From Wilson Okereke, Afikpo
Deputy Speaker of Ebonyi of State House of Assembly, Chinedu Onah, has allegedly vowed to chase away native doctors, herbalists and traditional worshippers from Mgbo in Ohaukwu Local Government.
He was alleged to have ordered the arrest and detention of at least 19 of suchpeople at the Police headquarters, Abakaliki, on March 18, 2025.
State Chairman, National Union of Herbal Medicine Practitioners, Ndubuisi Nwogha, said the problem started on December 22, 2024 when an entertainment masquerade was attacked at Okwo Mgbo Market by a team of security personnel comprising some policemen and soldiers.
He disclosed that the security team on that fateful incident acted on theinstruction of the Deputy Speaker. He regretted that the lawmaker acted without recourse to the people’s right to freedom of worship as contained in the constitution.
Nwogha also said that their members had jointly bailed the arrested persons in the December episode, and continued with their lawful businesses of treating various ailments with herbs and roots hoping that the situation had normalized.
Unfortunately, while their members from Mgbo extraction were attending a scheduled meeting with the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism at the Centenary City onMarch 18, they were waylaid and 19 of them were arrested: “After the arrest of the aged persons comprising 16 women and threemen, the lawmakers went to the police and claimed that they were planning to stage a protest against him.”
Also, he disclosed that some village ancient shrines were burnt and individual herbal homes of the detained people. He said his members were certified herbal practitioners who did not indulge in evil or other related acts.
He appealed that that the lawmaker should be called to order by higher authorities before the situation escalated out of control: “If the man is claiming that my members are causing havoc with their businesses, let him prove it, rather than humiliate the people in his constituency.”
A practitioner, Mrs. Chinwe Onwe, said the vocation has been in her lineage from the creation and queried the mandate of the legislator towards the elimination of cultural acts in the area: “I was in Christian faith when the gift of divination fell on me, I did everything possible to resist it but was not successful until I eventually yielded to the ancestral calling.”
Onwe who claimed to be a specialist in treating various sicknesses called forgovernment intervention over their plights.
One of the detainees whose name was not given alleged that they were subjected to serious torture and other embarrassments. He also alleged that his colleague’s dreadlock was shaved with a piece of broken bottle by the oppressors under the supervision of the lawmaker.
ACatholic priest of the Abakaliki Diocese and an advocate of archaeology,religion and tradition, Monsignor Marypatrick Mmuo, frowned at the allegedmaltreatment as a legislated approach was not used to scrutinise the herbalpractitioners.
Headvised that the Igbo people should go back to the drawing board to have theoverall king as at the olden days when Eze Nri was the Ezegburugburu.
Headded that the real traditionalists do not involve in evil practice based onthe fact that they recognised Chukwu Okike Abiama being the creator as theirgod known for justice and uprightness.
He called for government intervention to preserve some cultural identities andprevent the attackers from incurring the wrath of the ancestors through theactions: “How could some people who do not know the history of Ndi Igboand the origin of their tradition declare war on the same practices done bytheir forefathers and past generation and the elders would be watching withoutcalling such them to order?
Everyeffort to get the lawmaker’s reaction was not successful as he ignored bothcalls and text messages to his phone.
However ,Daily Sun was informed that the detained persons had been released from policecustody.