African Food and Art

Thank you to our latest donor, Tony. Thank you, Tony. We were able to purchase three new stainless steel pots to continue our cooking and teaching heritage.

Evil Forest Human Sacrifice Ritual Murders

Human Sacrifice in Africa.

Human sacrifice has been practiced in various African cultures throughout history.

Nigeria floods

About Evil Forest Human Sacrifice Ritual Murders, Ritual murders or greed

Southern Nigeria’s Igbo ethnic group inhabits the remote villages of Umuhu and Ubahu-Ezike in Okija where police say they are investigating alleged ritual murders, while the shrine’s priests insist that their Gods killed the people. The question remains if Okija Village ritual murders are the Gods of the evil forests punishment or religious greed.

Evil Forest Ritual Murders

Okija Village Evil Forest Ritual Murders

In many villages throughout rural Africa, those who are not practitioners of a major world religion such as Christianity, Catholicism, or Islam, almost all have their own Gods. 

The oldest concept of the place where Gods exist, is in the forest. Southern Nigeria’s Igbo ethnic group inhabits the remote villages of Umuhu and Ubahu-Ezike in Okija where police say they are investigating alleged human sacrifice ritual murders, while the shrine’s priests insist that their Gods killed the people. 

The impenetrable depth of the great forests of Africa is the heartland of the spirits and of all magical beings. Southern Nigeria’s Igbo ethnic group inhabits the remote villages of Umuhu and Ubahu-Ezike in Okija amongst a great thicket of trees. 

Southern Nigeria’s Igbo ethnic group inhabits the remote villages of Umuhu and Ubahu-Ezike in Okija where police say they are investigating alleged ritual murders, while the shrine’s priests insist that their Gods killed the people.
Murder for money in the forests of Nigeria

Thick forests and poor roads from the bustling commercial cities isolate Okija village, however the village was front-page news in Nigeria on August 3, 2004 when police descended on its shrines on alleged human sacrifices. 

Police informant, Chukwumezie Obed Igwe whose complaint led to the raid was not believed at first however, when the police arrived at the Ogwugwu Akpu, Ogwugwu Idigo and Ogwugwu Isiula shrines, decomposing corpses and skeletons in coffins and on the ground littered the two sides of the road. Leading to the stronghold of the shrine, trees in the entire forests were wrapped in white and red cloths. 

The police say they are investigating alleged human sacrifice ritual murders, while the shrine’s priests insist that ancient gods killed the people in the woods. “We don’t kill. The God kills. We settle disputes between parties. But the shrine will kill the guilty if he swears falsely,” insisted the chief priest at one of the shrines, the elderly Orjiewulu Okolie. 

The God’s chief priest role was to listen to complaints from people who come to report how they were oppressed and dispossessed of their land and other property by the wealthy.

When the police arrived at the Ogwugwu Akpu, Ogwugwu Idigo and Ogwugwu Isiula shrines, decomposing corpses and skeletons in decaying coffins littered the two sides of the road
Corpse on the road in the Evil Forest

The process of the oath taking, priest Okolie said, begins with the complaint which is followed by a summon to the oppressor. Upon his receipt of the invitation, he is expected to come and tell his own side of the story for the priests to hear in his house which serves as his court. 

When both parties consistently insist on their version as the truth of the matter without any conceding, the oath is administered as the last resort after they had been reminded of the God’s killing powers. According to the Vanguard, the true story of the shine is steeped in greed, not worshiping God or deities. Ogwugwu priests by virtue of their place of birth, decided to exploit the shrines, and turned them into money making schemes using the Ogwugwu God. 

They introduced a register of those that visit Ogwugwu 30 shrines and thereafter, began to charge money to those who use the shrines. 

As the Ogwugwu village shines became more popular, the priests engaged the services of commercial motorcycle operators. The Okada riders used the famous Okija junction, a landmark stopping point for local travelers as their base of operation.  The Okada riders would volunteer to take anybody visiting the shrine however, it was the rider's job to convince the visitor their priest was the most powerful. 

That was why the commercial motorcycle operators would do anything possible to ensure that they were the ones to carry first time visitors to a priest of the Ogwugwu God shrine as he is also assured of a commission from the amount paid by the visitor. 

It was not clear at what point the operators of the shrine began to demand for the corpses of those allegedly killed by the Ogwugwu God.

Some Igbo people approach Gods through spirits in the form of objects
Some Igbo people approach deities through spirits in the form of objects

The priests of the Ogwugwu God would demand the corpse the same day it was buried and the body would be exhumed and taken to the Ogwugwu forest and kept there. 

The corpse would be shown to those who appear before the Ogwugwu God after they were summoned and this further instills fear with the result that they would do the bidding of the priests to stay alive.

