500 Okija victims recount ordeal

From Daily Independent
By Chris Agbambu, Deputy Bureau Chief, Abuja

August 30, 2004—Shrines in Okija, Anambra State were chambers of horror and torture. About 500 victims have told police investigators how they were tortured to confess to crimes they knew nothing about.

In turn, the police have tightened their noose on the detained priests who may be charged with multiple crimes against humanity.

Since the news of their arrests, police investigators have been inundated with petitions from victims who allege one form of maltreatment or another by the priests.

They said the ordeal usually started with an invitation by the priests alleging offences they were innocent of.

One of the victims told the police in Abuja how the shrine operators extorted more than N3 million from him if he did not want to die.

The victim, who pleaded anonymity, told the detectives that it was by the special grace of God that he is alive, having met their demands.

In their own petition to the police, the Igbo community in Kwara State narrated how they were summoned to the shrine.

The younger brother of the captain of the Super Eagles, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, was also at the police headquarters to tell detectives how the footballer was summoned to the shrine.

The victims said they came voluntarily to narrate their experiences so that when the list of the names in the shrine registers are published, Nigerians would not be surprised, “because most of them were victims of circumstances”. 

The Day Okija 'Gods' Invaded Reps' Chamber

From The Guardian
By JOHN-ABBA OGBODO, ABUJA

August 29, 2004—EVEN before the Speaker, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari had introduced the item; lawmakers from the Southeast had been criss-crossing the floor of the House of Representatives, discussing in low tones.

Their prancing and whispering had aroused curiosity and anxiety in their colleagues and members of the gallery.

"Was there any report of financial scandal in the House," a member in the gallery wondered aloud. His question was not particularly directed and no response was forthcoming.

But the picture soon became clearer when Mr. Mba Ajah from Abia State was asked by Masari to move his motion. However, the legislator buckled under, pleading to withdraw the motion.

"Mr Speaker, Sir, I would want to withdraw the motion because I have been under pressure from my colleagues from the Southeast to withdraw. I want to withdraw it against my wish," Ajah said.

His U-turn caused immediate bedlam, with members taking opposing views and urging the upholding of their positions.

"No, no, no," shouted the group that opposed the motion, "go ahead," urged the motion's protagonists.

Ajah had principally sought the commendation of the Nigeria Police for their exploits in the Okija forests in Anambra State where their raid exposed cadavers in different stages of decomposition at the Ogwugwu Shrines.

Eighty-three bodies were reportedly discovered and scores of skulls and other bones found littering the "evil forest."

Perhaps impressed by their act of bravery, Ajah wanted his colleagues to eulogise the police, but he walked himself into the odium of his colleagues from the Southeast.

Their concern was that controversial as the saga had been in the public domain, it should not be introduced on the floor particularly by an Igboman.

The former leader of the Southeast caucus in the House, Mao Ohubunwa (Abia) opened the line of attack on Ajah.

He frowned at the attempt by a "son of the soil" (an Igboman) to commit a supposed sacrilege by bringing the Okija Shrines gods to judgment in the people's court.

"We should not be here to do things that are not in tune with our culture. If he wants to withdraw or is disposed to withdrawing the motion, he should do so but to say he is under pressure says a different thing," Mao said.

The ingredients of the failed motion by Ajah were that:

• The problem of ritual killings has lingered in the country for many decades without any visible solution.
• Many people have died mysteriously and their death put down to unspecified causes.
• It is a shameful and embarrassing to realise that people still worship these powerless gods so religiously and faithfully in the 21st Century when our counterparts all over the world are busy re-ordering the world through technology and making it a better place for human habitation.
• Shrines and deities have caused immense havoc and concern to the society; these deities have created societal problems on account of mysterious deaths attributed to them.
• Apart from the Okija incident, there are other cases of mysterious deaths.
• The Nigeria Police deserves commendation for the able and dynamic way they handled the issue of Okija shrines and deities by swooping on the shrines and arresting the Ogwugwu priests, and recovering skulls and corpses of the victims.
• Ajah, therefore, urged the House to:
• Commend the police.
• Condemn the existence of fetish culture in some parts of the country.
• Urge the police to spread their dragnet nationwide with a view to tracking down other similar institutions.
• Call on the police to carry out thorough investigation and advice Anambra State government to acquire the land/forest harbouring the shrines and deities in Okija.
• This was the motion that inflamed passion among members and the result was the bedlam that lasted almost 40 minutes.
• But before rounding off his opposition to the motion, Mao Ohubunwa threw bombshell. He alleged that most of the members had patronised or still patronise the same gods they were ridiculing.
• "Some of us could not have been here if we were not taken to such places," he said.
• Apparently to avert the unexpected, the leader of the Southeast caucus and House Deputy Leader, Gilbert Nnaji attempted to steer the proceedings from the topic but some interested members would not let the debate go.
• Nnaji pleaded with members to allow Ajah withdraw the motion but the persistent deafening, "no, no, no" drowned his voice.
• Ostensibly disappointed by low decibel of their voices, some members had to move from their seats, to meet Ajah and physically urge him to continue with the motion.
• Not even the plea from the House Whip, Bawa Bwari, that the handwriting was clear that the mover of the motion wanted it withdrawn, could persuade the agitating members.
• But given a breather, Ajah spiced the controversy with another comment; he said he was basely three years old in politics.
• "I am learning a great deal of politics. I am just three years old in politics. I have been in business all along," he confessed.
• The import of the statement was that he had embarked on the controversial motion, unaware of the consequences it would attract.
• Nonetheless, Independence Ogunnewe (Abia) wanted Ajah to disclose the source of the pressure on him instead of his blanket allegation.
• But John Halims Agoda said the issue was not whether there was pressure or not but that the House Rules do not allow for withdrawal of a motion once it appears on the floor.
• Citing Rule 13(1) of the House Standing Rules, Agoda argued that unless the House so approved, Ajah had no ground to do so. The Chairman of the Women Committee on Rules and Business, Ita Enan supported Agoda's argument.
• At this point, the pro-debate members cheered, clapped and jumped to savour their temporary victory. The House did not allow the debate, to avoid the issue degenerating into aggression.
• The House Speaker, Bello Masari, deploying wits and experience advised Ajah to "step down not withdraw the motion." It was a technicality employed to subtly consign the motion to the graveyard.
• Ajah told journalists afterwards that he proposed the motion because of his faith in God.
• But legislative watchers have noted that the Speaker had saved the "political neophyte" from the wrath of his Southeast colleagues and "the rampaging Okija gods."

 

Okija Shrines Priests Confess

From Daily Champion

August 28, 2004—As the Okija shrines episode continues to generate ripples across Nigeria and beyond, 12 of the 43 suspects have reportedly admitted that they took advantage of the shrines to enrich themselves as well as further other selfish pursuits.

Chilling confessions of the suspects pieced together from police sources by Saturday Champion, indicate that some of those in police custody have stated that the state of the buildings, exotic cars and other posh property they acquired, were obtained through the deployment of their influence against unsuspecting victims.

Twelve of the 43 suspects being detained at Abuja were said to have confessed that they used the Ogwugwu shrines to their personal advantage.

For instance, one of them, who is a prominent member of the Anglican Church as well as another, known as a leaching figure in one of the Pentecostal churches in Okija, revealed that he deceived people with the shrines into partying with their money and property.

Police sources stated that "their people would make fake copies of the Ogwugwu shrines’ letter of summons and issue same to a complainant who then hands it over to the other party.

"Rather than allow the parties to come to the shrines on their own accord, they would mount pressure on them, hijack them to their personal shrines and hoodwink them into believing they were dealing with the genuine Ogwugwu shrine priests.

"Through this art, they would make both parties to part with huge sums of money or in the alternative they would deploy other unlawful means to deal with one of the parties," the sources stated.

It was gathered that through this method, the claimant to priesthood of the shrines have made fortunes and usually used such ill-gotten wealth to terrorise other people in the Okija, Ihiala and adjoining communities.

When contacted, Mr. Chris Olakpe, the Force Public Relations Officer, confirmed that the suspects were actually being interrogated and that they have made useful statements.

He, however, refused to go into the revelations made or other claims made by the suspects.

"When we are through, the Inspector-General of Police will brief you," he stated.

Back

 

Ngige speaks on Okija, warns troublemakers

From Vanguard
By Anayo Okoli

August 27, 2004—AWKA, GOVERNOR Chris Ngige of Anambra State yesterday made his first official statement on the Okija shrine episode with a warning that the people should not hide under the shrine issue to cause a breach of the peace in the state. Ngige warned that nobody should hide under the “so called shrine saga or episode” to cause trouble and destabilise the state. Ngige’s reaction came through a broadcast he made to the people of Anambra State to mark the state’s 13th anniversary.

The state was created in August 1991 by Gen. Ibrahim Babangida’s regime. Ngige also touched on some other issues including road projects, health and agriculture. He appealed to the civil servants to give him more time to pay their outstanding arrears of salary and allowances, saying that the state is experiencing “little financial hitches.” Let me take this opportunity to admonish the people of this state not to take the so-called “shrine” saga or episode being bandied about as an excuse to cause a breach of the law nor align with some unscrupulous individuals to cause trouble and destabilise the peace of the state.

