In a quiet village in southeastern Nigeria, a chapter of living history recently came to a close.
Madam Malinda Mgbafor Okereke, the last surviving twin rescued by Scottish missionary Mary Slessor, passed away at the remarkable age of 115.
Her passing isn’t just the end of a long life—it’s a moment of reckoning with a dark cultural past and a powerful reminder that Mary Slessor’s fight against twin infanticide still reverberates through Nigerian society today.
The Woman Who Took On A Culture
In the late 1800s, twins were seen as an abomination in parts of southeastern Nigeria.
Superstition led communities to believe that twins were evil or cursed—and as a result, they were often killed or left in the forest to die.
Enter Mary Slessor: a fiery, red-haired Scottish missionary who didn’t just preach the Gospel—she lived it.
She defied local customs, took in abandoned twins, and fought tooth and nail against a cultural belief system that sanctioned their murder.
Her work helped end twin infanticide, but more than that—it changed how generations viewed life, family, and morality.
Why It Still Matters Today
More than a century later, the issues Mary Slessor fought against—cultural violence, superstition, and marginalization—still exist in various forms:
Child witch accusations in Nigeria still lead to abuse and abandonment.
Female genital mutilation, though illegal, persists in several regions.
Cultural stigmatization of disabilities continues in rural communities.
Mary Slessor’s legacy reminds us that progress is possible—but only through courage, resistance, and moral clarity. Her work was not just humanitarian—it was revolutionary.
A Wake-Up Call For Modern Nigeria
The death of Madam Okereke should not be mourned quietly—it should ignite a national conversation.
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Are we truly rid of the superstitions and harmful traditions that once cost countless lives?
Are today’s missionaries, activists, and reformers prepared to challenge modern-day injustices with the same zeal Mary Slessor had?
Beyond The Twins
Mary Slessor’s fight was never just about twins. It was about standing up to injustice cloaked in the robe of culture.
As we reflect on Madam Okereke’s life and death, we must ask ourselves: 115 years from now, what will *our* legacy be?