Author Archives: Agbo Gracy

The Spiritual Tradition In Enugu-Ezike That Makes Any Woman Who Commits Adultery Run M@d.

This spiritual tradition is only relative to a town called Enugu-Ezike which is located in Enugu State, Nigeria.

Enugu-Ezike comprises of 36 villages in Igbo-Eze North local government area in the Nsukka senatorial zone of Enugu State.

The town has common boundaries with Benue and Kogi states. On the north is Etteh, a non-Igbo-speaking community in Enugu State. On the north-east side is Ofante while on the north-west flank are Amaka and Akpanya communities in Benue State. On its boundary to the south is Ibagwa-Aka, the headquarters of Igbo-Eze South local government while on the south-west is Alor Agu, Unadu and Itchi. On the south-east lies Iheaka, Ovoko and Obollo Afor, the headquarters of Udenu local government area.

Oral traditional legends as documented by the late John Arji in the book “Enugu-Ezike in world history” revealed that the name Enugu-Ezike originated from Idah in Kogi State. Ezike, according to the story, was the eldest of the three children of the then Attah of Igalla, who migrated from his home in Idah to Elugwu (Hill top) where he settled.

Ndishi is a spiritual being seen only by those who violated the tradition of marital fidelity. The tradition is as old as Enugu-Ezike instituted by Ezike Oba himself before he died.

The tradition is binding on every child of Enugu-Ezike. It revolves around having extramarital affairs with another man’s wife or even an obvious intention to do so through kissing or having your hand across the waist of another man’s wife which is seen as synonymous with sex.

Once a lady’s pride price is paid, she cannot for any reason have an affair with another man other than her husband.

A widow is forbidden to have an affair while inside her late husband’s house or risk the death of her first son. If she wants to do such a thing she must be relocated to another house. If she gets tired and wants to come back to her late husband’s house, she will confess to her escapades, appease the gods and then return after a cleansing ceremony.

An Enugu-Ezike man is forbidden to have a sexual relationship with another man’s wife. Such acts attract the wrath of Ndishi and are highly punishable sometimes with death.

Apart from extra-marital affairs, Sunday Sun learnt that married women are forbidden to give men money either as a gift or borrowing without the knowledge of the husband. Buying of property by a married woman in the name of her brothers without informing the husband also leads to the “arrest by Ndishi.”

A married woman is forbidden to make a monetary donation or contribution to her family or any other person without the knowledge of her husband or risk being a mad woman by before down.

A married woman while taking her bath cannot answer a call from another man except her husband or she becomes mad absolutely.

1. The motherly Roles

1. The ones that if they are talking to you and be coming closer, you have to be moving back because slap can wirelessly come anytime…
2. The ones that will advice you for more than 4 good hours and still be like ” inshort I don’t want to talk too much”
3. The ones that if they are talking to you and you keep quiet, they will be like “so am talking, you are looking at me shebi”.. Then you want to talk, they be like” Sharap there, you don’t talk when am talking “…
4. The ones that will always remind you that they didn’t kill their Mother, so you cannot comman kill them..
5. The ones that will ask you to borrow them money, but when you ask them for it, they will start reminding you of how they have never asked you to pay them for all the food you have been eating in that house since you were born…
6. The ones that doesn’t know how to make up but they will make up anyway.. They can draw eye brows from their eyes to their ears, use pancakes scatter face, them no send you…
7. The ones that will never concentrate in church, they will always be checking to know weather you’re following… Anytime they want to give testimony in church, your name must enter the story….
8. The ones that if they try everything to get at you and it’s not working, they will start forming cry, reminding you that it was their breast you sucked, and how she carried you in her tummy for 9months..
9. The ones that will always use idea to tell you to goan marry, when they see you all over there your father, they will be like “leave my husband for me ooooo, goan marry your own”…
   ….

Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has said his senior brother was kidnapped by bandits and he had to pay a ransom to get him released.

Gumi made the disclosure in an interview as he responded to critics who clamoured for his arrest for making case for bandits and for visiting them in their forest conclaves.

He called the critics clowns and said he had also been a victim of the bandits on several occasions.

“Also in our mosque, we have paid ransom. Even now, somebody is asking me to assist him to pay ransom. Our family driver who happens to be our relative, his son, a private soldier, was killed by bandits. So how I can support such people?,” Gumi told Premium Times.

The Islamic cleric who said his efforts with bandits have been sabotaged recently said he has quit meeting with bandits because it will be dangerous for him to continue to engage with them.

Gumi described those calling for his arrest as not different from bandits stressing that it is a constitutional right for someone to express his views.

