Udo Onwuka
By Uduma Kalu
Introduction
It read like William Shakespeare's Macbeth, which effect was clearly what the great Irish poet, W. B. Yeats, says in his evergreen poem, 'The Second Coming' that things only fall apart when the falcon can no longer hear the falconer. The falcon is a bird in the care of its master, the falconer, its trainer. The duo use verbal exchanges to communicate to know where both are. Once the falcon strays far from the falconer, the two lose communication. The result is chaos and conflict, leading to loss and anarchy.
The eminent Nigerian novelist, Chinua Achebe, will borrow the Yeatsian phrase for the title of his immortal classic, Things fall apart, to depict the crisis that engulfed 19th century Igboland following the clash of European and African cultures brought about by western religion, politics and trade.
The Beginning.
It seems the cultural conflict and the confusion the European encounter with Africa brought to the people and their continent then is back this 21st Century as the phrase, things fall apart, actually reared up again in Isiugwu Ohafia, a fast growing and urbanizing community in Ohafia LGA, Abia state since February when the duo of one Mr Akanu Oke, a former youth leader of the community and another member of the community, Mr Kalu Kalu Nmaju, involved themselves in a duel.
The conflict between the two was said to have dragged on for seven years, bringing violence and uncertainty to the town, and division in its local politics. The recent violence between the two last February was said to be the worst. Nmaju was said to have marched down to Oke's residence and fought him, injuring him and his friend. In anger, Oke dashed inside his house, brought out his cutlass like Okonkwo in the novel, Things fall apart, and matcheted Nmaju. The matter was brought to the elders' council. With blood gushing out of the two due to the injuries, they were advised to go and receive medical attention and return for adjudication. Unfortunately, Oke was said to have used soldiers at the Goodluck Jonathan Barracks Ohafia to waylay Nmaju on his way to hospital. Nmaju was later released by the soldiers following some high level interventions. It was said that the army gave the duo February 20, 2025 to report back after receiving medical attention. But on February 18, Oke was said to have used some policemen to invade the homes of some of the youth leaders in Isiugwu, destroying, arresting, torturing and shooting at some of them in a Gestapo style. The men were later taken to Umuahia police station at Bende road. A pregnant woman was said to have been affected by the police brutality that night. She was reported to have said that the police hit on her door, which fell down hitting her belly. At the hospital where she was operated upon, it was allegedly discovered that she had lost twins. The report of twins is yet to be verified.
The invasion of their town, arrest and torture of their leaders infuriated a segment of the youth who in their anger, not only marched to the businesses of Oke and destroyed them, they also moved upon some of his friends, destroying their homes and businesses.
The Isiugwu Ohafia town was thrown into pandemonium. Some of the people ran away. Fear gripped the town. The monarch of the town, Ezeogo Okorie Ukpe, the Udumali II, used traditional organs to ensure security. The police would come in later to restore order. The youth were on rampage, wielding cutlasses and threatening angrily.
Agumba 's Intervention
But everyone wanted peace. In fact, this tone was set by one of the wealthiest sons of the town, Chief Chukwudi Kalu Agbara, the Agumba of Ohafia, who also offered to offset the over N17m enumerated cost of the damages after a committee he set up headed by Rev Kingsley Ibe and Honourable Ukariwe Ajike submitted their report to him. After various consultations and peaceful preachments across various Isiugwu Ohafia platforms by the town's union executives of its Isiugwu Ohafia Development Association (IOCDA), peace resolution of the crisis was scheduled for March 31, 2025. This became necessary as the elders' council was accused of fiddling with the matter concerning the duo, making it linger for seven years with attendant crises and conflicts. The falcon could no longer hear the falconer, they said. Mere anarchy was therefore loos'd upon the land.
IOCDA'S OLIVE BRANCH
The IOCDA had issued an olive branch to all, saying through its president, Mr Udo Onwuka, and secretary general, Mr Okoro Umazi, that it was interested in making peace, not conflict, and that this was only possible by getting to the root of the problem between the duo at the town's open square, the Ogbo Ukwu. This open ground is reputedly the highest court of the land where serious issues of security, development, political, social concerns etc are held. Such meetings are usually emergency meetings and its decision overrides any other, including the elders' council's.