"Also, in this regard, I want to take this opportunity to warn all Anambrarians to disassociate themselves from any association, group or organisation by whatever nomenclature that has plans to disturb the peace of the land through unauthorised assemblage or celebration other than this 13th anniversary of the creation of the state being marked today.

Our agricultural reforms also, entails our involvement in the massive cassava, rice and palm-oil production to achieve food security for the people of the state. The College of Agriculture, Igbariam has been rejuvenated and very soon normal teaching will take off there. This, in addition to the Anambra Volunteer Farmers (AVF) project at Omor and Okija, which are designed to gainfully engage our youths providing them with job opportunity. Our roads reconstruction and rehabilitation project is still going on. We have not relented in this regard.

I want to use this forum to dispel the feeling in some quarters that we have reduced our speed in our road work project. We also hope to award three major roads whose tender analysis have almost been concluded after due process by next month,” Ngige promised. He also promised to embark on a rigorous water scheme rehabilitation programme will start from the begriming of October 2004 to provide water for our people in the dry season.”

The Okija shrine horror

From NewAge
Akpan Blessing, Engineer (Reltel)

In the past few weeks, the Okija Shrine in Anambra State has seized public attention. NNAMDI ONYEUMA reviews the public’s reaction to the horrific find.

August 27, 2004—What is happening at Okija in Anambra State is sad. I never believed there was still a place where people can be killed or are being killed with reckless abandon. It’s barbaric and condemnable. This is modern age and such things have ceased to happen long ago. I would want the government at the federal level to investigate the killings and prosecute all those involved in this gory act. Let the law take its full course, because the people did not have regard for human life. It could have been anybody’s relative. And to think of it, these people killed are young men.

Andy Ukwuorji, Publisher
I think the discovery of such barbaric shrine is good, because of the lessons we stand to learn from it. It is very disappointing that such practice is still existing in this 21st century. You know, we had such kind of shrine in Arochukwu those days but it was destroyed by the white men. Although it is not possible to change a people’s culture, killing of human beings for sacrifice should not be condoned. What is happening is an eye opener. I must tell you, shrines nowadays are no longer as effective as they used to be.

Therefore, anyone who goes there is subject to manipulation. Let the government acquire the sprawling acres of land. I thank God that recent reports indicate such a move. It is welcome.

However, the suspects must not be allowed to walk out of custody free. They must face justice, including those who patronise it. My kind of jail for them is life jail. Nothing short of that will be good enough.

Onanuga ’Juwon, Businessman
When I heard about it, I shed tears. I couldn’t believe it until newspapers started carrying convincing and detailed photographs taken at the scene. And it seems the last may not have been heard as new discoveries are made almost each passing day. I would want the government to hang all those involved. There is no need for going to court because their victims were not given option. They were killed without restraint. We cannot afford to waste energy and resources on people whose happiness is derived from wasting human beings. He who kills should also be killed. It is a shame to us, because they have ridiculed Nigeria before foreigners, who will carry the news to their home countries.

Again, it is possible that some of those killed may be the breadwinners of their respective families. Human life is precious and cannot be wasted with ease. So, let justice take its full course.

Orji Onyekwere, Journalist
The Okija revelation if that is the right word to use, is not strange. Yes, because it is a tradition passed on to Okija people by their forefathers.

According to reports, it has been on for over 200 years. So, why should people react differently? And come to think of it, the police could not discover it until someone gave them a tip-off. In as much as I would want the government to thoroughly investigate the case, police should not over-politicise the matter.

I want the police to find out whether those corpses were murdered for ritual purposes or killed by the shrine. You must know that the police in Anambra State before now, did not declare anyone missing. But like I said, it is not only in Igboland that such practice exists.

However, I condemn the use of human beings for sacrifice. The police said they saw Ezego’s corpse and of course, you know that Ezego’s family has denied it and is in fact threatening to sue over the statement. This Okija issue should not be blown out of proportion.

Asher Gindau, Businessman
I would want the police in conjunction with the Federal Government to investigate how those killings started and the beneficiaries of this crude practice. Honestly, this discovery is laughable. We are making mockery of ourselves, especially in the face of the government’s campaign for foreign investors. They will certainly not come, not in the face of this gory act. I want all those involved to face the long arm of the law.

Alhaji Inusa Oyaifo, Businessman
Well, it’s a pity that such is happening in this jet age. There is no alternative to a bad situation, because that is exactly what the situation is. The suspects and their clients should be tried and their investment closed down forthwith. Killing for ritual purposes is evil and those who derive pleasure in evil should be taught not to do evil. Period!

Roland Isiorho
I think the best thing to do now is to thoroughly find out why this kind of practice is going on. Who are involved? If what the high priest is saying — that it is a tradition —then the government will be in a very tight corner. But where it is speculated that it is for money making rituals, they should be tried. I think the problem with our society today is that so much importance has been attached to wealth. And where this is the case, people go out of their way, including applying crude means to make money. For me, it is about time the government probed our so-called rich men to know the source of the wealth they are flaunting.

The shrine should be demolished after the investigations and those involved tried in a court of law. The tradition too should be stopped. I don’t know how the government will do that, but it is supposed to be stopped. We cannot continue to kill our people in their productive and active stage of life.

Uzoma Uba, Security Personnel
Let government look into the matter and bring everyone involved to book. The Bible condemns shedding of innocent blood and nobody was created to take another’s life. Look, government should arrest those involved and kill them. They do not deserve to live, let they taste the bitter pill of death which them celebrated on a daily basis. I learnt some prominent Nigerians were clients of the chief priest.

 

Okija community defends shrine, vows to resist acquisition

From Vanguard
By Anayo Okili

August 23, 2004—AWKA, The Okija community of Anambra State said weekend that the shrines from where the police recently recovered 80 decomposing corpses were as old as the community itself, and people going there did so purely to get justice. The Igwe-elect of Okija, Igwe Ben Okeke, at a press conference in his palace said the police discovery did not, by any means, make the people of Okija cannibals and warned against government plan to acquire the vast forest harbouring the shrines.

“Okija people are no barbarians, we are no cannibals, and I am personally a practising Catholic Christian since 99.9 per cent of the Okija royal cabinet are Christians,” he said in a statement read by the palace secretary. He also disowned the man who tipped off the police about the forest, saying the informant was unknown in the area.

In the text entitled “Okija: The truth about it all, as presented by Okija Royal Cabinet,” the Igwe-elect said: “The tradition of the worship of these deities is that the eldest (Okpala) in the village who is a pagan becomes the chief priest. People go to the shrines for the settlement of their cases because of the immediate and constant justice they receive from the shrines. It is because these people from far and wide go there for justice on their personal decision. It is true that the greater majority of the visitors who are the customers of these shrines come from outside Okija.

“If after the settlement of a case and the culprit finally dies, it is reported to the chief priest who allows the corpse to be brought and thrown into the shrine forest, buried or left just like that by the relations of the dead person. Some of the skulls discovered from the shrine could be older than all those who are now the priests of the shrines.

“It is true that these Ogwugwu killed the offenders who swore on them, including those who are the owners and the worshipers. These deities have no guns and no knives. It is guilty conscience that kills any offender. We need add that nobody has ever reported to the Okija Royal Cabinet that either the chief priests or their agents killed any of their people. All we hear in Okija is that Ogwugwu-Akpu or Ogwugwu-isi-ula killed someone and these stories were never challenged and we at Okija Royal Cabinet never bothered.

“We pray the police to investigate the cases of the arrested persons with fairness and honesty and if discovered that people worship Ogwgwu-Akpu and Ogwugwu-isi-ula in the traditional manner as their own religion, they should be left to be covered by the persuasive Christian religion. On the other hand, if along the line it is discovered that any person or group of persons went against the law, we shall not hesitate to say the law should take its course in dealing with them. The Okija customs and traditions advocate and insist on fairness and justice as well as respect of human life and cannot condone evil.

“However, we feel sad over the manner the police initially started handling the stories of Ogwugwu-Akpu and Ogwugwu-isi-ula, presenting the entire Okija community as idol worshippers and murderers. We are sure that the police know the real worshippers of these deities well enough. Allow us to end this address by telling you that Okija people are no barbarians, we are no cannibals and idol worshippers,” Okeke said.

 

Anambra To Acquire 'Evil' Forest

From The Guardian
Chuks Collins, Onitsha

August 21, 2004—APPARENTLY to put the waste lands into better use and to the benefit of its citizens, the Anambra State Government will soon acquire all 'evil' forests and shrine grounds in Okija, in Ihiala Council of the state.

Disclosing this after a meeting with Governor Chris Ngige, the state former governor, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife said that if he was aware of such evil places when he was the governor, he would have dismantled them.

The former governor also commended Ngige and the police for taking a bold step to "dislodge and flush out the dubious priests of the discredited deities."

According to him, "I thank my brother Ngige for initiating moves to dismantle and burst the activities of those shrines, through the instrumentality of the police".

Also the majority leader of the State House of Assembly, Humphrey Nsofor has sent a word of appreciation to the police for "joining hands with Ngige in cleansing and liberating the state."

