There are strong indications that the refusal of Ugonna Benneth Uzohuo of Oleme Ajafulem in Ofeahia Amaifeke in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State, to serve the community’s Arusi Ogidi deity following his selection as chief priest, prompted the people of community to descend on him by burning his family house and banishing the entire family.
His ordeal was said to have started on May 11, 2010, the day his community’s deity, Arusi Ogidi, chose him to be its priest. That particular announcement marked the beginning of his travails and that of his family.
Ugonna, said to be only 18 years old at the time, having been born on October 14, 1992, refused to honour the call to be a priest of Ogidi deity due to his Christian belief. His refusal, it was gathered, angered the leadership of his community and the traditional ruler, who deployed every conceivable measures to get him to rescind his decision.
*Religious Worship*
NewsPoint learnt that the Arusi Ogidi deity, said to be feared and respected within the community and beyond, chooses its priests from any family in the community irrespective of age or gender, and anyone so chosen by the deity, was bound to honour the call or be prepared for dire consequences including death.
It was also gathered that Ugonna’s vehement refusal to answer the call of his village’s dreaded deity, underlies his alleged frame up as a gay or bisexual by some elements in the village who were bent on compelling him to serve the said Arusi Ogidi.
They also reported the embattled teenager to the Orlu Divisional Police headquarters and called for his arrest. The gay labelling, our sources disclosed, was due to the seriousness of the homosexual crime in the country.
*Plight of LGBT*
Homosexuality is a serious offence in Nigeria. It is punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in Nigeria face serious legal and social challenges. Their rights are flagrantly infringed upon because they are treated like lepers in society.
It could be recalled that Ugonna was reported wanted in 2010 by the authorities in the state over his alleged involvement in homosexuality which his parents have refuted, insisting that the allegation was orchestrated to punish their son for his refusal to serve the Ogidi.
It was also reported that Ugonna’s insistence to hold on to his Christian faith put members of his family in harm’s way. Ugonna’s mother, Mrs. Nwadi Uzohuo confirmed this in a chat with our reporter. According to her, all the members of the family were excommunicated from the village and their house set ablaze by irate youths, thereby rendering them homeless.
Narrating his ordeal, Ugonna’s father, Uchechukwu Uzohuo, expressed regrets over the failure of the police and the legal system to protect his son from the barbaric practices of his people, adding that if not for the extreme measures he took, his son would have been killed.
He said: “When this matter started, I didn’t take it for granted because I know my people; they can go to any length to enforce the oracle’s order. So, to save my son’s life, I took every legal measure to get justice. First, I reported to the police but they told me that my son was wanted at the station for homosexual activities. According to them, representatives of my community had already filed a petition against my son.
“However, since I couldn’t get justice from the police, I applied for a court injunction to stop my kinsmen from arresting or forcing my son to serve the deity but the court preferred to hear the same-sex relationship matter brought against my son by the community. After I had exhausted every legal means without reprieve, and afraid for my son’s safety, I smuggled him out of the village to Asaba, the Delta State capital.”
According to him, Ugonna’s stay in Asaba was short-lived as some of the villagers who saw him reported his whereabouts to their monarch. Following this disclosure, Uzohuo added, the relative who was accommodating Ugonna was also threatened and he asked the boy to leave his house.
*Helping Hand*
“In August 2010, when it was obvious that Nigeria was no longer safe for Ugonna, I pleaded with one of my friends living in Cameroon, Mr. Christian Okonkwo, to help my son escape persecution as the police were unable to protect him. He accepted and allowed Ugonna to stay in his house in Douala, Cameroon. That was in September 2010,” Uzohuo narrated.
Checks revealed that Okonkwo, who hails from Isi-Ala Umuezihie, a neighbouring village to Ofeahia, was also punished by the community for helping Ugonna to escape from Nigeria. He was summoned to the village by his traditional ruler, Eze A. A Ochiri on July 21, 2013, for being an accomplice to the teenager’s refusal to serve the deity. He was fined N55,200 to appease the gods and was also given a 14-day ultimatum to return Ugonna to the village or face the consequences that come with disobedience.
It was gathered that not too long after Mr. Okonkwo left for Cameroon, he returned to the village to inform the entire community that Ugonna had left his house without a trace. As it stands today, Ugonna remains wanted; a fugitive who can only return to his village when he is ready to serve the Ogidi deity.
Though the police command in Imo has denied knowledge of the incident, a senior police source who pleaded anonymity because he was not permitted to speak to the media, admitted that case was being investigated. However, he refused to answer further questions on the complicity of the force.