The Ogbo Ukwu Assembly
It was the largest gathering of such concerns in recent times. The crowd was massive. Isiugwu Ohafia is one of the most thickly populated towns in Ohafia. Ohafia is reputed to be the sinlgle, largest ethnic bloc in Abia state. Though rural urban migration has affected the local population, this morning, owing to the seriousness of the matter in the town, the huge population at the venue showed that though many of them came home for their carnival burials, a vast majority of them actually returned for the settlement of the matter that Monday, March 31, 2025.
At the end of it all, it read like William Shakespeare's Macbeth and the witches with their prophecy of power, which ultimately brought violence among brothers in the kingdom, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
In Isiugwu Ohafia that morning, the narratives were about the same as Macbeth's if you read the comparison. In Isiugwu, a delegation was sent to a fetish doctor in Rivers State on fact finding mission. It ended up being asked to explain a mere shadow, a silhouette of sorts as answer to their communal problem. Another fetish doctor told a youth leader that his town must hold prayers with white ram and incense if it must have a king, and another man would pray and see a vision of himself cleansing the town of evil people. Here, in the main, seems to be the crux of the matter ravaging the town going by the various submissions there. Every other thing is woven around it in conspiracy theories that had built up hydra headed rumours and anger threatening to tear up the town.
Whether the various submissions from the selected speakers explained the root cause of the crisis, the IOCDA will sift through the bag of chaff for the few grains to decipher what to do so that the falcon can listen to the falconer once again.
This largest gathering of the people, perhaps, was the first of such for individual case called to reconcile the duo of Mr. Akanu Oke and Mr Kalu Nmaju by the town's union, the Isiugwu Ohafia Development Association, IOCDA. The rivalry between the two was said to have raged for seven years leaving in its wake tears and blood, petty jealousies, political tension and enmity. And lately as from 2023, it evolved to the involvement of the army, police, arrest and questioning of Isiugwu Ohafia leaders, destructions of properties estimated at millions of naira in 2025.
To douse the tension and restore peace, one of the wealthiest sons of the town, Chief Chukwudi Kalu Agbara, the Agumba of Ohafia, set up a fact finding committee, which enumerated a compensation cost of over N17M . He paid the sum and set the tone for peace, which the whole town embraced.
An Illegal Invasion
The community no doubt has the capacity to use all necessary means to deal with the matter as most of its members saw the invasion of their town by policemen as illegal. A community leader said an investigation was done and it was found that the policemen that stormed the town that night did so without the knowledge of the Ohafia police command. The policemen too neglected the various Isiugwu Ohafia organs and went straight to intimidate and kidnap its leaders, he said. The town, he went on, has the men and the connection, lawyers and resources to see that those that perpetrated the act were brought to book.
Rather, the union chose an olive branch and saw the case as a family affair that should be treated as such and brought to an amicable solution. At least, that was what its IOCDA president, Mr Udo Onwuka, told the gathering once again at the meeting which began about eleven in the morning till about after four in the evening.
Mr Onwuka noted that development only strived in an atmosphere of peace. Peace, he said, could only be achieved when all in the town saw themselves as intricately linked to one another by blood, kinship and by land.
The reconciliation of the warring parties was therefore important, he said. His executive had set up a reconciliation committee which met with the various parties the previous Sunday, March 30, 2025 at the local Presbyterian church in the town. Onwuka told the people that Isiugwu Ohafia was the beginning of all the rights they had as they would not enjoy the same rights they had in Isiugwu Ohafia elsewhere.
The Big Danger
However, from the proceedings, it seemed clear that the clear and present danger in the town may not really be the duo of Oke and Nmaju but a marauding army of young men, threatening and baying like wolves in their wanton desire to force their will on the elders and all. They are said to be heavy on drugs, described as angry and frustrated. Some of them own and threaten people violently in the open and with reckless abandon. They look wild and rough. Their dressing is unkempt and ungentlemanly. Even the Ezeogo noted the helplessness of the town in the face of such threats, especially, the case of Oke and Nmaju, which the rampaging youth, along with various interest groups, hijacked for one reason or other and caused the unrest in the town. The falcon could no longer hear the falconer, indeed. Things definitely fell apart since then.
