Ogbunasa Shrine; From Ihioma to Umueri Orlu, Ogbunasa’s influence cannot be undermined. Many decades ago, many willingly submitted themselves to the Ogbunasa shrine and it had many devotees. But the spread of Christianity made many to abandon it,but not without very costly consequences.
Many took refuge in neighbouring countries and became fugitives because of Ogbunasa. The tide changed. It had many devotees who served it but today, it is angry and looking for those that he held captive several years ago. The worst hit was the Batholomeos, Akabuos and the market day names and Osus in Imo State. After several deaths in Umueri, the only surviving son of the former Chief Priest-Apostle absconded. Masquerades went after him but nothing came out of that search. The gods are thirsty and only blood would assuage this thirst.
As if it was a gang up against Ogbunasa Shrine, Salomy Owowo absconded with Onyekachi Akubuo, the potential successor of the late chief priest Friday Akubuo, few years after the death of the chief priest putting Umundum community in deep agony and she knew the cause of the chief priest’s death, her husband. The truth was that Friday Akubuo failed to present his newly born son to the shrine in the early days he was born, then Ogbunasa struck him with chest lock and he died. Masquerades have gone into action and hopes are high that Onyekachi would come back and serve his father’s god in order to save his own life and that of his people or be sacrificed to the gods. Amadioha, Okwaragwu, Arushi muo, Anunuebe, Ihioma Orlu, Ala Imo, Ozuzu eke, O metara ya buru. O ji ofo ga ana, ukpana okpoko gburu nti chiri ya. Ijiji enweghi onye ndumuodu na eso ozu ala nili. Umundum ndo nu.