There is no respite yet in site for the Anambra state-born writer, Okechukwu Okoye who has been fighting
for his life as a result of the bitter life-threatening reactions of diehard traditional religious worshipers and some Christian faithful in the state, especially within the Catholic Church.

It centered around the dust-to-dust graveside rites by women for their late husbands. The symbolic pouring of sands into the grave of one’s departed husband, either with a shovel or mere handful alongside other harmful widowhood practices against very poor and helpless women. The intimidation and persecution remain strongly against human rights and good conscience.
The bizarre dogma as was practiced only becomes an issue performed by a woman, but remains a non issue when it was done by a man.

So far, the crisis appear to have now extended beyond Anambra state, as the hunt-him-down sentence passed on him and his entire family by the traditional religious worshipers within and outside the church appeared to be working well in even far away places as Kano and Kaduna, both in Northern Nigeria and Port-Harcourt, Southern Nigeria.

Okoye, a former senior Catholic church official, reputed for his deep and extensive knowledge and experience in the laws and doctrines of the Catholic faith had chosen to chronicle it in a simple-to-read book titled Traditional Crisis Against Church, My View. It was all about the Christians’ reasons for the dust-to-dust rites by the spouse of a deceased native.

Unfortunately, this personal effort to douse the seeming disagreement, misunderstanding and brewing tension among the citizens with the contents of the book in which he tried to explain the why’s’, how’s’ and the what for’s’ Okoye didn’t know he was putting himself and his entire family on a danger list. As the threats mounted to a very dangerous level, the family suddenly relocated to Kano and ever since, Okoye simply disappeared from public view and his whereabouts has since remained unknown till date.

Today, years after the book hit the stands, and with Mr Okoye’s whereabouts still unknown especially since after the mysterious brutal killing of his father, Mr Robert Okoye in far away Port-Harcourt in the hands of this bloodthirsty group where he relocated to from Kano in the heat of the threats, October 2009. After relocating from Awka to Kano, he started having problems with Muslims who detest his alcohol business. This led him to relocate again to PH for the safety of his life. But he was murdered by suspected traditionalist gang group.

Sadly too, the author’s mother-Mrs Roseline Okoye became a victims of Boko Haram suicide bomb attack in Kaduna on Oct 28,2012, injuries she sustained eventually led to her death on Sept 26, 2013 about a year after, the situation has clearly become even more critical. Because Okoye’s traducers have clearly refused to relent or backdown, as they were alleged to have been widening their scope in searching for everyone related to him or that has anything to do with the family for possible elimination without question.

Things have apparently gone so bad that most families have chosen to leave their dead relatives in the mortuary for very long period of time, fearing that if they bring them home to bury they would be attacked or killed. It therefore cheaper, safer and easier to abandon corpses at the morgue than to bring them home for burial. No one feels safe to go through the normal rites of passage for the dead without incidents.

The ugly trend has remained dangerously turbulent and topical in the church for nearly twenty years now within some communities, particularly under the Awka diocese and has continued to threaten the very foundation of the Church. There was also progressive palpable apprehension everywhere that the trend, as ugly and despicable as it sounds might be unwittingly copied and extended to other areas/churches in the country by some copycats.

Key parishioner together with some priests have taken the matter to court respectively, seeking amongst other reliefs to be allowed to practice their religion unhindered, just as the traditional religious worshippers have been enjoying liberty to practice theirs. Unfortunately, courts see the crisis as cultural and traditional matter and tradition has intrinsic powers over Christianity in this part of the world, perhaps.

Presently, some have simply resorted to self-help, where armed security guards were usually procured and flood burial ceremonies to forestall any threat to peace and or to immediately quell any that breaks out. But the big question has remained-what of the larger majority that have no such money to procure the services of armed guards, and for how long. Again, what happens after the burials and the security guards go back to their places of primary assignment, as in the case of Okoye whose poor parents were forced to relocate far away from he country-home, at the twilight era of their days? That notwithstanding, these old folks were still hunted down and murdered in heartrending circumstances to relations when they attempted to recount the experience to journalists at the Isuofia, Aguata Council area of Anambra state home.

