By Wealth Oghenemaro
Confronted with rising levels of drug peddling, cultism, and general insecurity, the people of Asaba have turned to age-old traditions to combat the threats head-on.
In a solemn rite known as “Isu Ofor”, the community sought the intervention of the gods to help flush out criminal elements undermining peace and safety. The ritual involved invoking ancestral deities at boundary points and notable locations across the town, where curses were pronounced upon those behind illicit drug operations, cult activities, and other forms of lawlessness.
The spiritual exercise was led by the Odogwu of Asaba, Obi Nwanze Oduah, alongside Onoi Ahaba, Ogbueshi Uche Nwajei, and Ogbueshi Nnamdi Chukwuedo, Head of the Asaba Anti-Cult Unit. Members of the revered Otu Ihaza and traditional priests drawn from across and beyond Delta State took part in the process, believed to serve as a strong warning to criminal elements.
Addressing the people at Ogbo-Eke Square, the Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty Prof. Epiphany Azinge, SAN, OON, praised the community for uniting to protect their land. He described the spiritual action as a necessary step in preserving Asaba’s long-standing record of peace and warned those behind the recent wave of crimes to either change or face dire consequences.
“Asaba has always been a peaceful town. Those bent on dragging it into chaos will not be spared—not by the law, and certainly not by the gods,” the monarch stated firmly.
The Asagba also thanked the Delta State Government for its security support and applauded Oshimili South Council Chairman, Dr. Obi Kelvin Ezenyili, for backing the traditional initiative. The monarch noted that the “Isu Ofor” complements ongoing governmental efforts in tackling insecurity.
In his remarks, Dr. Ezenyili expressed confidence in the Asagba’s leadership and pledged continued support for initiatives aimed at restoring calm. He revealed that arrangements were in motion to house the NDLEA within the local government secretariat to strengthen the fight against drug peddling, particularly in the Asaba area.
Also speaking, the Odogwu of Asaba, Obi Nwanze Oduah, emphasized that the spiritual curses were not mere rituals but a serious declaration that evil would no longer be tolerated in the land. He disclosed that a known drug trafficking route stretching from Pinnacle on Nnebisi Road to Camp 74 had been uncovered and would be sealed off. Plans are also underway, he said, to establish rehabilitation programmes for youths who have fallen victim to drug use and crime.
Oduah extended gratitude to all participating spiritual leaders and urged the town’s youth to resist the lure of criminality, warning that those who continue down that path will answer not only to human law, but to the gods themselves.
