A man identified as Nelson Airhoboyi has reportedly absconded from his community in Asaba in Aniocha local government area of Delta state following the mysterious deaths of his ailing father Pa.Victor Airhoboyi in 2004.
The local people of Aniocha community, who are predominantly traditional worshippers of Odu, am ancient deity from time immemorial, were said to have been thrown into mourning shortly after the painful demise of the former chief priest and custodian of the community deity, Pa.James Airhoboyi who died at the age of 90 years.
After the demise of Pa.James Airhoboyi on June 24, 2003 , his son Mr.Victor Airhoboyi, according to traditional rites was next in line to be made the new chief priest of Odu deity but he declined and rejected the new role owing to his Christian faith as he was said to be a popular member of the Roman Catholic Church in his community.
For the period during which he declined to accept the new role as the new chief priest of the community, he reportedly suffered from severe delibilitating ailments which affected his health irretrievably and became bedridden until his death in 2004.
Till today, it is widely believed that the ancestors struck Pa.Victor Airhoboyi with strange ailments for outrightly refusing to accept and function as the new chief priest and custodian of the community deity as elders and youths of the community reportedly beamed their searchlight on his first son Nelson Airhoboyi after his father became seriously bedridden with strange and incurable ailments.
Again, elders and youths of the community came together to bring to a permanent end the search for a new traditional custodian and chief priest of Odu deity as they had fully resolved that this time the vacant office of the chief priest had been intentionally left unoccupied by the family of the former chief priest who passed away in June 2003 several years ago thereby halting temporarily the celebration of certain traditional and cultural activities within the community, which to a greater extent plunged the community into an alarming danger of unimaginable proportion .
As concerted efforts were deliberately made to persuade the only surviving grandson of the former chief priest Late.Pa.James Airhoboyi into accepting the new position as the new chief priest of the community, it was reportedly gathered that a cross-section of yourhs of the community had gone over to his family house to warn him to either choose between life and death if he ever chose to follow the path of his own father Pa.Victor Airhoboyi who also refused to heed the counsel of the elders.
According to information made available to our correspondent, the family house was turned upside down by the angry youths who destroyed certain parts of the building and threatened to put a permanent end to the delay in having a new chief priest installed in the community.
The only surviving grandson Nelson Airhoboyi, according to recent findings. was said to have reportedly abandoned elders and youths of his community in limbo and ran away after he reportedly assured them under duress that he was ready to function in the community as the new chief priest .
At the time of this report, the whereabouts of the only surviving grandson Nelson Airhoboyi reportedly seemed unknown to anyone in the community as he was said to have fled to an undisclosed location in order to escape the wrath of his kinsmen in Aniocha local government area of Delta State.
