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DYING TRADITIONS IN IGBOLAND: IKU OFO AND THE MODERN JUSTICE

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Nigerian Journal of Oral Literatures (No. 3, August 2016, 83-100)
ISSN-1595-1715

DYING TRADITIONS IN IGBOLAND: IKU OFO AND

THE MODERN JUSTICE SYSTEM

JOHN IWUH, PhD

Department of Theatre Arts,
Redeemer’s University,
Osun State, Nigeria
Email: [email protected]
Abstract
This paper examines the neglect of some traditional methods of punishment
that prevented crimes and sustained the ethics and moral codes of the Igbo
people before the modern institutional legal process. The dying practices of
ikwa ala, ipa mkpo, and iku ofo are three obvious methods that guarded
against incest, crimes like stealing and other forms of wrongdoing. Also
threatened are eshe and ituaka that honour the dead at burials in order to
maintain or restore the dignity of a family as well as prevent envy and
attack of ancestral spirits. However, Christianity is opposed to these
practices. This paper interrogates the dilemma of the Igbo society caught
between these practices and the constitutional legal practice in the 21st
century, which has greatly reduced the practice of these effective traditional
methods of punishment in most communities. It thus questions the hope of a
crime-free society in the foreseeable future given the allowances of modern
justice system and the conflicts posed by questionable moral culture of
modern Nigerian society. With illustrations, the paper examines some of
these punishments in (ancient) Igbo land, how they kept crimes in check,
some reasons for their decline, and the attractions of the modern justice
system in the Nigerian society.

Key words: Tradition, Justice, Igbo, Eshe, Aladimma

Introduction
Tradition embodies a people’s custom and belief. It is defined as a way of
doing something that has existed for a long time among a particular group
of people. The inclusion of belief means that tradition is almost inseparable
from the people’s form of religion while customary connotes that such a
practice has become institutionalised in the people’s culture and way of life.
Most African traditions have ancestral backing owing to the fact that it
dates back to thousands of years as inherited practice. Iku ofor and others
84 John Iwu

that shall be discussed in this paper are just a few of them. For instance,
Nze Gogo Osuagwu of Ibeku in Okwuato autonomous community in Imo
state at the age of 110 says:

Iku ofor is our people’s way of punishing evil (aru), especially

a very serious crime against the land (ala). Our forefathers
passed down the practice to us. But these days, people quickly
run to the police or the court. They say we are Christians, but
we know that is not the main reason. They are afraid of ofor
(Interview 2007).

“But these days…” is information that the old ways of doing things have
given way to a new form of practice. For change to occur, some intrusions
must make it possible. The information above presents some pointers. It is
common knowledge that “the police” is the organ of government
constitutionally empowered to interfere by force, mediate in conflict
situations and stall further actions from proceeding. “The court” on the
other hand is constitutionally empowered to interpret the law, determine
which action is right or wrong, and dispense justice by prescribing
appropriate punishment. “We are Christians” is the third and final pointer,
and the fulcrum on which the morality of the European justice system rests.
It did not come without a political arrangement with an enduring capitalist
structure. This is the modern tradition that keeps traditional practices
constitutionally weak and legally inoperative.

A Disrupted Status Quo

Modernity, its meanings, identifications and discourses revolve around the
transition of societies, peoples and their cultures. Reviewing the works of
classical theorists of modernity, Ritzer and Goodman (2004: 541-578) note
that Karl Marx favoured the advancements brought by a capitalist economy
where exploitation by any means is to the detriment of the weak. Weber, on
the other hand, dwelt on the superiority of one form of “rationality” over the
other and the emergence of the “iron cage” to the point of mental self-
imprisonment. Durkheim appears more explicit on the thesis of the present
article owing to the emergence of new religious postures and the desire for
new socio-political positions. In his view, “modernity was defined by its
organic solidarity and the weakening of the collective conscience” (542).
The new order presented its own unique problem, that is, lack of uniform
social or moral standards. George Simmel could not be ignored because he
identified the new environment that emerged and which also provides those
Dying Traditions in Igboland…85

