Refugee Review Tribunal AUSTRALIA

RRT RESEARCH RESPONSE

Research Response Number: NGA34955 Country: Date: 2 June 2009

Keywords: Nigeria – NGA34955 – Shrines in State

This response was prepared by the Research & Information Services Section of the Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT) after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the RRT within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. This research response may not, under any circumstance, be cited in a decision or any other document. Anyone wishing to use this information may only cite the primary source material contained herein.

Questions 1. I would like you to have a look for any other information you can find about this shrine? 2. Deleted.

RESPONSE

1. I would like you to have a look for any other information you can find about this shrine?

No information was found on the Odudu-iyi shrine, located near Amokwu in Enugu amongst the sources consulted. Some information on shrines in is provided below. A detailed map produced for the Udi Health Board, Enugu State, gives the location of an “Amokwu Affa health centre”. This indicates that the village is likely to be in the Udi local government area (LGA), one of seventeen LGAs into which the administration of Enugu state is divided (‘Udi Health Board, Enugu State – Health Facilities’ 2008, PATHS Nigeria Partnership for Transforming Health Systems website, 12 May http://www.pathsnig.org/work_enugu/UdiDHBEnuguStateTopomap.pdf – Attachment 1; ‘Administration – Local Government Areas’ 2009, Enugu State Government website http://www.enugustate.gov.ng/admin.html – Accessed 27 May 2009 – Attachment 2).

In June 2006 Maurice Archibong, writing generally on Enugu state for The Sun News online, stated that “Curiously, Udi Area holds virtually all the shrines listed by the Enugu State Tourism Board”:

Enugu State might boast a predominantly Christian population and countless churches but the indigenes have their share of traditional worshippers, too. Curiously, Udi Area holds virtually all the shrines listed by the Enugu State Tourism Board (ESTB). These alters of traditional

1 worship are Ugwu Owere Abia, Eka Ana, Ega-Aga, Isi Ujulu, Ugwu Enechhi and “wonderful stone”, all in the Udi Area. The tourist could get more information and guide, where necessary from the Enugu State Tourism Board (ESTB) with headquarters along Rangers Avenue, Independence Layout, Enugu, Nigeria (Archibong, M. 2006, ‘Enugu: Hill top of many splendours’, The Sun News Online, 29 June http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/travels/2006/june/29/travels-29-06-2006- 001.htm – Accessed 27 May 2009 – Attachment 3).

The Enugu State Tourism Board (ESTB) website (http://www.enugutourism.org/) is non- functional, so further information on shrines from this source was not obtainable.

A March 2008 This Day article referred to deaths associated with a shrine in Inyi town, Igdo- Eze North LGA in Enugu, which reportedly included the “mysterious” deaths of four young girls. The article describes the involvement of the local Catholic Church, and the limited engagement by the police due to “lack of concrete evidence”, but provides little detail on the village shrine itself:

There is a limit to how a people can tolerate what is evil in their environment. When pushed to the wall, the people can react desperately ready and willing to take all the risk therein. This situation aptly captures the action of women from Inyi town in Igbo-Eze North Local Government area of Enugu State. The women and their children have been living in perpetual fear due to the actions of some demonic induced men using the village shrine to harass the indigenes.

At the last count four young girls in the town have lost their lives mysteriously and the believe is that they were killed and vital parts of their body used for ritual purposes.

Because of the perceived power of these evil ones, nobody dare raise a voice or a finger to complain. The men and their women stay in fear and complain only to themselves. Their young and educated ones merely ran away to big cities and hardly come home, not even during the Christmas period when most towns in the South East record high rate of city-to- village migration. As a result, the much needed development that the town so badly needs continues to suffer.

Help came their way few months back when the Catholic Diocese of picked interest and decided to set machinery in motion to help liberate the populace from the hands of the demonic forces. The Church found an anchorman in the person of Rev. Father John Bosco of the Catholic Church who happens to be an indigene of the troubled town. He mobilised the citizens to confront the dreaded men through prayers and he got reasonable response from mostly the women folks. They carried out a number of crusades and embarked on rosary procession and this set fear on the ritualists who went under ground.

