IG, Bisi Fayemi, and Monarchs Raise ₦6.2 Million to Rescue 57 Women from ‘Money Woman’ Debt Bondage; Cross River Tradition Officially Abolished in Landmark Human Rights Move

The “Drill or Drop” era for harmful traditional practices in Nigeria reached a historic turning point today, April 16, 2026, as a high-powered alliance “flipped the script” on the “Money Woman” custom in Cross River State. In a “Tsunami” of humanitarian action, 57 women who had been used as human collateral for family debts were officially declared free. The “Solution” to this centuries-old bondage was unveiled in Abuja, where leaders announced they had raised the millions of Naira needed to “buy back” the lives of the first batch of victims.

The “Renewed Hope” for the girls of Becheve community was spearheaded by Erelu Bisi Fayemi, who argued that no tradition should ever erode a woman’s bodily integrity. “In every community, we have what we call harmful traditional practices,” Fayemi stated in the “digital trenches” of the media briefing. “But there have to be values that contribute to our dignity, not cause us emotional and physical harm.” She urged men, who hold the primary power in these rural settings, to lead the charge in protecting their daughters.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, threw the weight of the federal government behind the move, stating that the police are proud to be associated with finding a “lasting solution” to debt-based domestic violence. By “tinkering” with the financial side of the custom paying a standardized ₦100,000 to “divorce” the women from their bonded marriages the coalition is using a legal and cultural hybrid model to ensure the women aren’t just free, but also protected from future claims.

As the 2027 political cycle looms and the government aims for its ₦73 trillion economic goal, the message from the Becheve intervention is clear: a modern economy cannot be built on the backs of “money women.” For the 57 women liberated today, the message is one of life-changing relief. They now have the chance to “just focus on their lives” without being the security for a debt they never owed.