Awa Agwu (Awa Noko)
Things actually fell apart when the youth took over leadership of the town, Mr. Awa Agwu, alias Awa Noko, who spoke on behalf of the youth at the gathering, began. Laced with personal experiences, Noko referenced a statement he said was made by the late great son of the land, Dr Kalu Uke Kalu, whom he said rooted the problem in the town to the fact that power was handed over to the youth. Since then, things had fallen apart.
Noko was referring to the frenzy days of one Pastor Emma in 2013 or so. As the town is desirous of development, when any policy with the mantra'development' crops up, the rural folks fall in. The word, someone noted, works like talisman on them. But it seemed the Emma development plan was a fluke. In fact, it was discovered that he used the cement factory story in the town to coercively buy off lands from the people. His cement company was discovered not registered at the Corporate Affairs Commission. To secure his allegedly falsely acquired properties, Emma was accused of building a power base where he became the king maker, buying off the power holders, leaders and opinion moulders in the town. Emma was alleged to have infiltrated the different organs in the town, including the youth association. Many, because of his money, fawned over him. The youth association was at his beck and call. All these, Noko said, disrupted the peace there, with allegations of murders and personalization of power in Emma and his acolytes. Noko himself was part of the youth association then, he said.
Supernatural Roots of the Problems
Noko noted that the problems in the town began with Emma, citing rituals and libations by Emma and his group to perpuate themselves in power till the end of Isiugwu Ohafia.
Noko would end up reading out what he said were recommendations from the youth association for peace to reign there.
It all sounded like Macbeth and the witches's prophecy, indeed. The story of Macbeth and the witches' prophecy offers valuable insights into the dangers of relying on prophecies, visions, and supernatural forces as prophecies and visions are open to interpretations and blind faith. It shows that placing too much faith in supernatural forces without critically evaluating their validity is dangerous, highlighting the dangers of relying on ambiguous or unclear prophecies.
The duo of prophecy and blind belief in juju seem to have played vital roles in the crisis rocking the town with the warring parties of Oke and Nmaju donning messianic garbs, acting, most times, without checks from the authorities. The end were, impunity, intrigues and violence.
Oke also hinted at this supernatural belief when he said one native priest, Friday, combining traditional rituals and Christianity, told him that if no prayer was done, the town would not have a monarch for a long time. Following the demise of the reigning monarch, the town, he said, was without a head for ten days, and something needed to be done. Oke, following the priest's advice, gathered some folks and went round the town at midnight, praying and reading some bible passages. The priest later told him to bring some sacrificial items such as white ram, incense etc for burial. Oke denied accusations that he buried any of those items, asking anyone to confirm he did. No one did.
Nmaju said prior to his return to the town, he prayed and God permitted him to root out evil people in the town. Such people would later include Oke, whose priest recommended the prayers and was accused of being the mastermind of the deadly sore, atuere, in the town. He said he once caught the priest with a bag full of fetish things and a list of people meant for diabolical harm and death.
Mr. Udo Agwu, one of the leaders of the youth and detainees, would also narrate a mission he and some selected individuals, including Oke, underwent for Isiugwu Ohafia to Rivers State. It was to a juju priest for the revelation of those doing diabolical things in the town. The image said to be the person perpetuating the act shown the group was shadowy and unclear. A silhouette. None could guess what they saw. Even when Oke said it was a woman, it was a guess work, a conjecture, which even he himself could not confirm. At the end, it was a failed mission. It marked, rather, the beginning of soured relationship between Oke and Agwu. Agwu was among the detainees orchestrated by Oke.
The tension between Agwu and Oke, the two among others that founded the reformed youth association after the collapse of that founded by Mr Olugu Etum. began, Agwu said, when Oke and another delegate, disappeared from view that evening at the Rivers State juju man's house and afterwards, prompting the delegates to suspect their colleagues of going behind them to have a secret dealing with the juju man.