He alleged that Mr. Chuma Nzeribe, a serving member of Federal House of Representatives for Ihiala Federal Constituency and one Chief Benson Nwawulu, a defeated member were those who attempted to force political office seekers to swear to some fetish oath in May 2003 but that he personally objected.

He said he elected rather to have a pastor or any man of God of their choice to pray and unite them together instead of any fetish involvement. All these, he alleged, occurred at the Udoka Housing Estate residence of Chief Chris Uba, where they usually hold meetings.

Meanwhile, a group, The Igbo Youth Movement has called on the police to make public without further delay the names of the patrons, clients and all actors in the shameful fraud of the so-called Okija deity.

The union advised other sections of Nigeria to emulate this commendable self-cleansing attribute of Ndigbo, as exemplified in the 1996 Otokoto Saga at Owerri, the 2003 political liberation of Anambra State and now the exposure of the evil routinely perpetrated by of fraudsters and ritualists masquerading as agents of a deity.

Nigeria would be a better place if every citizen emulated this self-cleansing mechanism of Ndigbo, instead of pretending that they were not under similar or even worse bondage. The self-purge of evil from time to time confirms "God's special love for Ndigbo," the group added.

In a statement signed by its President Mr. Elliot Uko, the group also berated political actors in Enugu State, who it alleged have been corrupting students by funding their cult groups, over the slaughter of about dozens students in Enugu recently.

"It is ungodly to send your own children to school abroad while you fund and arm other people's children for your political agenda. The blood of those naive students will hang on the heads of their sponsors," the IYM added.

 

Police Seal off Okija Shrines

From Daily Sun
by Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka, Murphy Ganagana, Abuja Mike Jimoh, Lagos, Joe Effiong, Aba

August 19, 2004—Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun has ordered the Anambra State Police Command as well as the Police Mobile Force (PMF) squadrons in the state to cordon off the two fetish shrines in Okija where human skulls and decomposing bodies were discovered recently.

Balogun who spoke with newsmen on Wednesday shortly after an on-the-spot assessment of the shrines also vowed that the police would ransack all nooks and crannies of Nigeria to identify and clamp down on similar shrines.

According to him, the cordoning off of the shrines was to forestall possible attempt by some suspects still at large to move into the forests and perpetrate further criminal activities.

He said his visit to the shrines was to have first hand assessment of the situation, assuring that the police would leave no stone unturned in the on-going investigations. Balogun described the activities at the shrines as barbaric and which the operators must answer for. He said that such practice at this time of the century and independence of Nigeria was turning the clock back and must not be welcomed.

"We are not only going to investigate these shrines we have seen here, we are going to penetrate and see if there are similar and identical ones everywhere. Because these shrines you see create fears and tension in the minds of people so much that they lose their lives."

He said that any system that "kills human being, or any deity that authorises the illegal killings of human beings certainly must be described as barbaric deity. To me this is a barbaric deity and also an abnormal situation.

"The law of the land is above all cultures and all deities, and the law has not said that human beings should be killed in this circumstance. Any culture that perpetrates killing of human beings against the constitution should not be respected at all, it is barbaric deity as far as I am concerned." The police, he said, would want to know the level of involvement of the old chief priests, stressing that if they were found guilty, the law would not respect their age.

"We want to see those that are used as innocent agents, certainly those that have that have gone into hiding, the long hands of the law will catch up with them.

"We want to assure everybody that we will do justice, we’ve got a lot of registers where people who have come here in the recent past have endorsed their names, we will reach out to those people." We are also going to go professional to involve forensic officers who are also on the ground to see whether there is any peculiarity in the pattern of killing or whether there is anything to suggest otherwise. I am sure that at the end of the day we will be doing a good job, even more thorough job than perhaps in the case of Boy Adam.

"The beautiful thing about this affair is that all our laws including the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria have taken care of the situation we are seeing today, like section 207 and 208 of the criminal code. They have actually dealt heavy blows on all the people that do all sorts of things regarding skulls and corpse.

"Also, we have section 34 sub section 4 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that has actually criminalised members of the secret cult because the people who do these things are members of secret cult."

The I.G, however, commended the informant, Mr. Orbed Igwe, describing him as a noble Nigerian citizen and also the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Felix Ogbaudu for prompt action. Natives of Okija trooped out in large numbers hailing the police chief and the police for saving them from the evil of the ritualists.

Meanwhile, defence lawyer to those arrested and detained in connection with the Okija shrine has expressed fears that his clients might die the same way the star suspect did during the Otokoto crisis. Stanley Malizu, a native of Umuhu of Okija but based in Nnewi, told Daily Sun on Wednesday that he feared that what happened to the man caught with the severed head of teenage bread seller, Ikechukwu, in Owerri years ago might happen to some of his star witnesses, 21 of whom are currently in detention in Abuja and Awka.

"We are scandalized by the intensity of public denials by certain public figures who are known to be the leading patrons of the shrine," Malizu said. He was frightened, he claimed, because of the calibre of the people who had been visiting the shrine. Those powerful people might do anything to prevent those in custody from mentioning their names as the chief suspect in the Otokoto case was cleverly eliminated."We know many of them that have been to the shrine before, some to even ask for magical powers to wipe out their political opponents. Now, they don’t want to be seen to have anything to do with the shrine.

With the arrest of a number of Ogwugwu Akpu priests, Malizu insinuated, those politicians were in danger of having their covers blown. "We know for certain that at least three governors from the South-South had been to Ogwugwu Akpu shrine."

Also, the lawyer denied that contrary to recent disclosures, there were no murders of any sort in his client’s shrine. "There may have been deaths arising from violation of oaths. In such situations, families of the deceased voluntarily hand over bodies in line with Igbo culture."

In a related development, a group in Anambra state known as Umunri Youth Movement has said that the Okija shrine saga had been blown out of proportion by enemies of the state rooting for declaration of state of emergency.

In a press statement signed by its national chairman and national secretary, Messrs George Oraeki and Uchenna Nwafor respectively, the group which said it cut across 118 clans in Igboland even spilling over to Rivers, Kwara and Delta states, said the police before now had some knowledge about the dangerous shrine at Okija as they had got reports of its activities.

"The invasion of the shrine is another ploy to impose a state of emergency on Anambra State, long expected and schemed by the political detractors of Governor Chris Ngige as Ngige had earlier exposed what Anambra political gladiators are doing by taking any political aspirant to that shrine to take an oath thereby manipulating the act of governance.

"The shrine has in the past remained a treasure bank for ritualists, armed robbers and other evil doers in Nigeria as a whole."

The group which said Umunri were sacred people from Israel and the cradle of the Igbo traditions, condemned not only the Okija, but other similar shrines in the entire Igboland and called on religious bodies to pray to God for the eradication of the fallen demons still living in the midst of the people in the 21st century.

"We are calling on the Federal Government and the National Assembly to enact a law proscribing the existence of shrines in our land. Rather, altars of God should replace those shrines. We also call on the Federal Government not to allow politicians to score cheap points with the shrine by scheming for a state of emergency in Anambra State."

 

Shocker for IGP at Okija shrines

•Detainee’s wife dares police

From Daily Champion
By Felix Uka, Awka

August 19, 2004—"I’M disturbed. I couldn’t believe my eyes."With these words, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Tafa Balogun, yesterday poured out his soul as he visited the Okija shrines in Ihiala council area of Anambra State. He arrived there at exactly 2.27pm.

Wife of Mr. Osita Ndukwu, one of the arrested priests, yesterday, in a related incident, during the visit, asked the police to free her husband and arrest the deities for the corpses at the place.

Tight security surrounded the IGP’s visit with over 200 heavily armed mobile and regular policemen led by State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Felix Ogbaudu, guarding the place.

On the IGP’s entourage were Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero and former police commissioner in the state, Mr. Adanaya Gaya.

The entourage took a narrow foot path, fringed with cassava plants, which led to the Ogwugwu Isuala shrines in the dense forest.

At the site, a mere 10-minute walk, several corpses in different states of decomposition lay scattered on the rough ground.

Significantly, though the corpses were shrunken with some skeletons headless, many of the former had their clothes intact.

It was not known how long they had been laid there in the open and why they had not rapidly decomposed, though police sources spoke of local embalmment.

The IGP’s entourage also saw heaps of feathers which littered the area.

At Ogwugwu Akpu shrine, Mr. Balogun and his team were shown an even greater number of corpses.

Interestingly, a few houses were spotted here with the owners or inhabitants around. A pepper soup shack was also seen.

Mr. Balogun proceeded from there to another shrine, Ogwugwu Idigo, said to be a relatively new shrine, but no corpses were sighted there.

A former commissioner for Women Affairs in the Mbadinuju administration, Mrs. Bridget Obi, who also followed the entourage, caused a stir when she was introduced and was asked by the IGP why she had failed to report the shrines matter to the authorities since she hails from the Okija area.

But Mrs Obi responded by saying she had never before visited the shrines, except yesterday, pointing out that stories from the place all these years were like fairy tales to her.

Speaking later, Mr. Balogun expressed deep shock at the findings.

