Okorie explained that she carried out the cultural ritual following advice from her godmother.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Nollywood actress Angela Okorie has faced backlash after sharing the reason behind her decision to burn the outfit she wore to the burial of the late actor, Alexx Ekubo.
The 40-year-old actress justified her actions on Sunday in a post shared via her official Instagram page.
Ekubo was laid to rest on Thursday, 18 June, in Arochukwu, Abia State, following a battle with metastatic kidney cancer.
In a post on her verified handle after the funeral, Okorie explained that she carried out the ritual on the advice of her godmother.
“This is the outfit I wore to Alexx’s burial. My godmother said it is not good to keep the clothes you wore to a burial around you; you must burn them. So, family and friends, take note. I felt I should share this information.
“May the Lord keep and bless us with long life. Amen. Chai,” she stated.
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However, after her post made the rounds online, many netizens took to the comment section to point out a logical inconsistency in her actions.
An X user identified as Ogechi, who tweets as #missy_ada2, wrote: “She kept the bag, shoes, wig, and jewellery though. Selective burning.”
Another Nigerian, #dejay_kiss, also questioned: “What about the wig, sunglasses, and jewellery she wore there? Her godmother didn’t include those in the conversation?” Meanwhile, #Highness2510 asked: “Why didn’t you burn the phone and wig you took to the burial?”
Arguing that sharing the information online demonstrated a lack of emotional intelligence, #MLAdebayo added: “So, if it’s your family member who dies, you will have to bring it to social media like this?”
Amidst the criticism, a Facebook user, Elizabeth Funmilola, rose to Okorie’s defence, claiming that discarding funeral garments is rooted in cultural tradition.
She said: “In my opinion, she is right. The reason clothes are advised to be burned is because the dead must be buried in clothing, so more emphasis is laid on the clothes you wear to greet or bury the deceased.
“Also, the deceased was a young person, so it’s a painful and mournful exit. I don’t think she was supposed to bring it to social media, but on the other hand, we learn every day.”
