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Die nigerianische Zeitung Tempo berichtetet am 7. März 2002 von blutigen Auseinandersetzungen zwischen AnhängerInnen des sog. Odo-Kults und ChristInnen in der Igbo-Gemeinde Neke und beschreibt in diesem Zusammenhang auch die blutigen Traditionen des Kults:

“Christians and animists are engaged in a bloody fight over religious practices reports Mike Ubani TEMPO learnt that the deity is represented by a masquerade known as Odo. The masquerade, which appears in public twice in two years, has several shrines including the Ugwu Ota Egbudu, Amanyi, Okurempkume, and Ezugwu, the most dreaded of them.

It was further learnt that almost everybody born in Neke is initiated into the Odo Masquerade Cult. 

It had been the tradition of Neke people that each time the Odo Masquerade made a public outing, non members of the cult stay indoors as long as the masquerade is in the public glare - usually four days. On such days, other social and religious activities are outlawed in the community. 

The horrible aspect of this outing is that human beings - several of them - are usually sacrificed at several shrine of Odo before the masquerade, according to the natives, agree to take its exits. 

The victims of this barbaric act are not only people from Neke but also strangers who come either on a visit or to trade in the community. In fact, it was gathered that during the colonial days, the adherent of Odo beheaded scores of white men and women who ventured into the community. The heads of male victims were reportedly deposited at Ezuguwu shrine while that of the female victims were taken to Ani shrine.

[…]

Many people were reportedly declared missing in Neke in February 2001 when the Odo masquerade embarked on its routine outing. 

It was believed that most of the missing persons were sacrificed to propitiate the masquerade.

But the Christians in the community including those of the Catholic and Anglican denominations had since cried foul. They await the psychological moment to pull down the 'wall of Jericho'. That opportunity came between 14 and 16 February, 2001. 

As usual, the Odo cult members announced that there would be no religious and economic activities in the community during those periods when the Odo masquerade was expected to make an appearance, this announcement obviously incensed the Christians. According to Rev. Anselem Chibundu Omeje of St. Patric Catholic Parish, Neke, ‘This announcement agitated the minds of the Christians in the area, and aroused in them the spirit of revolt.’ The revolt by the Christians took the form of the destruction of Odo shrine and the unmasking of the Masquerade. 

At the Ezukwu shrine, the Christian soldiers made a startling discovery. They found 32 human skull in one of the layers of the alter of the shrine. The alter has seven layers, and the possibility exists that more human skulls are locked inside all the layers of the alter.

This shocking discovery was reported to the police in Ikem, the headquarters of Isi Uzo Local Government Council. It was gathered that the police later removed the human skulls to the station, made some arrest, but for inexplicable reasons released the suspects, all of them members of the Odo Masquerade Cult.” (Tempo, 7. März 2002)

Auch ein Artikel der nigerianischen Zeitung The News vom 6. Mai 2002 berichtet über die Entdeckung der menschlichen Schädel in dem dem Odo-Gott gewidmeten Schrein in Neke:

„The town [Neke] has idols notoriously called Ezugu and Odo, the gods of war which are still appeased by their worshippers, with the blood of human beings. At the last count, 32 skulls have been recovered by the police. The discovery was made recently by a group of Christians who also reported the matter to the police. The idol worshippers were, on 19 December last year, dragged to the Ikem magistrate court, presided over by Mr. Donatus Alumona.

[…]

The Police, charged them with ‘unlawful possession of fresh human skulls and thereby committing an offence punishable under section 495 (a) of the criminal code, cap 36, vol. I, laws of Anambra State of Nigeria 1986 as applicable in Enugu State.’

There is, however, a new twist to the entire saga as the same police force, has charged 21 of the Christians who made the discovery to court.

[…]

The Police accused them of maliciously damaging the Odo shrine of Aneke family traditional worship and the residence of Ani Nwogene, the Onyishi (Chief priest) of Odo shrine, valued at N2.5 million. The offence, according to the police, is punishable under section 415 (2) (a), (b) of the criminal code cap 36 vol.1, laws of Anambra State of Nigeria 1986 as applicable in Enugu State.

[…] Mr. Peter Mba, a teacher and a native of Neke, went to school but met the school deserted. Blank seats and chalkboards stared him in the face. Everyone, in deference to the Odo cult, had stayed away. On his way back home, he was attacked by a group of Odo masquerades and beaten to a pulp. Mr. Simon Eke of Umu - Egwu village was assaulted by a horde of Ujueme (junior Odo devotees) extremists who broke into this house and looted his belongings. Elder Samuel Ugwueze was also attacked by the same gang at Onueme, mercilessly beaten and his house was also looted. His offence was that his daughter, a catholic, was among other Christians who sang that Odo, the Neke god is man-made.

The same marauding band assaulted three Christian girls from Umu-Egbe, Aneke and Umu-Ona for refusing to bow to the cult. Mr. Felix Odo of Umu-Ugwu village, a retired University of Nigeria staff member, was given the same treatment by the same group. The Ujueme group drove away women (Christians and non-Christians) from their kitchens and forcefully removed their food and meat at gun-point. Ujueme age grade even dared the government last year when, because of threats, the Enugu State Primary Education Board (SPEB) could not commission the school it rehabilitated at Ugwu-Akparata Neke because it fell within the festival period .

