Nigerian Woman Seeks Refuge in Europe After Facing Pressure to Marry and Undergo Circumcision

My Name Is Oluwasewere Adekoya, I am going to turn thirty-Eight years Old on the 21st of August, I am A Nigerian, A Native of the Yoruba Land and also from a Family who believes so much in Traditions and Timing.

Where I am from is a place called Ikorodu and we have so many strong cultures in there.

In ours, It is believed that once a female child becomes of marriageable ages and you don’t do the needful, they take it upon themselves to put in a marriage either by book or crook so it means that when it gets to a certain age you have no say because your opinion does not matter regardless of how shrewd or well Advised you are, when you hit that Age bracket your opinions does not matter. I have been dealing with the pressure for a while now and it became more heated when I turned thirty and then when I turned thirty five they decided to give me to a man, a Religious believer who would take me up to be the third wife and I must fulfill all duties to him.

I am on a different mind set and Emotional attachment which is A TABOO to then where I am from so I cannot come out in the open to declare my sexual preference, Because I am only interested in My Gender, Nothing about the opposite sex Intensify’s Any Emotions towards me Sexually and I have been involved with girls for the longest which is why I cannot take a man home to them for marriage… I agreed to go with the Religious Tebliq like we call them, they are usually the Extremest and I personally think they blow things out of proportion, So I went ahead to Agree to the terms of handing me over to A man because I couldn’t bring them mine, the rights were ongoing and the community usually have traditions and customs to such and then the man said he is going to have to do circumcision and I tot it was a joke till he began making preparations to do so, then I started looking for a way to get out of there before things go wrong and I get badly wounded, I started running around till I was able to get into the UK last year December, I ran off as far as I thought could and only as I was beginning to find some peace I got to find out that some people from my community have found out that I am in London and I know I am not safe anymore out there is why I ran off again to seek help here.

I took the offer to marry A Man when I am not into the opposite Sex at all and to my dismay when was told to be done to be is draining me mentally and I do not want to be a part of it.

Please I need all the Help and Protection I can get so as to be safe and Sound and Also be able to Exercise my sexual preference and be exercise my beliefs and be in relationship with who I can love and have a beautiful life and happiness with my heartbeat.