umechuma:

At Onitsha,Awka and Nnewi all the Aboki I know are either cow,goat and local chicken sellers or/and the rest are shoe shiners,kola-nut,tom-tom and sweet seller and the last group are able and disable beggars at every major markets and roads.
The don't live in most of the four-story buildings we have in the state but in make shift houses made of wood and zinc with pit toilets.

Thanks. The above is similar to what I know very well for Abia and Imo. Now should this non-investment by our northern fellow citizens not be a red flag for Igbos investing heavily in the North?

I am seriously interested in knowing. I may be ignorant about this for some parts of Igboland such as Ebonyi and northern Enugu/Anambra,, but as far as I know, there is no easily identifiable northern investment in Igboland.

The cattle business is not invested in Igboland as the animals are moved back and forth depending on time.

Have you seen any house built by a northerner in Igboland where he lives or lets out on rent?

Even the mosques they worship in are either rented (I know one of such) or were built by Igbo govts (I know this for Orji Kalu in Abia at least.

;d ;d ;d ;d ;d

ekt_bear:

when did it become Dangote's obligation to invest in the SE?

Investing is not charity. You do it to make money.

If there are opportunities he is missing, then surely you are capable enough to pick them up, yes?

Read below:

''The case of Dangote was actually discussed in an Igbo meeting recently as someone used him as an example of how Igbos should stop investing in the North''.

GAR3TH:

Wont sending igbos back to their homeland be economic suicide. You act as if as soon as they move back they will get jobs and you act as if there is a surplus of job openings in igboland. Fact remains that Igboland has the same unemployment rate as the rest of the country. If they move back it will just create a large labor pool of unemployed workers. FYI that is not how jobs are create, heck, that a very efficient was of losing jobs.

You guys on NL need to stop thinking with sentiments and start thinking with common sense. We understand you are proudly igbo but this is becoming a joke. They chose were they currently live and work for a reason. I their home town had economic viability they wont need you or anyone to tell them to go home.

Op is not an Igbo. He is a northerner.

alj_harem:

Dangote has a lot of offices in port harcourt and calabar

but in terms of IGBOLAND

yes he does

ANAMBRA AREA SALES
C/o Chief M. O. Mbonu
Shop No F, 22/23,
Bakery Material Market,
Ogidi- Onitsha, Anambra State

that is just one of the many sections. Also a great employer of labour which some are Igbos

also Danjuma

not to talk of other hausa traders in stocks like foods, clothes etc

and fulani, kanuri stock in cattle which 1 may cost about 50-120 thousand Naira.

Not necessarily hotels but houses, Yes hausas build houses in Igboland and even Kanuri people.

Hehehe. Just one outlet for Dangote. The case of Dangote was actually discussed in an Igbo meeting recently as someone used him as an example of how Igbos should stop investing in the North.
What investment does Danjuma have in Igboland? Are those cattle stocked permanently in Igboland or they are moved from place to place? Please explain. Thanks. I have not seen any house in Igboland owned by a Northerner. However, I will like Igbos on here to comment on this claim.

Musiwa:

A place like nigeria with many ethnic group should not be one country. The only time population is good is if the ethnic group are not many.

I agree with that.

Alj Harem,

Can you point to one single northern investment in Igboland? Even Dangote does not have any, as far as I know. Or do you mean maigida (gateman) investments and moving cattle back and forth from North to South?

Ndu Chuks,

Northerners invested at least 80% of their investments in the North. But pray, tell, how developed is the North compared to Igboland?
I agree with you and more on this topic. In fact, Igbos should invest in Igboland first before elsewhere. If, for e.g.,  the best hotels, resorts (like Igbos have built elsewhere in Nigeria) etc, are in Igboland, chances are that people will come to lodge in those hotels from anywhere in Nigeria.

As for me and mine, no Ten kobo investment of mine will be found outside Igboland, or at most Cross Rivers and Akwa Ibom (because of family ties). I cannot even invest in Rivers State or non-Igbo parts of Delta state.

^^^^^
Not bad quality at all. It was filtered. Please read the introductory comment as to why.

