The Benin Monarch, His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolor, Oba Ewuare II, chief priests and some palace chiefs on Friday rained fatal curses on sponsors and perpetrators of human trafficking and other forms of social vices that hinder development in Edo land and put the image of the kingdom at disrepute just as they revoked all agreements entered into with victims of trafficking.
Most importantly, the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki since coming into office has been working round the clock to end human trafficking menace in the state and had approached the palace for support.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, on their part, had pleaded with the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, to prevail on Juju priests in the kingdom to stop administering oaths on victims of human trafficking.
The Director-General of NAPTIP, Ms. Okah-Donli had earlier during an advocacy visit to the Benin monarch stated that their investigation indicated that some local witch doctors were involved in the trafficking of persons to Europe, stating that in the process of human trafficking, once a victim’s consent was gotten by fraud or coercion, such person would be taken to a shrine to swear to an oath of secrecy and allegiance before a local juju man.
The agency’s boss was driven by her conviction to partner with the traditional institution in Edo, especially Benin Kingdom, to stem the tide of human trafficking in the state and Nigeria in general.
It was quite interesting to note that the cursing ceremony at the palace which had in attendance, priests, priestesses, native doctors, traditional religious worshippers, Bini chiefs, dukes, village heads, market women, shrine worshippers, directors and officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) as well as members of the diplomatic community in Nigeria and security agencies heralded the unprecedented step taken by the Benin monarch in combating the ugly menace of human trafficking in the state.
At the event which attracted crème de la crème of the society saw assorted charms, amulets and others items that give potency to the sacrifices were brought out in public glare by some native doctors, who wore red attires and drawn from across the seven local government areas of the south senatorial district of the state. Live goat, fowls and other animals were slaughtered to offer sacrifices to the ancestors and gods at the corner of the palace where the powers of the ancestors were invoked with incantations to boost the positive effect of the curses.
The Oba Ewuare II through the odiowerre (clan leaders) placed the curses on all the pastors, churches, individuals, groups, families and parents, who promote, indulge, contract or participate or encourage perpetrators in any of the vices. Also cursed were the native doctors who subject the perpetrators of the heinous crimes to oath of secrecies, cultists, violators of the order banning Community Development Associations and others whose businesses are to initiate the sons and daughters of the ancient kingdom into various cult groups.
Oba Ewuare II, at the event equally warned those aiding and abetting human trafficking through the use of black magic and subjecting the victims to the oath of secrecies to desist or face the wrath of the gods and the ancestors of the land. In his exact words: “You native doctors whose business are to subject people to the oath of secrecies and encouraging this evil act on the land, you have to repent, stop doing it.This is not a joking matter and if you do not repent, you have to wait for the repercussion,”
He was very clear on what the exercise was all about as he clarified that the palace was not against native doctors but certainly frowns at those who use native powers to perpetrate evil in the state by aiding and abetting human trafficking and other crimes. The monarch declared that henceforth those who are under oath of secrecies have been set free and are free to air their views and reveal their sponsors without fear or favour.
NAPTIP in the past had exhausted their best strategies in sensitizing the juju priests against the practice and many had assured the agency that they will no longer administer oaths on the victims but it had continued unabated, hence the need to go higher. In Edo State the words of the Oba are final on any issue. The State Government and NAPTIP have exploited this to the fullest in dealing a devastating blow on the human trafficking menace.
It is important to emphasise that in taking this step, every victim of human trafficking had come from a community before being a Nigerian and one of the responsibilities of the traditional institution apart from upholding the culture and tradition of the land was to protect and defend the people that they led.
Much more, the Edo State Governor had taken a very proactive and pragmatic step to permanently halt human trafficking as he has already sent a Bill to the State House of Assembly to proscribe all human trafficking activities in the state. He also urged members of the Assembly to expedite work on a bill aimed at prohibiting trafficking in persons and establish Edo State Task Force Against Trafficking in Persons.
Given the enormity of the crime and the interwoven and complex nature it had assumed over the years a multi-pronged approach which the state government adopted was the best way to go. The approach included a law, aggressive campaigns at markets and across the broad spectrum of the media, stakeholder engagements, and partnerships with the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and international governments and bodies, in tackling the menace.
The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki and the Director General of NAPTIP and all other stakeholders who have made this effort a reality needs not just get the commendation of all Edo people and Nigerians at large but the effort deserve the continued support of all concerned to ensure that the impact or results of the curses starts coming by a drastic reduction and total eradication of human trafficking in the state.
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Mr. Dan Owegie is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Edo State.
