Madam Malinda Mgbafor Okereke (Mama Nsu Bekee)
By BARBARA KALU, Port-Harcourt–
Madam Malinda Mgbafor Okereke, also known as Mama Nsu Bekee, the last surviving female twin rescued by Scottish Missionary Mary Slessor, has died at 115.
Born around 1800, Mgbafor and her twin sister Mgbokwo were spared from the traditional practice of killing twins in Arochukwu, Abia State, thanks to Slessor’s intervention in 1876.
Mgbafor and her sister received formal education at Mary Slessor Primary School, Arochukwu, under Slessor’s direct care.
This education enabled them to develop a sound command of the English language, earning Mgbafor the nickname “Mama Nsu Bekee” or “Mama that speaks English”.
“The birth of Mgbafor and her twin sister, Mgbokwo… was not only attended to by Slessor and her team at their maternity at Obinagu, Amasu Village, Arochukwu, but the twins were subsequently adopted and fostered by Slessor herself,” the family statement read.
Mgbafor is remembered for her strength, neatness, and joyful spirit.
“She was strong, always neatly dressed, and full of joy until her last moments before her demise on March 5, following a brief illness,” her son Bishop Okechukwu Okereke stated.
Mgbafor will be laid to rest on August 30 in her family compound at Amasu, Arochukwu, after a funeral service at the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria.
