Violent threats over ancestral Chief Priest tradition force family into hiding
The life of Idehen Collins and his partner, Faith Evbu Osa-Ogbomoh, which is in jeopardy due to escalating threats from family members has forced them into hiding for their safety.
Collins has been under pressure to perform the traditional blood oath rituals and inherit the Chief Priest office of his community’s ancestral shrine, as the eldest surviving son of his late father.
Trouble began in 2017 when Collins’ father died, after refusing to take on the role of Chief Priest, which the grandfather occupied. Consequently, the responsibility was passed on to Collins, putting his life in danger for refusing as well.
By December 2020, Collins’ uncle, Sunday Imariagbontua, leading other high ranking community leaders and youths insisted that Collins, born May 12, 1988, undertake the blood oath rituals to succeed as the Ohen (Chief Priest). Despite Collins’ conversion to Christianity and his refusal to partake in any rituals, his uncle continued to pressure him, citing ancestral obligations.
Tensions heightened on January 10, 2021, when Sunday Imariagbontua again led community leaders and youths to visit Collins’ home and reiterated their demands, recalling that if Collins didn’t want to die like his father he should perform the rituals and assume the role of the Chief Priest.
The situation worsened on February 7, 2021, when Collins was attacked by unknown persons, his car riddled with bullets, resulting in injuries. While still recovering, Collins’ home was vandalised on August 30, 2022, with fetish items strewn around, further heightening their fears.
“As his partner, I too am at risk. In 2021, his car was attacked, and he narrowly escaped with his life. Intruders have severally broken into our house when no one was around, leaving ominous juju items in our compound and at our gate,” Faith Evbu Osa-Ogbomoh shared.
She added, “The constant threats have taken a toll on my partner; he hardly sleeps at night and is plagued by relentless nightmares. Reporting these incidents to the police wasn’t an option due to the cultural implications. We daily live in perpetual fear for our safety and well-being.”
It was learnt that despite their efforts to relocate within Nigeria, Collins and his partner’s whereabouts were continually discovered by his persistent uncle, posing ongoing threats to their safety. Several family members are said to have sustained injuries during confrontations when they refused to disclose Collins’ new location to the uncle.
