The death has been announced of Madam Malinda Mgbafor Okereke, the last surviving twin rescued by famed Scottish missionary, Mary Slessor, in the historic Arochukwu Kingdom of Abia State. Fondly called Mama Nsu Bekee for her fluent English, Madam Okereke passed away at the age of 115.
Her passing marks the end of a remarkable chapter in Nigeria’s colonial-era history, as she and her twin sister, Mgbokwo, were born during a time when traditional practices in parts of the Lower Cross River region condemned twins to death.
According to a statement issued by her only surviving son, Bishop Okechukwu Okereke, and made available to journalists in Umuahia, Madam Okereke died on 5 March following a brief illness.
“The birth of Mgbafor and her twin sister, Mgbokwo, was not only attended to by Mary Slessor and her team at their maternity at Obinagu, Amasu Village, Arochukwu,” the statement read. “The twins were subsequently adopted and fostered by Slessor herself.”
During the 19th century, twins were widely considered an abomination in Arochukwu and surrounding communities. Newborns were often killed or abandoned in evil forests, a brutal practice that only began to decline after Slessor’s intervention in 1876. Her missionary campaign against the killing of twins became one of the defining humanitarian efforts of colonial-era Nigeria.
The twin sisters, Mgbafor and Mgbokwo, grew up under the care of the Scots missionary and received formal education at the Mary Slessor Primary School, which later became the Mary Slessor Secondary Technical School. The exposure to Western education and care instilled in Mgbafor a strong command of English, earning her the nickname Mama Nsu Bekee — loosely translated as “the mother who speaks English.”
“She was strong, always neatly dressed, and full of joy until her last moments,” Bishop Okereke said. “She remained an embodiment of dignity and strength throughout her life.”
Though her twin sister Mgbokwo died nearly 20 years ago, Madam Okereke remained a respected matriarch in Amasu Village. She is survived by one son, as well as grandchildren, great-grandchildren and numerous relatives. She had three children in total — one daughter and two sons.
Her funeral is scheduled to take place on Saturday, 30 August, at her family compound in Amasu, Arochukwu, following a funeral service at the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria.
Her death serves as a solemn reminder of a bygone era and the legacy of Mary Slessor’s life-saving campaign in southeastern Nigeria.
