Recently in Nigerian cultural development several families have been plunged into the crisis of succession by membership of occult group when an occultic family member(father or mother) is pronounced dead .
On several occasions families have had to take to self-help in resolving protracted challenges related with the succession of occultic family members (men/women) when occult father or mother tragically dies without adequate protection for victims(mainly first born children) by way of enforcement of effective laws against the evil processes leading up initiation into membership of such occultic group.
The relevant authority should as a matter of urgency address the attendant issues arising from unlawful and forceful membership of every unwilling first-born child (male/female ) into occultic groups to avert impending crisis at the communal level.
This to a large extent would invariably rescue every unwilling family members or victims from occultic savagery.
In achieving this, firstly there must be effective legislation in place to ensure the protection of citizens’ rights . This would discourage the barbaric aggression and oppression meted out to an unwilling first-born child of a deceased member of occultic group.
Beyond the enactment of effective legislation by the relevant authority, there is the need to have the political will to enforce such laws to ensure adequate protection of citizen’ rights while eradicating to the barest minimum the high rates of inhumane treatment and other several abuse against unwilling first-born children in the hands occultic group over the succession of dying members.
In the case of Paul Jolly , only surviving son of two children of Pa.Jolly who has been living in constant fear and violent harassment in the hands of occultic members of the Reformed Ogboni Fraternity after he was initiated by his late father at the age of 5, life left him no choice than to abscond and flee in the face of obvious threats to his life following the sudden death of his father .
The crisis of succession occasioned by the sudden death of his father created clear divisions amongst family members .
A source in the family who pleaded anonymity revealed that the son of the deceased member Pa.Jolly who had been living with his mother, Rosely after several years of divorce was invited for discussions concerning succession of his late father in the occult group which he strongly declined to accept owing to his Christian faith.
His father until his death was an active member and leader of the Reformed Ogboni Fraternity, an extremely dangerous occult group in his community.
According to the family source in the community, the deceased member included his son’s name in the membership register of the dreaded occult group as his successor immediately after he initiated him at age 5.
Following the pronouncement of the death of the deceased member, the family was further thrown into chaos and confusion when the acting leader of the occult group in company of other members approached his first son with his late father’s dying wish to replace him as his successor as it was part of the constitution of the occult group to have all first-born child of members step in as successor.
The recent development by the occult group, according to sources in the family, raised concerns and questions within family circle as to why a dying father would prefer his first son succeed and replace him in the occult group which until his death was entirely unknown to family members.
As the mounting pressure on family members and his first born son continued to grow, his safety on daily basis was no longer guaranteed by anyone as he was at the receiving end of several death threats from the occult group who threatened fire and brimstone to go ahead with actualising the request of its deceased leader.
Another source within the family disclosed that , as every avenues towards a peaceful resolution of disagreement were exhausted without amicable solutions, he made up his mind to inform security operatives of the recent security threats to his life by reporting the case.
His decision to inform security operatives at the police station, according to the source, was not enough to deter the occult group from further exposing him to more danger as they continued with their threats on his life.
It was gathered that immediately after the funeral rite of the deceased, members of the Reformed Ogboni Fraternity mounted increased pressure on him to take up succession role of the deceased leader or bear whatever consequences of his rejection might befall him.
Meanwhile, confirmed reports in the community revealed that the son fled from the community in anticipation of the occultic members carrying out its earlier threats on his life.
Many families have had to contend with challenges of succession by membership of dangerous occult group.
These families are presently lamenting their ordeal secretly over fear of the unknown in different parts of the societies in Nigeria.
Consequently, the Federal government through relevant authorities, Human Rights groups, and International agencies must ensure adequate protection of rights of citizens dangerously exposed to acts of savagery and aggression through unlawful and forceful inclusion into membership of occultic group as successor .
This would ensure adequate protection against abuses in any forms against innocent Nigerians whose fundamental human rights are being flagrantly abused/violated by members of the extremely dangerous occultic groups in different communities.
