By Izunna Okafor, Nnewi
In a bid to tame crime and other security-related challenges, the people of Ukpor community in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State have invoked over 20 deities in the community for protection and spiritual warfare.
This was coming barely three months after Okija community in Ihiala Local Government Area of the state toed same path by invoking over 15 deities of the community for similar purpose.
Some videos from the scenes, currently trending on the social media, show Ukpor indigenes troop out en masse over the weekend, to witness and be part of the spiritual exercise, which was led by the spiritual heads (Ezemmụọs and Ezenwaanyịs) of the various deities in the community, numbering over 20.
The group toured round the borders (entrance and exit points of the community) and other significant junctions in various parts of the community, with each Ezemmụọ and Ezenwaanyị holding the spiritual symbol or ancestral staff of their deities.
Armed with their deities, the Ezemmụọs and Ezenwaanyịs also rotationally made incantations and pronouncements at the various locations they stopped, placing curse on, and invoking the deities to expose and wage severe war against anybody or group that would henceforth conceive, mastermind, or attempt to perpetrate or indulge in any form of crime in the community, be it murder, kidnap, rape, poisoning, or other related crimes.
Speaking on the significance of the ritual, an indigene of the community who pleaded anonymity, explained that all the deities in Ukpor community, both Ogwugwu Umuhu, Udo Ukpor, Ulasi, and many others were involved in the exercise; even as he further warned that anybody who plans or executes evils henceforth in any part of Ukpor community would have himself to blame, as he or she would incur the wrath of the deities, irrespective of his or her nativity.
The source further revealed that spiritual exercise would help, in no small measure, to fight crime and insecurity in the community, as well as restore the confidence of Ndị Ukpor (especially those living elsewhere) on the safeness of their hometown now for anyone who wants to visit home.
Recall that Ukpor, which is the capital of Nnewi South Local Government, had recently been described as one of the flashpoints of insecurity in Anambra State, owing to the activities of the Unknown Gunmen, who, in April, also invaded and set the Local Government Secretariat ablaze, in addition to other heinous crimes they committed in the community, ranging from kidnapping to murder, to robbery, and others.