The strange, new fad is catching on?

http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/forum/main-square/65705-3-uniben-female-students-beaten-forced-have-sex-each-other-then-gang-violated-cultists-video.html

What a man can do to his wife?lol

careytommy:

all what you've listed are not the disadvantages of our 'overpopulation'.
you can start from:
* overstretched infrastructures

They are not disadvantages of our huge population, or they are, [b]in addition [/b]to the one you mentioned? Can you clarify? Thanks.
BTW, how did the overstretching come about? Could it be due to mediocrity and incompetence, factors I already listed?
How come infrastructure in the US (more than 2x our population) are not as overstretched?

The main advantage of (Nigeria's -not other countries, just Nigeria's) our large population are all potential, such as huge market, better and greater sports people, more educated folks, etc. We have not realized (at least on % basis) any of these yet.

However, we have achieved all the disadvantages of a huge population, and counting, namely

More criminals in and out of the country
More asylum-seeking folks all over Europe and America (even when we are not at war)
More HIV, Polio etc
More blind people
More illiterates
More drug pushers
More ritualists
more visa racketeers
More fake pastors and imams
More terrorists (Boko Haram etc)
More unviable states
More government officials, in many cases with duplicated functions
More corrupt politicians
more inefficiency
more mediocrity
More political parties seeking to grab their own share of the cake
More unemployed youths
low GDP (on PPP basis)
More second hand vehicles and other hard appliances
More fakers of goods and services
more rapists
Please help complete list. Thanks.

A country such as Nigeria will be better managed if  less unwieldy. This can more easily come about by less population

Police arrest ritualists in Ondo






By Sunday Aborisade





Monday, 26 Sep 2011























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The Police in Ondo State have arrested three suspected ritualists including a herbalist over the death of a pregnant woman Mrs. Adesola Eleso. Her husband, Ebenezer Eleso, is alleged to have collaborated with the ritualists.



Eleso, an electronic repairer, his girlfriend, and the herbalist were apprehended by the police after they discovered that his late wife did not die in a fire outbreak that burnt his room as he had claimed.



It was learnt that Ebenezer, his girlfriend and the herbalist conspired to murder the pregnant woman, removed her two eyes, and foetus before setting their (the Elesos) one-room apartment on fire.



They succeeded in their act until an investigation by the police revealed that the suspects burnt the room at the Similoluwa Estate in Aule in Akure, the Ondo State capital.



To cover their deeds, the suspects hurriedly buried the deceased, a mother of two boys, after informing her extended family members that she had died during a fire that razed their room, but police after suspecting a foul play, exhumed the corpse.



It was after this that the police discovered that the deceased was a victim of ritual killing.



Our correspondent learnt that it was the family of the deceased that insisted that her corpse be exhumed after the husband claimed fire burnt their room as a result of electric spark.



Their discovery, according to sources, showed that the stomach of the deceased was ripped open and the foetus removed.



It was also discovered that other vital parts of her body, including her private part and breasts were missing.



According to police sources, her two eyes were filled with kolanuts and leaves in her hands.



The suspects are being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department in Akure.



A police source said the investigators discovered that the woman was buried naked and had several cuts over her body, which confirmed the ritual killing suspicion.



Confirming the arrests, the Police Public Relation Officer, Mr Adeniran Aremu, said the suspects would soon appear in court.



Aremu said the fire incident theory was false because the deceased had some machetes cut all over her body when her corpse was exhumed.

Sun of god:



Poverty mehn. . . . . I wouldn't wish it on anybody.

Is it really poverty? Some of the victims cannot be considered poor by naija standard. Please read the post again.

MRbrownJAY:

^î am sorry to say but all the people who applied and paid this scammer are the ONLY ONES to blame in this story.
a simple call to the Canadian embassy would have cleared the issue but they were all TOO DUMB to even do that.

THEY ALL GOT WHAT THEY DESERVED!!!!

You are right. 7000 dumb Nigerians simply enrinched this con man

http://odili.net/news/source/2011/sep/25/502.html

World class scam: Man fools, swindles 7,000 Nigerians over Canadian visa • Held symposium, got police, court documents to convince victims
By CHIOMA IGBOKWE (misty4reel@yahoo.com)

Sunday, September 25, 2011

It was high drama recently in Lagos when over 7000 Nigerians realized they had fallen prey to the tricks of one Fred Olawale Makanjuola, owner of Crystal Services, an immigration consultancy outfit.