within it the power to change. He asserts: “The city is where modernity is

concentrated and intensified” (542) owing to the money-driven economy
and its extended influences. The opinions are diverse, far-reaching and all
embracing. In some cases, industrialisation, imperialism and war have been
major influences, while colonialism, religion and social change have been
major complements.
The few submissions above appear to be the destructive forces
behind the erosion of rustic cultures, strong tradition and morals especially
in Africa. Drama as the mirror of humans in transition has always keyed
appropriately and timely into reflecting these changes. The East African
novelist and playwright Ngugi Wa Thiong’O reflects them in The Black
Hermit that is about a young man who tramples on his people’s expectation
culturally and politically because he has acquired the White man’s
education. Speaking the English language, wearing a suit and a tie, and
eating with fork and knife, he finds his people’s traditions and reasoning
unacceptable.
Adaptations of Things Fall Apart by the most accomplished Igbo
novelist, Chinua Achebe, convey a message of disintegration and the
gradual shift of the Igbo tradition and culture toward the refuse dump with
the coming of the White man. The oneness of a people splits from the
nuclear families to the whole society. Ironically, it starts from the household
of the iconic defender of his people’s tradition that quickly embraced the
White man’s culture through religion. That beginning was how a man from
Okonkwo’s bloodline becomes the quintessential white boy in black skin or
a “civilized” version of a “primitive African” in No Longer at Ease.
Subsequent adaptations of Things Fall Apart into drama and television
serial were major ways of showing the tragic picture to all discerning
minds. As Africa’s benefit from modernity, the Black man in suit becomes
the smart outlook of rebellion and outlaw against his own tradition. It
previews the picture of a corrupt society with an unwinding tortuous road to
justice. Again, Obi Okonkwo in Achebe’s No Longer at Ease is an example
of what the elites were to become in independent African countries.
Modernity in Africa, particularly from technological, mercantile
and religious perspectives, is an appendage of colonialism. Thus the major
external influences on modern African cultures are based on three principal
factors of colonialism, religion and urbanization. This is contrary to its
imperialist counterparts where modernity was triggered off by industrial
revolution and technology, rather than religion, and imposed social order.
Africa has not only been the dumping ground of foreign cultures but it has
also continued to be the importers of foreign ideologies to the detriment of
authentic indigenous socio-cultural heritages. Even though many rural
86 John Iwu

communities that were far from the immediate reach or direct colonial
influence were spared the shock of bastardization, no part of Africa was
completely immune to its corrosive effect. The protagonist in The Black
Hermit testifies from the angle of European education by failing to be the
superman the community expects. Gabre-Medhins’s The Oda-Oak Oracle
(1965) attacks tradition purely from the angle of Christian religion. The
play is carefully plotted to castigate the people’s oracle through
cannibalistic demand and faulty prediction.
The tragedy facing Africa’s traditional institutions is the rebound
effect preached by its educated people (Shanka in The Oda-Oak Oracle,
Remi in The Black Hermit, Obi Okonkwo in No Lonnger at Ease), and
those who have experienced metropolitan cultures left behind by
colonialism. Citing Nwubu, Nwoko notes, “Igbo migration in the twentieth
century took the form of movement from the countryside to colonial cities
within the Igbo homeland as well as other centres outside Igboland” (2011:
240). The impact of this aspect of modernity especially in the rise of
“popular cultures” and ultra-religious views based on foreign tastes can
only be described as a postcolonial tragedy of sorts. The Igbo society of
southeastern Nigeria watches with nostalgia the eroding of cultural norms
of its people as traditional forms of punishment become subordinate to the
European legal system. In fact, it is at the brink of extinction.
Unfortunately, the adjudication process of European legal system is
not only manipulative but also makes justice and punishment a lengthy
process. Thus European justice system is a weak tool used by outlaws and
men of power and influence to pervert society and extend social injustice
and moral decadence. The level of corruption in Nigeria generally has in
recent times cast aspersion on foreign religious faiths especially
Christianity, Islam and their accompanying legal systems for their failure in
curbing corruption and heinous crimes. In 2009, Rev. King, a religious
cleric in Lagos, was alleged to be engaged in varying degrees of torture and
murder in his church. He was arrested and interrogated, but the legal
process continued for many years, and when a death sentence was finally
pronounced, he proceeded to appeal against the judgment. In addition,
countless political office holders accused of corrupt enrichments have
manipulated the judiciary to escape conviction. The cases of the former
Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole and the
former Governor of Delta State Ononafe Ibori were high profile cases that
were “bigger” than the Nigerian judiciary. In fact, Satguru Maharaji, a
popular but controversial religious leader in Nigeria in Fireworks, a debate
programme on Television Continental (2012) advocates that political office
Dying Traditions in Igboland…87

holders should take the oath of office by swearing by Ogun (the blazing
God of iron). The proposition is a clear indication that these traditional
deities do not spare political offenders who act contrary to their oath of
office sworn to before them to serve society for the benefit of humanity.

