In Igbo land, masquerades are feared and respected. They are regarded as the spirit of the ancestors who resurface to adjudicate on matters that defied the wisdom of the living In the yesteryear, the ‘spirits of the ancestors’ settled difficult disputes that related to land, marriage and communal crisis. However, OKODILI NDIDI reports that as a result of recent development in an Imo community where a masquerade cult caused the death of two, people have called for outright ban of masquerade cults.
Masquerades, otherwise known as mmanwu in Igbo parlance, are integral part of the Igbo mythology. It is believed to be a form of cult that correlates with the ancestral spirits. They are feared and respected for being the spirit of the ancestors who had died and often resurface through ‘tiny ant holes’ to adjudicate on matters that have defied the wisdom of the living.
In Igbo land, masquerades which have been in existence for several centuries, are seen as a sacred club for adult males alone as it is a taboo for a woman to come near it, as some of them are said to possess mystical powers.
In the yesteryear, masquerades are pastime for atheists or non-believers of the Gospel. They participate in masquerade ceremonies because of the unique features of the masquerades during festive periods and their relevance in the society.
The masquerade cult is highly revered and surrounded by myths and secrecy.
Women in Igbo land are forbidden from joining the masquerade cult or see mmanwu, especially during its rare nocturnal movement. Such women who, by error or happenstance, accost the masquerade, mostly the dreaded ‘Ajofia’, the one that is dressed in smoked raffia palm, are fined heavily.
Down memory lane, these ‘spirits of the dead’ have succeeded in maintaining law and order in Igbo communities. They only appear to settle difficult land disputes, marriage and communal crisis and during major festivals to entertain the people. At such occasions, women and children watch from the safety of their homes.
Popular among the masquerades are the Akakpor, a dwarf masquerade reputed for jumping over tall buildings and trees while performing, Aike Anyammee, which weeps ceaselessly, with torrents of tears streaming from its hollow eyes and the dreaded Ajofia, which appears only in the night, wrapped in raffia palm with eerie aura that sends chill down the spine of its spectators, among others.
It is always exciting to listen to the masquerades sing in their guttural voices and watch their esoteric dance steps. At such events, the ‘men’ who have been initiated into the masquerade cult take turns to parade the masquerades from their respective communities.
Useful as they are, masquerades fostered peaceful co-existence among Igbo communities and forewarned the people against impending disasters such as war, famine and epidemics. It was the proud identity of the Igbo culture and tradition.
But these days, things have gone awry. The masquerade has ceased to be a symbol of unity and order; it has instead become an instrument of terror, which usually leaves a tale of horror, tears and blood on its trail.
Nowadays in Igbo land, hoodlums hide inside the regalia of the once-revered masquerade to perpetrate all manner of criminality. The masquerades are no longer respected but are dreaded. The colourful masquerade festivals that were once attended with fanfare and merriment have been turned into theatre of blood, death and voodoo.
The rules and etiquettes that distinguished the mmanwu cult that gave it the posture of immortality and invincibility have all been flagrantly abused. Modern masquerades now go to markets and even churches to extort money and molest women and children.
For instance, all hell was let loose in Umutogume Village in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State recently when aggrieved members of a masquerade cult invaded the village to avenge the death of one of the masquerades that died while performing during a masquerade festival in the Umutogume village.
No fewer than two persons were shot dead and several others severely wounded by the rampaging hoodlums who were allegedly armed with AK47 riffles and other dangerous weapons.
Among the victims were an octogenarian, Priscilla Chije, whose bones were shattered by bullets, her 44-year-old son, Onyeka Chije, whose body was riddled with bullets and he died instantly, a hired cameraman who was covering the festival before he was shot on the head and Chidel Chije, who sustained severe gunshot injuries, as well as many others who were hit by stray bullets.
Southeast Report gathered that the masquerade known as Udebube from Abatu Village, which was among other masquerades performing during the festival at Umutogume Village, suddenly collapsed and died, fuelling suspicion that he was killed with voodoo by the host masquerade from Umutogume.
Immediately the incident happened, members of the deceased masquerade’s team quickly beat a retreat to their village where they reinforced and allegedly hired some gunmen and attacked the village two days after the incident, while the festival was still ongoing.
Narrating the incident to Southeast Report, elder brother to one of the deceased victims and son to the wounded octogenarian, Mr. Samuel Chije, said the gunmen, accompanied by members of the masquerade (mmanwu) cult from Abatu Village stormed their village and opened fire on the people, killing two people and wounding many.
He said:, “The masquerade from Abatu Village collapsed and died while performing during the festival and the members claimed he was killed by our village masquerade with voodoo. They hired gunmen with AK47 riffles and stormed our village and began shooting intermittently, killing two persons, including my younger brother, Onyeka Chije and wounding my mother, Pricilla Chije.”
“One of my cousins, Chidel Chije sustained severe gunshot injuries and is still in critical condition in one of the hospitals.
“One cameraman who was hired to cover the festival at the village square was shot at the head and he also died instantly, while many others were wounded. But we know the identities of the gunmen because we have the video clips. They were accompanied by some prominent men from Abatu Village. We suffered much casualty because our house was close to the road.”
When contacted, the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Ezike, confirmed the incident.
Other instances abound where masquerades have unleashed horror on the people. In Irete community in Owerri West Local Government Area, a school child on his way to school was pursued to untimely death by a masquerade.
According to eyewitness account, the six-year-old boy was frightened by a lone masquerade that accosted him and in an attempt to escape, ran into an oncoming vehicle and was crushed to death.
Meanwhile reactions have continued to trail the activities of the controversial masquerades. While some elders are calling for the outright ban of the irritant group, others are calling for regulation, insisting that masquerade has an indelible place in the Igbo culture.
Nze Azuatalam Oliver, who decried the development, said the masquerade cult has been grossly abused by the youth. According to him, it has been turned into a tool for all manner of indescribable crimes.
He said: “During our time, the masquerade was highly respected and seen as a spirit that enforces justice and equity in the land. But all these have changed. Today, you see anybody wearing the regalia of a masquerade in the company of a handful restive youths and they go about the place causing trouble, beating and molesting women and children”.
Today, churches have sprung up in every corner and they have told their followers that the masquerade represents the devil and should not be respected. But despite the number of churches, evil has continued to multiply unlike when the masquerades were administering justice in the land”.
He, however, called for quick regulation of masquerades in Igbo land to avoid the attendant “killings, maiming and destruction of properties”,
He said: “Something has to be done and fast too. A situation where people hide under the guise of masquerade to kill and destroy can no longer be allowed. This is not our culture; it has been abused and hijacked by criminals”.
Chief Mbu Akaraonye, a traditionalist, frowned at the attempt to profane the masquerade cult. He said: “Masquerade is our culture. Up till today in Arondiuzogu, we still revere the masquerade as the spirit of our ancestors.”
Continuing, he said: “Even today in my community, masquerades are still invited to settle difficult land cases and restore peace. So, we cannot afford to ban masquerade because a couple of people decided to cause trouble under the guise of masquerade.”
But Reverend Ikonne Bethel, called for the outright ban of the masquerade cult, arguing that it runs contrary to the tenets of the Christian faith.
He said: “Despite the argument that masquerade is part of the Igbo culture, that aspect of our culture has become obsolete and should be jettisoned. It is just like arguing that other customs such as the killing of twins, the osu caste and female circumcision should be sustained because they once formed the Igbo culture. Societies evolve and those things that are no more desirable should be discarded and the masquerade cult is just one the obnoxious practices that should be abolished in Igbo land.”
