My Daughter Stopped Talking After Visiting Her Grandmother — Native Doctor Said Her Tongue Was Tied Spiritually

My daughter, Tife, is just five years old — bubbly, playful, and full of life. But after one weekend visit to her grandmother’s house in the village, she returned silent.

I thought it was fatigue. You know how children behave when they travel. But after three days, she hadn’t said a word.

Not “mummy,” not “water,” nothing.

I panicked. We went to the hospital — the doctor said there was nothing physically wrong with her. She could hear. She could write. She could even cry. But she couldn’t talk.

I asked my mother-in-law what happened. She said,

“Nothing o. She was fine with us. Maybe she’s just scared of Lagos noise.”

That didn’t sit right with me.

I went to a native spiritualist, even though I didn’t believe in such things before. After one look at Tife, the man said:

“This child’s tongue was spiritually tied by someone who sees her future as a threat. It was done with a black thread and snail slime.”

My heart sank. I remembered how my mother-in-law always warned us not to “spoil the girl” with education, saying, “Female children with too much freedom end up useless.”

We did the cleansing. It took three days. The very next morning, Tife said, “Mummy, I want pap.”

I broke down and cried.

Now I keep her close. Because in this life, not everyone who calls your child ‘my pikin’ actually means well.