The entire Nigeria was recently shocked by news of the discovery of pits where people were dumped into and left to die for ritual purposes. The gruesome discovery was made in Umumba Ndiagu Community, Ezeagu LGA of Enugu State, in the compound of one High Chief Levi Onyeka Obu, popularly called ”Ezeani” and ”E Dey Play, E dey Show”.
Ezeani is a popular native doctor who is known for splashing the cash at public events and poses as a philanthropist in his community and beyond. Luck, however, ran out on him after a failed attempt to kidnap a 13-year old girl for ritual purposes.
According to the story, the girl was with her father in a farm when two men in a motorcycle asked her to help push the bike and as her father protested, they forcefully took the girl and drove away.
The father raised an alarm and as villagers mounted a search, they heard the cries of the girl in the said compound and she was later discovered inside a pit where they dumped her. It was discovered also that in several other pits there, human remains were inside, including those of a heavily pregnant woman.
Ezeani tried to run away but was captured by an immigration officer at the border. By that time, irate youths of the community had razed his house in the village.
This incident has once again highlighted the need to introduce sterner measures against such people as Ezeani whose stock in trade is ostentatious display of affluence, even when the sources of their wealth are suspect. They spray money at weddings and funeral ceremonies to the applause of many, including impressionable youths. Such people are found in every community in Igbo Land today.
The Anambra State Government has since taken the lead by emplacing measures against kidnappers and native doctors who aid and abet criminality. In the regime of Peter Obi, the homes of the culprits were destroyed to serve as a deterrent to others. This has continued under the present administration of Soludo which has gone a step further by arresting suspicious native doctors and prosecuting them. Since this began, crime in the state seems to have reduced.
We are however, calling for even stricter measures that will ensure that the activities of these people are further checked. For instance, there should be a law banning the spraying of money in any form at public ceremonies.
Those who wish to give money to celebrants should put their money in envelopes and quietly give to the celebrants. It is the open display of affluence that influences the youths and sends the wrong message. This should stop, especially when there is an existing law against spraying on Naira notes.
When it is remembered that there is a saying that money is the root of all evils; now fine-tuned to ”the love of money is the root of all evils”, it may not be difficult to see why all this is happening today. We urge that drastic actions be applied to curb this menace.
In the villages, questions should be asked when youths suddenly begin to live expensive lifestyles. They should be invited to explain the source of their sudden wealth to designated authorities. The heat should be applied on such people, so that they will not have outlets to flaunt their money.
While it may seem an affront on their fundamental human rights, what happens today necessitates that drastic solutions be found and carried out. We should collectively close the space of these felons so that society will breathe.