"However, I’m happy at the co-operation of the Okija people. I’m happy with Obed Igwe, the informant. The police commissioner in Anambra and his men did a good job. We will leave no stone unturned here," he said.

The IGP reassured Nigerians that contents of registers found at the shrines will be made public at a later date while his men are presently contacting those whose names appeared in the documents.

On the over 100-year-old chief priest of Ogwugwu Isuala, Chief Okoli Orji Ewulu, not arrested by the police, the IGP said police will not lose sight of him as age has nothing to do with the law.

Osita Ndukwu is among 32 persons still being held by the police following the recovery of corpses and skulls at the Okija shrines.

Speaking with Daily Champion at the family’s beautiful residence near Okija, Mrs. Stella Ndukwu implored the police to release her husband, saying he is innocent of any proposed charges of murder, indulgence in ritualism or related matter.

"The police should go and arrest the deity which took the lives of the people (corpses) and free my husband. He is innocent," she said.

The 22-year-old housewife also said since her husband’s arrest and the dismantling of worship at the shrines, starvation has hit her family.

Her five kids, Mrs. Ndukwu claimed, are now going hungry with business at the shrines no longer booming.

Daily Champion noted that the Ndukwus’ tasteful residence has a live crocodile in a pool.ac

 

Okija People are not Cannibals, Says Monarch

From The Guardian
by Uzoma Nzeagwu, Awka

August 24, 2004—WORRIED by the negative publicity resulting from the Okija shrine scandal, the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Ben I. Okeke and his cabinet have refuted allegations by the police and media that their people are murderers and cannibals.

Since last three weeks, there have been allegations of ritual killings and trade on human parts, following police raid and arrest of no fewer than 35 suspects from shrines in Okija in Ihiala Local Council of Anambra State.

The Ezegedegwum IV of Okija expressed displeasure over the manner in which security agents and the press had played up the issue, accusing them of having negative sentiments against the community.

At a crowded press briefing at the weekend in his palace, Igwe Okeke, flanked by members of his cabinet and the town's development union, denied the allegations.

He remarked that his subjects are law-abiding and hospitable and that nobody had ever protested or reported any harassment by the priests or complained of any missing person in the community.

"We feel very sad over the manner the police have handled the stories of Ogwugwu Akpu and Ogwugwu Isialu, portraying the Okija community as idol worshippers and murderers", Igwe said.

He continued: "It is more disturbing for the press to give out bad stories representing Okija people as idol worshippers and cannibals to the whole world".

"Okija people are peaceful, loving, patriotic, hospitable and law-abiding citizens". The monarch insisted and urged for transparency in the investigation of the suspects and the shrine episode.

On the chief priests and the adherents, he maintained that they are "pagans who are observing and practising their traditional religions while ministering to their clients from within and outside Okija, either as arbiters in disputes or consultants for one matter or another".

 

Raid on shrines: Police recover 50 corpses, 20 skulls

From The Sun
by Felix Uka, Awka

June 7, 2004—ANAMBRA State police command yesterday recovered 20 skulls, most of them fresh, and about 50 corpses at Ogwugwu Okija shrines in Ihiala local government area of the state.

Heavily armed policemen in 10 trucks, mostly men of the special anti-robbery squad, were accompanied by the state commissioner of police, Mr. Felix Ogbaudu in the raid.

Addressing newsmen after the raid, Mr. Ogbaudu said the command in a convoy of 10 vehicles, fully loaded with policemen, arrived the Okija community by 10.00 a.m.

After showing journalists the 20 skulls, the commissioner said the raid followed a tip-off by a former member of the shrines (names withheld) who said he saw over 50 corpses in various stages of decomposition at the shrine, saying that it was a peculiarly gory sight.

The commissioner said that the remains of Chief Victor Okafor (a.k.a Ezego), who died mysteriously about two years ago, could be among the corpses carelessly scattered in the various shrines in the Okija community.

"I tell you, I almost shed tears: I saw corpses thrown around the evil forest, with remains of their clothes on, I think they were embalmed before being taken to the shrines", he stated.

Ogbaudu said it was not unlikely that most of those said to be missing could be found in the shrines.

"You can’t rule out that it is a market place for human parts, yes!, where are the heads of those whose heads I found missing at the shrines?"

He lamented that the development might have been due to age-long traditional practices, urging people in and around the area to have faith in God and not be compelled to deposit bodies of their relations at the shrines.

The commissioner assured that his command would unravel the immediate and remote issues concerning rituals.

 

INSIDE HORROR SHRINE- Inside Okija horror shrine

From The Sun
by NWABUEZE OKONKWO, Onitsha

June 8, 2004—Fresh insight was yesterday made into the Ogwugwu Okija shrine in Ihiala Local Government Area, Anambra State, where the police discovered 20 human skulls and 50 decomposing corpses, with a mind boggling revelation that the victims may have been sacrificed to satisfy the appetite of ghouls.

The revelation came amidst reports that Okija natives, mostly adult males have fled the town for fear of arrest by the police. The Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Felix Ogbaudu dispatched 80 members of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, led by its commander, Gabriel Haruna to the shrine on Wednesday, following a tip-off earlier in the week about alleged criminal activities at the site.

Ogbaudu had, while parading the seized human carcasses and 32 arrested suspects lamented: "I shed tears at the sight of human corpses, many completely severed of their skulls, bones of many years, coffins with corpses and… I never believed that such a thing could happen in this country."

1. Daily Sun gathered that even though many natives of Okija had knowledge about the existence of the "evil forest," they had been scared stiff of going closer to the shrine, farm near it or challenge the adherents for fear of instant death at the instance of the spirits.

One of the natives, simply called Okechukwu, said the shrine was constantly patronised by traders, especially from Onitsha, who, if felt cheated by their partners or apprentices, usually took their grievances to the priests for revenge.

It was further gathered that a notable victim of the dreaded powers of the shrine was Chief Victor Okafor (a.k.a Ezego), the stupendously rich Igbo youth, who died in an accident in 1999. The late Okafor was said to have been reported at the Ogwugwu shrine by a business partner who accused Ezego of shortchanging him in a business transaction involving about N189,000.Ezego was said to have been adjudged guilty by the deities and his death in an auto-accident in Okija in December 1999 was believed to be the price he paid for the guilt.

Okafor had been travelling home for the Christmas festivities when his car broke down and he decided to tow the car with another vehicle in his convoy. In the course of the journey, Ezego’s car fell into a small ditch by the road side. He suffered a fatal injury and eventually died. His corpse was believed to have been deposited at the shrine. When the police stormed the shrine on Wednesday, it was littered with human bodies in various stages of decomposition. Many of the bodies looked drained of fluids with flesh gummed to the bones. Besides the decomposing bodies, human skeletons were strewn around the shrine.

The sight was sickening and capable of melting even a heart of stone. Speaking to newsmen, one of the key suspects and a son of the chief priest, who gave his name as Osita Ndukwu of Umuhu Okija village, said they had many deities in Okija."What we do is that if anybody reports to us that someone has wronged him or her, our chief priest will send for the person by writing and if he fails to come after two notices, the chief priest will command the deity to go after such one.

"And when the people come to tell us that the deity has killed their person, they will be told what and what to bring to appease the deity including the corpse of the person." But the man who petitioned against them, Mr. Chukwumezie Obed Igwe, and who led police to the shrine said the deity had no power and does not kill anyone; pointing out that the priests were the ones killing victims with some diabolic means.

He said he decided to take the bull by the horns to save the unborn generation, adding that even if he dies, "I am happy, because I have been able to expose this barbaric practice and set our people and children unborn free."

Mr. Igwe said he had to pretend as if he was interested in the practice and took oath with the adherents so that they could show him all the tricks, and it worked out.

Police uncover 10 fresh shrines, Ohanaeze scribe slams raid

From Vanguard
By Anayo Okoli & Tony Edike

June 8, 2004—AWKA,NO fewer than 10 shrines similar to those uncovered Wednesday by the police in Okija, Ihiala local government area of Anambra State exist in that area, the police said yesterday. Twenty human skulls and one fresh corpse were recovered in a raid by the police at Ogwugwu Isiula and Ogwugwu Akpu.

The discovery which came as a shock to many was, however, downplayed yesterday by the Secretary-General of the pan-Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze, Chief Joe Achuzia, who dismissed the police raid as ridiculous and said worshipping at shrines was not a new thing in Nigeria. The police are to continue their raid of the area today with the head of the police operation, Mr. Gabriel Haruna, saying: “It’s an on-going fight.”

Mr. Haruna, a Chief Superintendent of Police, said 13 of the arrested suspects were workers at the Ogwugwu Isiula shrine while the remaining 17 were arrested at Ogwugu Akpu

He gave the names of other shrines in Okija as Ogwugwu Mmili located in Umuhu village, Apunama in Ihite, Ahaya Afa in Ubaha Udara, Ajana-Ohobo, Ahaobuo Umugum and Ihenemenle-Umuhuhihie. Other shrines are Ogwugwu Idigo in Umuhu and Ogwugwu Idimgo. Haruna said four members of a family believed to be strong worshippers of Ogwugwu Isiula, including the assistant chief priest and a priest were in police net. He gave their names to include Osita Ndukwu, 43, a principal priest of the shrine who was paraded on Wednesday; his brothers, Batholemew Ndukwu and Sunday Ndukwu and their father, the assistant chief priest, Mr. Edim Ndukwu who is over 70 years old. Their brother, Cornelius “Okoja” Ndukwu, a member of the banned Bakassi Boys was said to be on the run. According to the SARS commander, three of the human skulls and the fresh corpse were recovered at Ogwugwu Isiula while the remaining 17 skulls were recovered at Ogwugwu Akpu. "It was hell going there.

