A woman in a community in southeastern Nigeria has sparked reactions online after reportedly being accused of wrongdoing and asked to swear an oath before her husband’s kinsmen.

In a viral video, the woman is seen standing before a group of men who instruct her to kneel, pick up a kolanut placed on the floor and swear that she is innocent of the allegations against her.

The situation reportedly became tense when she began invoking a possible “back-to-sender” curse, asking that the consequences return to those accusing her if she was innocent.

In the video, the woman picks up the kolanut and declares that she does not belong to any coven and has never committed ev!l against anyone.

She also says that if she has ever deliberately planned or carried out an act of ev!l against another person, she should not receive the things she hopes to achieve in life.

She said:

“If I have ever even considered anyone ev!l, if I have even thought about it, if I have gone anywhere to work against anyone, or if I have actually taken action to do ev!l to anyone, whatever I’m looking for in this land, don’t let me see it.”

The men present responded with “Iseee,” indicating their agreement with that part of the oath.

However, the atmosphere reportedly changed when the woman began addressing what should happen if she was innocent of the accusations.

She started by saying:

“However, if I didn’t do it, as many as they are accusing me…”

The men immediately shouted “Mba,” meaning “no” in Igbo, apparently attempting to stop her from completing the statement.

Some women present, however, encouraged her to continue.

“Kwuo ya,” meaning “Say it,” they urged.

The contrasting reactions created a tense moment in the video, with the men attempting to stop her while some of the women encouraged her to finish what she was saying.

The footage has generated discussions on social media about the treatment of women, traditional oath-taking practices and the pressure people may face when accused of wrongdoing within their families or communities.

Some viewers have questioned why the woman was being pressured to swear an oath, while others have focused on the reactions of those present when she suggested that the consequences should return to her accusers if she was innocent.

The circumstances surrounding the accusations, including what the woman was alleged to have done and where the incident occurred, remain unclear from the available account.