Follow Us on Google
Felix Ikem, Nsukka
Masquerades are very important component of the people of Nsukka cultural zone in Enugu state. They come in different colours, shapes and sizes and appear at various times of the year depending on communities.
Called Odo, especially in Aku, Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area; some other popular masquerades in the Nsukka zone are Oriokpa of Nsukka, Ogede of Orba and Akatakpa of Obollo Afor both in in Udenu Local Governmenet Area.
Unfortunately, this beautiful aspect of the Igbo culture has become a nightmare to the people of Nsukka zone as today; traditional rulers, church leaders, leaders of thought and indeed security agencies are faced with the challenge of controlling the atrocities of masquerades.
The wanton barbarism and brutality associated with masquerades in some communities have become big source of concern; as they molest visitors and natives at will including girls and women, particularly during masquerade festivals. In fact, certain persons have lost their lives in the hands of masquerades in the area.
Only recently, two catholic priests were waylaid and beaten to stupor by daredevil masquerades in Ogbodu-Aba, Udenu Local Government Area.
The two priests, Rev. Fathers Peter Chikwado Udaya and Daniel Tochukwu Akubue, our reporter gathered, were attacked on the way to their respective duty posts.
Daily Sun investigation revealed that the priests were dragged out of their car by a group of masquerades and beaten like condemned criminals.
A witness told Daily Sun that “They were beaten like common criminals, and the crowd that gathered as the show of shame continued couldn’t even help matters, instead they encouraged and hailed the masquerades to go on with the abominable and mischievous act. The two priests were eventually rescued by one Stephen Eze and his wife.”
Our reporter learnt that Fr. Udaya sustained serious injuries which affected his vision and was referred to a specialist hospital in Lagos while Fr. Akubue had since been treated and discharged from hospital.
Investigation showed that masquerades have had very ugly encounters with church leaders, especially, clerics of the Catholic faith, in recent times.
In 2016, a seminarian on one year apostolic work at one of the parishes at Orba, in Udenu Local Government Area was attacked by a group of masquerades along Orba/Nsukka road. The seminarian was left with broken leg by his attackers; he sustained injuries and was hospitalised for more than six months.
In April 2017, another seminarian, Ezugwu Lawrence escaped death by whiskers when some masquerades attacked him at the Ugwuoye axis of Nsukka town. Our reporter gathered that Ezugwu who was on six weeks apostolic work somewhere in Nsukka was on his way to pay electricity bill at the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), Nsukka District, when he was rounded up by the masquerades and beaten to coma. He also had his head severely injured.
When there was upsurge in robbery in the Nsukka zone in September 2015; masquerades were fingered in the snatching of people’s handsets, laptops and even motorbikes in broad daylight. One of such incidents which took place in Ovoko, Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area involved a pregnant woman.
The attack which claimed the woman’s life attracted huge condemnation, but was not followed by any punitive measures on the perpetrators.
In fact, their activities ceased momentarily when the woman dies; but few weeks later, they continued unleashing terror on the innocent citizens.
A witness at the period said the woman was on her way to a maternity home when the masquerades stopped her and beat her mercilessly, resulting in excess bleeding and her eventual death.
When Daily Sun visited the palace of the traditional ruler of Ogbodu-Aba, Igwe Peter Ejeh, he was said to have gone to Enugu for meeting with government officials and could not be reached since we were not able to get his phone number.
Nevertheless, the Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Most Rev. Prof. Godfrey Onah condemned the attack on priests, describing it as the height of barbarism.
He warned all masquerades in the zone to steer clear of his church members to avoid his unpleasant reaction and the wrath of God.
At a funeral in Ogbodu-Aba, Bishop Onah said “This is height of barbarism and wickedness. How can you mask yourself and come out to extort people and beat innocent citizens on the road? This is pure wickedness. If the traditional rulers of these communities don’t know what to do with masquerades, I will not allow masquerades to continue molesting and wreaking havoc on my fellow worshippers more especially my priests.”
In the same hue, traditional ruler of Ihe/Owerre autonomous community in Nsukka Local Government; the hot bed of the said attack, Igwe George Asadu condemned it in very strong terms, stating that it negated the aim of instituting masquerades in the communities.
He explained that his community has put in place workable control measures to checkmate the activities of masquerades.
His words: “You know as much as I do that Ihe/Owerre community is the hub of Nsukka town. We have put in place workable control measures to checkmate the excesses of these masquerades. For instance, our masquerades which usually come out every Sunday now come out every two weeks. When the time of their last outing approaches, they will come out just two times. We have barred them from extorting money and anyone found violating this rule will be handed over to the security operatives who will be monitoring them on those days.
“We don’t want them to turn Nsukka to violence prone area because of masquerade. We want our community to remain as peaceful as ever.”
Chairman of Nsukka branch of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Francis Nwodo provided insight into the legal implications of brutality from masquerade.
According to him, “The 1999 Constitution as amended provided in Chapter four fundamental human rights and in that chapter; there is a provision for right to dignity of human person.
“In the first provision, it stated that nobody should be subjected to torture. But these masquerades don’t know anything about your right, your liberty or your freedom of anything. They can abuse you; torture you contrary to the provisions of the constitution.
“We have freedom of expression, freedom of movement, they don’t allow you to move about, they have so much abused it that at times they use the opportunity to steal which is completely against the express provision of fundamental human rights, and I don’t think that is culture. A culture does not mean violation of another person’s right.”
A senior police officer in the Nsukka Area Command, who wished not to be named, said the police were on top of the situation disclosing that the trend would have been worse but for police crack down on them.
Many people are unhappy that masquerades that should be source of unification and cultural development have become threat to people of the area and have therefore, called for their outright ban or at best, limiting of their days of outing in different communities.
