Enugu community resorts to invoking deities against pro-Biafra attacks, killings

A community in Enugu State, South-east Nigeria, has resorted to invoking deities to stop frequent attacks and killings by pro-Biafra gunmen in the area, PREMIUM TIMES reports.

The community, Enugu-Ezike, which is in the Igboeze-North Local Government Area of the Nigerian South-eastern state, had been witnessing frequent attacks and killings by the pro-Biafra gunmen.

Multiple sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the community invoked the deities following the alleged inability of the security agencies to stop the attacks in the area.

How it happened

An indigene and elder in the community, Nicholas Idoko, told this newspaper earlier in March that leaders of the community were disturbed by the frequent attacks and killings in the area, which prompted them to make an arrangement to track down the hoodlums behind the attacks.

Mr Idoko said the first set of the people arrested by the community were confirmed to be indigenes of the community.

He said following the discovery, the community decided to invoke several deities against the attackers.

“We carried the deities in all parts of the community beginning from Orute Roundabout and petitioned the deities to kill anybody – man or woman who attacks or kills or causes insecurity in our land,” he said. “That was in November 2023. Since then, our place has been calm.”

Another indigene of the community who identified himself simply as Afamefuna confirmed the development to PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday.

Mr Afamefuna said the community decided to invoke the deities because the hoodlums behind the attacks believe strongly in the deities.

He said before the deities were invoked, the community leaders had tactically recruited the suspected attackers into the community’s Neighbourhood Watch Group. Still, their insistence on the Biafra agenda caused disputes between them and original members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group, resulting in several killings.

“In the heat of the killings and attacks, soldiers were deployed to solve the problem. But the soldiers’ intervention did not really work,” he said in Igbo.

“So, the community invoked the deities in November 2023. That day, the whole community was filled with people. Even security agencies were guiding those carrying the deities.

“As of now (after the invoking of the deities), to be honest, the insecurity has slowed down (in the community),” Mr Afamefuna added.

The indigene said more than seven deities were invoked by the community leaders on that day.

‘Sit-at-home also disappearing’

Like other communities in the South-east, sit-at-home had been enforced in the Enugu Ezike community on Mondays.

But Mr Afamefuna said after the invoking of the deities, the sit-at-home waned in the community and that attacks often witnessed during the illegal action in the area had also stopped.

“Mondays are like business hours for those criminals. But now, there is nothing like an attack, even on Mondays (in the community). The only thing is that fear of what happened before still prevents some people from coming out on Mondays,” he said.

‘Kill anybody who murders, kidnaps again in Enugu-Ezike.’

PREMIUM TIMES obtained a video clip which showed the community leaders invoking the deities.

In the clip, a traditionalist in the community identified as Stone Igwe was seen carrying a fetish pot while speaking to the deities and appealing to them to kill those who further murder, kidnap and carry out any attack or evil against any member of the community.

“We are handing Enugu Ezike into your hands today. We are invoking you today in this land. We are asking you all from today henceforth whoever murders any innocent indigene of Enugu Ezike whether through charm, gun, or machete, kill such person or persons,” he shouted in Enugu Ezike dialect of Igbo language.

“Isee,” villagers chorused, meaning Amen.

“Whether you are from Hausa land, Fulani, Yorubaland, or even from India, and you murder any Enugu Ezike indigene, may these deities kill you,” the community leader implored the deities again.

Apart from killing, the community leaders also invoked the deities against kidnappers and armed robbers operating in the Enugu Ezike.

Biafra agitators or criminals?

Some residents of the community said the hoodlums initially terrorising the community were not members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) or any other pro-Biafra group but criminals hiding under the cloak of Biafra agitation in the region.

“They (the gunmen) are not Biafra agitators. Some of them were initially IPOB members, but later they had internal disagreements,” one of the residents, who asked not to be named, said.

“I heard that IPOB coordinators would tell them what to do, and they would reject it probably because they have guns. From there, they were sacked from IPOB,” the resident added.

‘It’s not new’

The invoking deities to fight insecurity is not new in the South-east, according to Nnamdi Anekwe, a security expert.

Mr Anekwe told PREMIUM TIMES that invoking of deities was used to resolve disputes, secure the people and achieve peace in the region during Nigeria’s pre-colonial era.

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The security expert, who hails from the South-east, said communities in the region relied on deities to ensure orderliness because there was no police and judicial system at the time, explaining that the practice gradually went extinct due to the coming of Christianity.

“I buy into the idea that deploying traditional methods and practices can help them to solve insecurity (because the) people tend to believe in it rather than using the police force or the court,” he said.

“So, the approach by the community using traditional methods to solve or prevent crime dates back to more than 200 to 300 years. It’s not a new thing. It’s going to be effective,” Mr Anekwe stated

Background

Like in other communities in the South-east, security had deteriorated in Enugu Ezike with frequent attacks by armed persons.

The attacks often target security agencies, residents and government facilities.

The Nigerian government has accused IPOB of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. However, the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.

IPOB is a group leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra, which it wants carved out from the South-east and some parts of South-south Nigeria.

The group had repeatedly disowned the Monday sit-at-home and attacks in the region, saying those behind the attacks and the illegal order were criminals attempting to blackmail the separatist group.