Controversial prophecy sparks crisis in Ebonyi community

  *Youths destroy properties, farmlands, set houses ablaze.

*Monarch bans prophets, prophetesses from operating in the community.

IRATE youths in Agharoza village, Iboko community in Izzi Council Area of Ebonyi State, have destroyed and set ablaze houses belonging to one of their kinsmen over a prophecy that he is an alleged evil man.

The youths also burnt other valuable property belonging to the man and equally destroyed his yam barn and farms.

The action of the youths followed an alleged prophecy by a prophet identified as Prophet Ubadimma.  The youths claimed that by Ubadimma’s prophecy, the victim, John Ekpono, was responsible for the backwardness and other misfortunes prevailing in the affected community.

According to an indigene of the community, Nwota Gabriel, trouble started following a crusade held by the villagers who invited the prophet to preside over the three-day event to fish out the evil men in the village.

His account: “From the report, they said that this young prophet, if invited to any village for a crusade, would use his spiritual power to fish out evil men in such village, thereby making the villagers free from all forms of evil captivities. 

“Ubadimma goes from village to village, if invited, with his team for a crusade. Unfortunately, this particular one got everybody confused as Ubadimma pointed at the man (John Ekpono ) at the crusade ground as one of the evildoers in the village.

“When he was pointed at, the man insisted that he was innocent; but the villagers insisted that he should be treated the way others called out were being treated.”

He further explained that on the fourth day of the programme, the man (Ekpono) invited the police to disorganise the programme. After the programme, the angry youths of the village embarked on a vengeance mission and demolished his houses, motorcycle, farm, and other properties on account of the prophecy.

Worried by the ugly development, the traditional ruler of Ndieze Autonomous Community, Eze Hyacinth Nwokpor, banned prophets and prophetesses from operating in the community. He said that prophets and prophetesses had caused many problems in the community.

According to him, a man killed his father in the community because a prophet told him the father was responsible for his impotence.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, Ebonyi State in collaboration with some human rights groups based in the state has launched an investigation into the case of human rights violations in Agharoza village, Iboko community.

According to the Commission, all necessary interventions are already planned to ensure that justice is done speedily on the matter. The alleged evil man, according to sources was rescued alive from the hands of the irate youths by the Police.

SEV learned that the Ebonyi State office of NHRC headed by its State Coordinator, Mr. Christopher Onyeka Okorie is presently taking care of the children of the victim as the family is now homeless.

Observers said the ugly development is a clear case of how superstition or the practice of spiritism has become the energizer of different human rights violations in the country.

The youth leader of the community (names withheld) who spearheaded the ugly act has been arrested and placed under police detention.

In a chat with SEV, Mr. Christopher Onyeka Okorie said NHRC will continue to educate members of the society not to take laws into their hands but always report any issue of serious concern to the police.

“NHRC will continue to condemn the practice of relying on superstition to witch-hunt innocent citizens as this is unlawful and condemnable.”