Olawale packaged a programme, inviting Nigerians who want to live and work in Canada to apply. The package he told them was free and his agency would foot the bill while the applicants would sign a bond to pay him back twice what he intends to spend. To further convince them, he involved the services of the police that provided Character Certificate clearance, the federal high court where affidavit were obtained, St. Nicholas Hospital and the National Hospital, Abuja for medical clearance.


Although the package was free, applicants paid at least N50,700 for registration. The victims cut across social and economic strata, that even the enlightened were part of it. But how won’t one fall for a trap where the master of the game staged a symposium at UNILAG, invited people he said were from banks, Immigration, NDLEA and others to coach the victims on how to travel to Canada and actualize their dreams while maintaining clean image for Nigeria.


Even applicants from nearby African countries travelled down to Nigeria to benefit from this dubious programme.

The bubble burst when the National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP) got letters sometime in June from applicants trying to confirm whether Crystal Services was not into human trafficking. The agency discovered that it was a scam and visited the office at No. 8 Okuneye Avenue, Famous Bus Stop, Pedro, Shomolu, with a search warrant when Makanjuola refused to honour their invitation.


Addressing the confused crowd Mr. Josiah Emerole, Head of Lagos Zonal office, who led the team to break into the office, told the crowd that it was a scam as they had investigated and discovered that the house indicated as his address was occupied by a young couple and his business is not registered. “He honoured our invitation, sometime in June and we asked him to provide documents to help us ensure that it was not an agency for human trafficking. We wrote to him severally and he failed to respond. It was then that the agency decided to lock the premises and arrest his secretary, Ronke Adeosun. It is with a search warrant that we have come to open the office.”


The office was opened and cartons filled with Nigerian passports were discovered. Emerole who showed the confused crowd the passports asked them to go as the agency would contact them as soon as investigation is complete. Meanwhile the victims who still insist that their visas could still be in their passports besieged the NAPTIP office in Ikeja. As at Thursday Saturday Sun had reliable information that about 2000 of the passports that had been opened, and none had visas. Efforts to get across to NAPTIP failed as Saturday Sun was informed that a formal statement would be issued when investigation is complete.


Perfected game

Makanjuola, a 32-year-old man placed an advert late last year on TV and newspapers wooing interested Nigerians who dream to travel abroad. Part of his promise was that the agency would bear the cost of moving them out of the country, if they agree to pay back with interest after they must have settled into their jobs. Days after that publication, a crowd besieged his office indicating interest. Before the advert, he had sold application forms for N1000 but when he discovered the number of applicants, he immediately hiked the fee to N50,700. On the sudden increase, he told the applicants that he wanted to foot the bill for medicals but the number of persons interested in the programme made it impossible. According to some of the victims, he explained that the amount is expected to cover medical clearance and registration. Still that did not deter the teeming crowd from picking the forms.

To further convince them that the scam was no scam at all he directed them to Alagbon police unit in Ikoyi to obtain fingerprint clearance. He also demanded sworn court affidavit indicating that the amount spent on each of them is N750,000 and they are to pay back double in two years.


They also filled a form for traveller’s cheque from GT Bank. He later organized a symposium to enlighten his victims on what they are expected to do when they get to Canada. The symposium held at the UNILAG main auditorium on June 10 and had one Mrs. D. O. Abidogun, claimed to be an immigration officer from the Department of Human Trafficking, Dr. Anthony Clerk who was the MC and one Barrister Odion a GTBank representative. While it appeared the process was clean, he planted agents to extort money from applicants with the excuse that they would put their names in the first batch.

Text messages


To further convince them that he is grounded in his art, he sent series of texts to applicants to inform them on plans for the trip. To notify them of the travellers cheques he sent this text: “You are hereby scheduled for an invitation to apply manually for your Basic Travel Allowance at Crystal Services. Venue 8 Okuneye Avenue, Famous bus stop. Date: 2nd August 2011. First session 10am to 12pm. Second session 1-3pm. 3rd session 3.30-4pm. Note you are to tender the following – your sworn affidavit, 2 passport photos, invitation sent by Crystal Services (not a forwarded message)”


When his initial departure date of August 20 was fast approaching, he sent this: “Thanks once again for believing in our programme. We are earnestly working towards the success and reality of our moving schedules, a slight change was made on our date of departure which was due to the Ramadam season. Our new date is September 11th and 12th 2011. Note, ensure you get the carton colour or lace material.”