The cleric said his efforts is to prevent banditry in his own way stating that he has also been a victim of banditry.

“They are clowns, they don’t know anything about the Nigerian society, they don’t know about the Nigerian constitution and liberty. It is a constitutional right for someone to express his views, so long you are not calling for violence or to harm anybody.

‘These people calling for my arrest, I don’t see them different from the bandits. To say that I am supporting or sponsoring bandits is malicious. I am just trying to cure them in my own way. I am trying to prevent it my own way and I have seen how my little efforts have helped.

‘I just have a different perspective in addressing the issue. But to encourage them? No. To help them? No. It is impossible. I am also a victim of banditry.

FESTIVAL OF ESAN

Long time ago, before the advent of islam in ikirun, the town was inhabited by idol worshipers. Later, islam came and it was spreading phenomenally to all the nooks and crannies of all the present day ikirunland and its environs.

There was peaceful co-existence among the settlers both Muslims and non muslims until such a time when rifts began to emerge among muslims to each other based on doctrinal differences. In other for this rift not to escalate beyond controllable stage, efforts were made by well meaning Muslim society leaders at that time to call all agreived parties together for a peaceful resolution of the crisis among them. This efforts yielded positive results and all the rifts among muslims amicably resolved to the satisfaction of all in an all inclusive general meeting. All these happened in 1922 and it was that scenario that brings out the name; Molepe.

Since then, it has become an annual event which all Muslims would gather to celebrate unity of faith and purpose among themselves.

Molepe is derived from two Yoruba words “Imole and Peju”. These words means Muslims is gathering. The meaning comes out as Muslims Gathered “imolepeju” and later abbreviated to MOLEPE. The spot where the rift was settled in 1922 became known as Molepe Ground. The society that spearheaded the amicable resolution of rift between the Muslims later became known as EGBE KILA. Egbe Kila later became an umbrella body to all Muslim groups and societies is known as Giwa.

It should be noted that Egbe kila is not limited to ikirun alone. It also exist in popular towns of Old Western Region such as; Ikorodu, Ijebu Ode, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Ogbomoso, Offa and Ede. Molepe Festival was first done under the leadership of Pa Buraimoh Afolabi Oyedeji who was the father of the current Giwa Kila Alhaji Chief Rasheed Ademola Oyedeji.

Molepe Festival since its establishment has been embraced and accepted as collective festival by everyone in ikirunland. It has become the festival of Muslims, Christian and Traditional Worshipers. Through modernization and innovation every year, Molepe has become a festival where sons daughter of Ikirun who sojourn in other towns, villages, within and outside Nigeria look forward to celebrate. Some prefer to celebrate Molepe alone in Ikirun.

The people of ikirun in those days usually seize the opportunity of Molepe Festival to take their intending wives to their homes without express permission of the bride parents. However, this primitive act has stopped since early 1940s. Molepe Festival has become a major social event now which is gradually turning into tourist attractive.

The ancient town of Keana has perhaps earned fame for itself across what is today referred to as northern Nigeria because of one thing-salt mining.This piece, gives a break-taking account of what it takes to produce salt in Keana, especially against the backdrop of strict traditional codes which inform the entire spectrum of salt mining in the chiefdom.

Salt, an invaluable food additive has its roots firmly tied to the history of the Keana people of Nasarawa State from primordial times. Indeed such was the run of events that the salt consumed in virtually all the homes of the inhabitants of the middle belt area came from Keana at least before the federation commenced the importation of table salt from Europe.

However, what fundamentally makes Keana Salt unique results not so much from its indispensable place in the culinary of the peoples of the middle belt as the sacred cultural imperatives which inform the Salt production processes in the ancient town.

