OGWASHI-UKU Community in Aniocha Local Government Area of Delta State has invoked its ancestral god and death penalty against a 37 years old man named Nwajei Chuks Malife following the expiration of the ultimatum handed down to him to continue the traditional worship of the community’s deity usually being perform by his late father, His Royal Highness Agumba Nwajei Chuks Nwajei who was a king and the traditional Omu shrine worshiper called Anibaza.
It was learnt that the community and council of chiefs are insisting that he (Nwajei Chuks Malife) must take up the position of his late father as the Omu who serves the Anibaza shrine and whose responsibility is to perform the sacrifice of blood to their deity for the protection and preservation of lives in the community.
According to their tradition, the consequence of failing to perform the sacrifices of blood will spell doom for the family of the Anibaza shrine worshiper and attract death penalty from the community on whoever refuses to perform such rites.
Information gathered, revealed several youths of the community mobilised by chiefs in council has laid siege on the young man, Malife and took possession of his family compound, stringing palm fronds round the area and preventing anybody from accessing the building.
One of the youth who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity said; “For the fact that, we have waited for him since year 2021 and he did not come to take the position of his late father as traditional Omu shrine worshiper called Anibaza claiming he is a Christian and does not belief in our tradition of sacrifice of blood, we too have resorted to our culture and tradition. We have invoked our traditional injunction on him which is death and also the family compound will remain unaccessed until the right thing is done”.
“The Council of Chiefs and the Community has sanctioned and decreed according to the demands of our culture and traditions that Malife’s blood and that of his family will be used and sacrificed to appease the Anibaza shrine in order to cleanse the land of the curse and tribulations that will befall the community as a result of his refusal to accept the position as the next Omu because his refusal will spell doom for us, like generational untimely deaths and low farm harvest in our community and we will not allow that to happen.” He said.
A close relative of Malife, who spoke to our correspondent revealed that the issue of succession of the Omu has been between the late Royal Highness’s son, Nwajei Chuks Malife and the community since 2020 when the father, His Royal Highness, Agumba Nwajei Chuks Nwajei died.
According to him, Nwajei Malife was expected to undergo some serious rituals before taking the position of his late father. He revealed that, Malife was spiritually and traditionally believed to be a reincarnation of the late Royal Highness’s Father and so was ordained to serve the Anibaza shrine and be the next Omu after the death of his father, His Royal Highness, Agumba Nwajei Chuks Nwajei.
He said before Malife can serve as the next Omu, he needs to perform the rituals of drinking the water used in bathing his late father’s dead body that has been preserved for him within these years. Also, seven female virgins will be sacrificed, while he (Malife) will need to have sex with one of the Virgins before she will be sacrificed and the blood of a day old baby must also be provided for him to bath and drink for spiritual fortification and cleansing.
He further revealed that, Malife would be put inside a casket and be taken to the evil forest for 14 days to be traditionally and spiritually fortified to assume the position as the Omu to Anibaza Shrine.
He also said that, because Malife’s wife (a Kenya woman) is not from the community, she will be subjected to undergo circumcision for her to be purified.
According to him, “it is the tradition that son of the Late Royal Highness and Omu inherites the position upon the demise of his father to continue the sacrifice of blood in the land, but, Nwajei Chuks Malife has refused to assume the position or take over, saying he is a born again Christian and will not be pledge through to perform any form of sadistic hazing rituals”.
It was revealed that Nwajei Chuks Malife, who has been declared wanted by the community has gone into hiding early this year together with his Kenya wife, Lucy Atieno Otieno and son, Prince Destiny Ebubechukwu Nwajei, when the pressure was becoming too much for him. It was alleged that he is seeking refuge in the homes of some Christian members who may be trying to help him flee the country to avoid being captured by the youths of his community and use for sacrifice.
Unconfirmed report from others sources states that the sacrifice of blood in that community is usually that of human sacrifice, where young virgins are used as sacrifice annually as their custom and tradition in order to cleanse the land and enhance the development of the indigenes and community.