Igbo Administration and Hegemony

Before the coming of the White man, the traditional Igbo society was a
collective one even without a central government. That is, if compared to
the colonial style of political administration and leadership, or the
established Obaship or Emirship system of the Western and Northern
Nigeria respectively. Conservative as the Igbo society was, it believed in
individual freedom of expression and mutual respect that also guided its
people morally to oneness. According to Achebe (2000: 1-36):

The Igbo nation in pre-colonial times was not quite like any
nation most people are familiar with. It did not have the
apparatus of centralized government but a conglomeration of
hundreds of independent towns and villages each of which
shared the running of its affairs among its menfolk according
to title, age, occupation, etc (6. Emphasis mine).

Since there was unity, social harmony and economic progress, Achebe
concludes, “Igbo people would regard such a recognized leader as the very
defining principle of their social and political identity” (4). It goes without
saying that governance and administration was based on humble mutual
understanding of the principle of custodianship rather than lordship. The
traditional heads fulfilled this function in a simple but effective communal
leadership arrangement through their traditional title holders like Ndi Nze,
Ozo and other eminent members of the community as defined by age,
achievement and occupation. Prior to Ezeship in Igbo land, Nze title holders
provided leadership direction for the people of Mbaise. Nze is a title for
highly esteemed and virtuous men. They are respected for their
unquestionable integrity, honesty, and reliability. In small communities like
Okwuato Mbaise, the virtuous Nze maintained his integrity despite the
higher political power of the Eze. This does not mean that certain Igbo
societies elsewhere did not have a complex and efficient political
administrative system based on the kingship model. The Onitsha political
organization was one such Igbo society (Dioka 2007:33-58).
88 John Iwu

Belief, Tradition, and Morality

Belief, tradition and morality are worldwide phenomena. To date, Indian
villagers smear themselves with colours during the Lathmar holy festival
(web). In Belarus, the eating of pancake and physical shows of strength
remain major features of the Maslenitsa, a pagan holiday that marks the end
of winter (web). The Jews as well celebrate the holy day of Purim which
marks Jew’s salvation from genocide in ancient Persia as told in the Bible’s
book of Esther. But it has become so transformed that sometimes “a float
decorated with a huge sculpture is driven through a street…” or people
could dress as clowns juggling during the parade (web). These are
traditions. The first two describe the public ceremonial aspects, which
culminate at the temples for the sacred aspects. It is needless to say that
they have gone through changes despite their sacred founding.
Hundreds of festivals in Nigeria, like the Osun Osogbo festival
(southwestern Nigeria) and the New Yam festival (southeastern Nigeria)
that owe their origins to deities of healing, cleansing, fertility and
procreation, compare to the Indian and the Belarusian ones. Africans hold
the belief that certain acts could desecrate the land in the course of the year
that could anger the gods in a manner that would affect the peace,
development and wellbeing of the society. Many African ritual dramas have
projected these worldviews and their subsequent methods of redemption.
The offences include murder, stealing, incest and other forms of
abomination or injustice. The Igbo society is highly conscious of these
forms of social and criminal acts.
Demographic changes and migration lead to culture dilution.
Introduction of Christianity gave African converts audacious freewill to
bastardize and contemn indigenous cultural practices and in some cases
abandon them outright. European education and white-collar jobs provided
fertile ground for the elite to cultivate a superiority complex and look down
on illiterates and poor rural dwellers. The same educated class also
displayed flagrant abuse of traditional norms without fear of punishment.
For instance, many town dwellers visit home only to violate certain
communal norms and break taboos. In The Village Lamb, Akamere “came
from the city to defy the prettiest girl of our clan” (Sc.2: 22). Another case
is when a tie-wearing “elite” comes home to order his parent to cultivate a
portion of land under dispute because he has the wherewithal to invite the
police and prosecute a court case. Such people have also refused to appear
before the traditional council of elders or the traditional judicial council but
would opt rather to go to court. The third reason is that many elders of the
community have converted to Christianity and so hardly support iku ofo
Dying Traditions in Igboland…89