As it is, the production process of the salt is guided by some strict and we’ll established codes which every citizen of the “Salt Village”, (communities that sprang up within the various salt pond which came into being since the first one was discovered by Akyana Adi, who founded Keana after the break up of the Kwararafa empire,must uphold.Every salt village (otherwise referred to as Akyana) is administered by a privileged clan the Ogyes, Osikigu as the head.And from this or other clans, a queen-Inole is picked, whose responsibility is to see to the day to day administration of Akyana. She is assisted by a man Osikigu who act as the prime Minister. Both have shrines to whom the pay periodic visit and pray for cosmic blessings. Both of them also have lieutenant who assist in the running the Akyana and understanding the preparation of the food of the duo. It is interesting to note that Inole and Osikigu must never eat the food cooked by a woman. And it is an abomination for Inole to step into the salt pond, a violation of which would automatically render her blind. It is worthy of note that Inole and Osikigu can only be appointed and removed by the paramount ruler of Keana Chiefdom the Osana, though often in close consultation with the women operating in each of the Akyana. As a rule, the production of salt holds annually during the dry season only. And as a first step, the large pond of salt water, which is found in every salt village, is drained. Prior to the advent of mechanized means of draining the water, a large number of strong and energetic men are detailed to drained the water with calabash. This lasts for at least a month, the end of which exercise is signalled by drumming. On the orders of the Osana, the men then return home. The populace would then be informed that the Inole would in the evening be returning to the Akyana. On the same day, the Ogyes would leave for Obowayo in the night.Suffice it to say that Obowayo is a sacred pond about 8kms away from Akyana Gbogbo, one of two major salt villages in the chiefdom. ( The second one is Akyana Ipwole while the smaller villages include Oze, Okunamase, Adaka, Okidi, Agyese, Omwadefu, Omwasibiya, Omwa Elalonye and Omwa Oguu).

At Obowayo, the Ogyes would, amidst drumming, perform some rituals. Indeed so sacred and divine are the ceremonies that the water in the pond would sway to the beat of the drums, while no leaf from the surrounding trees would, as the occasion lasts, drop on the pond. The ceremony lasts through the night with people eating and drinking, though they must not drink from the pond.

Thereafter, all the traditional tittle holders in Keana would proceed to Osikigu shrine where they would pour libations, eat and drink and head for Inole’s shrine..

Here, outstanding issues dwelling on the health of the community would be thrashed out. Those found guilty pay fines of goats which are used as sacrifice to the Gods. The title holders would conclude the ritual by paying homage to Inole saying “Owaji” and immediately proceeding to the deputy of Inole Ogbole Inole where they also pay homage to her, saying “Ozowure”. The title holders then return home and salt production can now start. It must be stressed that the actual act of mining this item is done in huts which are exclusively individual possessions handed down from generation pasts. As earlier stated, water is drained from the ponds as arrangement to commence salt mining kick off. A day or two would then be set aside for the people of the chiefdom to catch the fishes that are in the pond. This is done under the strict supervision of Osikigu. With the fishing festival now over, every woman would now be free to fetch the salty water to her “Opu” (hut) using earthen pots as metal bucket or basins are disallowed. The next stage of salt production process is “Ikpuru”. Here the salty water is poured on specially made Sandy salt beds and left for about a week to dry. This leads us to the next stage -“Otagyiso” during which the whitish surface of the salt bed is removed into “Azuzu”. These are three perforated pots seated on a tripod- plank (Awuwa) into which the salty sand, now finely mixed with water is left to filter into the “Okiyi” pot the end result of this process is highly concentrated salt water, referred to as “Abiya”. It is this Abiya that is collected and boiled for hours until the water evaporate, leaving high quality table salt which is scoped and sold to customer.

Mention must be made that the queen of Akyana-Inole must be the person to kick off the boiling of the Abiya and in recognition of her revered and exalted position, all women, for every three trips of salt water which the fetch in the day time must donate the table salt gotten from two of the trips to the Inole.However all operation undertaken in the night does not attract these obligations. After seven days, the salt pond would be closed to the salt producers. Thereafter it would be reopened for business and closed again after seven days. This policy continues for the four months which the production of salt is undertaken. Suffice it to say that the bans are occasioned by need to allow for enough availability of salt water. Osikigu normally hands-down severe sanction on those who violate the bans.

Akyana, within this period, is a beehive of activities. Most people spend all their time here. And the mode of trading is essentially by barter. Food and drinks are usually exchanged for salt. May I quickly add that the medium of communication is as expected, the local dialect laced slangs and language codes. In the fourth month of salt production, the Osana would ride his horse to Obowayo to offer sacrifice. From here, he would proceed to Akyana and take his seat in a spot referred to as “Amirikpa”. The entire womenfolk in Akyana would then pay their respects and offer the Osana, a bag (Obubu) of salt each. These are the bags the Osana takes home and gives out as gifts to visitors or individuals or the royalty in neighbouring towns and villages. With the raining seasons fast approaching, Osikigu accordingly intimate the Osana who decrees that everybody in Akyana should return home. Thereafter, Osikigu and Inole would take their leave to be followed by the remaining throng. #By_Moustapha_Eladoga_Ari

