Cross River: Controversy Erupts Over Urugbam Community’s Dog-Cutting Ceremony

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Biase –A decades-old cultural event in Urugbam Community, Biase Local Government Area, has sparked heated debates online after a video of its controversial “dog-cutting” ceremony went viral. The ritual, performed once every four years, involves a chosen participant severing a dog’s head with a single machete strike—a test believed to determine divine favor or invite ancestral wrath NEGROIDHAVEN has confirmed.

Footage shared by a netizen Philip Obin on Facebook showed the climactic moment of the ritual, accompanied by warnings of “everlasting shame” for failure. While some hailed it as cultural pride (“My village, my culture!”), others condemned it as animal cruelty: “Barbaric! Dogs are pets, not props for brutality,” wrote one user. Others called for Facebook to ban such content.

“Silence! This culture isn’t for you,” retorted one commentator, comparing it to Obudu’s ram-sacrificing “Ugrinya” festival.

The event reignited discussions on preserving heritage versus modern ethics. Some referenced Biase’s more intense “Ijom initiation” rites as proof of deeper traditions, while critics urged abandoning “frightening” practices.