Perhaps in an effort to signpost how serious they were on their threat to eliminate the author of the book- Okoye, and all members of his family, including everything-houses, livestock, graves, chapels and all personal/family property were reportedly looted and vandalized. It was indeed very hard extracting information from neighbors, and villagers as no one was willing to open up to reporters for fear they might later be attacked or killed too.

A relation of Okoye who gave his name as Chief Donatus Ubaka disclosed to journalists that situation on ground was even getting to a point where priests and citizens who wish to officiate and or attend burial ceremonies respectively would be personally armed and or come with personal security.

There were instances where priests who would not brook the conflict simply declined or shirked the responsibility to officiate at grave sides, or abstain to attend entirely.
Unfortunately, since the book hit the stands in the country few years ago, it has became more enmeshed in the crisis it had sought and intended to solve, especially in areas like Awka, Abagana, Enugwu-Agidi, Nawgu, Ifitedunu, etc.

The book had observed that the Catholic church and the faithful maintained their stand because they argued that some of the burial rites as held by the traditional cultures were clearly inhuman, abuse of one’s rights/liberty, natural conscience, beliefs and choice of religion. And this has made the traditional religious worshipers even more angry.

Again, one of the few such traditionalists, simply identified as Ozo Anakwuelum who agreed to speak to journalists under anonymity said they were not happy at all with Okoye and his book which the Church and many recalcitrant families have since embraced the book as their banner/partner.

Just like he pointed out, it was observed across most communities in the course of this investigation that more families-Christians and non-Christians alike now clutch unto the book as their bible of defense for insisting on performing the dust-to-dust last rites for their departed loving husbands.

Anakwuelum disclosed also that besides contravening their age long tradition and culture, the dust-to-dust rites by women humiliates their late husbands and negatively affects the potency of some other fetish rites of males within the area. That they were not fighting for only the dead, that they were fighting for even the living, including all the “initiates” in the area. He refused to unveil more reasons for their anger against the Church and Okoye. For this, he reiterated, Okoye has become enemy number One, till death, anywhere he is found on the surface of the earth.

Earlier in the course of this investigation, at the office of the Catholic Bishop Paulinus Ezeokafor at the St Patrick’s Cathedral Awka, a reverend father in his fifties who acknowledged knowing him fairly well and having worked closely with him in the church few years ago confirmed being aware of the burial rites crisis which sadly appear not to be relenting. Because, while true Catholics rely on the church doctrine which took its root from the Bible, the adherents to native traditional religion see it dogmatically very differently. None appear ready to shift ground.

Unfortunately, Okoye who had imagined he was introducing his book to solve the quagmire was unknowingly putting himself in the middle of the very problem he had intended to solve. Such that today a death penalty has been placed on him across the globe, particularly the 36 states of Nigeria. And like the fate of Salman Rushdie, the author of Satanic Verses, Okechukwu Okoye appear to have disappeared from the public glare and perhaps into a distant continent and society outside his dear country home of Isuofia, Anambra state of Nigeria. Again, like Rushdie, may be forever, who knows!.

There was serious doubts if having been forced to go underground has changed Okoye’s views against the traditionalists who were seen as a cult-like group. Curiously they operates in virtually all parts of the country under different names and guises.

When asked why they have not declared Okoye missing since his swift disappearance, his relations said they have their reasons, and could not say more than that. They alleged that most top government functionaries appear to be supporting the traditional worshippers, lamenting that a sizable number were apparently members. Again, the atrocities were usually committed under the cover of darkness. Again, that because of religious diversity, some of officers of opposing faiths were reluctant to do anything when it comes to christian doctrine under the influence of ”let them kill themselves”

Chuks Collins