The above spiritual scenario would later snowball into personal conflicts among the principal leaders, leading, not just to the tragic enmity between Oke and Nmaju but bitterness that lingered for long, resulting finally in the bloody fight, destruction and tension in the town.
Noko had also hinted at a libation for power perpetuity by Emma and his group. Oke was a member of the Emma's group, like Noko . Being aware of this libation among other power plays, Noko left the group and became an opposition. Loyalty was broken and factions emerged. Allegations and counter allegations also emerged from other departed members as the various submissions showed. All these bred jealousy, envy, rumours, garnering groups and foot soldiers and ultimately violence. Noko also reeled out names of those he felt should be expelled from the town for peace to reign. Oke was one of them. He wanted the compound in which Nmaju fought to have taken action against the two fighters.
Akanu Oke
In his defence, Oke began by saying he was a victim of hatred and campaign of calumny because of his role in the discharge of his official duties as chairman of the youth association. Because of that, he had been attacked and his name smeared. He had reported to the elders' council to no avail. Feeling unprotected and his name smeared, Oke said he had to arrest the ringleaders to stop all that.
Oke said his problem with Nmaju began when, following the ban on public smoking of marijuana, he asked Nmaju, through Nmaju's senior relations, to stop smoking in the public. Since then, he had been in Nmaju's bad books and his complaints to the elders' council on the attacks on him by Nmaju, including threats, ended without any action. There was another fight between the two in 2023, which he also reported to the Ezeogo who told him to maintain the peace. 'They want to eliminate me. Udo Agwu said I killed his child. He should swear that I did.', he said.
Agwu would later say that he made the statement because Oke had once poured libations saying anyone wrongly fighting him would be punished by the elements.
On the priest Friday, Oke denied shielding him. He narrated an episode where the native doctor was caught with a bag said to contain fetish things and brought to the age grade keeping watch in the town. He had asked that the priest be interrogated.
On allegations of fetish practice, especially, the case of burying white ram, he denied that but agreed he and his group led a prayer round the town. He handed back a shop he got as former chair of the youth for peace to reign, he said. He equally apologized to the monarch for the insults he heaped on him, saying he was provoked. But he would prefer oppositions against him should not be targeted at his friends and club members but at him alone.
On his going to the army and the police, Oke said because after reporting threats to his life without action by the elders, he went to the security forces for protection. When both were asked to go for medication by the elders, Oke said the elders gave no date. But were once again handed over to their maternal families, ikwu.
A community leader would say later that the elders did not know how long it would take the two to treat themselves. Hence, no date was given. But the military gave a date, which Oke flouted, he said.
Kalu Nmaju
Though Nmaju in his submission did not mention the marijuana saga, his premise was built on prayer and spiritual message. He told the over five thousand congregation that prior to his return to Isiugwu Ohafia after several years of travelling round the world, he had prayed and got divine revelation to rid Isiugwu Ohafia of evil people. Though, he did not name the evil people , Nmaju would later call out Oke in his statement. After the prayer, Nmaju had sworn to himself to go about his divine mission. He had lost businesses such as his piggery, which he said was the handiwork of diabolical people. He said he had been accused of being head of the banned ESN, a security platform in the South East of Nigeria founded by the outlawed Biafran separatist group, IPOB. He also highlighted his philanthropic efforts in the town. He recounted his encounter with the priest Friday that exposed him as a diabolical person, infecting people with atuere.
Detainees' Reports
The rest of the submissions were the detainees' narrations of their kidnap or arrest experiences. They all, males, told a story of assault, shooting, torture, beating, destruction and molestation, fear and anguish for an offence they knew nothing about. Perhaps, that was Oke's biggest mistake, many in the crowd said. Very few blamed him for defending himself in his house when Nmaju attacked him. But Oke in the eyes of the same people that rooted for him lost the support immediately he used the military to waylay a medical seeking Nmaju. He lost it totally when he invaded and attacked the youth leaders and vigilante group those wee h
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