My Townsman Had A Device That Could Turn Any Thief Into A Momentary Imbecile – Anayo Nwosu

When Chief Chukwujekwu migrated from the densely populated settlement in Egbu Umuenem where his kiths and kins lived to go set up a homestead at an "ikpa" or by the forest, many were wondering how he could any survive robbery attack at his new home.

Nobody would hear his alarm or cry at the time of emergency or robbery attack as he had no immediate neighbours except the wild animals and birds of the air that gave his surroundings a cemetery or quiet ambience.

The Chief Chukwujekwu's house was a stone throw from Otito Ogboro deity that had an Afor market in front of its shrine. The Afor market traded every four days during the daytime and as such, could not offer any night time warmth to Chief Chukwujekwu's solitary compound.

But the house was perching on the mostly lonely footpath dividing a dense forest waiting for  its own turn for shifting cultivation.

Once in a while, Chief Chukwujekwu would see some periodic passerby to chat with.

Catholics living in my own village of Okpuno, journeying to St. Peter Clavers Church at Akwunweke where Monsignor Joe Nwaibegbunam held sway as parish priest, would need to pass by Chief Chukwujekwu's house before connecting the Enem-Awka Etiti road's location of the church.

And as a mass server, I had to pass through this particular house very early, everyday to attend morning mass. I was required to attend mass everyday.

Chief Chukwujekwu too never missed morning mass in the late 1970s and early 1980s and was one of those who stayed in the front pews. He also sang both Latin and Igbo hymns during the mass.

One fateful day, while Chief Chukwujekwu and his household were in church for morning mass, which usually commenced by 6am and ended by 7am, a thief scaled the fence of his compound to steal his belongings.

The thief did his homework well and was sure that nobody was home before he struck.

By the time Chief Chukwujekwu and his family returned home from Church, they found their compound sparkling clean as a man who is supposed to be a thief had swept both the inner spaces and the veranda of the main house.

Thief sweeping the outer lanes from the house leading to the main footpath.

While the wife and children of Chief Chukwujekwu were surprised at the unknown domestic help sweeping their compound with a long brom known as "oko orkpa" made from palm fronds, the man of the house, Chief Chukwujekwu,  knew what happened.

His anti-theft device was at work.

Chief Chukwujekwu told his wife and kids that the uninvited hardworking visitor was a thief but that he was under the spell of an anti-theft device.

He revealed to the bewildered household that the "possessed" thief would keep sweeping the compound until he, Chief Chukwujekwu performed an antidotal ritual to bring the thief back to his senses.

It didn't take long before the whole village heard of what was happening and converged within a bath of an eyelid to see the anti-theft device at work.

The news spread like a wild fire in the harmattan throughout the town making the whole Nkwo Nnewi market shift base to Chief Chukwujekwu's compound.

It took the pleas of the relations of the mentally deactivated and absent minded thief who was busy sweeping portions he had repeatedly swept before, to make Chief Chukwujekwu agree to perform the antidotal ritual that would make the thief come back to his senses.

The thief was handed over to the police after his relations had paid an undisclosed compensation to Chief Chukwujekwu for his troubles.

The army of friends Chief Chukwujekwu garnered, especially the wealthy Nnewi citizens, increased after this incident.

I could hazard a guess as to the reason why Chief Chukwujekwu's house became a Mecca of a sort.

The dibia that prepared the anti-theft device who definitely was not Very Rev Monsignor Joe Nwaibegbunam, our parish priest of the church where Chief Chukwujekwu all of were parishioners.

Chief Chukwujekwu must have procured the device from other sources than from the church, but it worked for all to see.