In The Name Of Tradition

As children, we were told that masquerades are spirits of our ancestors. Our elders taught us and we also leant from other sources that masquerades in Igbo land serve spiritual, social, and educational purposes, that they are integral part of the cultural fabric of the Igbo people, embodying their beliefs, values and traditions. Growing up, we saw masquerades play some vital roles in our communities such as upholding moral values by punishing wrongdoers and rewarding those who adhere to the societal norms; providing entertainment through elaborate dances, music, and performances at community celebrations and gatherings and many more. But that has changed, especially in Nsukka, Enugu State where Omabe masquerade, popularly referred to as Oriokpa, has become a turn in the flesh of many indigenes and residents. As a secondary school student in the town, many years ago, Oriokpa masquerades were the most dreaded figures because of the way they dealt mercilessly with people, especially young girls and women. The physical assaults, molestations and intimidation were of the highest order.
During Oriokpa season and outing, many pupils and students and even teachers stay away from school for the fear of being brutalised by the masquerades. I recall one faithful day that we were beaten blue and black by a horde of Oriokpa. The school had dismissed, the bordering students returned to the hostels and we the day students and some teachers stood outside the school gate for hours waiting for any means of transport to take us home. No taxis, buses or motorcycles could come near the Urban Girls Secondary School environment because it was Oriokpa season. After some hours of hopeless waiting, a particular “born again” female teacher decided that enough was enough. She cut a branch of a mango tree on the school compound, with her Bible securely tucked in her armpit, she opened the gate and dashed out. Seeing her level of confidence and believing that she would be capable of warding off any masquerade that came near her, almost all the students going the same direction with her, ran after her.
It was a long, lonely, bushy untarred road but we were fearless seeing our leader with a long fresh stick and a Bible and she continued to pray as we moved. But behold, about half way into the journey, within a twinkle of an eye, dozens of Oriokpa masquerades appeared from nowhere and started coming for us. Our courageous born-again teacher could do nothing. Not the stick nor the Bible could be used to confront the large number of masquerades. All the students held her tightly, trembling. Incidentally, our hoped support base was even trembling more than us. She was shaking, begging the masquerades not to harm us. Unfortunately, all our pleas and cries fell on deaf ears. The masquerades descended on us, flogging the daylight out of us as we kept running and screaming. Some of us ran into one uncompleted building along the road but they caught up with us, flogging us like some disobedient slaves. Many of us still bear the physical scars from that experience till date.
The psychological scar is indelible. Painfully, over four decades after, the menace of the Oriokpa masquerades still persists in the university town.  Last month, a video of a female nurse being molested by some Oriokpa masquerades trended online. In fact, it is still trending. The victim, Miss Blessing Ogbonna, a staff of a private hospital in Nsukka, was fully kitted, riding her motorbike to the hospital when the masquerades swooped on her and started flogging her until she fell down from the motorbike. She managed to get up and ran, but the hordes of masquerades continued beating her till she fell into a deep drainage. According to her, she did not see the masquerades early enough to run because a tipper blocked her view and before she could see the masquerades, it was too late.
Commendably, some notable people, groups and organisations both within and outside Nsukka including the Enugu State House of Assembly reacted fiercely to the dehumanising act, leading to the suspension of operations of masquerades in the town. Reports have it that in a meeting, summoned by the Nsukka Town Federated Union, which was attended by the Oha Nsukka, the Akpuruaru Nsukka, the Igwes, the Presidents-General of the nine autonomous communities and the youths, a resolution was reached that “Oriokpa masquerade operation has been suspended until further notice to enable the Council of Elders conclude on the assault on Miss Ogbonna and come up with modalities on the Oriokpa masquerade operation.The Enugu State House of Assembly also acted swiftly by setting up an ad-hoc committee to come up with practical measures to regulate the activities of masquerades in the State. The action followed a motion by Honourable  Malachy Onyechi on the abuse of human rights, threat to life, and destruction of properties by masquerades in the constituency. Onyechi, who represents the constituency at the state House of Assembly, noted that the menace of masquerades in the area was alarming, as many had either been injured or lost their lives following their activities.
The security agencies  also played their part by ensuring the arrest of the suspects involved in the episode and charging them with assault, extortion and blockade of a federal road. All these steps so far taken are commendable. One only hopes that the modalities of operation to be arrived at eventually will be implemented and sustained. This is because similar steps have been taken before. They brought some sanity in the town for sometime but there was a relapse with the passage of time. One of such measures was the restriction of the operation of Oriokpa to the then villages like Echara, Umakashi, Nguru and others. They were not to be seen at Enugu Road, Odenigbo and other urban areas at that time. Incidentally, most of the then rural communities like Echara, Orba Road, Isiakpu, Echara and others are now township areas. They are all built up with a lot of economic activities going on within and around them. These communities are now being inhabited by people of diverse ethnic groups, religions and beliefs. These deserve to have their rights protected.
Masquerades and masquerade festivals are beautiful agelong culture which should be upheld but their operations must be adequately regulated at all times by the government and the traditional heads so that hoodlums do not hide under the guise of masquerade to bear illegal arms, to undo others and to cause nuisance in the society. The disruptions of public order – causing traffic congestion, disturbing the peace and interrupting business activities which negatively affect the local economy must stop. The extortionist acts of the masked spirit are highly resentful. As has been insinuated by some people and alluded to by a renowned university teacher, Professor Damina Opata, “The real danger is that some reckless youths even from outside Nsukka and Omabe culture areas go into the bush, don Oriokpa outfit, and begin to waylay people on the road, forcefully extorting money from innocent citizens, and even beating people who refuse to give them money.”
The solution to this was also proffered by the don, “…One way out of this is for village vigilantes and the police to arrest Oriokpa who block main roads, begging for money. The Igwes should also play a part in controlling the excesses of the modern Oriokpa.” The traditional rulers, town unions and other stakeholders should not allow outsiders to mess up their culture. Reformation of certain aspects of the masquerade tradition both in Nsukka and other parts of the country to align with contemporary societal norms is inevitable. It is crucial to balance cultural heritage with the need to maintain public safety and order.

Calista Ezeaku