms, so we assumed she was fine,” he explained.
But on January 29, 2022, her health took a drastic turn. She began showing signs of severe infection and was rushed to the hospital.
Doctors diagnosed her with septicemia, a dangerous blood infection often caused by unsterilized instruments and harmful substances applied during FGM.
“Despite timely medical intervention, Eniola died on February 5, 2022,” the father said, holding back tears.
The death has left the household traumatized. Prince Fola said he and his wife are now fearful for their surviving daughter, who is nearing the traditional age at which the family usually pressures relatives into circumcision.
“We cannot sleep,” he told our reporter. “We fear our remaining daughter will suffer the same fate.”
He said he reported the incident to the police shortly after the tragedy but has received no meaningful update.
“I reported the matter to the police on Thursday, February 10, and was told an investigation would follow, but I haven’t received any updates,” he disclosed.
Nigeria’s Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, criminalizes FGM nationwide. However, rights advocates have long argued that enforcement remains weak, allowing perpetrators to avoid accountability.
Human rights groups say the case highlights the persistent gap between legislation and community-level protection for girls. They are calling for swift and meaningful police action, better public education on the dangers of FGM and stronger protective measures for families resisting cultural pressure.
For Prince Fola, justice is essential — not only for his daughter but for others. “Our daughter died because of this,” he said. “We do not want another family to go through this pain.”
