OTOKOTO:MOST CELEBRATED RITUAL CASE IN NIGERIA ( PART1 )

Nigeria is a society where most beliefs are still informed by unreason, dogmas, myth making, and magical thinking. In Nigeria, belief in ghosts, juju, charms, and witchcraft is prevalent and widespread.  Nigerians believe that magical potions prepared with human heads, breasts, tongues, eyes, and sexual organs can enhance one’s political (as we have seen in a video where the chairman of Alimosho local government , Lagos, chanting incantation) and financial fortunes; that juju, charms and amulets can protect individuals against business failures, sickness and diseases, accidents, and spiritual attacks. In fact, ritual-making is perceived as an act of spiritual fortification.

Level of poverty   among most Nigerians led them to ritual killing for money-making purposes. Among Nigerians, even the educated ones  belief in a special kind of ritual, performed with human blood or body parts that can bring money or wealth, even though such a belief lacks any basis in reason, science or common sense.

One of the most popular celebrated ritual cases in Nigeria is the one that associated with one Chief Vincent Duru, popularly known as Otokoto. Hence any ritual case were always refer to as ‘OTOKOTO’.

 Otokoto saga happened this way, in 1996, the police arrested one Innocent Ekeanyanwu, with the head of 11-year old boy, Ikechukwu Okonkwo of Amakohia village in Ikeduru local government of Imo State. In the course of the investigation then, the police discovered the buried torso of Ikechukwu on the premises of Otokoto Hotel, owned by Chief Vincent Duru , and uncovered a syndicate that specialized in ritual killing and the sale and procurement of human parts.

During that time, this horrifying discovery sparked off violent protests in the city of Owerri which led to the burning and looting of properties belonging to suspected killers.

 “ Ekeanyanwu, who murdered the boy, was aged 32 and he worked as a gardener inside the Otokoto Hotel. When he died of food poisoning, the Imo State Police Commissioner released a press statement with the speed of light saying the police knew nothing about it saying there was no foul play. This irresponsible talk from the police chief enraged the Owerri youths, who promptly returned to streets demanding justice for the slain boy. This time around, they were determined more than ever to find their own evidence of ritual murder.

 They invaded the homes of ‘suspected dealers in human body parts’ sniffing around for hard evidence which they reportedly found in one of the houses. The churches were not spared too, especially the new-breed evangelical churches, with their main target being the Overcomers Christian Mission ,where it was rumored that human skulls were discovered with charms and amulets but the police later said what was found there were various animal skulls, pots full of vulture and other feathers, chalk, red candles, books on mystic subjects, photographs, cowries, objects shaped like human beings and bottles that contained unspecified powders and herbal preparations.

Energized by their success at this discovery, the protesters marched on other churches, a lodge and even an ashram. All the churches popular with the millionaires of Owerri were attacked and destroyed. Only Winners Chapel narrowly escaped as it had been surrounded by battle-ready police officers. By the time the storm calmed on the 27th of September, 26 buildings and several cars had been destroyed. It was a barbarous scene and the savagery mixed with the brutality was clearly evident in the destruction. All the Otokoto suspects were remanded in the Owerri federal prisons during trial.”

The beheading which took place on September 19, 1996 took six years for judgment to be delivered in the highly-celebrated murder case. Chief Vincent Duru (aka Otokoto) ,Alban Ajaegbu, Sampson Nnomita, Ebenezer Egwuekwe, Rufus Anyanwu, Lawrence Eboh and Leonard Unaogu were charged with murder ,put on trial and then sentenced to death by hanging. In her judgment, on January 23rd, 2003,Justice Chioma Nwosu Iheme, beyond reasonable doubt, sentenced them to death by hanging, “recapturing submissions of the defense and prosecution”.