Becheve tribe is one of the tribes tucked into the mountains and valleys that surround Obudu Cattle Ranch, Nigeria. Most people of the tribe are farmers. Most of them are Christians while others are adherents of the indigenous religion generally called “African Traditional Religion”.
It is an eight hours drive from Calabar, the State Capital but it is stuck with an age-long bizarre culture. The cultural practice of 'money marriage/wife' is a custom in which a girl child is sold out to a man by her parents as wife in exchange for livestock like goats, farm produce like barns of yams or to pay a debt.
What is a money wife in becheve?
Money marriage refers to a marriage where a girl, usually, is married off to a man to settle debts owed by her parents. The female is referred as a money wife. Money marriage is known to be a practice in Becheve, in southern Nigeria in Cross River State, where girls as young as three get married in such a way.
About the die-hard ancient Tradition in Cross River
The Becheve people of Cross River still practice a tradition that allows girl-children to be used to repay loans owed by their parents or as a favour to someone that has been benevolent to the family. In Cross River State, It is a tradition practised by almost all the men in most parts of Obanliku Local Government Area of the state, particularly the Becheve people. It is called the money marriage.
As a matter of fact, a man that does not have a money wife is not considered a man, he will not be respected and may not even enjoy befitting burial after death
Becheve land has a population of over 150,000 people and at least seventeen communities, including Katele, Amana, Ogbakoko, Belinge, Ranch, Ikwette (old and new), Imale, Ekor, Kalumo, Yindive, Makambe, Apambu, Belegete, Kajinga, Mangbe, Mbunu and Agusor are still neck deep in this practice.
Money marriage is a tradition where a girl-child, as young as two years old, is given out to a man who was benevolent or extended some financial goodwill or loans to her parents and they are unable to repay as agreed. The parents will decide to settle such debts by giving away their daughter to the creditor or benefactor in marriage.
Money wife can be within any age bracket, it would not matter whether such a girl child is still being breastfed by her mother, who may also be a ‘money wife.’ Sometimes if a man is as old as 60 and is interested in a girl-child, he could begin to visit her parents with gifts, foodstuff and other things. All these are counted as part of dowry. And the girl-child has no say in deciding her future, the parents has the final decision.
The girls immediately become independent even while in the man’s house, they will take care of their own daily need and all the farm work. Unlike older wives who may have been properly married through traditional ways, ‘money wives’ are like house girls subjected.
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