There is uneasy calm in Umuhu Okija in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State over the sudden disappearance of Okenwa Jude Okechukwu who is the chosen Chief Priest of Ogwugwu Akpu, a dreaded deity in the state.

Okechukwu who was born on June 15, 1989 in Umuhu Okija in Ihiala Local Government Area of the State is said to be the first child of Chief Priest Udogu Okenwa who died on April 15 2016. The late Chief Priest Udogu Okenwa had initiated Okechukwu as the next chief priest who is expected to preserve and serve the deity and also intercede for the entire community.

It was learnt that, Okechukwu unaware of his father’s last wish refused to be crowned new chief priest, a situation that irked members and elders of the community. His refusal was greeted with death threat from bigwigs in the community and around the country who received spiritual powers and wealth from the deity.

The NIGERIAN OBSERVER gathered that Okechukwu’s refusal was due to the need of human sacrifices for the completion of his initiation. Okechukwu was required to provide a hunch back skin as sacrifice to the deity, perform some animal blood sacrifices 7 day after the burial of his father to become the next Chief Priest.

An elder in the community who spoke anonymously explained the position of the tradition and affirmed that Okechukwu must die before a new Chief Priest can be initiated since he has refused to take perform the final rites. He affirmed that plague which includes death will befall the community if the tradition is not sustained.

Speaking calmly in Igbo language, he said, “Ogwugwu Akpu is known for its potency. Ogwugwu Akpu serves as checks against impunity and man’s inhumanity to man. If people who were aggrieved over the manner they were treated in business deals, land disputes, among other issues, took solace in Ogwugwu shrine, which they believed, was capable of delivering justice in favour of the down-trodden.

“Oath taking was popular in the shrine and a lot of people have died as a result of their untrue testimonies in a case. So Ogwugwu Akpu is not to be joked with in any form and its Chief Priest is very powerful because of the rite he undergoes”.

One of Okechukwu’s friends, who gave his name as Ifeanyi Obiozor disclosed to the NIGERIAN OBSERVER that Okechukwu never believed in the deity but was forbidden to go to any church though he was not told he will succeed his father as the Chief Priest.

Obiozor who established that reports about the Ogwugwu Akpu deity were not a true account of happenings in the shrine said “human sacrifice is needed to coronate a new Chief Priest and not everything that happens in the shrine that the people outside the state hear about but for the worshippers of the shrine who are across Nigeria, they know everything.

According to Obiozor, “The need for Okechukwu to be chief priest immediately to continue service to the community and foreigners who believed in the deity was dare. Okechukwu had to be the Chief Priest or not remain alive.

“The community was in attempt to force Okechukwu within seven days to become their chief priest when he suddenly disappears and nothing has been heard from him since then. The last time we spoke was May 16 2016 in his house. I believe wherever he is must have been safe for him because members of the shrine had begun his pursue and when caught will be killed to pave way for another chief priest to be installed”. He added.