- Oriokpa Masquerades in Enugu communities brutalize innocent citizens unchecked
- Enugu House of Assembly, Stakeholders take actions, ban the masquerades indefinitely after waylaying nurse
- Mixed reactions trail ban as 1 masquerade remanded in Enugu prison
For over two weeks, an age-long tradition, custom and part of cultural life of Nsukka local government area of Enugu state has received an unprecedented bashing both from the lower and upper echelons of the council area.
Masquerade festival, the once pride of the town of first indigenous university in Nigeria has been scrapped and summarily banned. Or how else will one describe a situation whereby there will be festival without masquerades.
Like one of the community dwellers described it, this will be like conducting a burial without a corpse.
However, since its abrogation, it has generated a lot of divergent views from various persons in the area.
How it all started
WITHIN NIGERIA findings showed that for over a decade now, masquerades in Nsukka town popularly known as Oriokpa masquerades have become a source of terror, brutality and mayhem through out the length and breadth of the area.
The masquerade festival which comes up rotationally every year for the nine autonomous communities that make up the town has been described as the most enjoyable moment in the life of both the indigenes and non-indigenes living in the university town until recently when it was hijacked by criminal elements who use the masquerade to rob, maim and even kill innocent persons in the town.
Our reporter gathered that every year, not less than three persons lose their life to the masquerade brutality while many lose their valuables to the criminal elements who hide under the masquerade to dispossess them of their hard earned valuables.
In any case on April 29, 2024 a group of Oriokpa masquerades waylaid a female nurse identified as Miss Blessing Ogbonna, a staff of a private hospital and beat her to stupor.
The brutality meted out on the health worker who apparently was going to work caused an inexplicable outrage in the town.
It was gathered that the masquerades flogged the nurse who was dressed in her official attire until she fell down from a motorcycle and while she tried to get up and run, the masquerades in their numbers continued beating her till she fell into a drainage.
Narrating her ordeal to newsmen, Blessing said that a tipper blocked her view while she was riding to the hospital, and before she could see the masquerades, it was too late to run.
Calling for justice for her and other victims of masquerade brutality, she said that she had remained traumatised after the incident.
However, those who reacted to the incident called for the outright ban of the “Oriokpa Nsukka masquerade” as they said that the masquerades had become notorious for committing all manners of crime including bearing arms.
Reactions on the masquerade brutality
Few hours after inhuman treatment by the Oriokpa Masquerades, many well meaning Enugu citizens raised concern over the issue.
Some went as far as calling for the outright banning of the masquerade as it has become increasingly oppressive during the festival year.
State Assembly moves to ban the Masquerade
However, on May 2, 2024 the Enugu state House of Assembly moved motion calling for the ban of Oriokpa masquerades
Hon. Malachy Onyechi ,House Member Representing Nsukka West in Enugu State House of Assembly moved the motion after visiting Miss Ogbonna in a hospital where she was receiving treatment.
Oha Nsukka bans the masquerade
In any case, following the motion moved by the state House of Assembly, an emergency meeting was convened by the nine autonomous communities in the university town.
At the meeting attended by the stakeholders from the area, the attendees said the operations of masquerades have now been banned indefinitely.
The gathering, called by the Nsukka Town Federated Union and attended by Oha Nsukka, Akpuruaru Nsukka, Igwes, PG’s of the 9 autonomous communities, and the youth, arrived at a resolution saying, “The Oriokpa Masquerade operation has been suspended until further notice.”
“This suspension is necessary to allow the Council of Elders to conclude on the assault of Nurse Blessing Ogbonna and devise new operational guidelines for the Oriokpa masquerade.
“Security agencies are urged to assist in enforcing this decision, with updates to follow in due course.”
Mixed reactions trail the ban
However, following the ban on the masquerades in the zone, mixed reactions have continued to trail the drastic actions against the masquerade brutality.
While many people have frowned against outright ban on the masquerades, others hailed the decision by Oha Nsukka.
Michael Odenigbo, a social analyst said that the ban will have a collateral damage on the culture of the people.
Mr. Odenigbo suggested that the masquerade activities should rather be regulated.
“If you ban Oriokpa, do you know the implication it has to those who practice traditional religion in that community? It’s like banning an essential part of their religious beliefs system and practices just because SOME abused it.
“What is an Igbo community without a masquerade and its festivals. In fact, such does not just destroy the traditional religion belief system, it indirectly destroys the Igbo cultural identity which we all both Christian, non Christian, and even atheistic Igbos should be protecting.
“Why can’t we be considerate with them too as we are considerate with the church. Why can’t we give them the privilege been giving to church even as church commit more abuse than Oriokpa in this part of the world.
I don’t do Oriokpa, in fact, I have always preached against its abuse, not for its ban. However, if we must solve certain religious cum social problems, we always need to learn how to keep our sentiments and bias aside, so that people we share diverse view or religion with will always see our honesty and work with us towards achieving a better society.
“But once they sense that what you’re championing is hate or religious superiority, your efforts will become fruitless.”