This came few days after: “Take notice of the under mentioned dates: 11th day of September: Exhibition at the National Theatre, 12th day of September: Air lifting commences with applicant registration numbers.13th Day of September: Air lifting continues to the last registration number, 14th day of September, Foreign orientation in Dubai for three days: 15th Movement to Manitoba, Canada: 19th arrival party, 20th day of September Rest day, 21st to 22nd of September: Registration, assimilation and association. 23rd to 29th day of September training and seminar: 29th of September confirmation/collection of certificate. 1st of October, collection of materials, 2nd of October Future begins. Signed Crystal Services.”


On September 11, dressed in their uniform, his victims who bade farewell to their families gathered at the National Theatre for the exhibition and takeoff the next day as planned. About 7000 Nigerians waited anxiously until they received another text message saying: “We are sincerely sorry for not meeting up with our exhibition plan as scheduled, we want you to know that the air lifting is most paramount and that has been our area of concentration for days now. We therefore, implore you to please bear with us as we will update you as we progress. Thanks! Pls. pass this information to as many applicants you have around you.”

They all dispersed and still the callous scammers sent another message through their agent for each to pay N2000 to enable them assist the airline operator to repair the plane. This amount majority paid into an account before the cat was let out of the bag – 7000 had been terribly fooled and swindled by one young man in a grand scam.


Was the Canadian High Commission aware of the plans to issue work permit to this number of Nigerians? Saturday Sun inquired.

According to their police liaison officer, the High Commission as far back as May received letters from the victims trying to find out whether the programme was genuine and they were told that it was a scam.

One of the letters made available to Saturday Sun, the Deputy High Commissioner of Canada, in it response to the victim said: “There is no such programme, and this is a scam. Canada has no fast-track programmes for immigration or work permits. Individuals who wish to work in Canada should follow the instructions and guidelines which can be found on the website at www.nigeria.gc.ca or www.cic.gc.ca.”


According to the liaison officer, no High Commission appoints agents outside the commission to run its activities. “Normally work permits are not given outside the country, the individual must have acquired a visa that befits that permit.”

When confronted with the allegations that Immigration service was a part of the scam, Muyiwa Odunubi, Lagos command Public Relation Officer debunked such allegation insisting that it could be a case of impersonation. “If any of the victims have a proof that an immigration officer was involved, let the person come forward. We need a photograph of the event showing the immigration officer. Let the victims help us to arrest this impersonator. We are not aware that such an agency is existing and did not at any time send a representative.”


Meanwhile Saturday Sun hopes to discover later how Makanjuola was able to operate an account in a new generation bank with fake identify in spite of the rules. We also hope to find out why the police issued fingerprint clearance to more than 7000 persons without raising an eyebrow and the Federal High Court that issued same number of affidavits without confirming what all these were about.


Tales of confused victims

Still finding it difficult to believe that they were defrauded most of the victims who spoke with Saturday Sun said the programme is real. They rather blame NAPTIP for destroying their dreams. They also accused the federal government for failing to protect its citizens from the fraudster because the agencies they were referred to failed to alert them that the programme was not real.

Emeka Okosun, a final year student of FUTO can’t believe the outcome. “I was supposed to take aptitude test for a job my father had arranged. How do I face my father, what will be my story? I investigated well, I went as far as visiting a native doctor in Ogun State and he confirmed that it was real. I know it is real, its NAPTIP that wants to spoil the business.”

Suleiman a businessman in Kano blames the police for failing to alert them, and said “I can’t believe that I have been defrauded. I consulted an alfa and he confirmed it.”


Chidi who claimed to have resigned from a job that pays him as much as N120,000 a month lamented that he sold almost everything he had to embark on the trip. He claimed to have given Olawale about N500,000 to ensure that his name is in the first batch. “I investigated this matter properly. I even went to GTBank and they confirmed that the travellers cheques had been processed and handed over to Fred. If a bank as big as GT would be convinced that this man is real why won’t I believe? If this is scam then, the bank, police, Federal High Court, Immigration and even lecturers are part of it. During the symposium at Unilag, a staff of the bank addressed us on how to use the travellers cheque when we get to Canada.