The moment you step into the shrine you see human corpses left and right, but we mustered courage. I encouraged my men and we moved on to raid the places. It was like a 419 set-up. They use the corpses to scare people away. You know, once you see corpses left and right, you are bound to be afraid,” the police officer said. The police investigation revealed that the Ogwugwu Isiula was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission as a cultural body. The registration number, according to information pieced together from police, is IT CERT NO 15,018 with Ubaha Oti, Umuhu Okija, Ihiala Local Government Area as address. Their motto contained in their letters of invitation which they send to those visiting their shrine is “Eziokwu bu ndu, asi bu onwu — truth is life, falsehood (lying) is death”

Achuzia castigates police
However, Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Joe Achuzia, yesterday took exception to the police raid of the two shrines in Okija, describing the action of the police as “ridiculous.” The Ohanaeze scribe, who spoke on the development, decried the interest generated by the raid, saying worshipping at shrines was not new in Nigerian tradition. He said the issue portrayed the Igbo as cannibals, alleging that the police were out to rubbish the Igbo.

“Unless the police have no other job to do, then they can go on making further discoveries on things that are in consonance with ancient history. Everybody in Igboland and Nigeria knows about the existence of shrines everywhere. Go to Hausaland, go to Yorubaland, go to every part of Nigeria, there exists one shrine or another. These things are part of Nigerian tradition. So, unmasking one in Ihiala is not new. These skulls have been there long ago, and I do not see anything new about it except that the police want to portray the Igbo as cannibals. But this is not what the police should be involved in.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo does not thrive in illegality. Our duty is to ensure that all Igbo do that which is right. In doing so, however, we shall not condone any act that will paint a race in bad light. The police in Awka have done one and one prays they don’t go farther than this, especially when they are not conversant with the history of the people,” Achuzia said.

Achuzia recalled the history of the Okija shrine, saying it has reputation for justice in the settlement of disputes among people, stressing that never in Igboland had anybody complained that the priests at the place killed or sacrificed human beings unjustly.
Said he: “Nobody has said that they kill people there. Those who go there, go there to settle their matters. They take oaths and at the end of the day, any of those found guilty is killed by the shrine. But it is obvious that not all cases are taken to this shrine because it is very powerful. The human parts and skulls which they discovered are merely those who had sworn at the place and apparently found guilty were killed not by any human being but the gods. Their bodies are usually brought to the place as sacrifice to the gods.”

He wondered why the discovery should be made an issue especially when nobody complained about the shrine or its existence, adding that it was another form of marginalisation of the Igbo in the scheme of things of this country. “Why should it be the shrine in Okija? Does it mean that there are no such things in other parts of this country? Okija shrine is reputable in Igboland and the whole world is aware. I do not think any amount of campaign can destroy that which has been in existence for a long time. I think the police should watch it and release all those they arrested in the interest of justice and fair play,” Achuzia said.

 

Okija Shrine of Death-HOW WE GET HUMAN SKULLS-Chief priest

From Daily Sun
by GEOFFREY ANYANWU, Awka

July 7, 2004—The unmasking of the Ogwugwu Okija by the Anambra State Police command on Tuesday, has revealed a lot of hidden atrocities that have been going on in one of the largest towns of Anambra State for hundreds of years now.

One of the greatest revelations is that which puts a lie to the fable that the deity kills people. Rather, truth is that its worshippers and adherents have been committing blue murder, deceiving gullible faithfuls and making stupendous wealth off them. The have sustained a myth which only objective is to instill fear to make money.

It also reopened what many thought was the closed case of the death, by auto accident of a very popular son of the area who was an epitome of the nouveaux riches of the late 1990s. The late money bag who was based in Lagos is said to have been was actually killed by these ritual killers and that his body may, in fact, still be in – this is even as an empty coffin was said to have been buried in the grave in his country home, unknown to family and friends who could not understand why his coffin could not be opened before burial.

But Mr. Obed Igwe, the man who blew the whistle on the ritualists and who happens to come from the same village is helping Nigerians put two and two together. Igwe was initiated into the cult but, unknown to the others, he joined only to know the inner workings in the shrine, with a view to exposing them later. Saturday Sun got Igwe and one of the chief priests of the dreaded arusi Okija to explain their roles in one of the most gory tales to emerge from Nigeria after the Otokoto saga in Owerri, Imo State.

My name is Chukwumezie Obed Igwe, from Umuhu Okija, these people here are all my brothers. Since I was born, I have been seeing my people carried into this place in ambulances and, sometimes, with tipper. I see these things because I am living at the frontline of that street. Initially, they were taking these people there (to the shrine) but, all of a sudden, they now started having it (shrines) individually. Somebody could just go to any big tree, mystify it and start using it to cheat, dupe and kill people.

“Then I was worried and I decided to know what exactly this people do. Hence, I entered into them. Now, when they saw how I was coming close to them, Osita (Ndukwu, one of the priests) said we should take oath (of secrecy). He said that if anybody reveals each other, that the arusi (deity) would come down on him. I agreed and we took oath and became ‘brothers’ and everything. They now told me everything, all the tricks in the practice and how they are killing people.

I notice that no shrine is killing anybody and there is no Christianity there. No shrine kills anybody, it is human beings who are killing each other. I believe that no human being is stronger than God and Jesus. Why is it that Jesus or God doesn’t kill us and we keep on dying by something fetish, I don’t believe that.

How this people are killing people and blaming it on the shrine is that there is something they used to prepare, they call that very thing Isusu. That Isusu contained many dangerous substances. So when they write somebody’s name on a paper and put it with gunpowder and blow it up it with Nkponala (canons), within three or four days, the person must surely die, and they would claim it is the arusi that has killed the person.

They also have many agents like these Okadas (commercial motorcyclists). If they know that you drive a car, they can also rob it on your car door, because you must surely open that door with your hand and the moment you do, it doesn’t kill immediately, but within three, four months that person must pass away. So all these things were what I saw and now decided to call police.

Igwe, in the course of fraternizing with the shrine brotherhood, also got into a land deal with them. He paid out money but has yet to receive the plot of land. However, he insists he was never keen on the land from the onset.

“You know we are all brothers; they are my senior ones. So I told them that I want to come home to establish poultry and stay at home. They told me there is a lot of land and that I should bring money so that they can buy land for me. I gave them N1.3 million because the land they promised is big. Osita even promised to give me from his own land if the one he would buy is not sufficient for me”. So, it is not the money that is the issue now, but the time has come for me to expose them”.

You see, they have now started spreading their evil practice to other parts of the state - from Odoekpe to all those towns that have shrines, and whose shrines have not been known to kill. They say that their shrine does not kill and they are now initiating them to that very thing the they do with the Okija shrine. They teach them to use the Isusu. They call human beings ‘container’ (like the traders refer to their containers of goods from overseas). In fact, they eat human flesh a lot.

When they take that thing kill somebody, they will tell you that you should park that person’s property and money and bring it to the shrine, so that the shrine will not kill the whole village and the whole community.

That is the initial strategy. When you obey, they will tell you that no, you will bring cows and other things. They collect up to five cows from people, ask them, they are here. Apart from that, they have many strategies of making money. They don’t farm, they don’t fish, but you see all of them building mansions, ridding flashy cars and buying properties overseas.

What I am saying is that everything about Okija and shrine is 100 per cent fake, and there is no doubt about that. It is 100 per cent fake. This thing has been existing hundreds of years ago but nobody has power to expose it. These ones you see that are old now, they started from their youth, their forefathers started it and died, their fathers took over before their sons now.

“It is not true that because they cheated me, that is why I am exposing them. They know that my business is quite different. I’m a trader. I deal on jewelry. They know I am a kind of somebody, my religion is Hare Krishna. We are vegetarians we don’t like killing. They know that we like life and I know that every human being I’m looking at in this world, even if you are from Ghana or elsewhere, I know from the Bible that all of us originated from one father and mother. So all those people they are killing are my brothers.

I have waited till now to expose them, because I wanted to gather every fact and for me to be able to make sure I get them all. All of them, like the other one (he points to one of the suspects arrested from the shrine) who returned from Lagos the other time, I tricked them home, saying let us go home so that we can hold a party, and they came back home, otherwise seeing the other tall one (he points to yet another of the men) is very difficult”.