In any case, a chieftain of Peoples Democratic PDP in the state, Onyekachi Ugwu explained that the ban on Oriokpa Masquerade is long over due as a result of its wanton brutality against innocent citizens.
According to, Mr. Ugwu, a former Caretaker Committee Chairman of Udenu LGA of Enugu state, ” I have variously drawn attention to the need to have the madness banned and phased off, being that it serves no cultural need any more. Yes, banning Oriokpa won’t be the first nor would it be the last cultural heritage that will need to exit our social space.
“Let me acknowledge that all over the world, culture is a universal phenomenon which distinguishes a particular race, tribe ethnic group from one another. The culture of a people defines them. People’s culture is exhibited through masquerade, music, art works, dance, building patterns, marriage among others.
“In Nsukka Communities in one of the people’s cultural exhibition is showcased through masquerade such as Oriokpa. However, criminality and violence have crept into the cultural exhibitions of the people of Nsukka and opinions are divided among the different stakeholders even outside Nsukka Communities on the appropriate measure to curb this menace of masquerade in the name of cultural exhibitions.
“This is because Nsukka Communities, houses the local Government headquarters as well as being the centrepoint of convergence for people from all parts of the country, who come in for businesses or education.That way, Nsukka has migrated from the docile, timid and rural setting it was in the olden days to a bustling metropolitan City.
“People are therefore agitated that this menace of Oriokpa is rubbing off negatively on the development of the place, while the community leaders look on, of course overwhelmed.
“Unless we are insincere to ourselves, we must acknowledge that the cultural heritages of a people sometimes undergo changes or alterations in the course of exhibitions which may be detrimental to the people in contradistinction from the original purpose.
“Oriokpa Nsukka since time immemorial serves as agent of social cohesion, which unites the people peacefully. It is also an agent for the maintenance of law and order as well as the entertainment of the people among other functions. However, with the passage of time as well as the passage of cultural heritages from one generation to another these masquerades have transformed into an anathema, perpetrating crimes and violence of unimaginable proportion.
“We can’t feign ignorance of the fact that these male adults who adorn the masquerades cause havoc, injure people, rape, steal and main as well as commit murder in the name of cultural exhibitions.
“This way, our Senatorial District headquarters, University town and proposed capital of Adada State has become a den of the unfathomable, where youths who masked themselves in the name of masquerading unleash rub black tar on our cherished capital.
“It is not out of place to argue that the uses of masquerades have changed, and the system of masquerading has changed as well. Masquerading has become violent oriented and created more problems than the services they rendered in the past: For instance, for decades now, masquerades in Nsukka Communities kill and main innocent people. They waylay and rape women and girls. They rob and extort money and goods from road users.
“In view of the above, masquerading as a cultural exhibition in Nsukka has become a nightmare to the people in all ramification as they commit crimes and cause violence in the land.”
Explaining further, Mr. Ugwu said that “it is even absurd that the Oriokpa culture is not originally Nsukka but an imported one. Underscoring this fact, Bishop Onah, maintained that, even though these infiltrated masquerade cultures have so dominated our original Nsukka culture to the point of obsession, they are not perfect, and as such, should be eradicated from Nsukka land.
“It is unfortunate that in this 21st century, some youths in Nsukka area will cover their faces, block the roads, beating and extorting money from people who are going about their legitimate businesses. Nsukka culture has therefore, been altered by some youths who hide under the guise of masquerade as a culture to perpetrate crimes, harass and harm law-abiding citizens in the society.
“Since therefore, the Oriokpa has outlived the purpose for which it was adopted by the Nsukka people, transformed into instrument for chaos, anarchy, molestation, robbery, killing, maiming, all sensible people must rise up to call for its abolishment from our social space. What was meant to bring order brings disorder. What was meant for entertainment has become as source of social disruption.”
Nevertheless, making contribution to the matter, Otobo Nsukka Cultural Zone Community Developmental Initiative, a sociocultural group in the area suggested that the masquerade activities should rather be regulated by the Oha Nsukka rather than outright ban.
In a press release by the group and made available to WITHIN NIGERIA, the group stated that the practices should be reformed.
The release which was variously signed by the group’s Chairman, Prince Chibueze Onah and Chairman, Chineme Agu partly read thus; we have taken a stance on the ongoing debate surrounding Oriokpa and other masquerades in our cultural zone.
“After careful consideration, we recommend that these cultural practices be reformed to align with the current societal context and conform to the laws of our land. While we acknowledge the importance of preserving our cultural heritage, we also believe that certain aspects of these practices may need to be adapted to ensure they do not infringe on the rights and freedoms of others.
“We do not support a total ban on these cultural practices, but rather advocate for a balanced approach that respects tradition while also promoting social harmony and inclusivity.”
In the midst of the above debate and confusion, one of the masquerades was arrested by police on May 12, 2024 after brutalizing a married woman.
The Masquerade, our reporter gathered was subsequently charged to court the following day being Monday.
According to our source it has been remanded in Enugu Correctional center till November 12, 2024 for continuation of the case.