Ozubulu Killings, Early Christians And The Power Of "Odeshi" By Anayo Nwosu

"I know some people who procured native protection devices that are active even while inside the church"

By Anayo M. Nwosu

If the gunmen that invaded St. Philip's Catholic Church, Ozubulu and killed a score of worshippers had attempted such dastardly act at St. Peter Claver's Catholic Otolo Nnewi around late 1970s or early 1980s, the casualty figure would have been far less than reported.

If the assailants had ventured to strike those seated in the front pew or seats in my local church in the period I had mentioned, only a few victims, if any would have died.

Yes! Nothing would have happened to most of those very respectable and successful individuals who were seated in the front pew and particularly on the detached seats reserved for the VIPs.

These group of early Nnewi christians had witnessed with disbelief how the Nigerian solders raided christian churches in the  Biafran enclave  during the Nigeria-Biafra Civil War. They saw how defenseless compatriots were wasted by bullets and dagger.

Therefore, the massacre survivors had to take additional measures to fortify their own security against assassination and death by vehicular accidents.

Every Igbo man including the priests and the laity knows of a juju preparation called "Odeshi" which means "it won't enter".

Odeshi juju makes the wearer's body impervious to bullets and to any metallic object like dagger or machete.

This juju was and is still classified as protective not offensive juju or "ajo ogwu".

Nobody who procures juju for self protection was deemed an evil person. He is better than those that procure "obialu egbum gbuo onwe ya" which is a juju that causes a rebounding of evil bullets back to sender.  In this case, the sender becomes the victim.

Most members of the local vigilante group in my village and some smart members of police force who have to engage in gun duels with armed robbers wear Odeshi juju either as a medal or as tattoos on their bodies.

I have seen people wearing odeshi shoot themselves in demonstration with live bullets without being hurt. The bullets would be seen falling off the bodies of the targets as if their bodies were made of steel.

The side effect of odeshi was equally mind boggling.

A man who had an odeshi engraved on his skin was brought in unconscious to St. Charles Borromeo Hospital Onitsha sometime ago. He was suffering from a natural aliment.

The patient who had Odeshi died as doctors were unable to set up a line known as drip or infusion on him.

The odeshi also prevented the penetration of syringe into the said patient's body as doctors tried in vain to give him an intramuscular injection.

Some reputable Igbo men have also fortified themselves with a juju known as "Udu Una" meaning "tool for safe escape".

This juju was highly patronised by highway or long distance drivers prone to accidents.

All one needs to do is to make a contact with Udu Una once confronted with imminent danger or attack.

Some Udu Una work like danger sensors that signal to the holder of an imminent danger making the holder cancel pre-scheduled appointments without notice or do a complete U-turn on the main road or diversion to safety.

Upon touching the Udu Una by a lorry driver, he would disappear from a danger zone and reappear at safe place.

Many drivers of commuter buses have been reportedly seen emerging unscathed from nearby bushes after accidents that killed all passengers in their buses    

Many of those hand fans, elephant tusks, and short walking sticks held by many influential people are Udu Una.

In the early 1980s, any successful or wealthy Igbo man, whether christian or not  shot dead by assassins or who died by motor accidents was deemed careless.

Over the years, our people have reduced their reliance on traditional security fortification due mainly to the promises of christian pastors and priests that their prayers could protect members of their congregation from both physical and spiritual attacks.

When the faithful die due to preventable accident or fall to assassins' bullets, our people are told that it's the will of God.

Is there any christian church in Nigeria built with collections from holy congregation that is so spiritually enamored that no one can be killed if gunmen arrive and start shooting every body while service is ongoing?

There is none.

Not even a single man of God in Nigeria can boast of a Godly odeshi or an Udu Una.

Are we christian not better of marketing heaven and refrain assuring unsuspecting converts of protection only God can offer?

Unfortunately, most of our native doctors or dibia gifted in preparing Odeshi and Udu Una die without a proper transfer of the technology on how to prepare the protective enablement.

Even sadder is that the increased blackmailing of all native doctors' protective products as devilish by the promoters of christian religion, has put fear of hell fire in the minds of our people who are now being exposed to massacre by life extinguishers.

Funnily enough, there are reported cases where an Odeshi and Udu Una failed their holders.

It's either that the device failed woefully at the very moment it is needed to work or that the holder of the juju was duped by the fake dibia.

The native protection device also fails if the holder does not observe certain abstinence or "nso" decreed or imposed by the dibia or the native doctor that prepared the juju.