After residing in the US for some time, Benson traveled back to his birthplace of Bachuo Ntai to visit his mother, family, and friends. He reportedly arrived home healthy, but returned to the US very ill amid suspicions and allegations from some that he had been poisoned or bewitched during his stay.
Despite hopes and prayers for his recovery, Benson’s condition worsened, and he died in Lubbock in October, 2012. Throughout his illness and leading up to his death, no family members visited him or contributed to his medical and living expenses. I know this because I helped him out as a loan and as charity.
Following his death, a conflict erupted between his widow and his relatives. Benson’s family demanded that his corpse be transported back to Africa for burial to give the family closure, but his wife rejected the request.
In response, his family launched a campaign against the widow, alleging that their 29-year union was merely a “Doki marriage”, a marriage for papers or for hire, and arguing that she is not entitled to his inheritance. Some family members and friends accused the widow of desecrating their culture by withholding his remains, while others maintained that the family should leave her alone.
Questions: Why do we want oversea corpses home? Why don’t we care for people when they are alive? Why do we abandon people when they run into problems, but we honor them when they die? HA