Bloody Tales Of Okija Shrine

Echoes of the controversial and dreaded Okija shrines resonated, Weekend, in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State following fight for supremacy between the Chief Priests of the shrines and youths in the area. The elderly priests alleged that the youths have hijacked their shrines and are duping and killing unsuspecting patronizers of the notorious Ogwugwu—Akpu and Ogwugwu—Isi—Ula shrines by parading themselves as priests.

TAFA BALOGUN CONNECTION

A similar crisis erupted amongst the worshippers of the shrines few years ago leading to startling discovery of human parts at various stages of decomposition inside the shrines. The discoveries which shook the nation and beyond took place in August, 2004, following a petition to the police, by a former chief priest of the shrine. It attracted the visit of the then Inspector- General of Police, Tafa Balogun, who swiftly carried out the arrest of some worshippers. There were also recovery of some human skulls and bodies, which stunned the world.

REVELATIONS

This time around, a prominent elder from Ubahu Ezike, Umuhu village, Okija and President of Herbs and Leaves Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association of Nigeria, Dr. Omeifejideofor Azugbo, came out with more revelations about the deadly shrines warning that calamity may befall the entire Okija community and Anambra State in general if nothing was done to bring down the escalating crisis in the shrines and stop the wanton destruction of human lives inside the shrines.

Azugbo who claims to be the chief priest of Ogwugwu-Ubahu-Idengwo deity, specifically asked various security agencies to send their respective investigators into the town to monitor the nefarious activities of those he identified as ‘jobless youths’ who forcefully took over the priesthood of the shrines as an opportunity to swindle unsuspecting members of the public. He also warned politicians and prominent businessmen who are still going to the shrine for power acquisition or for acquisition of prosperity, to be mindful of the fact that the alleged swindlers have taken over the shrine, adding that although the shrines are still retaining their original efficacy, the priests are now piloting its affairs in a negative direction.

CHIEF PRIEST SPEAKS

He told Crime Guard exclusively at his Umuhu-Okija palace that “We have many shrines in various villages at Okija but the most popular ones among them are Ulasi, Ogwugwu Isi Ula and Ogwugwu Akpu. Ulasi is their husband. Others are Ogwugwu Mmiri, Ogwugwu Uburu, Ogwugwu Ubiaka, Ogwugwu Apunama, Ihemereumuhuike shrine, Aho Umuhu shrine, Ana Umuhu Okija shrine, Ogwugwu Isura shrine, among others. Ogwugwu Akpu came into existence about 1,400 years ago and series of chief priests had served and handed over to others in the order of seniority until 2002 when crisis erupted during the regime of one Jibuike as the chief priest.

MISMANAGEMENT

“It was Jibuike who handled the shrine carelessly that enabled the youths move in. probably, because he did not get children early in life to take over from him. From 1999, Jibuike was mismanaging the shrine because he knew nobody would replace him from his own lineage, since the service rotates among Ubahu-Ezike family.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

“The Ogwugwu Akpu shrine was the daughter of Ezinukpodu who was married to Ubahu Ezike. She was into farming in those days but some thieves were constantly stealing cassava from her farmland and when she reported the matter, the villagers gave her charms to keep inside the farm land and the charms started killing all the thieves who were still going to steal her cassava crops. It was when she died that her cassava farmland was renamed Ogwugwu-Akpu shrine and priests started worshipping it. Apart from those cassava thieves who were killed those days, the shrine was modified in such a way that when two or more persons have financial disagreements among themselves, the aggrieved one would consult the shrine which would, in turn, send its messenger to summon the other party or parties to appear before it for the settlement of the disputes.

“Like in the law court, chief priests of the shrine would mediate into the matter, hear from both parties, give a verdict and mandate the defaulter to bring the money in dispute to the shrine from where the rightful owner would be refunded. On the other hand, if the defaulter fails to bring the money to the shrine on the agreed date, the shrine would strike him or her dead and once he or she dies, the remains would be brought to the shrine by the messengers and they will lie there without burial, which was why so many corpses were found inside the shrine in 2004 when the police stormed there. As for the Ogwugwu- Isi- Ula, which sprang up at the former Orie -Nwogwugwu market, it used to safeguard and immunize children against any type of sickness. When a new child is born and dedicated to the shrine, he or she would no longer fall sick till they grow old.