The immigration woman told us that it was real. The lecturer that claimed he came from LASU was there. There was also a representative from the NDLEA who advised us to stay away from drugs. I am seriously suspecting that NAPTIP is a spoiler because Fred refused to play ball.”

Another victim Lukeman Abiodun lamented that Fred collected money from them and is still withholding their passport. “I am a master’s degree holder and cannot believe what is happening. I am sure that this man must have visited the highest juju in Nigeria to perfect the plan.”

Faniyi Olalekan, is one of the lucky ones who parted with only N75,000 before he discovered that it was a scam. He wrote a letter to the embassy that informed him the deal was not clean.

A banker who is yet to come to terms that this is real thanked his stars that he did not tender his resignation letter before the bad turn of events. “My sister, I have my resignation letter in my pocket as we speak. Thank God I did not submit it. Three of my friends who were affected had resigned.”

Polio in 5 states worries FG
On September 25, 2011 · In News

By Daniel Idonor & Victoria Ojeme

The Federal Government, yesterday, condemned the polio status in the country, noting that Nigeria, in August 2011, recorded 26 cases of polio  in  six  states  in contrast to six during the corresponding period in 2010.

The affected states are  Borno, Kebbi, Jigawa, Kano, Zamfara, Sokoto and Yobe. The cases mainly are due to the high number of unimmunized children as a result of refusal of the vaccine by some parents and caregivers as well as  children being absent.

President Goodluck Jonathan, who disclosed this  in Abuja during the national flag-off ceremony of the September 2011 sub-National Immunisation Plus Days (SIPDs) and launch of the Polio- free Torch Campaign, said, “I understand that in August this year, 26 children in six states across the nation were confirmed to have been paralysed by the virus. This is unacceptable”.

He said it was the responsibility of state governors, traditional and religious leaders to ensure that polio vaccine, made available freely by the Federal Government and the development partners, get to the children in their domain.

Jonathan, who was represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo, restated the Federal Government’s commitment to seeing  that the wild polio virus is eradicated in the country by 2012.

In his remarks, Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, said what was needed now was action, saying, “we have talked long enough”.

He noted that the launch of the Polio- free Torch would inspire and mobilize all Nigerians to do away with the virus from getting to children.

Some Akpabio-Obi-wives connection in photo

alj_harem:



how does this information help transform Nigeria and igbo people

Olodo. It shows how intertwined the old Eastern region is

In exchange, it looks like Peter Obi's wife is Akwa Ibom. Not sure though but that maiden name Usen sounds very much Akwa Ibom

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Obi

Peter Obi married Margaret Brownson Usen in 1992 after which they had their first child Gabriella Nwamaka Frances Obi, two years later they had their first son Gregory Peter Oseloka Obi.[3]

Obiagu1:

Why did she pick that name Ekaette?

I am sure the hubby sort off ''forced'' (note the quotes) it on her. Akwa Ibom men are 'lords' over their women

Pa Eziashi of NL, is Obioma Imoke your relation?

I hear Fashola' wife is Igbo too

http://www.liyelimoke.net/?p=31

Cross River's first lady, Obioma Imoke

Mrs. Obioma Liyel Imoke, Wife of the Governor of Cross River State was born 47 years ago in Lagos to the family of Dr. Thaddeus Eziashi and Mrs. Grace Eziashi.

Mrs Imoke attended the Federal Government College Enugu and later the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) Enugu campus, where she read Law. She proceeded to the Nigerian Law School where She bagged her BL and was call to the Nigerian Bar.

She is married with 4 Children to His Excellency, Senator Liyel Imoke, Governor of Cross River State.

In 2007, she became the First Lady of Cross River State, a position that has afforded her the opportunity of reaching out to thousands of women, children, and babies who are suffering from all forms of disadvantages and limitations.

http://godswillakpabio.com/profile_first_lady.aspx

Akwa Ibom-First Lady's Profile

OVERVIEW
Mrs. Ekaette Unoma Godswill Akpabio was born on the 9th of June 1971 to late Godwin and Beatrice Nkemdilim Ejike both of Ozom Aguobu-¬Owa, Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State.