against an offender. Again, the inability of the elders to apply punitive

measures against wealthy individuals on account of government laws that
protect human rights has led to ambivalent attitudes among the youths.
One spiritual observance or the other inwardly and outwardly
guides the behaviour of human beings in what Jim Unah calls “daily
commerce with the world” (1995:74), an arena where economic, political
and social changes inevitably affect a person’s relationship with tradition or
the Creator, depending on how life unfolds. No wonder, some authorities
contend that religion is “a set of personal belief about God and worship
which can be isolated from a person’s general culture and can be changed
without necessarily upsetting that person’s culture or his worldview” (Ajayi
1965:1). While this position may be true, it is not particularly right that the
status quo remains unaltered. In fact, the two sides of a human being
ceaselessly engage in constant shifts in order to find a comfort zone. Ajayi
captures this contrast that a significant new order begins when one’s
religious belief and worldview changes. Since religion is “an affair of the
community so intimately bound up with its way of life that a change of
religion necessarily involves a change of culture and the development of a
new conscience” (1). This second view is more applicable in Nigeria and,
perhaps, the Igbo society in particular. The difference between the
Christian religion and the traditional religion has always been clear and
evident.
In Ahmed Yerima’s Idemili (2006), Mgborie’s illness presents a
peculiar temptation between Oheja (a catholic priest) and Mgborie his
mother (a traditionalist). Unlike in Ngugi’s Hermit, the young priest in
Yerima’s Idemili pushes aside the previous wonders of his father’s god to
convince his mother that Idemili’s ability precludes salvation and
redemption. The difference is even more prominent when the believer
changes from an orthodox Christian to a Pentecostal Christian. Despite the
attractions and glamour of foreign religion, Western education, white collar
jobs and new social status, indigenous traditions and cultural practices
remain alive in villages and rural communities as well as in the minds of the
so-called Christians.

Iku Ofor: Offence and Administration of Justice

Traditions hardly die off completely; they just become unpopular because a
new form has come to take their place. If the old tradition is not outlawed, a
good number of people will continue to practise it. A clash may occur
between the two with or without physical danger to persons. Clash of
cultures is when there is a rift between the old culture and the new one that
90 John Iwu

tries to displace it. This is the case between Iku ofor (the people’s voice)
and the English Justice System.
Ogechi Anyanwu took an exhaustive view of Emile Durkheim’s
conscience collective to foreground her article on “Crime and Punishment
in Pre-colonial Igbo Society” (2007:45-71). Like many Igbo scholars, she
pointed out the three ethical and moral foundations on which the sense of
ancient Igbo traditional justice was based. According to Anyanwu:

For the pre-colonial society, the deeply held religious beliefs

embodied the codes of ala (Earth goddess) and Omenala
(custom) shaped the definition of Aru (crime), defined the
boundaries of social, political and economic relations, and,
moreover, created and affirmed the “collective representations”
that held the Igbo society together (2007:45).

It is not the aim of this article to delve into the intricate difference between
belief, tradition and morality; the fact is that they are like beads held
together by a string, thrown into the shrine and left for the diviner to untie.
Consequently, expectations and fears of individuals are still tied to the
norms and traditions of a community and its taboos need to be strictly
observed. Different forms of oath-taking usually begin the process of
discovery of an offender. Rules guiding ethical practices are based on the
spiritual trust in their Gods, ancestors and the respect for their fellowmen.
(Ogbulugo 2007: 57-70). Administration of oath is usually public and clan
heads that are also on oath to observe equity and discharge justice usually
perform it. It thus provides a solid foundation and guidelines for the
application of the principle of collective conscience by the customary court
when it emerges. According to Ifemesia, the Igbo “centre their affairs on
human interests and values that they had had to show empathy, and
consideration and compassion for human beings” (1979:31) and Njemanze
expounds the adjudication processes (118-125). The major reasons are that
the traditional deities whose codes guide the moral conscience of the people
do not condone evil. Consequently, penalty follows within a specified time
frame leading to instant application of justice once evil is perpetrated.
The most beautiful aspect of traditional Igbo society is the judicial
system for the administration of justice. Elders conduct the judicial
traditional process in the village square or community hall. This gathering is
called aladimma among the Mbaise people of Imo State. The process is apt,
clear and effective. Okwuato is one of the autonomous communities in
Aboh-Mbaise Local Government Area (LGA) of Imo State where the
Dying Traditions in Igboland…91

