There was pandemonium in Umuela village, Ibagwa-Aka community in Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area of Enugu State, yesterday, as a middle-aged man (name withheld) alleged to have used fetish means to kill five of his brothers was banished for life by the community.
The villagers, who sang mourning songs, carried palm fronds and a mock coffin to the suspect’s doorstep. They alleged that within the last two years, no fewer than five youths had died.
A village source told our correspondent that when people die in the family, the suspect always volunteers to go to the diviners for fact-finding.
Upon his return, the source continued, “he would always inform the villagers that his late elder brother was responsible for the deaths.”
However, things seemed to have gotten out of hand when another youth died in the family during the last yuletide. The development forced the youths of the village to go to another diviner to find out the cause of the deaths.
A family member, who pleaded anonymity, said: “Our brothers and sisters have been dying for a long time now. Anytime you want to go and search for what is happening to our family, he would say he would do that for us.
“When he returns from the search he would tell us that his late elder brother was responsible for the death of the children; that his late elder brother had a problem with the gods; that the gods are the ones responsible for taking the life of the children.
“But when the last one happened, the youths were very angry about the death. We decided to go and look for a solution together.
“We went to many places in search of a solution and the picture of the man kept on popping up that our uncle is responsible for all the deaths that have been happening in Umuela village in the Ibagwa-Aka community.
“So, when we brought home what we saw, the entire village decided that he be banished from our community.”
The traditional ruler of the community, Dr Eze Ezeagu, could not be reached for a reaction on the issue.