She attended Zik Avenue Primary School, Enugu before proceeding to City Girls Secondary School, Enugu for her West African School Certificate Examination, Ekaette Unoma Akpabio obtained a degree in Education Accounting from the Abia State University, Uturu, Abia State. She is a devout Catholic and very devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

She has a mission to empower women, alleviate poverty, encourage youths who are disillusioned and give the disabled a sense of belonging.

Since the assumption of her role as the First Lady of Akwa Ibom State, Mrs. Akpabio has given of her time, energy and resources to the poorest and otherwise excluded groups in the State. She has established the Family Life Enhancement Initiative, as a not-for-profit organization to promote the well being of the families which she is trying hard to sensitize in order to reposition them for the moral good of the society.
HUMANITARIAN WORK
Apart from women, children and young people who constitute the stated targets of Mrs. Akpabio's work, she has also created a big social impact on the lives of the physically challenged, the motherless, the hospitalized, the homeless, the elderly and the prison inmates in the State.

For the physically challenged children in the State, Mrs. Akpabio, the loving and kind mother of Akwa Ibom State has come to their support in very reasonable and characteristic ways. On one occasion, she presented 40 wheel chairs, 15 tricycles, 40 pairs of crutches, 20 Braille machines and cane sticks to handicapped children, selected from special schools and communities in the 31 Local Government Areas of the State. Mrs. Akpabio has continued to offer the hand of support to other disadvantaged people by donating computer sets as well as the mobility and visual aids.

The First Lady has been open-handed to many needy persons and groups but her kindness towards a blind, Mr. Noah Jonah of Inem Ikot Ibiom in Oruk Anam Local Government Area and Mr. Cosmas Okon Edem, a homeless father of six children in Ifa Ikot Okpon, Uyo Local Government area, has been quite profound.

Mrs. Akpabio, through the Family Life Enhancement Initiative built a four bedroom flat for Mr. Edem and a four-room apartment to house the blind man and his family of four. Three more of such buildings are currently under construction for some other families without accommodation in other Local Government Areas as part of the Governor's benevolence which is expected to spread to the entire 31 councils in the State.

Yoruba and lies. The same way they claimed Yaba Tech is the third oldest institution of higher learning in Africa and the 27th oldest in the world.

Offline Offline


Church Where Founder's Skeleton Is Worshiped Lwkmd!
« on: May 16, 2010, 12:36 AM »

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/newsonthehour/2010/may/16/newsbreak-16-05-2010-001.htm

Quote
The founder’s skeleton

Has the world eventually entered the “last days” as prophesied in the Bible, the holy book for Christians? Maybe, if the activities of some so-called Christians are anything to go by. According to II Timothy 3-7: “In the last days, perilous times shall come.

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good.”

The holy book further states that in the last days, men would have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof and men will ever be learning, and will never be able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
The story is hardly believable but it is true that about five years after the death of a pastor, members of his church still worship his skeleton because of their faith in the efficacy of his powers.
To members of the church, late Jacob Adebayo Oladele, who was the founder, Millennium Gospel Church (MGC), remains powerful even in death.

In February 2010, the police stormed the premises of MGC located at an abandoned aerodrome in a vast forest at Egbedore Local Government Area of Osun State, following a tip-off by the monarch of the town, Alayemoore of Ido-Osun, Oba Adedapo Adeniyi Sapoyoro. The monarch, who said the palace had been inundated with series of allegations of high-handedness and weird worship style of the church members, led a team alongside the police to the church where a purported skeleton of the church’s founder was recovered.

The police arrested 15 suspects while people of the town warned the church members never to return to the land, which belongs to the government. Sunday Sun gathered that five of the suspects are still standing trial at an Osogbo Magistrate Court. Members of the church however insist that they are not ritualists and never killed anybody or performed any ritual in the church.

One of those standing trial, Mrs Florence Oluwaloni Oladele, who is the deputy founder said: “We are not ritualists. We worship our Lord Jesus Christ like every Christian. The skeleton belongs to our founder. Truth shall prevail and we will be vindicated. This is a test of our faith and members should be steadfast and more prayerful.”