You know what I did now is very very dangerous, no one has been able to do it because of the danger it poses to one’s life. My wife told me that I should see my children because I am a father of eight children, because some of these people are mean, they can come after me both with hired assassins and other means. She said that the government of this country cannot even give me guarantee or protection. But I’m just doing this for the freedom, health and long life of generation to come. If I die in the process, I am very happy, provided the future generation will be very happy that they have been liberated. Ask them where they “Pertaining to Ezego, I still feel that Ezego was killed by this same set of people and also dumped there. I saw him once, because I used to follow them to enter that place, otherwise I couldn’t have known the axis that I showed the police. It is a tragedy. If we refuse to fight this now, this may happen to any body else, even you. Ask them where they kept Ezego, they will show you.”

‘My name is Osita Ndukwu, I am from Umuhu Okija. I sell drugs and practice traditional medicine, I am a native doctor, I also serve Ogwugwu Isiula (deity) of Okija. In Okija there are many deities (Arusi). We have Ogwugwu Isiula, Ogwugwu Akpu, Ihenemere-muo-ihe, Idigo, Ogwugwu mmiri. We also have Akwunama, Ohayakpa, there are so many of them there. The most dreadful of them all is Ogwugwu Akpu and Ogwugwu mmiri.

We are those who go on errands, like if you come and report anybody to our Chief Priest, our father at home, Okorie Ezike (if you bring our books you will see where he thumb printed those papers we work with). If someone reports to our shrine that he has dispute with another fellow, our master, the Chief Priest, will tell that person to wait and he will send us to go and call the person whom the report was against so that their differences will be resolved.

If the person refuses to come, our master will send message again to him and his people, even to their traditional rulers that the man should come that there was a report against him. And if he refused to come this time around, our master, the Chief Priest, will then send the Arusi (deity) to look for the person to know why he disobeyed.

When the Chief Priest commands the deity (arusi) to search for the person, it goes after the person and if the report against him is true, the Arusi will catch the person and cause him to be saying that Arusi is holding him.

After we might have judged any case the arusi (deity) normally kills the offender or the guilty one. When such one dies, their people will come and inform us and they will be taken to our Chief Priest who will demand for money, cow, goat chicken - as the case may be - so that he will call the arusi back and resolve the issue for them. It is the people that will come and tell us that arusi is killing them before we can go. Like this one here (pointing at the fresh corps the police brought from the shrine as an exhibit) he is from Enugu State, I came home and saw it in our shrine and I was told that they brought some one to arusi and I asked and was told he is from Enugu State, that his people brought him. I don’t know when he swore at the shrine, I was told he was in mortuary for some days before they brought him to the shrine”. The messenger of arusi also revealed that politicians, traders and even husbands and wives and children come to the shrine and take oath so that no one will cheat the other.

I cannot explain why I was arrested, because the man who came and arrested me, his name is Obed Igwe, I went to his house in Lagos. He invited me and I went. I was with him up to five days even he paid my children’s school fees in Lagos. He even gave me transport money when I told him I needed to come home, and I came back. So last Sunday, he came back and came to my house and my wife cooked for us and we ate. He slept in my house with two persons and a policeman with him. The next day, he told me he was going, so the next thing I saw was he coming to my place yesterday (Tuesday) with policemen. That time in Lagos, he paid my children’s school fees of N80,000. He also gave me N 20,000 for my feeding while in Lagos and when I wanted to go, he gave me N50,000 saying I should pay him back the N50,000 when he comes back to the village because I did not have money with me there. Another thing that concerned us is, he is my brother, he gave me N1 million for the land he wants to buy for building. But along the line, those we were dealing with about the land had problems of ownership of the land. So he came with the police about 3pm on Tuesday arrested us, searched the house, and entered the shrine, he (Obed) entered the shrine because he is a co-owner of the shrine. In fact, there is arusi that was given to him that is in his house now that he worships. It is in lagos, he uses it there. He is also a native doctor. So we are not in dispute, we are not quarreling. Two of us even took oath with the arusi who will allow evil come to his brother.

The skulls were brought from various shrines, in Okija. Some were got from Ogwugwu Isiula and some from Ogwugwu Akpu. Three were brought from my our shrine. We don’t use the skulls for anything. The thing is that if anybody offended and Arusi kills him or her, like those who are struggling for land or other things, they will bring the body to the shrine, these skulls are those that have decomposed completely.

I don’t know Ezego, I heard of him and when he was reigning. I was in Cotounu. I cannot tell the shrine where his body is, but I heard he was taken to Ogwugwu Akpu, I don’t know about him.

From NWABUEZE OKONKWO, Onitsha

A crack team of policemen yesterday arrived Anambra State capital, Awka, on the orders of Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Tafa Balogun to assist the state police command in their efforts to unravel the mystery surrounding the Okija shrines in Ihiala council area of the state.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Kolapo Shofoluwe who had told newsmen that IG would send the crack team of mobile policemen (MOPOL) to complement the efforts of the state command in what could be termed as mop up operation in Okija declined further comments with an excuse that he was not in good state of mind to give details of their schedule. Also another reliable police source confirmed the arrival of the team.

The arrival of the Abuja team followed the discovery by the Anambra State Police on Wednesday of the deadly shrine through the special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), led by Mr. Gabriel Haruna (CSP) who raided the notorious Ogwugwu shrine in Okija and recovered about 20 human skulls, a decomposing human body and arrested no fewer than 30 suspected ritualists.This sparked-off reactions by some prominent Igbo citizens, including the incumbent Secretary-General of Ohanaze Ndigbo Col. Joe Achuzia (rtd.) who criticised the police for taking such action, adding that it was a way of rubbishig the Igbo culture.

But Achuzia’s comment was slammed by some Igbos, such as a People Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain in Anambra State, Apostle Romanus Okoli who described Achuzia’s statement as arrant nonsense.

Okoli stated that it was an irresponsible statement by such an elderly person from Igbo extraction, noting that the Ohanaeze scribe should resign his position, adding that he is not worthy to represent Ndigbo. Visibly angry with Achuzia’s statement, Okoli declared that what the police did was a good job and must be commended, stating that the police command was courageous enough to expose evil. He therefore called on churches and the state government in the South East to rise against such statements coming from such people like Col. Achuzia.

 

In Okija, The Gods Are To Blame For Killings

From The Guardian
BY CHUKS COLLINS, ONITSHA

July 8, 2004—NEW theory was yesterday canvassed for the multiplicity of killer shrines across forests in Anambra State where human skulls and decomposing bodies were discovered by the police in a swoop recently.

Observers noted material and financial gains by the brains behind the oath and death spots. The unusual number of deaths were, however, blamed on the gods by the priests.

Thirty-two people are reportedly assisting the police unravel the motives of killings following their arrests.

Wednesday, August 4 will remain indelible in the history of fetish practices especially in the Okija community, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The state police command had raided a shrine following a tip-off, discovering human parts and skulls that shocked the entire country

But for the tact of the State Police Command, the discovery would have snowballed into a street war, violent protest and rampage by aggrieved residents and families.

What had over the years sounded impossible or inconceivable abomination in the town occurred. 30 ardent priests and worshipers in various Ogwugwu shrines, scattered all over the town of Okija were rounded up, hounded into police detention like ordinary mortals.

It took the alertness and courage of one Obed Igwe a native of the harbouring community, Okija to dismantle the shanty, which over the years housed the young men who tend to the needs of the deities and the shrines.

Igwe, had petitioned the Inspector General Tafa Balagun claiming that his life was under intense threat by these Ogwugwu priests. He also alleged that if nothing serious was quickly done, he stood the chance of going the way of many others who had in the past been murdered installmentally by the Ogwugwu people.

The terse details he volunteered, jolted the IG who quickly sent marching orders from Abuja to State Police Commissioner, Felix Ogbaudu in Awka.

Mr Ogbandu quickly complied as he led the operations, ably assisted by the commander in charge of Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) Mr. Gabriel Haruna, a Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP.

Without any form of resistance, or what could be termed a near apathy, from natives of the community, the police team in a long convoy of about 26 vehicles descended on the shrines, one after another. They had a harvest of gory scenes laced with stench of decomposing corpses littered in bushy swamps of thickly over grown forests.

At first everyone apart from the priests and chief priests were disheveled. Everyone including Mr. Ogbaudu instantly lost composure because both sides of the swampy bush path housed the shrines of the Ogugwu deities.

It was discovered that there were more than 15 shrines of Ogwugwu of various categories, classes and levels of authority, power and control within the deity's mythological dynasty. Many families have evidently inherited the worship as part of the legacies bequeathed to them by their fathers and forefathers.

The apathy shown by the natives, must have been as a result of the negative stories associated with the shrines and their gods, hence their indifference to whatever happened to victims. The same indifference manifested itself when the priests of death were arrested for interrogation.

The water-logged bush paths leading to the main Ogwugwu-Akpu, which appeared to be the main Ogwugwu from which the others derived their names, were littered with human skeletons.

They were lying on both sides, some still recognisable, decomposing along-side the disintegrating coffins, which apparently must have been there for years.

A cursory look revealed that the sordid scene must have been as old as mankind or the community, which a few natives claimed were handed down to succeeding generations by their forefathers. The sheer number of these corpses representing varying degrees of age groups and sexes in the water logged bush path, waxed a thick smell of evil that exuded eerie and intense physical fear for even a dare devil.

