[dropcap]G[/dropcap]enerally, deities and spirits represent an important aspect of traditional religion in virtually all African societies. Although the names of these deities and spirits, their method and time of worship vary from society to society, their significance and relevance in traditional observances cut across all the cultural contexts of Africa. The names and worship patterns in any given African society are basically dictated by the culture of the given society. the worship of deities and spirits, hierarchy in the cultural context of Ibusa, in Oshimili North Local Government of Delta eState, south-South Nigeria. Ibusa, like any other traditional African society has no classical work or records about her religious practices.
Therefore, the research relied mostly on oral interviews, direct observations, group discussions, and interactive sessions with elders and traditionalists for data collections,analysis and inferences. In adapting this approach, we were able to ascertain the names of these deities and spirits, their individual and collective roles, the hierarchical organization, as well as the worship methods as strictly adhered to by the practitioners.
According to the people of Ibusa, deities are god’s representatives on earth and sacrifices and prayers are offered to God through them.“God is the Supreme Spirit, the Creator of everything… but this Supreme Spirit has made many inferior spirits who are nearer to man and through whom man normally offers his worship to Him.” As regards the spirits,it is believed that they are of many different types populating the universe In all African traditional settings, the people recognize the existence of the Supreme God,called deities and spirits.The worshiping of deities and spirits in Ibusa community has gotten to the climax that even the government cannot protect it citizens against this evil ancient traditional practice.
After years of either speaking from both sides of the mouth or outright refusal to comment, the commissioner of Police , in Delta State of Nigeria has practically admitted the helplessness of the officers of his Command over the deity, Ogwugwu-Uja, a traditional practice in Ibusa of Oshimili North Local Government of Delta State whereby pre-teenage or teenage male children are ‘chosen’ to serve the Chief Priest as heir apparent to the traditional throne and the forceful circumcision of sisters of the Child Chief Priest. Declining to go into specifics, Delta State Police Chief, admitted that failure of the Police Force to protect victims of the traditional practice remains a contradiction and a huge challenge “you may look at this from the perspective of clash of modernity and ancient practice. As Area Command; we have an obligation to cultivate and maintain cordial relationship with the traditional rulers but also protect the human rights of citizens. It is obvious that the law takes precedence over traditional practices and we are therefore obliged to step in when any law is contravened. The challenge is that so far no victim has managed to show evidence of any law being broken”Confronted with the recent and specific cases of master Tobechukwu Jude Nweke ( 11 years) and his 9 year old younger sister Joan Nnamaka Nweke who were sought after for the traditional ritual but their parents, who are known staunch Christians, resisted strongly leading to all manner of torture, the Delta State Police chief declined to comment, saying “the Nigerian Police Force does not comment on individual cases but I can assure you that all matters in the nature that you have described are investigated in collaboration and consultation with the traditional rulers and if anyone is found to have contravened the law, actions will be taken” Asked how many cases his Command has prosecuted since inception or at least under his watch, the DPO declined to provide details. Meanwhile information available to us has it that apart from the notorious Nweke saga, there are over the past 20 years no less than 5 reported incidents, one of which resulting in the death of the 5 year old sister of the child Chief Priest due to complications from the gruesome circumcision she was put through. The child Chief Priest disappeared two years later, unknown today whether he is dead or still alive hence the hunt for a new one.
The Nweke case is said to be complicated by two factors. Firstly the child’s grandfather is a member of the community Traditional Ruling Council and by implication, one of the custodians of the age long practice. He is suspected to have given his tacit approval and suspected to regard the choice of his grandchildren as an honour. Having fallen out with his son, Mr Esogbuzie Nweke, the father of the children in question, he made overtures to the High Priest, Ohene, to soft-pedal on his family but was promptly abducted, extra-communicated from the community for two market weeks but released unharmed and placed under “house watch”. Secondly, Esogbuzie Nweke and his wife Mrs Judith Nweke, are known serious Christian believers. Indeed Mrs Judith Nweke is the President of the Catholic Women Organisation (CWO)in a Lagos archdioceses who had announced in her inaugural speech that she is resolved to confront such practices against children and the girl child. Her husband resisting the abduction of the child Chief Priest led to his torture and release to enable him produce the child for consummation of the traditional ritual. When he absconded and would not produce the child on the appointed date, a delegation was sent to Lagos, their base, to fetch them. The Nweke’s are said to have escaped out of the country, possibly to the United States of America.
All efforts to trace them have so far failed. The grandfather could not be reached for an interview after initially
agreeing to one but would not honour the appointments made.