Head, Pathology Department at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital (LAUTECHTH), Dr Akinwumi Komolafe, confirmed the presence of the skeleton in the morgue, but said the police did not present a request for tests to be carried out on the skeleton. He said the hospital authorities would keep the skeleton until it receives further directive from the police.

It was however gathered that some of the church members have been visiting the mortuary in order to worship the late founder who they described as their Messiah. “Before stopping them from coming to see the skeleton, some who came were practically worshipping the skeleton. They rolled on the ground, shouting his name, weeping, wailing and appealing to him to answer their prayers. They are fanatical about him and if care is not taken and the skeleton remains in the mortuary more than necessary, they may go wild and take steps to recover it. The mortuary needs more security,” a source at the hospital warned.?

When contacted, the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Solomon Olusegun, said the “case is in court.”
But a police source said: “The skeleton may soon be released to the members since nobody had come forward with a claim that his/her relation was missing.”

“Apart from the skeleton, police did not find any other human or animal part at the church. Initially, we were made to believe that more bodies were going to be recovered from the church like that of the infamous Okija Shrine. None was found apart from the skeleton. However, all theories pointed to the fact that the skeleton belongs to the church founder. You know how fanatical some people could be with living or dead founder of their faith.

“The skeleton will soon be released for burial. At least, the man should be allowed to rest in peace. We still appeal to people who may have contrary information about the church to volunteer it to the police.”
At press time, police authorities were in confusion over what to do with the skeleton even as the hospital management anxiously awaited the collection of late Adebayo’s skeleton for burial because according to them, “the mortuary is meant for dead bodies and not skeleton.

;d ;d ;d ;d

We need legislation to eradicate rituals, cannibalism in Yorubaland- Erelu Lola Ayonrinde -Raises posers on Oba Funso Adeolu’s corpse

Erelu Tunwase AyonrindeErelu Tunwase of Ode-Remo, Chief Lola Ayonrinde, who is the Otun Iyalode of Shomolu and Lagos District, and also the Yeye Akinrogun of Ikeji-Ile Ijesa was twice Mayor of the London Borough of Wandsworth. She talks to AYO-LAWAL GBENOBA on her campaign against human sacrifice and cannibalism in Nigeria. Excerpts:

WHAT is your campaign all about?
The ‘Say No To Cannibalism In Nigeria’ campaign is aimed towards eradicating the ancient and obnoxious practice of mutilating the bodies of traditional rulers after death. The rituals and sacrifices parts of the body of a dead king, especially in Western Nigeria, are used for are barbaric and a disgrace to the country in this 21st century. The movement is out to stop these evil practices which are not in consonant with the will of God and against the fundamental human rights of the affected traditional rulers. When a king dies, they say they have to give his heart to his successor on the throne to eat. They explained that it will make the new king strong and courageous but, is that not deceit? How can eating somebody’s flesh give courage to another person? They mutilate the remains of these kings and engage in fetish and obnoxious activities which add no value to anybody or the society in general.


Why do you need to feed an incoming royal father with the heart of a dead one? This cannibalism started with Christopher Colombus who believed that when a king ate the heart, or some other parts of a dead ruler, some major attributes of the dead was transferred to the new king. This is sheer cannibalism and has no place with God. And, I want the chiefs, the traditional rulers themselves and other stakeholders to know that any tradition that does not recognise God is doomed. The government must put a stop to this cannibalism going on in some parts of Nigeria because, it is even against the constitution of Nigeria. Section 38 subsection 1 of the Nigerian constitution gives every citizen the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, while section 17 subsection 26 declares that the sanctity of the human person shall be recognised and human dignity shall be maintained and enhanced. Where is the sanctity of the human person in all these? Where is human dignity?


What motivated this campaign?
I was very close to the late Alaye of Ode-Remo, Oba Funso Adeolu, the popular Chief Eleyinmi of the rested Village Headmaster soap opera. Few months after his death on August 21, 2008, he started appearing to me and I had months of traumatic haunting. In his lifetime, Oba Adeolu was a Christian and he made it known that he did not partake in anything fetish during his installation as king. He explicitly, several times, demanded that when death came calling, his corpse should be handed over to his family so that he could be given a proper Christian burial. However, his corpse was not released to the family. After his death, he appeared to me several times, and kept telling me about many things. He said his corpse was handed over to the ‘odis’ (slaves) who treated it like that of a criminal. They took bits and pieces of his remains for their own use while some parts were distributed to the four corners of the town.


