Wonders, they say, never ends as a 53 year old man, Mr. Ejike Okpe also known as SimBAD is ostracized from his community for committing an act deemed abominable by the highest decision making body in his community, Obimo in Nsukka Local government area of Enugu state.
Obimo community, situated on the outskirts of Nsukka city centre which houses the University of Nigeria, shares common borders with Edem community in the North; Lejja community in the south; Agbani Nguru in the east and Nkpologu in the west through Ikwoka-Obimo sitting on longitude of 07 21' 40.90141''E and latitude of 06 48' 49.97818''N.
Obimo community adopts ostracism as one of the approaches for instilling discipline in the community , and correcting societies most destructive elements by creating communication barriers between the community and people who have committed abominable act.
An eye witness account revealed that man Mr. Ejike Okpe was officially ostracised on 18th March, 2024 by the Oha Obimo, for being a thorn in the flesh of the community. Prior to this development, he was being investigated for allegedly misappropriating community's fund to the tune of N20,000,000.00 (Twenty million Naira) provided for community project by the former government led by His Excellency Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. But the last straw that broke the Camel’s back was an offence bordering on forgery of documents and swearing to false affidavit in the court of law with aim to discredit the election of a fellow Obimo kinsman who was elected into the State House of Assembly.
Mr. Ejike Okpe, alleged that the winner of the election did not resign from PDP even when available evidence shows that PDP duly received his resignation letter. When the Concerned Obimo Youths got wind of the development, they quickly petitioned the Oha Obimo to address the situation and bring normalcy to the community as the crime of standing against a kinsman in a court of law with fasle accusation is known as ‘Nhufu Ala’ which literally means an abominable act. All entreates to make Mr. Ejike Okpe see reasons with his community proved abortive as he moved on with his sinister plan.
Consequently, Oha Obimo set up a committee to investigate and address the situation. After hearing the petitions, the Oha Obimo in its wisdom made the decision to ostracize Ejike Okpe. This practice, rarely invoked in recent times, serves as a severe punishment that isolates an individual from the community and its benefits. In addition to the ostracization, Ejike was also fined a live cow as a symbolic gesture of penance. This decision has sent shockwaves through the community and beyond, and highlighted the deep-rooted traditions and values held by the people of Obimo community.
The decision to ostracize Ejike Okpe by Oha Obimo was seen as a welcome development, with many supporting the traditional values upheld by the Oha Obimo owing to Ejike Okpe's heinous and reprehensible tendencies towards his people and community at large. According to popular opinion, the decision of Oha Obimo marks a significant event in the history of the community, highlighting the complexities of tradition, justice, and loyalty. As Ejike grapples with the consequences of his actions, the community faces a period of reflection and introspection on the values that have defined them for generations.
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