When the people slacked in their prayer, the ritualists returned with a fresh vigour and at different times within a period of four months kidnapped four young girls, killed them and made away with their essential parts while they buried the remaining parts differently in shallow graves.

An indigene told Thislife that it’s believed that if the parts of the victims are buried together they could go after their killer hence the scattered burial so as to prevent the coming together of the spirit. The community and the Church got boost in their crusade when the Enugu State Education authorities sent a new principal to the only secondary school in the area- Comprehensive High School, Inyi, in the person of Mr. Titus Omenma.

2 Omenma is the type that endeavours to make himself part and parcel of any community he is serving. He is known in the Enugu education system for his selflessness and commitment to discipline among the students. He hails from a neighbouring Obollo, which is relatively more endowed in both human and infrastructural development.

The principal noticed to his surprise that most of his teachers want to be transferred out while those posted to the school newly does not want to stay. He also noticed that the population of the school has been dwindling while the students move in pairs of five to ten while coming or going. He tried to involve the community leaders to stem the drift but noticed cold fit as nobody was willing to help apparently out of fear.

While still making effort to get to the route of the situation, he got a report of the killing of four young girls in the town for ritual purposes. In the last incident one girl escaped to tell the story but her friend was caught and killed.

Attempt to involve law enforcement agents especially the Police has not been too successful because of lack of concrete evidence to nail the ritualists some of whom are well known to the people and the Police.

As a way out of the complex situation the Omenma combined forces with Rev. Father Bosco and decided to mobilise the mothers of the town who have remained the biggest victims of the incidents. The willing women who have been suffering in silence jumped at the idea and immediately embarked on one week mourning and protest in the town during which they will fast from morning till evening and wear black clothes and palm leaves as a mourning sign for their daughters. During this period they are to stop the men from assembling or trading at the village square.

On Friday February 15, Thislife witnessed the beginning of the one-week protest with over 3,000 women on black cloths all crying and causing the killers of their daughters and anybody known to be masterminding it.

The priest and the principal addressed them intermittently to press home the need to sustain their struggle by remaining firm in their prayers. During the protest, some pigeon birds hovered around them and the women believing that the ritualists were sending the birds to scatter or chase them away with shouts of ‘Holy Ghost fire.’

The principal and the priest took Thislife to the site of some of the shrines and where some of the body parts of the killed girls were buried in a shallow grave. According to them, they have embarked on a very delicate mission, “but they just need to do it to save the town from continued deterioration due to the devilish act of very few people.”

They said that aside from the strength from God, the zeal and determination from the women have been their main driving force. The duo said they will not relent until the town is liberated from the jaws of not just the ritualists, but also all devilish persons whose activities have helped to hold the town down (Abonyi, I. 2008, ‘Ritual Killings – Inyi Women Say It’s Enough’, This Day, 5 March – Attachment 4).

A later report, dated 13 March 2008, in This Day did report on the investigation of the police into the deaths of the young girls. The shrine, however, is not referred to:

Worried about the incessant killings of young girls and ladies for suspected ritual purposes, in Inyi, Enugu Ezike, Enugu State, which led to mass protest by women in the community, the State Police Command is now combing the town in search of those behind the heinous crime.

3 Already, a good number of suspects, mainly native doctors and accomplices have been arrested by the State Police Command. But following reports that so many people from the village have fled to neighbouring towns on the allegations that the kidnap and killings have not abated notwithstanding the arrests made so far, the Police have sent in crack detectives to fish out the likely suspects.

The schools around the area have also been abandoned by young girls who are afraid of being killed.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Mike Abatam told THISDAY yesterday that the Police Command has stepped up investigation into the matter in a bid to bring those behind the crime to book.

Confirming arrest of some suspects over the incident, Abatam who said he could not confirm the number of young girls who have fallen victims so far and the number of suspects in detention however said that the game will soon be over for the ritual killers.

