Community
sacks cleric, razes church over snake’s killing
From
Goddy Osuji
He
killed our sacred snake - Eze
Two-week-old
baby, others missing
Car,
property worth millions destroyed
A
group of villagers has sacked a Christian cleric, his warden and their families
from a community in Ebonyi
State. The reason? The
priest was accused of killing a snake.
Angry
villagers in Akaeze, a community in Ivo Local Government area of Ebonyi State
on March 17 expelled the priest in-charge of the Anglican Pentecostal
Church in the village,
Rev. Daniel Okoli and his family after the man of God was alleged to have
killed a sacred snake.
The
villagers also destroyed the church building and personal belongings of the
priest and his warden.
The
pastor’s warden, Mr. Paul Chukwu, a native of the village, incurred the wrath
of the villagers when he pleaded with them to stop the damage. They invaded his
house and sacked his family. His house was pulled down, his property worth
millions of naira destroyed and the entire family hounded out of town. Since
then, the whereabouts of the family’s two-week-old baby has remained unknown
since the incident.
The
traditional ruler of the community, Eze Dickson Obasi, has been interrogated by
the police in Abakaliki where investigation is ongoing.
Hear
the priest: “On March 4, the traditional ruler, Eze Dick Obasi, invited me to
his palace. I went the following day with my Archdeacon in-charge of the
Archdeaconry. After the discussion, they gave me seven days to leave Akaeze
community. The report went to my Lord Bishop who sent emissaries to the
traditional ruler to plead with him to allow the church handle the matter. Even
the Chancellor of the Diocese called the traditional ruler and later went to
him to plead with him to allow the church settle the issue. Surprisingly on
March 17,at about 5.30 pm, a group of people led by one Chief Christopher Ogbune
invaded the church premises and started destroying the church buildings and my
property, including my car. They wanted to kill me and my family, but the joint
Army and police patrol team stationed at Akaeze came and rescued us. And on the
following day, a Sunday, they came back and burnt my car. They also destroyed
the church building completely. The parsonage was destroyed and all my personal
and church belongings, including the poultry farm, were burnt. I ran out of my
house with only the coat I was putting on at the time they came. Everything I
have as a man was burnt by the irate villagers.
“They
accused me of killing a snake, but it was a false allegation. All my
explanations to the Eze met with deaf ears. I was with the patrol team
throughout the night when they invaded the church, and in the morning I ran to
Afikpo for my dear life. Though the traditional ruler gave me seven days to
leave the community, my Bishop, after getting the report, pleaded with him to
allow the church intervene, that there was no need for me to leave.
“It
was my Archdeacon that reported the matter to the police at Akaeze that
Saturday night. The matter is still under investigation by the police. They
have visited the scene to see the destruction.”
Paul
Chukwu, a farmer and the pastor’s warden also narrated his ordeal. “It was on
Saturday evening, and I was at the church because of the choir practice. It was
during the period that the villagers besieged the place and started destroying
both the church property and those of Rev. Okoli. When I pleaded with them to
stop, they vented their anger on me and started beating me. We called the
Army/Police patrol team at Akaeze, and they rushed to the scene to rescue us.
They took us to their post where we slept till the next morning, a Sunday. We
were later told that the people had again invaded the place and were destroying
everything in sight. They destroyed the church, the vicarage, the priest’s car
and everything in the church compound. They then went to my house and pulled
down the building. They burnt my machine, generator and everything in sight,
including my yam barn. I am married with five children including a two-week-old
baby. I don’t know their whereabouts.”
At
the palace, the traditional ruler, Eze Dick Igwe Obasi, Enyinaogada 1,
explained his own side. “There was a pastor posted to the Anglican Pentecostal
Church at Amachi who has
been killing green grass snakes. The snake is sacred; it is an abomination to
kill it. And when the community found out his activities, they decided to send
him packing for desecrating the land. That is the problem we had with the
priest.
“We
do not worship the snake, but it is something that is sacred and it is an
abomination to kill it. I don’t know how many he has killed since I was not
there. But I got a report that he killed many of the snakes, and that he uses
them as feed for his poultry.
“He
has been in this community for over a year and knows that it is an abomination
to kill the green grass snake. According to our tradition, anybody who kills
the snake, if he or she is an indigene, is immediately ostracized. If the
killer is a stranger, he must leave the community immediately or risk dying
within six months.
“Apart
from the snake, another thing that is sacred to the community is that nobody
kills any crocodile at the Ezeiyiaku
River. Anybody who does
that will suffer the consequences.
“Religion
has no effect when it comes to the culture and tradition of the people because
they are two distinct things. We give to Caesar what belongs to him while we
give to God what belongs to him.
“I
am a Christian, but there is no way I could change the tradition and culture of
the people. Culture is not something you change overnight; it is a gradual
process. The snake does not even bite.”
Anglican
Bishop of Afikpo, Rt. Rev Paul Udeogu in whose domain the action took place is,
however, furious with the action of the community. He has vowed to ensure that
justice is done.
He
spoke to this reporter at the Bishop’s court, Afikpo.
“The
villagers attacked my priest after accusing him of killing a sacred green grass
snake which they call their grandfather. He was asked to leave the community
within seven days or face their wrath. Ordinarily, the church is an
institution. The traditional ruler should have petitioned me as the bishop of
the area.
“The
priest there is not there on his own mandate. I even went as far as sending a
high powered delegation to talk to the Eze to be patient while the church
handles the matter amicably and to give me time to do that as the Anglican
bishop of the area. Even the Chancellor of the church interceded to ask the Eze
to give us sometime, that we were already handling the matter. But he was
adamant. He insisted that the priest must leave despite the constitutional
provision that guarantees every citizen the right to live anywhere in the
country unmolested.
“I
also called the daughter who was instrumental to the building of the church.
After all the pleading, and despite the fact that the school was in session,
and the priest’s wife is a teacher, teaching the Akaeze children, they invaded
the church premises. They destroyed our property and that of another individual
who tried to defend the priest. That is an abomination to the church in this
modern age.
“My
priests and parishioners at Akaeze are Nigerians who have the freedom of
worship and freedom to reside at Akaeze or any other place in Nigeria without
being molested or embarrassed. Why should Eze Dick and his cohorts desecrate
and destroy our church without any just cause? We cannot watch our several
years of labour destroyed just like that. Therefore we demand that Eze Dick
Obasi and the people he sent to burn our church rebuild the church and
parsonage, replace the priest’s car and all our church property with immediate
effect. We also expect the security agents to charge them for their criminal
acts.”
Police
Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Ebonyi
State, Mr. John Eluu
confirmed the incident. He said investigation is ongoing.
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