Further observation revealed that the reason why the natives were taciturn and unwilling to offer information on the horror shrines had to do with an age, old myth associated with the powerful Ogwugwu deities from pre-historic times. The myth says anyone who dared give out a negative information or tries to ridicule through a joke regarding the deity or its arch-deities, would die instantly with serial malevolence struck on the surviving members of his family.

Going by the poor level of education, exposure to western culture and the teachings of Christianity on the evils of heathen worship, the fear of Ogwugwu was certainly the beginning of wisdom. So the rule is the wisdom of the Chinese monkey, which hears no evil, says no evil, sees no evil, smells no evil and feels no evil.

Another factor is that if you are not interested in accessing the help of the deity, please stay out of his territory.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO Kolapo Shofoluwe it was rather shocking to see the residents express their aloofness on the police raid an event that was the first of its kind in the village. He added: "I can safely conclude that they were happy that the police finally came to dislodge the evil doers." In contrast, the people met along the way while going and returning from the gory shrines, showed neither joyful exuberance nor an absence of it. They were visibly unperturbed about what appeared in recent time to be the mother of all discoveries in ritual sacrifice.

The general atmosphere was calm, even with houses-mansions and those still at various stages of completion surrounding the evil forest. The completed houses were even inhabited by families and were said to be owned by the priests of the deities.

On the first day, the police was able to visit about six shrines while nine more were to be visited yesterday- Friday. As at the time of filing this report, the team,which The Guardian learnt was reinforced by a special crack squad from force headquarters Abuja, which came to complement the efforts of the local police, were still at Okija.

The mop-up team was again led by the SARS (Special Anti-Robbery Squad) commander, Gabriel Haruna. Some of the houses shared fence with the shrines, which made the investigation easy as it allowed the crack squad to spend much longer time doing its interrogation.

The priests were reputed to encourage clients no matter how complicated the cases may have been. The houses, were discovered to have contained few male priests on the day of the operations as they must have got wind of the raid and ran away.

The other shrines visited apart from Ogwugwu Akpu and Ogwugwu Isiala strikingly did not bear the mark of littering corpses but were decorated with many human skulls.

Any reasonable and mature mind could quickly have discerned that the entire scene must have been an inheritance from an ancient myth, perpetuated with tricks and smart lies conceived by the few who used the art to instill fear in people and earn sizeable incomes for themselves and their families. Because in the words of the chief priest, every member of the sanctum lived in opulence, mansions, drove flashy cars, and owned choice properties in heavenly locations all over the federation. They have their families living outside the state, with their children in top rated private schools.

In the shrines of these other sites, leopard skins and hides were conspicuously displayed side by side with the human skulls, to create fear and to cow the non-initiates into submitting to the gibberish attestations of power. Also in large supply were assorted charms, which many also suspected could be fake and make belief. People however, before now were ready to believe these things until the police de-mystified them last Wednesday.

Before now, no one ever spoke evil of these gods, or ever entered the shrines in shoes, sandals or slippers. Last Wednesday, these ill fated shrines received hosted hundreds of pairs of shoes and are likely to continue receiving more visitors for a long time to come.

At Akpu shrine, the 95 years old plus chief priest was left behind because of age, when police visited. But he made useful statements. The oldest man of the community was also reputed to all the chief administrator of oaths to accused persons. The man said that all the corpses were those killed by the deity and that he always spelt out the consequences to any visitor. He emphasised that returning the corpse was also the instruction of the oracle, which must be followed for everyone to sees the dire consequence of instant death for every family member. When the family of any deceased brings the corpse, it must be accompanied by a cow, goat, rams, cock and reasonable amount of cash running into thousands of naira, to use in appeasing the gods.

Also to be brought was the entire property of the deceased, including cars, household items and wearing apparels. Another priest of a higher status had the sole responsibility of executing this strange will with the assistance of other priests. Little wonder they all live big and some other families in the town now come up with their own shrines called by any name so desired.

Thus the Ogwugwu shrine has become the off shoot of similar shrines in the town, all with one aim- to mint money from unfortunate victims.

What do the enlightened citizens of the town and the state make out of this horrible discovery

Venerable (rtd) Alexander Oguchi who is an indigene of Okija who spoke during the funeral of one of his sisters charged Okija natives especially the youths to denounce and ignore the deity because it did not have the powers falsely ascribed to it by the elders.

According to the Christian priest, few crooks and criminals in the town hide under the cloak of Ogwugwu to milk others of their hard-earned cash. He described them as 419 businessmen who run the so-called shrines as business centres. He told the crowd that it was very unfortunate that when God Almighty has been delivering sinners and carrying out wonderful works in the lives of some baptized Christians, many others connive with known criminals to enrich themselves through dirty and fraudulent means, noting that the whole thing was a cult organised by a cabal of low men. He wondered aloud why they have not succeeded in exporting same to other zones of the country but have apparently held the Onitsha main market traders hostage.

It was said that no trader has trust in another in the State. It was even worse when you owe anyone and defaulted in your payment schedule. The next move by your aggrieved creditor would be to send a letter from the shine - at times from more than one shrine inviting you to the shrine.

He would be made to appear before the rough looking gluttons called priests and high priests, whose sole interest was financial. To them dead men and their blood were part of their official daily engagement. They even go into the society, and at functions, scoop information and work out ways of instigating the parties to the dispute to come to one of the Ogwugwu shrines.

The state chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, (PFN) Anambra State Chapter Bishop Ephraim Ndife however saw the discovery and bursting of the cabals' evil business as " a divine intervention". He stated that before now, "men of God had condemned idol worshipping, not once, not twice, in open air crusades, in village squares and in churches." He noted that these crusades were geared towards re-engineering the authority of Jesus Christ in the affairs of men and saw the Okija affairs as a form of cultism involving ritual murders and things of that nature.

Apart from the bishop, many people who volunteered information craving anonymity admitted that the activities and deceit of these cults had been sustained because some very powerful and influential men in the country gave them cover.

The Archdeacon of St. Peter's Church Abagana, Venerable Jonah Ajakor said the shrines and their priests will die off when the foolish ones who patronize them are eliminated

He also called on the so-called priests of the shrines to stop deceiving people, but to embrace just living and take up a trade. According to Rev. Oguchi, "shrines do not kill, but human beings and those self appointed priests of evil do the killing. They are the ones who poison who they want to exterminate between the parties in any issue. Two prominent reasons necessitates this- either they have been paid to have the person eliminated, or that they loathe the wealth of a potential victim and covet after such wealth.

The shrine was also said to have gulped more than N86 million from the widow of a popular erstwhile Mafoluku (Oshodi) Lagos -based business man who hails from a neighbouring town to Okija and who died few years ago in an auto crash while travelling home for Christmas celebration. The priest according to Obed Igwe who blew the whistle on them, were up till this moment still heckling the over harassed widow, asking her to pay up a balance of N16m or wait to see catastrophe befall her and the children left behind by the husband.

Ndife appealed to the police to do a thorough job and keep the tempo which the revelation brought. According to him, someone has to make the noise that would make or initiate the move, which is what we are witnessing today. Such a horrifying discovery is now made. "We just wish that in the state should be investigated. He pointed out that the Bible in Psalm 115 made clear the fate of idol worshippers- "that those that worship idols will be like it," noting that such people have eyes but cannot see, hands but cannot touch or handle, just like the idols.

However, the special adviser to the State Governor on media and publicity, Fred Chukwulobe said the government was anxiously waiting on the out come of the police investigation before knowing the appropriate action to take.

Earlier, during press briefing, Police Commissioner Felix Ogbaudu pointed out that the state government may take over the shrine site and while giving the corpses and skulls mass burials.

 

Wabara: Why Are Igbo Forests Not For Tourism?

From The Guardian
FROM SEUN ADEOYE (OSOGBO) AND UZOMA NZEAGWU (AWKA)

July 8, 2004—SENATE President Adolphus Wabara beheld the spectacle of the Osun Festival in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, perhaps for the first time yesterday.

He surveyed the grove that has continued to provide appreciable revenue to the state through revenue. The Igbo high chief also witnessed the thousands of religious faithful and culture enthusiasts, mostly women, who joyfully thronged the festival, resplendent in their all-white Iro and Buba.

He recognised that the deep Osun grove was not in any material way different from the traditional shrines in the South East.

In the midst of it all, the Senate President could not but wonder aloud: "Why would my people, the Igbo, use their God-given forests for ritual killings and not tourism"

Wabara's poser was an inadvertent reaction to the discovery of some horror shrines in Anambra Sate by the police on Wednesday, habouring about 50 dead bodies and 90 skulls.

The Senate President, while speaking at the Osun-Osogbo shrine wondered why people of Igbo origin "rich in culture", should be using their forests for human sacrifice.

He lauded the people and government of Osun State for protecting their culture, particularly how the shrine was being used for tourist attraction Wabara noted that thousands of people from within and outside Nigeria visit the Osun grove yearly for cultural and tourism purposes.

He said: "it is sad that our people (Igbo indigenes) with this type of edifice, will use it for such wicked and nefarious activities. I've looked around and I did not see any corpse, either fresh or old, and I cannot see any human skull. This forest was protected by the people for great occasions like this."

