For many generations to come and go in Mbaise Imo State, the sad memories of August 30th, 2019 will always remain etched on the already fragile minds of the family of Okereke Onyekachi Thadus whose mother was brutally mal-handled by yet to be identified persons in Benin City on the fateful day eventually leading to her death. She stated that they demanded to know the whereabouts of her son Okereke Onyekachi Thadus.
To many people who were familiar with Mrs. Okereke Beatrice before merchants of death in Imo State trailed her to her daughter’s house in Amufi on August 30th 2019 to viciously sniff life out of her, she had been through many oddities of life mainly from her kinsmen in Imo State obviously for not being able to persuade her first son, Onyekachi to come home to perfect all necessary plans according to traditional rites and ritual of becoming the new custodian of an ancient deity, Arusi Mbaise (gods of Mbaise).
Arusi Mbaise, like in many other cultures in different parts of Nigeria, is an ancient deity common among the people of Mbaise in Imo state and usually handed down to the first male child of any family chosen by the gods.
Mrs. Okereke Beatrice, who before her untimely death was a devoted christian who raised her 5 children with the fear of God in their heart believing that under no circumstances must they forsake God for any other gods, was quick to telling anyone whoever came in direct contact with her about her heartrending ordeals in the community over the refusal of her first son to be the new custodian of Arusi Mbaise.
It was clearly understood that before she ran away from Mbaise, her kinsmen who were well aware of the history of Arusi Mbaise in Imo State approached her in 2017 to inform her that the twenty years marking the end of an era of the former custodian was over and that her first son, Okereke Onyekachi Thadus has been chosen by the gods to be the new custodian for the next 20 years.
Unfortunately the announcement by her kinsmen marked the turning point in her life and that of her family members which was further plunged into chaos as all her children including the chosen custodian were torn apart knowing that it was a test of faith and belief in Christ Jesus to want to accept the rather unpleasant call to serve the deity.
Hence it was difficult for him to be persuaded by anyone to accept his new role as the custodian of Aursi Mbaise.
In the community, the chosen first born male child is expected to willingly offer himself for rituals and human sacrifices that require the use of the blood of virgins or newborn babies under the strict supervision of the chief priest.
Sacrifices offered to the deity must be prepared by the chosen custodian who would have gone through some spiritual cleansing to be done on him by IKENGA (The chief priest and mouth-piece of the gods) before he is now required to extract the blood from his victims for the sacrifices.
To make the process acceptable to the gods of the land, it is very imperative that only one whose blood is pure for the sacrifices should be made available hence the use of new born babies or female virgins, who are supposedly considered traditionally acceptable for the sacrifices for its purity (without spiritual blemish).
For the next 20 years, the custodian would be required to perform this ritual killings of newborn babies or female virgins every four years.
Expectedly, he would source for the 5 babies or female virgins during his reign as the custodian of Arusi Mbaise to ensure the community is not plagued with sudden deaths amongst other calamities of doom.
The chief priest (IKENGA) who is chosen by the ancestors of the land is the only voice of the gods that must be strictly obeyed as he must ensure at all times that the practice of offering obeisance to the deity is strictly adhered to by whoever is chosen.
After human sacrifices have been provided and offered to the Arusi Mbaise (gods of Mbaise), it is believed that it would bring about protection in the community over the next two decades.
Mrs. Okereke Beatrice has often times said to those familiar with her family that her son Okereke Onyekachi Thadus who was supposed to be the custodian of Arusi Mbaise for the next 20years is not willing to be a custodian of any deity whose mode of worship is completely at variance with the doctrine and teachings of Jesus Christ and as such could not be readily persuaded by anyone.
Mrs. Okereke was also quoted as saying that “my son Okereke Onyekachi Thadus who is a believer in Christ Jesus is fully aware of the implications of his actions and to this end we cannot return to the community as we have brought death, ancestral curse upon us”.
Strangely enough, little did she know that death was lurking around when August 30th, 2019 while in her daughter’s house at Amufi in Benin City, Edo State, some yet to be identified persons entered her apartment and violently unleashed terror on her by mal-handling her.
Her daughter Obikeze Ozioma who was away during the sudden attack on her mother, said that her neighbours who heard screams of her mother rushed down to her apartment to help take her mother to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention as she was in a very bad condition.
Obikeze Ozioma quoting her mother, said that the attackers demanded to know the whereabouts of her first son (Onyekachi).
According to Obikeze Ozioma, as her mother was being rushed to the hospital, “where is your son Okereke Onyekachi Thadus?” were the last words she managed to faintly repeat.
Tearfully, she recalled those last words of her mother with a sense of apprehension completely overwhelming her consciousness and wellbeing.
She however expressed uncertainty over the safety of her elder brother (Onyekachi), his wife and his kids believing that nowhere in Nigeria would be safe for them to live; as the community must surely get at them.
The thought of going against the will of the Arusi Mbaise in Imo State would instinctively evoke thoughts of death in the minds of many people in the community which compares greatly to the worship of other deities in the southern, western and northern parts of the country.
Worthy of mention is the Olokun deity in Benin Kingdom which primarily requires worshippers only cladded in white clothings, usually without any shirts worn around their chest to give obeisance to gods of the river by throwing mirrors, biscuits, living animals including goats, rams, fowls into the river for appeasement.
Also, the culture of the Yoruba ethnic group which is observed by others including the Binis and the Igbos require worshipers to call on the gods of thunder and lightning often referred to as Sango to seek redress when acts of injustices are committed against them.
The gods of lighting and thunder often referred to as Amadioha and Ishango is often consulted by the Igbo people of eastern part of the country as well as the Bini speaking people of southern Nigerian to address injustices in accordance with traditional beliefs.
In conclusion, the worship of all major deities in Nigeria do essentially have the same mode of worship because while those traditionally inclined to this worship are required to perform and give obeisance to it with all sorts of fetish objects and materials vis-a-vis native chalks, native pots, piece of clothing materials that can either be white, red or black as well as living animals including dogs, goat, fowl, human blood in some cases as in the case of Arusi Mbaise.
Its worship by many is viewed as abominable and morally unacceptable in the sphere of human existence along the doctrines of biblical scriptures.