Aladimma traditional judicial system still maintains a strong hold, but it is

gradually being marred by divided loyalty. Christianity remains in vogue
and the belief that God will punish the evil-doer in his own time has created
less fear and promoted crime. Good men call for traditional oath-swearing
which produces visible results, even though the elders do not have the
power to override the government law enforcement institutions. The
following excerpt from an interview with Nze Gogo Osuagwu corroborates
Anyanwu’s account of the basis on which Igbo traditional judicial decisions
are founded. Even though the norms have not changed, enforcement of
punishment has weakened considerably:

John Iwuh: Nze, there seems to be a lot of changes culturally,

how have these changes affected the traditional institution?
Nze Gogo Osuagwu: I agree with you that a lot has changed,
but the fear about the dying culture of our people is only in the
minds of educated people in the big towns. Here in our village,
our people speak our language, even in the original dialect of
our forefathers. We eat our local food pounded in wooden
mortars, and we still celebrate our festivals and some still
swear by ofo.
John Iwuh: How about clothes?
Nze Gogo Osuagwu: I would not blame the youths for that.
Our children in the village want to dress the way you do; often
their brothers and sisters from Lagos supply these clothes to
them. But don’t they dance the ekpe in the White man’s dress?
It is in the mind.
John Iwuh: How about crime and punishment, is aladimma
still effective in Okwuato?
Nze Gogo Osuagwu: Indeed, aladimma has remained the best
platform for the resolution of disputes and arbitration of justice
for the people of our community. However, some people who
know that their actions contradict omenala quickly run to the
government law court to obtain what they call interim court
injunction rather than swear an oath. That injunction is like a
rope that ties a goat to a tree. So aladimma can no longer put
mouth until they agree to withdraw the case back to aladimma
John Iwuh: What principles guide aladimma in its judgments?
Nze Gogo Osuagwu: The same principles that guide us as
Ndiigbo. We believe that every man is a copy of the other;
respect him and take him as yourself. The land is sacred; it is
the only shelter of our ancestors, do not soil it. Moral rectitude
92 John Iwu

is the key to spiritual harmony; avoid every instrument of

ekwensu (devil). That is all, and there will be peace and
harmony in our community. This is our message to the youth
and those who suddenly acquire wealth. The other
question…oh, Aladimma combines witnesses with
commonsense as our guide since circumstances leading to
offences differ.
John Iwuh: When aladimma reaches a consensus or judgment,
how is crime punished?
Nze Gogo Osuagwu: There are different kinds of offences. If
it is sexual misconduct between two youths of our community,
they will cleanse the land (ikwa ala). If it is stealing, the
offender will carry the mkpo around the community, etc. Often,
decisions involving complex issues are reached through oath-
swearing. However, the problem today is that many claim to be
Christians who wish to swear on the bible rather than by ofo.
That of the bible has not helped us.
John Iwuh: What about murder?
Nze Gogo: In the past, if the offender says his hands are clean,
the priest will place ofo over him. If he is guilty, ofo will kill
him within one year. If he confesses and pleads guilty, he will
appease the land and carry out the full conditions of cleansing
to the letter or face banishment. But in recent times, that has
become very sensitive; we must report to the police first.
(December 2007).

Iku Ofor
Ofor is the messenger of justice in Igbo justice system. It is an instrument of
truth. There are two types. The first one is held and applied by the priest of
the oracle; it is by ordination. The oldest member of the family who is
usually the family head or the first son holds the second ofo; it is
transferable from father to son. Iku ofo is the release of the discernible
spiritual messenger of justice by the priest.

Criteria and Mandate

Even though ofor is customary, it is not dispensed until the people demand
it. The offender does not have to be seen or known, but the offence must be
of a grievous nature that affects society’s moral or cultural sense. It applies
to all forms of crime against the society: stealing, murder, covetousness,
Dying Traditions in Igboland…93

kidnapping, etc. Since iku ofor receives order from the people, it is applied
as a last resort.