The Senate President therefore urged the people of the South-East "to go back home" and ensure that "such activities not fit for the century are stopped and our thick forests are protected."

At the Osun-Osogbo festival attended by thousands of people, Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola said that the event had gone beyond religion but was now a "celebration of our cultural heritage."

Oyinlola said that the significance of the festival had increased over the years. "As you can see, we have both Christians and Moslems alike gathering for this great event," he said.

While pledging the support and cooperation of his government with the UNESCO on the developmental progress of the Osun grove, Oyinlola said that his administration would exchange partnership with private individuals and organiations in the promotion of culture and tourism.

The governor who disclosed that Osun cultural carnival would hold from August 27 to September 3, implored the organizers of Osun-Osogbo festival to sustain and maintain the current tempo of the festival.

Professor Wande Abimbola, Special Adviser to the President on Culture, who represented President Olusegun Obasanjo, prayed for those who attended the event and pledged the president's support for the event.

The week-long activities of the festival ended with prayers and sacrifices at the grove where participants went back home with water fetched from the river as source of divine favour and blessings.

And in an attempt to dig out more facts surrounding the Arusi Okija "Shrine" in Ihiala Local Government area of Anambra State, the Police Headquarters Abuja has dispatched more policemen to the state.

This is however coming on the heels of strong criticisms of the police raid by the Pan Igbo Socio cultural group, Ohaneze which argued that worshippers at shrines was a non-issue in Nigeria.

A police source said the Inspector General, Mr Tafa Balogun had sent some policemen and detectives from the Force Headquarters, Abuja to dig deeper into the forest.

It was learnt that a confessional statement from one of the suspects earlier arrested in the police raid this week might have prompted the IG's action, suggesting that it is a mop up operation to pick up suspects who escaped arrest.

The Anambra Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Kolapo Shofoluwe told The Guardian that investigation into the matter was still on.

Early last week, Shofoluwe had stated that Police Headquarters, Abuja would send more reinforcements to strengthen efforts of the State Command.

But in a sharp reaction, the Secretary General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Col Joe Achuzia (rtd), described the police action as ridiculous, and a calculated attempt to tarnish the image of the Igbo , saying the issue portrayed the ethnic stock as cannibals.

 

More corpses recovered
It’s a hideout for fraudsters

From Daily Champion

August 8, 2004—SEVERAL more human corpses and body parts were recovered from the horror shrines in Okija, Anambra State weekend by the special police homicide squad, which said that the shrines were part of an elaborate fraud racket.

A police assault team on mop-up operation, raided a total of 11 shrines in the Okija area in Ihiala local government last Friday, and recovered corpses, body parts and artifacts. Police chief, Mr. Felix Ogbaudu however, declined to disclose the actual number of bodies recovered in the follow-up raids.

Friday’s raids were under taken by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS) of the Anambra State police command, reinforced by crack detectives personally dispatched to the crime scene by police Inspector General, Mr. Tafa Balogun. The detectives are to take over police investigation into the shrines in which 50 fresh corpses and 20 human skulls were recovered on Wednesday.

Also recovered in Friday’s raids were a live monkey, two vehicles, Volvo Salon car and a lorry – while two brothers, Okonjo and Bartholomew Ndukwu, earlier identified as robbery suspects, narrowly escaped arrest.

According to state Police Commissioner, Mr. Felix Ogbaudu, the suspects so far arrested are fraudsters.

Apparently, police are working on the theory that the shrines are at the centre of an elaborate fraud and protection racket.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN); "They (suspects) are petty fraudsters who put fear into peoples’ minds".

Mr. Ogbaudu called for calm urging the people not to entertain any fear of super-natural reprisal insisting that those who fled should return to their homes.

He reported that feedback from residents of the area indicated general relief at the exposure of the shrines which were identified with bondage.

Police are also on the trail of the Ndukwu brothers and several other suspects linked to the shrines, believed to number 14 in the Okija area.

Human Rights body, Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) had earlier alleged that the shrines were used for fraud and sponsored by political figures.

"From reports received so far, some of the villagers in Okija are happy with the operations, because it has relieved them from an age-long bondage" said Mr. Ogbaudu.

A victim of one of the shrines, Chief Christopher Ekwenibe has commended the command for doing a good job.

Ekwenibe, who visited Ogbaudu at the command’s headquarters Awka, said he was summoned to appear before one of the shrines about four years ago.

"I refused to honour the invitation, because I did not believe in it. I am happy this has ended, because activities of the shrine had become ridiculous to our people," he said.

A former chairman of Nnewi-South local government council in Anambra State, Mr. Romanus Okoli also enthused over the raids.

Okoli said the police should be commended for making the discovery, because activities at the forest (shrines) had been thriving for a long time and threatening the people.

"That forest needs to be delivered, because the people have been in bondage and coerced to go and worship the deities, Okoli, a pastor added.

Meanwhile, the Delta State police command said it arrested a 38-year-old man, Chukwuemeka Okonkwo, for a alleged human trafficking and forced labour.

The state commissioner of police, Mr. Charles Akaya, said in a statement that Okonkwo and his accomplice, Christopher Okwuesoeze, was the driver of a Mercedes Benz mini bus with registration number XC 654 UWN, which conveyed the children.

He said that the suspected human traffickers were intercepted along the Onitsha-Benin expressway on Wednesday.

He stated that Okonkwo had claimed that he was taking the children from Omor village in the Aghamelum council area of Anambra State to their parents in Ugbohain the Esan local government area of Edo State.

According to the statement, Okonkwo also claimed that the children were on holiday.

The police in on Wednesday uncovered 20 human skulls and 50 decomposing corpses, in two shrines in Okija.

Mr. Felix Ogbaudu, Anambra State Commissioner of Police acting on a tip off, had dispatched some 80 members of the special anti-robbery squad headed by Mr. Gabriel Haruna, to the shrine located in Ogwugwu Okija in Ihiala council area of the state. The development culminated in the discovery of the human skulls and corpses, allegedly sacrificed to appease the numerous deities in Okija as claimed by the son of the chief priest, Mr. Osita Ndukwu of Umuhu Okija.

By weekend, there were indications that many more suspects involved in the dastardly act would be apprehended.

But Mr. Chukwumezie Obed Igwe, who reported the fetish activities by the shrine operatives the discovery is a plus for the people of the area and advent believed liberty for his people; who had been subjected to the devilish pastime over the years.

"I am happy because I have been able to expose this barbaric practice and set our people and children unborn free," he declared triumphantly.

 

Tafa Balogun, Save My Life

From THISDAY Online
By Orbed Igwe, Lagos

November 16, 2004—My name is Chief Chukwumezie Nwachinemelu Orbed Igwe, a native of Umuhu-Okija in Ihiala local government area of Anambra State. I am the man who assisted the Police in unraveling the mystery behind the Okija shrines.

I wish to bring to your notice that ever since the matter was blown open, my life has been put in danger. I have been receiving threat letters and strange telephone calls from different quarters.

I implore the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Police or her security agents to give me and members of my family protection so that I will not regret helping the Nigeria police in carrying out their civic responsibilities.

There are other startling revelations I can make about the Okija shrines which I will not make until I am convinced that my life, family and properties are safe and possibly if I can be made to see the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

 

Okija shrine: Igwe raises fresh alarm

From Vanguard
By Emma Nnadozie

February 22, 2006—LAGOS,The man who exposed the atrocities at the famous Okija shrine, Chief Orbed Igwe has raised fresh alarm over a new wave of killers from the shrine whom he alleged are spreading their atrocities across the length and breath of the country and called on the authorities to step into the matter with out delay.

Chief Igwe who spoke to reporters in Lagos lamented that both government and police authorities seem to have turned deaf ears to his consistent cry for their quick intervention over the spate of ritual killings perpetrated by the chief priests from Okija shrines across the country and disclosed that they now operate fully in Lagos, Benin and other major cities in the country.

According to him, “These killer chief priests who were released from police cells have regrouped and are carrying out their evil acts of merciless killings.

They have co-opted many people into their devilish trade and they are boasting openly that they have pocketed both the police and government officials.

“The recent mayhem they committed in Benin City where a whole family were killed should have ordinarily raised alarm in government circles but they (government) and police have woefully failed to carry out their responsibilities of protecting lives and property.

The same group has since penetrated Lagos State and we are witnesses to the growing number of mysterious disappearances and indiscriminate dumping of dead bodies on our streets. “This is the time for good spirited Nigerians to put a stop to this, else more innocent souls will perish. Any nation that encourages wanton destruction of human lives and blood letting is bound to perish and Nigerians should condemn these atrocious acts without delay.

If those in power continues to ignore or neglect calls for sterner action to be taken against theses ritualists, it means they are collaborating and the people should not hesitate in reacting. “If great Nigerians like Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, General Ibrahim Babangida, Prof. Charles Soludo, and even President Olusegun Obasanjo were killed for ritual purposes at their tender ages, would they have recorded all these successes in our fatherland today.

The war against killer shrines should be a national issue and both the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly and the International Community should intervene now for sanity to be restored in the country else we are doomed”, he stated.