The Anambra State House of Assembly has denied reports that it passed a new law regulating funeral rites and banning the presentation of cows, goats and other expensive gifts during condolence visits.
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The clarification followed reports circulating on social media claiming that the state government had introduced fresh legislation outlawing lavish burial parties, midweek burials, wake-keep ceremonies and other burial practices in the state.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Special Adviser to the Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Franklin Osankwa, said the reports were false and misleading.
Osankwa said the present eighth Assembly, led by Speaker Somtochukwu Udeze, did not introduce, debate or pass any new burial law.
According to him, the burial regulatory framework being referenced in the reports was enacted in 2019, before the inauguration of the current Assembly.
“The attention of the Anambra State House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Somtochukwu Udeze, has been drawn to a misleading publication making the rounds, claiming that Anambra State has introduced a ‘new burial law’ banning the presentation of cows, goats and other condolence gifts,” the statement read.
“For the record, this publication is false, misleading and a gross misrepresentation of facts.
“The eighth Anambra State House of Assembly did not pass any new burial law. No such bill was introduced, debated or passed by the current Assembly.”
Osankwa explained that since the current House was inaugurated, no amendment had been made to the existing burial law, especially in relation to the issues being widely reported.
He described the attribution of a new burial law to the present Assembly as irresponsible and unethical, saying it appeared to be aimed at generating traffic, controversy and public outrage.
“The existing burial regulatory framework being mischievously referenced by some media platforms was enacted into law in 2019, long before the inauguration of the present eighth Assembly,” he said.
“Since the inauguration of the current House, no amendment whatsoever has been made concerning the areas sensationally reported in the media.
“It is therefore irresponsible and professionally unethical to attribute a non-existent ‘new law’ to the present Assembly simply to generate traffic, controversy and public outrage.”
Osankwa said the Assembly remained committed to transparent and people-oriented legislation, adding that citizens would continue to be properly engaged on every law legitimately before the House.
He urged Ndi Anambra and the general public to disregard the reports and rely only on verified information from official government channels.
“At a time when distorted headlines are becoming a serious threat to public trust and social stability, media organisations must understand that journalism is a sacred responsibility, not a tool for clickbait sensationalism,” he added.
The clarification comes after reports claimed that Anambra had introduced strict funeral regulations prohibiting midweek burials, limiting condolence gifts to money, one jar of palm wine, one carton of beer and one crate of soft drinks, and banning cows, goats, bags of rice and other expensive gifts.
The reports also claimed that burial ceremonies must be held only on Saturdays, completed within one day, and that offenders risk a fine of ₦100,000, six months’ imprisonment, or both.
Other provisions cited in the reports included restrictions on wake-keep ceremonies, billboards, banners, dancing with caskets, public display of caskets, souvenirs, second funeral rites, prolonged mortuary stays and road blockages during burials.
However, the Anambra Assembly insisted that no such new legislation had been passed by the current House, stressing that the public should disregard claims suggesting otherwise.
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