Human Trafficking: Oba Places Curses On Offenders, Collaborating Sorcerers, Cultists
Loading ...Jethro Ibileke/Benin
The Benin Monarch, Oba Ewuare II, on Friday assembled sorcerers and top magic-practicing priests of Kingdom to place curses on native doctors and herbalists and all others who aid human traffickers by administaring oaths of secrecy on their victims.
Those who carried out the swearing exercise were the Ohen Okhuae, Ohen Ovia, Ohen n’Oriyekeogba, Ohen Ake, Ohen Niwuo, Native Doctors, Ohen Sango, Odionwere, Iwueki and the Enigies.
It would also be recalled that the Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Dame Julie Okah-Donli, had during a visit to the Benin Monarch a few weeks ago, disclosed that the agency finds it difficult to prosecute offenders because the victims are not willing to come to court to testify against their traffickers due to the oaths of secrecy administered on them.
Oba Ewuare in his remark during the ceremony, said those aiding and abetting human trafficking through the use of black magic and subjecting them to the oaths of secrecies should desist from it henceforth or face the wrath of the gods.
“You native doctors whose business is 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 said.
He said henceforth those who are under oaths of secrecy administered on them by human traffickers have been set free and at liberty to air their views and reveal their sponsors without fear of any harm from their sponsors.
“We want to use this medium to tell those who are under any oaths of secrecy that they are now free. We revoke the oaths today,” he said.
“What the Palace stands for is peace and the development of the state. I want to use this medium to tell you that the act of using charms to aid trafficking, the palace seriously frowns at it.
“We want us to join hands together to fight against human trafficking in the land,” he said, noting there have been positive reports about Edo State and that such positive reports must be sustained.
The Oba who disclosed that the State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, pleaded with him to help reduce the spate of human trafficking in the State, added that before now, he has been in the vanguard against human trafficking in the State.
“The major reason is that victims of human trafficking who are supposed to give evidence in court don’t usually open up because of the oath of secrecy they have taken.
“These oaths are taken with some personal items like finger nails, pubic hair, menstrual pads, pictures, clothings and things like that. They are also told that the moment they open up and reveal their traffickers, they will be punished by the oaths they have taken.
“So, because of that, we are not able to get enough evidence to prosecute suspected traffickers.
“With the pronouncement of His Royal Majesty today, I think a giant stride has been taken and am sure that people will now open up, because, in the first place, oaths will not be administered on them [trafficking victims].
“I believe that now that curses have been placed on them, His Royal Majesty has forgiven those that administered it previously. So, I believe in it.
“Since the Oba is highly revered, am sure that the juju priests and native doctors will comply with what Oba has pronounced. Am sure that victims will now open up and most importantly, they will not be taken to shrines to be administered with oaths,” Okah-Donli said.
