Chief Oga lived for a few more years and then died. His wives, who had by that time all married other men, got permission from their husbands to go and mourn for Chief Oga.
When the people took the chief’s body into the back-yard to wash it, they found that a certain part of his body had been cut off. His wives were very much surprised when they saw what had been done to their late husband, as, during his lifetime, he had been quite all right. They therefore went and told the chiefs of the town. The chiefs then came and inspected the body, and afterwards met in the palaver house to try and find out who had mutilated Chief Oga. The drum was beaten and the young men of the town were told to attend the meeting.
Directly ’Nyambi heard the drum, he called all his company to his house, and told them what he had done to Chief Oga. He also told them that what he had done was for the good of all people, and asked them to support him at the meeting, and if it came to a fight, that they should all be on the same side.
When they had heard the whole story, the members of ’Nyambi’s company agreed to back him up, and as they were the principal fighting-men of the town they went to the palaver house without much fear.
When all the people had arrived, the oldest chief of the town stood up, and said, “I have seen to-day what I have never seen before since I was born. Chief Oga, whom you all know, died this morning, and I went to look at his body. I then saw that a certain part of his body was missing. Now I want to know who did this thing, and what became of the missing part of the late chief. I shall be glad if any young man of the town who knows anything about this palaver will inform me.”
Then ’Nyambi stood up and questioned the chief, as follows: “What will be done to the man who did this? Will he be killed or will he be allowed to go free?” The chief replied that the man would certainly be killed, if he had mutilated Chief Oga by force without a very good reason, but that if they considered he was justified in his action, he would be allowed to go free.
Then ’Nyambi told the people that he had done this thing, and addressed them as follows: “When I married my wife Obim, while she was still in the circumcision house, Chief Oga went to her and tried to persuade her to go to him. After that he frequently sent messages to her, asking her to sleep with him, but she always refused. Again, when I was absent, Chief Oga went to my house to sleep with my wife, but I returned and caught him lying asleep on her bed.” ’Nyambi then asked the question, “What do you do when you catch a thief in your stack of yams?” And the head chief replied, “He is tied up to a tree, and left there to die.” ’Nyambi then said that he treated Chief Oga as a thief, but he took pity on him, and instead of killing him, he gave him his choice whether he would have his eyes put out or have a certain part of his body cut off. The late chief chose the latter alternative, so he performed the operation. He then called his wife Obim, who brought on a calabash the part of the dead chief’s body, which had been cut off and dried in the sun, as proof of what he had said.
’Nyambi then asked the chiefs whether he was justified in the course he had taken or not; and the chiefs, after consultation, agreed that he had done right.
A law was then passed that, if a husband caught another man in his house having connection with his wife, he could do whatever he liked with him in the house, but once the man was outside the house, he should not be molested, and the case should be decided before the chiefs.
But the chiefs also added, that the man who was caught committing adultery might defend himself as well as he could, and would not be punished for so doing.