Speaking evil against the dead is a normal practice in Igbo land — Anayo Nwosu

The whole community had assembled as early as 6:30am in response to the town crier's announcement about two hours earlier that "the night has suddenly befallen on a morning" and that "a solid iron rod has suddenly broken into two", the very two phrases  elders interpreted to mean that someone had died.

The town crier asked the Umuenem community, men and women, to assemble at Omekeome's house as early as possible that very morning.

"Nobody should go to market or to farm", Corporal James, the town crier warned.

The parishioners of St. Peter Clevers Catholic Church, Akwunweke, Otolo were all present as late Omekeome was a baptized Catholic.

The newly departed would be given his last rite as a christian even though he was an occasional church goer. His wife had always made sure that all his dues were paid.

Being financially up to date, Omekeome was qualified for a christian burial. And the whole brethren congregated as was the practice.

But, the funeral and internment rites would be conducted by the Catechist since the only priest then in Nnewi was resident at Akwuegbo and the Omekeome was not considered very important personality to the Catholic Mission in Nnewi to warrant dragging the Irish priest to a distant village.

During that era, there were many traditional religionists than christians in Nnewi therefore, christians seized opportunities like funeral events to evangelize, paint a tantalizing pictures of their Heaven, denounce idolatry and paint  the useless nature of the present world to woo the pagans.

The catechist  was doing a good job until he categorically announced  that being that Omekeome was baptized and that even though he was physically dead that he was in heaven. This was followed by a thunderous "Amen" by a mammoth crowd of faithfuls in attendance.

That singular statement annoyed Chief Abel Okoye of Egbu Enem Otolo.

True to type, Abel surprised everybody.

He shouted loudly from his near position:  "Onye Nkuzi Uka kwukwee nke i ma" meaning "catechist, please say only what you know".

Chief Okoye took the centre stage and proceeded to tell the stupified congregation that Omekeome, who was lying in state, was killed last night by him, Abel and kinsmen as Omekeome unsuccessfully attempted to exhume the body of a dead relation, to steal the golden necklace and jewelries the dead was adorned with, during her lying in state.

"Omekeome and his gang had a stupid belief that the dead woman, their target, was buried with the jewelries.

Perhaps, the idiots never read meaning into the Nnewi saying that 'nkili nkili ka-ana ekili ododo, maka ejighi ododo eni ozu' meaning that ' the golden jewelry adorned by a corpse is for decoration only and are removed before the corpse is buried' ", Chief Abel Okoye continued.

"Their edi ura medicine that would have made all of us, within the grave vicinity or in the houses or the compound housing the grave, to fall into a deep sleep failed them.

"The children of the woman whose corpse they were exhuming from the grave raised alarm and all but one of them were caught.

"Catechist please check the centre of the head of the corpse of a man you said would go to heaven and locate three 6 inch nails we drove into his skull.

"We also made each of the callous thieves drink a jar full of cement mixture and asked them to run home because we didn't want them to die in our compound. We are good Anglicans and not murderers", Chief Abel Okoye concluded and made to leave.

No matter the level of annoyance or embarrassment Chief Okoye had caused by his audacious revelations, the relations  of the Omekeome could never accost Chief Abel Okoye.

Abel was fearsome. He was the colonial master's  interpreter and a high ranking chief in the Nnewi Royal Cabinet.

Having  exposed the dead and the hypocrisy of the living, Chief Okoye went home unmolested.

The cathechist, a diligent and fearless man, approached the casket as enjoined by Chief Okoye and carefully scanned the head of the dead member and found well drilled nails  into the skull of Omekeome as described to his great shock.

The man of God  pretended as if he was going to ease himself and left the funeral venue. Other church members followed suit in utter embarrassment and with lowered heads.

Not only the pagans had a good laugh but also the Anglicans present. The way the catechist left made it more hilarious.

The Catholics were fond of telling anyone around that it would be difficult for Anglicans  to make heaven.

Even with the indignation and great shame, the relations of Omekeome proceeded to bury their brother because in life and death, criminals are still part and parcel of their relations.

In Igbo land, death confers on nobody any immunity from castigation for the evil deeds the dead perpetuated while alive.

Many evil forests in Igbo land were littered in the immediate past decades with the corpses of those their kinsmen who were evil or horrible while they were alive.

Other tribes should please understand when Igbos rejoice when a person they consider evil dies.

In Igbo land, we speak evil of the dead.