Cousins caught in the act caned, thrown into furnace during bizarre incest cleansing ritual

Two cousins who were caught having sex were subjected to a ritual cleansing session to rid them off "generational curses".

The relatives identified as Sam Odaka, 47, and Joyce Aaca, 44, were caught in the act at 2 am on Saturday, March 4 in Kumi Sub-County by one of the clan enforcers and ridiculed publicly.

During the ritual cleansing session, the two received strokes of lashes from the community leaders and offered a goat as fine.

According to the Inomu Ikomion clan, the ritualists have to hold a feast to wash away the shame of seeing the nakedness of the "sinners".

Bizarre ritual

The two were then forced into a grass kiln where a fire was lit and they were allowed to escape.

John Charles Omongole, the clan's chairperson, said the grass kiln is used to cleanse people who commit incest.

"When the fire engulfs the entire kiln, the offenders are expected to run to different directions, and during that moment, the clan soldiers will follow them up with a couple of lashes," Omongole explained.

He said that should the two have emerged from the kiln and ran in the same direction, it would have been an indication that they have not repented. Consequently, another kiln would have to be set up.

According to their findings, the two started their affair in 2022.

On why the ritual was conducted, Omongole said they did not want children born out of incest.

"As members of the Inomu Ikomion clan, we didn’t want to have such an outcome, and we had to intervene," he added.

After the ritual, the two were forced to sign an agreement that they would not repeat the act.