Some Cases
Ofor is a self-searching spirit. It does not require human assistance. Cases
generally fall into two major categories: the one affecting the society and
the one between two individuals. Where the evil-doer is not known,
especially in cases against ala, ofor’s first mandate is to expose the person.
Since actions have no boundary, the incest involving Odewale in Rotimi’s
The Gods Are Not to Blame fits into our example. If it is an allegation by a
kinsman against another, then ofor is left to decipher because ofor is a self-
searching spirit. It does not require human assistance.

The Mandate
Ofor is not dispatched without specific instruction. The order is to free the
accused if he or she has been found guilty by any human error of judgment.
On the contrary, the mandate is to disorient, maim or kill if indeed the
accused is guilty as charged.

Modus Operandi
In order to kick-start the judgment process, the people must agree to rout
the source of such evil from their community, whether in human or spiritual
form. Thus, as a people-based communal justice system, the Aladinma may
go ahead to empower the priest of ofor to act if the suspect fails to come up
for confession within the stipulated period. In the case of a crime, the
offender/accused/suspect must have consistently denied involvement or
consistently claimed ignorance of the act. In the case of a disputed property,
the parties must have consistently held claims to be the rightful owners of
the property by inheritance.

Typical Cases
Incest, Rape, and Other Abominable Acts (1998)
The accused will swear to an oath and observe a given waiting period
ranging from one month but not exceeding one year. A typical case
occurred among natives of Okwuato in Aboh-Mbaise in 1998. The case
involved a madwoman once married but returned to her village owing to
madness. Since the parties involved were natives, the case was treated as a
sexual act between a brother and a sister, and as well as rape. The
madwoman had screamed for help all through the night after the act calling
for justice. The man confessed on the day of discharge of ofor. The Remedy
for such act is Ikwa ala (cleansing bath), which comprises unusual items
94 John Iwu

ranging from insects, diminutive animals of specific ages and colours (some
deformed) and wild seeds.

Robbery/Murder: Last Known Case (2007).

A syndicate of youths terrorized a small community in Aboh-Mbaise, Imo
State. The village maintained constant appeal to those involved for a change
of heart for about two years. The village elders were convinced that foreign
hands were involved, but not without the aid of natives. In the case, ofor
was discharged without the usual option of the grace of a waiting period.
Three of the culprits died in mysterious circumstances. The fourth came for
confession indicting the three who died and proceeded on self-exile.

Stealing
The most celebrated cases in the memory of living elders occurred from the
1940s to the 1960s in Aboh-Mbaise Local Government Area. The penalty
for stealing was ipa-mkpo, but if the offender found the ipa-mko too
disgraceful, he could proceed on indefinite exile. The stigma remains until
today of two notorious families in Mbaise. Two people from the
descendants of these celebrated cases rose to become kingpins of advance
fee fraud in Imo State, and their nefarious activities also impact the local
politics of modern-day Imo State.
It can be seen that the existence of government institutions, the
police, law courts, and even Christianity has provided preferred options for
criminals and outlaws to extend negative influences. Some people also
accuse the traditional leaders of diabolical scare if the community insists on
the traditional method of crime detection and punishment. The traditional
method was more effective in crime prevention for the following reasons:
Members of the community fear the deities because of their wrath and
punishment. This fear guides them to do what is right. Iwuh’s The Village
Lamb captures this aspect of tradition that has not ceased especially during
festivals:
It is dark. The crier goes round sounding his gong: “This is the
week of peace. All those that have soiled their hands in the
land should go for confession and perform the cleansing
sacrifice. You are warned.... All widows and widowers,
bachelors and spinsters who have had abominable contact, it is
time to purge yourselves for the sake of all; the gods will not
spare the evildoer. Have you stolen your kinsman’s goat or
cock or hen…? (Sc.1: 16).
Dying Traditions in Igboland…95