It was while going round that I discovered what happened and I met some chiefs who confessed what happened but asked me to forget it because there was nothing we could do about it.

All the ‘odus’ of Ifa do not approve using human beings as sacrifice, the constitution does not approve and to crown it all, God Almighty frowns at this practice, they are doing it to appease whom? Some of the kings today are enlightened and those who are born again Christians, like Oba Adeolu, are renouncing these things. So, why hold on to an obnoxious and barbaric act? Oba Adeolu believed he would be given a decent burial and that is why his ghost has refused to rest. Even in Ijebuland, these things were abolished years ago and Ijebuland under the Awujale agreed they would bury kings according to their religion.


So, how do you hope to stop the practice?
We are canvassing that our traditional rulers should be buried whole, without being mutilated and it should be in the open. There is secrecy because of the evils attached. It is untenable scientifically that the heart is eaten for so and so reasons. To start with, let us have the installation of kings in the open, no aspect of the installation should be shrouded in secrecy. It should be a celebration of our culture so, why should it be shrouded in secrecy? When everything becomes transparent, it will even help younger ones to know more about our culture and we will be able to restore some of our societal values. Why should obas be laid to rest in a paganic manner? If a governor gives staff of office to a king, giving him recognition and authority, that king is under the governor so, why should the government condone barbarism in this age? The ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs should do something about this, if not, the government is endorsing cannibalism. True that some of the kings went through these rituals during installation but those who opted out should be given that grace of opting out of the rituals in death. They should be buried according to their faith. The practice is a disgrace to the whole of South West because it is common there.


We are appealing to the traditional rulers who were installed through cannibalism to renounce it publicly and declare they don’t want their hearts to be eaten or other parts of their bodies to be used for any form of ritual. Abolition of slave trade took place years ago. So, why do we still have some people in Ode calling themselves slaves (‘odis’)? We need legislation to stop the barbaric act and we are appealing to our lawmakers to rise up to this task of eradicating cannibalism in Nigeria. There should be a law backing a king to opt out of fetish installation and burial and it should become an offence for anyone to tamper with the remains of a king, for whatever purpose, or to give the body to the ‘odi’ for rituals. The penalty should be without an option of fine so that the perpetrators would know how grave the offence is. The ‘odi’ in Ode can be given money to buy goat, ram, cow, or whatever they need for sacrifice, if they must, but there must be total abolition of human sacrifice in the country. Efforts are being made by some Ogun State traditional rulers to stop it but some feel the fetish practice must be protected. The government must detach itself from it.


Internationally, human sacrifice, cannibalism, witchcraft and sorcery are illegal so, why should it be done with impunity in Nigeria, a country that is known as the giant of Africa? Infact, politicians should begin to include the abolition of cannibalism in their campaign programmes, and party manifestos by 2010.


What efforts have you made so far to network and get people involved?
We give glory to Almighty God. I have spoken to so many kings who secretly don’t want it and we are telling them that they should make an open declaration against these evil practices. The campaign would be boosted if they do because people believe they all knew and agreed to these evil practices before being installed. We now call on the royal fathers again, in the name of Almighty God, to declare publicly that they don’t want these fetish practices to continue. I have carried the campaign to the international level so that Nigerians of affluence who are in diaspora would lobby the lawmakers and get a legal backing for the campaign to eradicate human sacrifice and cannibalism in Nigeria. A number of international media like the BBC have aired my interview on the campaign and some Nigerian people abroad are involved in the lobbying for a legislation to stop the obnoxious practices.


We call on the ‘oluwos’ and ‘odis’ in Ode to review the entrenched ill that has no value to the society. We appeal to them to accept cows and goats and allow our royal fathers to be buried according to their beliefs. Then, it was about time that the royal fathers are constituted into the House of Royals, like the House of Lords, so that they would have more power, say and patnership in governance. This would help them to contribute meaningfully to issues affecting them and the society at large.