With the intimidation scheme soaring in popularity, Ogwugwu Akpu, priests suddenly had their lifestyles changed as they began to acquire expensive cars and started building mansions in the village. Over 30 priests of the different shrines of Ogwugwu God were arrested and would be prosecuted for the so-called ritual killings. Nigeria's Inspector General of Police, 

Tafa Balogun stated, “Sections 207 and 208 of the criminal code are against the possession of dead bodies and section 34 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is against being members of secret cults.”


Together we build awareness that boost harmony, education, and success, below are more links to articles you will find thought provoking.

  1. Historical African Country Name
  2. Top 20 Largest Countries in Africa
  3. How many countries does Africa have?
  4. Roots of Africanized Christianity Spiritual Songs
  5. Paying Money To Tour Slums in Africa
  6. Awesome Kenyan Woman
  7. Land is Not For Women in Sierra Leone

  8. African Kente Cloth Facts
  9. Accra the Ghanaian Capital Ultimate Mall Experience


Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet=

Week’s Best African Culture Posts

What is the difference between ugali and fufu

Image
How to make the popular African recipes Ugali and Fufu and what is the difference.  Ugali is a starch dish in Kenya and Tanzania made of fine cornmeal cooked in boiling water into a soft dough. Fufu is a thick, dough-like West African food made by boiling then pounding a starchy vegetable such as yam, plantain, or cassava or a mixture of starchy vegetables. The main difference between fufu and ugali is fufu is boiled first then pounded while ugali is simply boiled. Ugali recipe. Easy Ugali Recipe Prep time 5 minutes Cook time 30 minutes Total time 30 minutes Ingredients 4 cups finely ground cornmeal 8 cups water Directions Heat water to boiling in a saucepan. Slowly pour cornmeal into boiling water stirring continuously. Add more cornmeal if necessary until it is thick as soft bread dough. Serve immediately with vegetables, stew, or any dish you would use a spoon with to soak up the sauce, ugali is purposely bland tasting on its own. What is the difference between ugali and
Learn More About Africa

Top 20 Largest Countries in Africa

Image
African Country by Size List. Africa Which are the top twenty largest, smallest, and territorial country in Africa by land area? 1. The continent of Africa is the world’s second largest based on land area and population just after Asia. 2. Top five largest countries of Africa are Algeria, Congo Democratic Republic of the, Sudan, Libya and Chad. 3. Top five smallest African countries and territories are Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Saint Helena and Mayotte. African Country from largest to smallest Area sq mile Area sq km Algeria 919,595 2,381,740 Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) 905,568 2,345,410 Sudan 718,723 1,861,484 Libya 679,362 1,759,540 Chad 495,755 1,284,000 Niger 489,191 1,267,000 Angola 481,354 1,246,700 Mali 478,767 1,240,000 South Africa 471,011 1,219,912 Ethiopia 435,186 1,127,127 Mauritania 397,95
Learn More About Africa

Ethiopian Midwest American Hotdish

Image
Our Ethiopian hot dish combines Ethiopian cooking with classic Minnesota Midwest casserole meal. The hot dish’s origins are a product of settlers traditions in Midwest America dating back to the early 20th century. A hot-dish or casserole is a one-pan meal that traditionally includes a combination of starch like potatoes, pasta, or rice, ground meat, vegetables, and a creamy canned soup base, all topped with crunchy goodness like breadcrumbs or tater tots. The concept of hot dish became popular in the Upper Midwest, particularly in states like Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, in the 1930s and 1940s. This period was marked by economic challenges, including the Great Depression. The need for economical and filling meals led to the creation of dishes that could be stretched to feed many people using simple, affordable ingredients . Hot dishes became synonymous with potlucks, church suppers, and social gatherings. These events were central to rural and small-town communities, where
Learn More About Africa

Neck elongation rings how to put on and take off

Image
Neck elongation rings how to put on and take off. Idzila are Ndebele wives traditionally wear rings around the neck as a status symbol and wear rings around the arms, legs, and neck. Wearing Neck Rings. For centuries, married South African Ndebele tribes’ women saw wearing heavy rings around their neck as an honored status symbol. Neck rings are any form of stiff necklaces worn around the neck of an individual. The neck rings are usually made of copper or brass. During initiation, girls wear an array of colorfully beaded hoops called izigolwan around their legs, arms, waist, and neck. After marriage, the Ndebele wife would wear copper and brass rings around her arms, legs, and neck, symbolizing her bond and faithfulness to her husband, once her home was built. Idzila rings were believed to have strong ritual powers. Husbands used to provide their wives with rings; the richer the husband, the more rings the wife would wear. These outward symbols can be removed only in ca
Learn More About Africa