…Goes, spiritual, lays curses on kidnappers

By Ochuko Akuopha

ASABA – ALARMED by the rising wave of kidnapping and other criminal activities in the area, indigenes of Issele-Uku, headquarters of Aniocha North Local Government Area Delta State, have laid a curse on perpetrators of the heinous crimes.

They said they could not fold their arms to watch evil-doers and their conspirators continue to have a field day in the community.

The villages making up the Issele-Uku Kingdom gathered at the Palace of the traditional ruler of the kingdom, HRM Agbogidi Obi Nduka on Wednesday,
to carry out the ‘Ine Ubi’ a ceremony, that entails laying of curses on evil doers and their accomplices.

The villagers processed to the palace of the monarch, displaying palm sticks, Bibles and chaplets.

Moments after a meeting a brief meeting with the chiefs and titled elders of the community, the monarch addressed the mammoth crowd of Issele-Uku people and concerned residents on the essence of the Ine Ubi ceremony.

Chi-Obi of Issele-Uku Kingdom, Chief Egbo Adigwe read out the various criminal offences by the perpetrators of evil on the land as the people rained curses on the perpetrators.

Speaking with newsmen on the development, the traditional ruler said: “This Ine Ubi ceremony has become necessary and almost the last resort in helping the community to ward off evil on the land.

“This is a form of spiritual cleansing on the land, which was a method adopted by our forefathers to curtail evil in the community whenever it becomes unbearable.

“You all know Issele-Uku to be a visitors’ delight, loving and accommodating. We have never been used to this kind of criminal rampage where residents are now being abducted by kidnappers almost on regular basis.

“We don’t usually apply this method of traditional cleansing on our land where curses had to be laid on evil doers; but like I said, it has gotten to the level where we have to be deliberate in the actions we take to sanitize our community.

“We are collaborating with government and security agencies in seeking solutions to this menace, but at this point, we all have individual roles to also play while collective efforts are being made to nip the unsavoury situation in the bud.

“As part of our own role as custodians of traditions and culture, we have placed curses on those masterminding evil and aiding evil criminal elements on our land. We can’t fold our arms to watch evil doers and their conspirators continue to have a field day.

“Whatever anybody whose hands are not clean sees in this matter, he or she should take it to be his or her own evil consequences”.