When judgment is passed on an offender, a hibernation period is set and

within that time frame, the offender faces isolation, socially, culturally and
even economically. A natural calamity of remote nature usually visits the
guilty one - thunder, drowning in the stream, falling from a palm tree or any
mysterious form of accident against the convict. Other forms of evil that
could trail an offender or his blood lineage could be permanent madness or
physical disability.
Some isolation usually follows the family of someone who has
gone through public disgrace such as akpu na onu (which means always in
the mouth or talk of the town) and ill luck in marriage or avoidance of
marriage contract. Zulu Sofola captures this rebellion against tradition in
Wedlock of the Gods when Ugwuma goes ahead to contract another
marriage before the mandatory period of one year while facing charges of
unfaithfulness thought to have led to the death of her former husband.
There is respect for general welfare. This human consideration
encouraged them to abstain from acts capable of polluting the land and
incurring the wrath of the deities. A man of evil character cannot summon
the moral courage to visit the deity in search of equity. In other words, he is
rarely the plaintiff in any traditional conflict resolution because he would be
subjected to the oath-swearing process.
The rules guiding the ethical practices were like rules of the thumb;
every member of the community is aware of the consequences. Leaders of
the community especially the Nzes were as important as ofo, the symbol of
justice, which according to Nze Njemanze is “synonymous with peace, as
they were bound by their oath of office to ensure peace among the people,”
(Nwoko 1999: 31). In the case of incest, rape, murder, etc., the authorities
apply the instruments of the deities; otherwise, the same instruments as a
repercussion will be visited on the authorities that let the divinities and the
people down.
Conversely, the modern criminal justice methods permit social
misdemeanor and allow offenders to escape punishment for the following
reasons:
o The right of every individual and an offender in particular, to invite
the police to interrupt the traditional legal process. Thereafter begin
constitutionally recognized judicial proceedings based on the
English law.
o The view that traditional methods are diabolical and
unconstitutional.
o The diminished desire for traditional methods due to Christianity
especially the growing influence of the dictates of religious leaders.
96 John Iwu

o The respite that the constitutional legal process affords the offender
boosts the offender’s ego and frustrates the just.
o And the various avenues open to an offender, who may also possess
the influence to manipulate the course of justice.

Dramatic Interventions and Queries of Dying Traditions in Igbo Land

Although the home video industry in Nigeria has explored aspects of
Nigerian culture through marriage and other domestic and inter-family
relationships, however, many intricate norms that are vital to hegemony,
maintenance of peace, unity and harmony of the rural community have
received little intellectual attention. Some are as follows:
Ikwa ala: This is a cleansing sacrifice to appease the Earth
Goddess, mother and keeper of all beings touching the surface of the earth,
and it includes fertility and products of sustenance. The list required for
cleansing of a polluted land is long but includes the following: goat, cock,
alligator pepper, nzu (special calamine), oji akadike (special kola nut), odo
(special maroon colour dug from beneath the earth, and egg yoke powder).
There are also lots of unusual insects and exotic leaves. The priest of Ala in
conjunction with the elders conducts the sacrifice which pleads with the
Goddess to forgive and restore relationships and association (mmeko),
protection from the sharing of food (iso oriko or spiritual poison) between
the offender, members of the community and the ancestors. The process is
tedious and tortuous especially in the search of the items required. It is
itself, a form of discipline, test of endurance for emotional punishment, and
dedication to the corrective process until the sacrifice is done. It is also a
self-inflicted experience for self-examination for the offender as a lasting
impression never to repeat such an act, and the mandate to be a crusader
against it. A repeat of such an offence would attract iku ofo or banishment.
Ipa mkpo/Ipa mbembe (pot of shame): The mkpo is a metal
container, usually a rotten one. Elders say that mkpo was carved out of
wood before the White man’s introduction of metal containers. The metal
containers are easier to pick up. For their symbolic significance, rotten ones
are recommended. They are easier to pick up and their sound suits the
purpose. For the public, catching a thief is a spontaneous action, disgracing
the one so caught is equally spontaneous; the disposed rotten containers
meet the required urgency. Ipa mkpo or ipa mbembe is the act of inflicting
public shame and embarrassment on a thief. Usually, the thief is dragged to
the village square where the mkpo is hung around his neck and the thief
carries it about the village and market square. Then the children arm
themselves with all sizes of whips and keep flogging the thief while many
Dying Traditions in Igboland…97

