Auchi people, like many other communities in Nigeria today had a traditional religion before the advent of Islam. Such a religion practiced in a traditional African Society. African calls it traditional religion while the British colonialist calls it Idol worship yet other refers to it as an ancestral worship.

Whatever derogatory name it is given, it does not detract from the fact that it is a religion which reflects the culture of those who practice it. So Auchi people had a religion and they believe in the existence of a “Supreme Being” who they called OGHENA.

In the cultural belief of Auchi people, Oghena is so great that he cannot be appeased directly by an ordinary mortal.  Auchi people had many intermediaries between them and Oghena, there were numerous deities in Auchi kingdom among those deities through which the Supreme being was worshipped, according to Ikharo 1985 were:- Uchi, Oole, Eda, Nokhua, Adaobi, Ugholodio e.t.c  and each of this deities have shrines where Oghena was worshipped.

Uchi is one of the deities that deserve a pride of place here as a deity in Auchi, this is because he founded Auchi where the custom cherishes the invocation of the name of their ancestors for the potency of any prayers.

An average Auchi man often invokes Uchi’s name when offering or seeking favour from God. Many in Auchi often swore by Uchi’s name to emphasize the truthfulness in what they say.

Auchi people have a special day in the community and this day is called Emiela and  the people used the day to take a rest at home after busy period of consecutive days on the farm.

Emiela is also called Uchi market day where women take their farm produce to sell. It was also a day when the chief priest of Uchi Shrine usually led the people in offering prayers through him to God.

OGHOLODION AND OOLE

Ogholodio is another deity which is easily recalled in Auchi mythology, he is believed to be the husband of Oole and it was not much worshipped as a deity, but his name was usually invoked for all purpose.

However, Oole as a deity was generally worshipped by Auchi people as a water goddess, ancestral mother of the people. They believed in her mystical and protective power dated back to the origin of Auchi town and that was why she was worshipped as a deity.

With the advent of Islam however, ancestral worship has virtually been given up in Auchi because Islam is against associating partner with Allah