Osu Caste System Abolished: Ejiro Umukoro’s ‘Distortion’ and Advocacy Ignites Legislative Action

In a landmark move, a community in Imo State, Eastern Nigeria, has officially abolished the age-long Osu caste system, a practice that has been a source of social stigma and marginalization for decades. This historic decision comes three years and ten months after Lady Ejiro Umukoro, an international multi awarding winning investigative journalist and author, raised awareness about the issue through her book “Distortion” during a nationwide media and book tour in Nigeria.

Lady Ejiro’s novel, which explores themes of mental health, infertility, grief, and caste discrimination, sparked a national conversation on Arise News, News Central, TVC, Voice of the People TV / Radio, Classic FM and across different medium during her 7 months DISTORTION Book Tour about the Osu caste system and its devastating impact on individuals and communities. Her advocacy efforts, which included interviews and book reviews on Women Radio, TV360, Business Day, including Cora Book Trek to Schools in Lagos, and across several radio stations, helped bring attention to the issue and mobilize support for its abolition.

“I wrote ‘Distortion’ to shed light on the stories of women and men who suffered from this outdated and inhuman practice,” Lady Ejiro said in an interview. “One of the characters in the book, Nneka, was based on the true-life story of a young woman from the East. I captured her story and more in several scenes and plots in my book DISTORTION to call attention to it in the most dramatic way possible. I’m thrilled to see that our efforts have paid off, and a community in Imo State has taken the bold step to abolish the Osu caste system.”

As far back as 1956, the Owelle of Onitsha, the late Sir Nnamdi Azikiwe, had promulgated a law across the Eastern states to abolish this practice. Yet many communities in the East continued to perpetuate the inhuman practice. In Imo State, however, that narrative and mindset have been turned on their head. The first public abolition to happen in recent years was officially proclaimed on 3rd November 2025 by Chief Nduka Oduenyi, the Ogana (spokesman/assistant) of the traditional ruler of Oguta, Eze Nnani Eze-Eyiche, on behalf of the community. The decision is seen as a significant step towards promoting social equality and human dignity in the region.

“This is a historic moment of renewal and unity for the Oguta community,” Oduenyi said. “For generations, the Osu caste system perpetuated social division, stigma, and injustice. We acknowledge that the practice discriminated against people, marginalizing individuals and families, restricting social interaction, marriage, and participation in community affairs.”

The abolition has been hailed as a major victory for Lady Ejiro Umukoro and other advocates who have been working tirelessly to eradicate the Osu caste system. The move is expected to inspire other communities to follow suit and work towards creating a more inclusive and equitable society.

As Lady Ejiro noted, “Nigeria will move forward when her people choose to evolve. Silence is never an option. We must speak up from our small corners and add to the change that inspires the outcomes we seek.”