Similarly, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Nduka Ikeyi who spoke to THISDAY said that the State Governor, Mr Sullivan Chime has ordered that a drastic action be taken to address the problems in Inyi.

Ikeyi said that already, those arrested by the Police over the crime have been charged to court in Enugu Ezike Magistrate Court, and have remained in prison custody until the case is determined.

He however disclosed that the Police is still continuing with its investigation following reports that not all the ritual killers were arrested. Ikeyi said that already the state government has held discussions with the community leaders who were charged to look out for the ritual killers.

On the allegations that the killers are strangers who settled in the town, the Attorney General said that it is difficult to walk into a community and commit a crime and then get away like that. According to him, the Community should do everything to rid the town of any undesirable element, whether strangers or natives of the town. He said that so far about seven young girls and ladies have lost their lives to the ritualists, and warned that those behind the crime will certainly be tracked and brought to justice. It would be recalled that women from the town had recently protested against the crime, dancing half naked to show their displeasure in the matter (Ugwoke, F. 2008, ‘Nigeria: Killings – Chime, Police Hunt for Ritualists’, This Day, 13 March, allAfrica.com website http://allafrica.com/ – Accessed 28 April 2009 – Attachment 5).

Deaths associated with ritual practices in Enugu state are examined in question one of May 2009 Research response NGA34830 (Research & Information 2009, Research Response NGA34830, 4 May – Attachment 6).

Further references to a number of shrines in Enugu state are contained in a 2004 report from The News:

The Adere shrine in the Nsukka area of Enugu State is believed to be as potent as the Okija shrine. Curiously, the deity, in the event of a default, demands most beautiful young ladies as sacrifice. The ladies in question, eventually, become part of the chief priest’s household.

Like in the Okija case, two disputing persons appear before Adere shrine, and swear to an oath. If either of them dies within a period of one year, he is deemed to have been killed by

4 the deity, and his property are taken to the evil forest of the deity – while his house is deserted. In the past, the corpse was usually thrown into the evil forest. Perhaps, due to the advent of civilisation, the corpse of its victims are now buried but with little or no fanfare.

In the neighbouring Iheakpala shrine in Ugbaike community, Igboeze North council area, the deity does not demand beautiful girls as sacrifice, but carries out all the other activities of deadly Adere.

The persistence in deity worship has, several times, pitched the adherents against a crusading group who in most cases, want to convert the people to Christian religion.

Last year, the Abia community in Enugu State boiled over alleged destruction of its ancient monuments and shrines by its traditional ruler, Igwe Kingsley Chime. The ancient monuments and shrines, said to have been destroyed, included Ani Aji shrine, Ani Umuma shrine; Ani Abia shrine; Ani Ameti shrine and Nwamma shrine. The people of the community have, consequently, been demanding Igwe Chime’s deposition by the state government as an appeasement to the gods of the land. Peace is yet to return to the community following this singular destruction of its shrine. The Igwe, owned up to the destruction of the shrines, but added that God had directed it.

Similarly, such crisis, at present, rages in Enugwu-Ngwo autonomous community in the state. A dreaded shrine in the community, Ani Enugu, was, last month, destroyed by a Christian group alleged to have been sponsored by the traditional ruler, Igwe I.O.U. Ayalogu. A tree, the abode of the Ani deity, which was reputed to be the largest in Igboland, was cut down by the crusading group who, also, took away five treasured ancient monuments in the shrine.

But, the demolition of the deity took a superstitious dimension when the Ani tree fell and destroyed half of the community’s market. The deity’s worshippers, believe it wreaked havoc as a result of the desecration of its shrine.

In spite of the denials of the traditional ruler over the allegation of his involvement in the destruction of the shrine, Ndi Omenala, a group of traditional worshippers in the community, insists on sanctioning him over the act. The gods, the traditionalists maintain, can only be appeased if the traditional ruler is removed. And, of course, they have since embarked on this project of removing Igwe Ayalogu.

But in the case of Abia and Enugwu Ngwo, traditionalists believe that the deities will avenge in the fullness of time.