[…]

In Neke, only strangers are sacrified to the deities.

[…]

Neke, a serene and an agrarian community in the present Enugu State, had, right from primordial times, been noted for human sacrifice. This is sequel to the existence of a blood sucking god. The deity, TheNEWS gathered, is represented by a masquerade called Odo. The Odo masquerade which appears in public once in two years has several shrines which include: Amanyi, Ugwu Ota Egbu, Okurenkume Esitowere and Omego. The second blood sucking deity called Ezugu is said to be the most dreaded and potent of the affiliate of the Odo. Almost every male adult of the community is initiated into the masquerade cult.

[…]

Non-initiates and women suffer a lot of ordeals during the outing of the Odo masquerade which is believed to be the most dreaded in Igboland.

During the period, no woman comes out in the night without a man accompanying her. For the three days, the outing lasts which also coincides with a feast of the deity called Mgbadike, no woman, stranger or child ventures into the streets or goes to market, school or any social gathering. In fact, all social and religious activities are outlawed in Neke.

[…]

Every Odo year, when the masquerade embarks on its routine outing, especially in February as this magazine gathered, the number of missing persons in all the nook and cranny of Igboland increases. Strangers who stray into areas being combed by head hunters from Neke also swell the list of missing persons.” (The News, 6. Mai 2002)

Für weitere, detaillierte Informationen zum Odo-Kult sowie den dazugehörigen Ritualen, der Odo-Maskerade, den daraus resultierenden Aktivitäten von KopfgeldjägerInnen und dem Handel mit menschlichen Schädeln in dem Gebiet möchte ich Sie auf den gesamten Text des Artikels verweisen (The News, 6. Mai 2002, pdf-Kopie im Anhang).

 

In einem Artikel vom 23. August 2004 äußert The News die Vermutung, dass nach den Aus­schreitungen und Auseinandersetzungen zwischen ChristInnenen und Odo-AnhängerInnen die Verwendung menschlicher Schädel bei Zeremonien des Odo-Schreins in Neke aufgehört habe:

“The Enugu Police Command, last year, similarly, raided an Odo deity in Neke, Isiuzo council area, discovering more than 30 human skulls. With mass protests and legal battles by Christians in the community and beyond, the use of human heads to worship the Odo shrine in Neke seemed to have stopped.” (The News, 23. August 2004)

In dem selben Artikel (23. August 2004) berichtet the News von dem Fall einer jungen, christlichen Frau, die gezwungen worden sei, dem Odo-Schrein in Amaozalla in der Ozodo Local Government Area als Priesterin zu dienen und aufgrund ihrer Weigerung mit dem Tod bedroht worden sei:

“Indeed, Shrines, seem to have been elevated to such a position of authority in some Igbo communities that the deities are, sometimes, believed to chose their servants. 

When that happens, they do so without regard for the victim's faith. A case in point, is one Mrs. Esther Ekedigwe.

Esther is a Christian, but when 'Odo' a deity whose shrine is in Amaozalla in Ozodo Local Government Area wanted her as his priestess, she was not consulted. Esther considered the offer incompatible with her convictions as a Christian and turned it down. To the adherents, of 'Odo' that is the peak of sacrilege. Consequently, Esther was condemned to death by the idolators. The death sentence, it was learnt, was meant to appease the deity. Other Christians in the community, TheNEWS learnt, are so scared to defend Esther because of ‘the dangerous nature and potency of the 'Odo' deity.’ At present, Esther has fled the community, and her whereabouts, according to Michael Ekedigwe, a relation, is unknown. Ekedigwe, further disclosed that a lot of helpless female Christians in the community had become ‘perpetual servants of the deity through this kind of intimidation by the worshippers.’ He stated that it has been a yearly event, from time immemorial, that before the celebration of 'Odo' festival, some women are chosen through ballot to become new servants of the deity. ‘Once the ballot falls on any woman,’ he explained, ‘it is either she serves Odo or she will be condemned to death and be stoned subsequently.’ So, in February this year, when Esther, amongst other women, was selected by the traditional ballot and she declined, custodians of Odo did not hesitate to declare a Fatwa on her and her entire family. Since then, Esther, her husband and three children have been on the run.” (The News, 23. August 2004)

In den ACCORD derzeit zur Verfügung stehenden Quellen konnten im Rahmen der zeitlich begrenzten Recherche keine Informationen darüber gefunden werden, ob der Odo-Kult auch im Dorf Ngwo, in der Local Government Area Udi in Enugu State tätig ist. Auch konnten keine aktuelleren Informationen zu der genannten Fragestellung gefunden werden.  

Diese Informationen beruhen auf einer zeitlich begrenzten Recherche in öffentlich zugänglichen Dokumenten, die ACCORD derzeit zur Verfügung stehen. Diese Antwort stellt keine Meinung zum Inhalt eines bestimmten Ansuchens um Asyl oder anderen internationalen Schutz dar. Wir empfehlen, die verwendeten Materialien zur Gänze durchzusehen.

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