UMOGHUN NOKHUA – Umoghun NOkhua community in Orhionmwon Local Government Area, Edo State has declared wanted one of its indigenes Christopher Godstime to be sacrificed to the gods of the community.
Christopher Godstime is the eldest child of his parents and their father. Mr. Christopher was the Chief Priest and the eyes of the gods of Umoghun NOkhua community.
The life of Christopher Godstime a devout Christian, took a dramatic turn when his father Mr. Christopher the Chief Priest died on April 20, 2017 and this sad and sorrowful event exposed Christopher Godstime to a very dangerous conflict of faith between his Christian belief and his late fathers traditional religion.
The NIGERIAN OBSERVER learnt that this was the beginning of Christopher Godstimes precarious situation.
According to the customs and tradition of Umoghun NOkhua community, whenever the Chief Priest of the community dies, his first son or daughter takes over the position of the late father to become the Chief Priest of the community within seven days after the death of the father.
Therefore, seven days after the death of the Chief Priest of Umoghun NOkhua, Mr. Christopher on April 20, 2017, his eldest son Christopher Godstime, who is a devout Christian, refused to he initiated to take over the position of his late father as Chief Priest in fulfillment of the customs and traditions of Umoghun NOkhua community because he is a Christian. The NIGERIAN OBSERVER gathered.
Investigation by this Print Medium disclosed that the elders of Umoghun NOkhua community summoned the children of Mr. Christopher the late Chief Priest to tell them what the customs and tradition of the community demand from them which includes the filling of the position of their late father as the Chief Priest before He died and Christopher Godstime is the eldest son that is supposed to fill such traditionally ritualistic position.
Christopher Godstimes situation became worsened when the elders gave him only three days to step into the position as the Chief Priest of the community but he quickly followed his mother to the police station in the next village called Iguelaba to report the case but the Police Officer on duty, after listening to the explanation of Christopher Godstimes mother, told them that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) was busy and it is a traditional matter hence he advised them to return the next day.
A reliable source, who refused to disclose his identity, explained, “Shortly after Christopher Godstime and his mother returned, she got the information that the elders of Umoghun NOkhua had delegated some of the community youths to bring her son Christopher Godstime by force and she quickly passed the same information to her son (Christopher Godstime).”
Christopher Godstime promptly acted on the information and ran away through the back door of their residence to an unknown destination.” An eye-witness, who also refused to disclose his identity, told The NIGERIAN OBSERVER. The eye-witness narrated further that on arrival of the Umoghun NOkhua youths, at the family residence of Mr. Christopher they could not find Christopher Godstime in his familys residence therefore, they started beating his younger siblings before taking them to the community elders and those elders directed that the younger siblings of Christopher Godstime should be taken to the King of Umoghun NOkhua.
The NIGERIAN OBSERVER continued its investigation to the palace of the traditional head of Umoghun NOkhua where it was revealed that the traditional head summoned a meeting of the indigenes including the native doctors and that it was during the discussion at the meeting that the native doctors suggested that if Christopher Godstime could not be found before the expiration of the days given to him to show up to be made the Chief Priest all his family members should be sacrificed one after the other to the gods of the community.
It was gathered that the traditional head said the siblings were not the right persons to be sacrificed and instantly he declared Christopher Godstime wanted pointing, out that any person that sees him should inform the Umoghun NOkhua community so that when he (Christopher Godstime) is caught, he should be used as a sacrifice to the gods.
The traditional head also gave a directive that the family members of Christopher Godstime should leave the Umoghun NOkhua community and should never return again to the community because they have broken the rules of the land.
Christopher Godstimes whereabouts is not known as at the time of filing this report.