…While the shrines are worshipped on regular basis, others are worshipped annually. Ugwu Otite Amansiode in Ezeagu, Enugu State falls within the annually worshipped shrines. On such occasions, each faithful visits the shrine with all members of his household with desired items for sacrifice to the deity. The faithful, in turn asks the deity for forgiveness of their wrongdoings in the coming year as well as long life, prosperity and other blessings. Ugwu Otite is dreaded, and is reputed for using death as punishment for wrongdoings. For instance, the deity was, in 1992, said to have used fire to burn to death a young man who, while operating as an armed robber along Lagos road, killed his own brother. Both the young man’s building in the community and his vehicles, it was learnt, in broad daylight, were consumed by a wonder inferno.

Ugwu Otite shrine reportedly uses a vulture-bearing ring round one of its legs to alert the community on default.

The vulture perches on the roof of the house of the suspected defaulter, and the chief priest is consulted to conduct a divination to determine how to appease the gods.

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It was gathered that if the appeasement is not conducted, the defaulter drops dead in a matter of days. Before burial, the appeasement must still be conducted, otherwise, mass deaths of members of the community will follow.

Ani Akpugo is, also, one of the annually worshipped shrines in Nkanu area of Enugu. Ano Akpugo appears significant in the sense that it has subsidiary deities including Orie Mba Ajani, Nshi Ofia and Iyi Agwo Agbani. These, if sworn to, are believed to decipher the truth within one year.

…The Enugu Police Command, last year, similarly, raided an Odo deity in Neke, Isiuzo council area, discovering more than 30 human skulls. With mass protests and legal battles by Christians in the community and beyond, the use of human heads to worship the Odo shrine in Neke seemed to have stopped.

It is, also, hoped that the on-going hue and cry against the Okija discoveries will bring the horror in the community and other communities in Igboland to an end (Elesho, R. & Aham, U. 2004, ‘Nigeria: Gory Rituals’, The News, 23 August, allAfrica.com website http://allafrica.com/stories/200408161580.html – Accessed 28 April 2009 – Attachment 7).

2. Deleted.

List of Sources Consulted

Internet Sources:

Government Information & Reports Enugu State Government website http://www.enugustate.gov.ng/ Non-Government Organisations PATHS (Nigeria Partnership for Transforming Health Systems) website http://www.pathsnig.org/ Search Engines Google search engine http://www.google.com.au/ Online Subscription Services allAfrica.com website http://allafrica.com/

Databases:

FACTIVA (news database) BACIS (DIAC Country Information database) REFINFO (IRBDC (Canada) Country Information database) ISYS (RRT Research & Information database, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, US Department of State Reports) RRT Library Catalogue

List of Attachments

1. ‘Udi Health Board, Enugu State – Health Facilities’ 2008, PATHS Nigeria Partnership for Transforming Health Systems website, 12 May http://www.pathsnig.org/work_enugu/UdiDHBEnuguStateTopomap.pdf – Accessed 28 May 2009.

6 2. ‘Administration – Local Government Areas’ 2009, Enugu State Government website http://www.enugustate.gov.ng/admin.html – Accessed 27 May 2009.

3. Archibong, M. 2006, ‘Enugu: Hill top of many splendours’, The Sun News Online, 29 June http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/travels/2006/june/29/travels- 29-06-2006-001.htm – Accessed 27 May 2009.

4. Abonyi, I. 2008, ‘Ritual Killings – Inyi Women Say It’s Enough’, This Day, 5 March. (FACTIVA)

5. Ugwoke, F. 2008, ‘Nigeria: Killings – Chime, Police Hunt for Ritualists’, This Day, 13 March, allAfrica.com website http://allafrica.com/ – Accessed 28 April 2009.

6. Research & Information 2009, Research Response NGA34830, 4 May.

7. Elesho, R. & Aham, U. 2004, ‘Nigeria: Gory Rituals’, The News, 23 August, allAfrica.com website http://allafrica.com/stories/200408161580.html – Accessed 28 April 2009.

8. Deleted.

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