HOW THE CRISIS STARTED

“So, the crisis in the shrines started in 2004 when the servants conspired to destroy Ogwugwu-Akpu and serve Ogwugwu-Isi Ula to make money but I refused to support them and they planned to catch me alive and deal with me. In August, 2004, the spirit of my shrine told me to leave my compound for security reasons and I left in obedience by 11.30 a.m, and by 11.45 a.m., my enemies stormed my compound with a team of policemen but when they could not find me at home, they destroyed my house and looted some properties. It was the same criminals who invited policemen to arrest me that accused me of invoking a mermaid from my own Ogwugwu-Uburu-Idingwo shrine to disturb them.

SETTLEMENT OF FINANCIAL DISPUTE

“Another thing that caused problem was when we stopped lending out monies deposited at the shrine for onward transmission to their respective owners. You know that when the shrine settles a financial dispute between two parties and directs the debtor to return the money to the shrine for onward transmission to the rightful owner, if the rightful owner did not come on time to the shrine to collect the money, some people would come and request that the money be lent to them for business. When we discovered that some of those who borrowed the money did not return them at the agreed time or even at all, we decided to stop lending the money to anyone and some people became aggrieved without minding that some of the debtors who refused to return the money were struck dead by the shrine and their corpses were kept there. We put that borrowing method to a stop as far back as 1963.

PLANS TO KILL ME

“One man from Ubahu-Ezike took my name to about seven shrines to kill me, alleging that I was owing him but non of the shrines killed me between 2002 till date. When he discovered that the Okija shrines did not do me anything, knowing fully well that my hands were clean, he now dragged me to Ubu-Ihembosi shrine, claiming that I was owing him N217,500. Ubu Ihembosi shrine summoned me to appear before it,. I went there . I paid N5,000 to state my case and thereafter, the Chief priest demanded N150,000 from me to look into my case but I refused to pay and he threatened to kill me. Even till date, the man in question is still planning my death with my family members.

HIJACK BY THE YOUTHS

“Our young boys have now taken over the shrine to dupe people and enrich themselves. All the present crop of priests in Okija shrines are dupes and they have desecrated the shrines. The shrines are now killing those elders who are not condemning the dupes or who are not outspoken against the corrupt practices. Why I am still alive today is because I refused to shut up my mouth against the dupes and for that, my life is at stake because they are after me.

CALLS FOR FEDERAL GOVT. INTERVENTION

“Federal Government should, as a matter of urgency, deploy secret agents to Okija to monitor the activities of these dupes. The shrines are still sacred as they were in the old days but the new generation priests are desecrating them because of greed. The youths in Okija are now claiming to be herbalists without certificate. Government should come into the community and ameliorate the situation. It is very urgent because people are being killed there. The shrines are killing our old men badly for keeping mute and watching the young ones dupe some politicians and top businessmen. The business is thriving now because this is political era. In spite of the fact that my life is now in danger, I still maintain that truth is life.

THE FATE OF VICTIMS

“If the shrine kills any person from Okija for bad behaviour, he or she will have the privilege to be buried in the grave but if the shrine kills a non- indigene, his or her remains will be taken to the shrine and deposited forever. The shrine does not kill an innocent person. The shrine will kill a defaulter and drain the blood so that when the corpse is deposited there, it will never decay. The corpse will remain dried and fresh.

SETBACK

“The worst is that at the moment, we don’t have an Igwe in Okija. I am the king maker in this community. I will soon take a chieftaincy title of Turuawai I of Okija and it is only after that, that somebody can be crowned the Igwe of Okija. Even our so-called prominent businessmen cannot fight the youths in Okija which is presently made up of 36 villages as against 30 villages it had before now.

The Ogwugwu Ubulu Idengwo shrine which I worship is a messenger of god who saves lives and creates success and prosperity to humanity.”

ANOTHER WITNESS SPEAKS

Corroborating Azugbo’s statement, another prominent indigene of Ubahu Ezike, Titus Azuawusiefe confirmed that their children who are supposed to be in school or in business are now forcing themselves to become chief priests of the shrines because of money. According to him, “These youths were arrested and taken to Abuja some years ago but they were released to come back home to continue with their nefarious activities and wicked killings. The shrines are even dealing with them but they don’t care.”