MAN FROM ENUGU WAS GIVEN A LIFETIME BAN FOR FAMILY DEATHS.

Yesterday, there was an uproar in Umuela village, Ibagwa-Aka community, Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area, Enugu State, as a middle-aged man (name withheld) accused of using fetish means to murder five of his brothers was excommunicated for life by the community.

Villagers sang mourning songs as they carried palm fronds and a mock coffin to the suspect’s door. They claimed that five young people had died in the last two years.

According to a village source, when someone dies in the family, the suspect always volunteers to go to the diviners for information.

“He would always inform the villagers that his late elder brother was responsible for the deaths,” the source continued.

However, things appeared to have gotten out of hand when another youth died in the family over the holidays. The development compelled the village’s youths to seek the assistance of another diviner in order to determine the cause of the deaths.

“Our brothers and sisters have been dying for a long time now,” a family member who requested anonymity said. He would say that if you wanted to go and look into what was going on with our family, he would do it for us.

“When he returns from the search, he will tell us that his late elder brother was responsible for the death of the children; that his late elder brother had a problem with the gods; and that the gods are the ones who took the children’s lives.

“However, when the last one occurred, the youths were enraged by the death. We decided to go together and look for a solution.

“We went to many places in search of a solution, and the image of the man kept popping up, claiming that our uncle is responsible for all of the deaths that have occurred in Umuela village in the Ibagwa-Aka community.

“So, when we brought what we saw home, the entire village decided that he should be expelled from our community.”

Dr Eze Ezeagu, the community’s traditional ruler, could not be reached for comment on the matter.