Nasarawa Monarch Tasks Subjects On Regular Medical Check-up
Rather than attributing death and illnesses to witches and wizards, a first-class traditional ruler in Nasarawa State, the Osuko of Obi, Alhaji Aliyu Dangiwa Ogiri Orume, has called on communities within the Obi Chiefdom to make it a habit to have regular medical check-up from qualified health personnel.
The Osuko of Obi who spoke to Eggonnews at his residence in Obi, the Headquarters of Obi Local Government of Nasarawa State, was reacting to the alleged poisoning of a 70-year-old woman, Saratu Iliya, at Okpaika, a suburb of Obi Local Government Area of the state.
You would recall that the report on the alleged poisoning of a 70-year-old woman from Okpaika was earlier published on the Eggonnews online platform recently.
Confirming the incidence to Eggonnews in his residence at Obi, the Osuko of Obi, Alhaji Aliyu Dangiwa Ogiri Orume cautioned communities in the locality not to take the law into their hands.
He said: “Nobody reported the matter to me officially. I was on my way to farm to check my maize farm, when I saw a lot of people in the Obi Police station. So I asked the driver to stop.
“And I saw soldiers in the Police station too and people were scampering. I tried to find out what was happening, and the leader of the soldiers came to me.
“I asked him what was going on. He told me that somebody called and told them that some people came to the Obi Police station insisting that they will burn the Police station that was why they rushed to the Police station. And that when they came, they saw them in a mood like protest and some of them were exchanging words with Police, that they even brought along some sick children to the Police.
“It was only God that took me there that fateful day if not we don’t really know what would have happened. Because the people who came from Okpaika were insisting that the Police should release those people they arrested.”
The traditional ruler continued: “So I assembled them and asked them all to meet me at the Primary School Obi South, where I addressed them.
“I asked them what was their problem? They said there were sorts of mysterious illnesses and deaths in the Okpaika community and they don’t seem to understand what was happening. That within few days, they had buried four children already and about seven others are down. That they took the children to the hospital but no specific disease was detected. That they decided to go for prayers, but nothing positive came out of it.
“That was why they invited one native doctor. That in the process, some women confessed that they are among the witches.
“That on the people’s request, the native doctor gave everybody present that day some concoction to drink. Because already, there were two women who were accused of practicing witchcraft.
“Then that the native doctor asked the two women if they will take the concoction since they claimed to be innocent, and that the two women accepted to drink the concoction.
“So when the two women took the concoction, both of them had problem. One of them was talking anyhow, while the other one was in coma, no talk.
“As a result of that, a son to one of the women reported the matter to the Obi Police Division. So Police went to Okpaika, and the youths there gathered sick children and put them in the Police vehicle. That if the Police will make any arrest in the town, they should go with the sick children first. Then the Police asked them to pick those sick children back.
“So when the Police returned to Obi, the person who reported the matter saw one of the youths taking fuel either from station or roadside black marketer, then he told Police that the youth was one of those who brought the native doctor to Okpaika. Then the Police arrested and detained him.
“It was as a result of the arrest that people from the community came to Obi Police station demanding that those arrested in connection with the issue should be released.
“From there I cautioned them and blamed them for taking the law into their hands. The first question I asked them was if they are aware of the existence of a traditional ruler in Obi, whether they know of the existence of village head, ward head.
“I asked if they reported the matter to the ward head they said yes. That they thought the ward head told me I said I didn’t see anybody. I told them that if not now that I was going to farm that I saw them, I didn’t know anything on the matter. Even though the ward head didn’t report to me, I expected them to send a delegation to me, not in the manner they were going.
“Secondly, I asked if there are Christians among them. They said they are all Christians. I asked if they believe in God, they said yes. I asked if they are aware of existence of death, they said yes.
“So if they believe these, why would they panic if four children died in the village. Do they know how many people used to die here in a day? Sometimes we record ten deaths. So we shouldn’t always think that it is witchcraft, it may just be the time that God destined their death.
The Osuko of Obi noted further; “Not that I don’t believe in witchcraft, it is both in the Holy Bible and the Glorious Qur’an. But we have reached an era that we have to leave everything in the hands of God.
“I asked, are they the ones that brought the children to the World? They said no. I told them the one who brought them is the one who took them back. Even with witchcraft, nothing happens to a man if God has not approved. From that moment I told them that I don’t want to hear anything on that again and I asked all of them to go back home.
“I asked them to meet me in the palace on Monday. I told them to select ten elders, five youths, five women to meet me in the palace Monday (the event at the police station happened on Saturday).
“I invited DPO, SSS, and addressed them all over. I blamed them (the Okpaika Community) for the wrong action they took and they accepted and tendered apology.
“Now that you want to burn Police station, if you have any security challenge who is supposed to come to your aid? Is it not the Police? Then you from the village will enter our town and protest, the traditional ruler didn’t even know, nobody knows, what happens if people form Obi said they don’t want it? So in the palace, they apologized.
“I asked for the native doctor they said he is from Obi. he was also invited to the palace where he was also cautioned so that he will not stir confusion in any community again.”
Consequently, Alhaji Ogiri said he immediately invited personnel from the health department of Obi Local Government to go to the community and take samples of the sick children in Okpaika for test to ascertain what really was the problem in the community.
According to him, the Obi health department had reported the case to the State Disease Surveillance Team and that they have been assured that the samples will be taken either today (Monday 13th July, 2020) or the day after tomorrow.
The Osuko of Obi explained that since the day he held the meeting with them there were no further reported cases of illnesses or deaths.
When Eggonnews visited the Obi Police station, its D.P.O. confirmed the incidence but said the case has been transferred to the Nasarawa State Criminal Investigation Department, C.I.D. and declined further comments on the matter.