would gather all sorts of rotten containers to amplify the song of disgrace
that accompanies the chase. This public act is meant to embarrass the thief
and put a stamp of permanent stigma on the personality. By doing this, the
thief’s honour and integrity becomes tainted; the social standing drops, the
right to hold community titles and public office becomes questionable and
almost impossible. Iwuh’s Eshe (Dance of the Dead) portrays a senator,
who due to his position usurps his senior brother’s right. But he is choked to
death at the occasion by his dead father’s spirit. If the object stolen is a
sacred property, the community will evoke the ofo on him and the result is
usually madness or death.
Eshe and Ituaka: While burial will forever remain with humanity,
the traditions and practices that accompany mourning and interment have
been greatly altered by the dominant orthodox religious practices. Iwuh
avers:
Eshe is a funeral oration orchestrated through dance; it is an
honour given to men who attained the age of 70 or more.
Ituaka is an appendage of Eshe and yet the pinnacle of that
ceremony and it is the birthright of the first born of the
deceased. Eshe is ranked among nkwa ike and one of the few
age long traditions still surviving in Igbo land. The eshe
drummer is a specialist who speaks through 7 tonal drums to
relay the great deeds in the lifetime of the deceased which the
first son proudly interprets to an enthusiastic crowd (2011:1).

In Igbo land, ituaka is the predecessor of modern-day oration. The practice

is dying out along with the eshe groups owing to the new dimension of
Christianity and the near theocratization of the Igbo society. The church has
become the unelected government of most rural Igbo communities; it makes
rules of when burial should take place and how it should be conducted.
Failure to abide by this order would make the Priest decline final blessing at
the interment. Eshe has its counterpart known as uko. It is a rite accorded
women who die at old age.
Ikwa Ibo: Ikwa ibo is a period of psychological confinement or
retreat. It arises from ridicule or attack on one’s person due to poverty, low
IQ, or bad family image. The person so ridiculed could seek redress through
family heads or aladimma for a passionate appeal to the attackers. Elders
recount stories of people in ancient times so ridiculed that went to the extent
of committing suicide, which is a taboo. The positive angle is that it sparks
off an energy that inspires the person so ridiculed to great achievement by
querying his chi (personal god) for a reversal of destiny. In recent times
however, such remarks and ridicule push most youths in the rural
98 John Iwu

communities to the cities. Often, crime is the nearest attraction for the
reversal of such destinies.

Conclusion
One effect of modernity in Igbo land and indeed Nigeria is the
abandonment of some vital traditional practices without considering their
advantages. Practices like ikwa ala controlled immoral sexual acts while ipa
mbebe curbed stealing of all categories. These methods of keeping social
ills in check have no unhealthy ritual undertones. A number of African
ritual ceremonies with primordial origins may have had cannibalistic traces
but the ikwa ala, Eshe and Uko have no such record. The ikwa ala is purely
a purification exercise, with highly normative practice which predicts the
victim’s self exile if the offender fails to carry out the exercise. Ipa
mkpo/mbembe exacts public disgrace and shame that carries perpetual
psychological trauma known to be worse than a death penalty.
Crime has permeated every stratum of the Nigerian society and
institutional corruption has become the trademark of government officials
and political office holders. Traditionalists are calling for the introduction
of traditional forms of punishment. The issue has also become a recurring
topic on radio phone-in programmes in Nigeria. On the other hand, foreign
orthodox religions have set up near theocratic dictates that preclude
consideration of traditional forms of crime detection and punishment.
The loose moral order offered by the foreign legal and institutional
practices has failed the African society. There is need for review. Despite
the biblical teleological concept of end time in the form of apocalyptic
prognostications, societies must find ways to secure humanity in troublous
times. It may be necessary for government to revisit and adopt some of the
traditional measures that sustained society morally and spiritually before the
colonial intervention. In doing so, care must be taken to avoid good men
with confused intentions.
Ujowundu in Iwuh’s The Village Lamb represents a section of a
society caught in conflicts between Western and African cultures. In the
course of opposing the established culture of human sacrifice, he goofs
when it becomes common knowledge that he is behind some villages
developing cold feet over eshe, which is harmless to society and serves as a
check on manipulations and subversions perpetrated by possessors and
controllers of power (Sc.9: 85).
Given the pressures that the Nigerian society is experiencing as a
result of corruption, stealing, armed robbery and religious hypocrisy, the
Dying Traditions in Igboland…99

government should permit the use of some of these traditional methods of

crime detection and control for faster justice disposal.

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