27 WAYS TO ENJOY YOUR MARRIAGE & MAKE IT LAST

1. Love the person you married, not the person you hoped you married. Accept your spouse totally. You cannot love a man/woman you do not accept. Stop comparing your spouse with anyone, he or she can never be somebody else. Until you accept your spouse, you can’t get the best out of your marriage
2. Understand each other. No marriage succeeds without understanding. Learn to know one another as best as you can. Understand you are not the same and may never be. Respect that you are both individuals. Get to know each other strengths and weaknesses. Strengthen each other’s weaknesses.
3. Be quick to forgive and quicker to apologize. Love forgives. Learn to accept apology. Freely forgive your spouse’s past, present and future offenses. Never refer to his/her past mistakes. Never go to bed with anger or unsettled quarrel. Marriage is two forgivers living together.
4. Ask your spouse, “What can I do for you today?” every single day.
5. Never talk bad about your spouse to other people. Protect him or her and always keep his or her name safe. Fight for each other, not with each other.
6. Have lots of sex. Enjoy Sex with your spouse. Never withhold sex as a punishment
7. Keep the word “divorce” out of your vocabulary. Remember your vows. Review them on a regular basis.
8. Provide for the needs of your spouse and children. Never be stingy to your spouse. Care for his/her needs. Be generous to him/her. Pay your children’s school fees promptly and regularly. Marriage is not 50/50. It’s 100/100. Give yourself entirely, and don’t hold back. Men, Be sensitive to your wife’s needs. Spend money to beautify her.
9. Be faithful to your spouse. Being unfaithful is the easiest way to completely ruin your marriage. Adultery kills.
10. Understand and learn each other’s love language. Either it can be words, gifts, touch, actions, etc. If it is words, then frequently tell your spouse you love and appreciate him/ her.

If it is action: regularly do things that they appreciate: either take the garbage out, wash the dishes, cook the food, wash the car, etc
Spoil each other. Keep track of the things your spouse loves and buy them for him or her.

11. Communication is the key to a relationship. Talk like friends and lovers. Don’t make your spouse guess what you are thinking or feeling. Don’t expect him/her to read your mind. You should feel free to discuss all things without fear.
12. Always listen attentively to your spouse. Switch off your phone or television, shut down your computer or iPad and newspapers, books and magazine should be closed. The greatest communication skill you can develop is the listening skill.

Be quiet and patient while he/she is speaking, when he/she is done, you can express your opinion. Look straight into his/her eyes when he is talking to you or when you’re talking to him. This will make him/her feel that you are interested in what he/she wants to say.

13. Love, respect and courtesy are basic ingredients of happy married life. Give them generously to your spouse. Show your spouse how much you love, care and appreciate him/her regularly. Say, “I love you,” every single day.
14. Be honest and show sincere appreciation. Appreciate each other. Show your spouse appreciation for the little things. Be thankful and say so!!! Find something that you appreciate about your spouse and say thank you.
15. Surprise each other with lovely gifts, kiss and sex. Kiss passionately. Hold hands. Cuddle. Make physical affection a priority in your marriage.
16. Make quality time for each other. Keep dating each other. Put your marriage and spouse before your children. Play together. Never lose your sense of humor. Make your spouse your best friend.
17. Share everything…no secrets between you. Be open with your spouse.
18. Be polite and courteous to each other. Saying thank you, please and I am sorry.
19. Get rid of bad habits. Don’t do those things your spouse hates. Don’t do things that hurt him/her. Develop a godly character. Don’t create a hostile environment for your spouse. Focus on making your spouse happy. The best way to improve your relationship is to improve yourself.
20. Always be honest to your partner. Lying never gets you anywhere
21. Aim to do something at least once per week together. It does not matter what, even if it is to eat together, bath together, watch movies together, read books together and share light conversation
22. Do NOT look at other marriages and covet. No marriage is prefect. Remember, the grass is not greener on the other side. You will still have to maintain, mow and weed that side too!
23. Work at your marriage. If you ever lack motivation for your marriage and feel like the flame has gone dead. Just try to imagine yourself without your spouse. Talk to anyone who has lost their soul mate and they’ll tell you that they will give anything to have back that special someone.

Remember, it is your marriage and you have come this far. Make the best of it. Pledge to yourself that you will do your part and try your best. Remember that you chose your spouse for forever.

24. All issues need to have a solution and be resolved at the time of the conversation. Finish what you start otherwise things just hang in the balance,which leads to future problems.
25. Don’t make mountains out of mole hills. Don’t waste your time fighting over little things. It’s not worth it. Let small things go.
26. Don’t broadcast your problems to everyone else. If you need to talk to someone about it,
    other than your spouse, get a therapist.
27. Above all: Serve God together, Pray together & Pray for one another. Pray for your spouse daily in your personal prayers. Be specific. Talk to God about his or her challenges and trials, and ask Him what you can do to be a better spouse. You will not fail in marriage in Jesus name.

A security team to the area, which included military men of the Operation MESA.

There are, however, two different versions of what led to the killing of the 17-year-old.

An eyewitness, who identified herself as Esther, claimed that a man brutalised his girlfriend during an argument that degenerated into a fight.

She noted that the security operatives, who were mobilised to the scene by the lady, shot the mechanic dead.

The resident noted that Promise was on his way home when he was hit by bullets fired by a policeman in the team.

She said, “The incident happened on Monday morning; I had gone to drop my children at school and was on my way to the shop to pick something when I saw a girl bleeding profusely close to the Opaleye Bridge. People said the girl’s boyfriend was responsible for her injuries and that she called security operatives to arrest him.

A gubernatorial aspirant and former Chief of Staff to Benue State Governor, Terwase Orbunde on Monday escaped death.

Sources said that Orbunde’s vehicle was involved in a ghastly accident at Uchi Village along Makurdi/Gboko Road.

Orbunde was the Chief of Staff to Governor Ortom but resigned his appointment in September to pursue his governorship aspiration.

A local publisher, Babs Usigbe who ran into the accident said that the governorship aspirant had a slight head injury.

Orbunde was said to be returning from the decamping ceremony in Gboko around 5.00pm when the accident occurred.

“I was on my way from Katsina Ala to Gboko and back to Makurdi when I ran into the accident.

“A picnic commercial vehicle which was coming from Makurdi was overtaking even at a straight road. Instead of the driver of the vehicle to return to his lane, he faced the vehicle in which the governorship aspirant was, hitting it against a tree.

According to UNICEF data, 1 in 4 Nigerian girls are sexually assaulted before the age of 18. Despite an increase in activism, justice is rare: Nigeria, a country of 206 million people, had just 32 rape convictions between 2019 and 2020, according to data from Nigeria’s national anti-trafficking agency.

As reports of rape escalated across Nigeria, state governors declared a “state of emergency” on rape and gender-based violence in June 2020. They also promised to set up a sex offenders register. But over a year since their declaration, nothing has changed, as more cases of rape have been reported.  

One victim, Vera Uwaila Omosuwa, a 22-year-old microbiology student, was raped and brutally assaulted in 2020 in a church near her home in Benin, Edo state, and died a couple of days later from her injuries. Hamira, a five-year-old, was drugged and raped by her neighbour in April 2020. Her injuries were so bad she could no longer control her bladder.  

There are many theories explaining the causes of sexual violence. These theories include military conquest, socioeconomics, anger, power, sadism, traits, ethical standards, laws, and evolutionary pressures that lend some explanation to the causes of sexual violence.There are many theories explaining the causes of sexual violence. These theories include military conquest, socioeconomics, anger, power, sadism, traits, ethical standards, laws, and evolutionary pressures that lend some explanation to the causes of sexual violence.There are many theories explaining the causes of sexual violence. These theories include military conquest, socioeconomics, anger, power, sadism, traits, ethical standards, laws, and evolutionary pressures that lend some explanation to the causes of sexual violence.There are many theories explaining the causes of sexual violence. These theories include military conquest, socioeconomics, anger, power, sadism, traits, ethical standards, laws, and evolutionary pressures that lend some explanation to the causes of sexual violence.There are many theories explaining the causes of sexual violence. These theories include military conquest, socioeconomics, anger, power, sadism, traits, ethical standards, laws, and evolutionary pressures that lend some explanation to the causes of sexual violence.There are many theories explaining the causes of sexual violence. These theories include military conquest, socioeconomics, anger, power, sadism, traits, ethical standards, laws, and evolutionary pressures that lend some explanation to the causes of sexual violence.There are many theories explaining the causes of sexual violence. These theories include military conquest, socioeconomics, anger, power, sadism, traits, ethical standards, laws, and evolutionary pressures that lend some explanation to the causes of sexual violence.There are many theories explaining the causes of sexual violence. These theories include military conquest, socioeconomics, anger, power, sadism, traits, ethical standards, laws, and evolutionary pressures that lend some explanation to the causes of sexual violence.There are many theories explaining the causes of sexual violence. These theories include military conquest, socioeconomics, anger, power, sadism, traits, ethical standards, laws, and evolutionary pressures that lend some explanation to the causes of sexual violence.There are many theories explaining the causes of sexual violence. These theories include military conquest, socioeconomics, anger, power, sadism, traits, ethical standards, laws, and evolutionary pressures that lend some explanation to the causes of sexual violence.