The people of Ibusa in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, have resorted to traditional spiritual warfare against kidnappers and other criminal actors terrorizing their once peaceful community.
The entire Ibusa Kingdom erupted in a powerful traditional cleansing ritual known as Isu-Ofor, a ceremony aimed at spiritually purging the land and laying irreversible ancestral curse on those behind the surge of kidnappings, armed robbery and other nefarious acts.
The abode of the senior Diopka of Ibusa, became a scene of intense spiritual action as representatives from the ten villages that make up the kingdom; marched in solemn unity, armed not with weapons, but with palm sticks and fronds, Bibles, charms and chaplets depicting different beliefs. Their mission: to invoke divine justice and lay generational curses on all those disrupting the peace of Ibusa with evil plots and criminal enterprise.
Inside the Ihu-Ani Igbuzo shrine, His Royal Highness, Onowu Paul Ijeh, Senior Diopka of Ibusa, with Ibusa War Lords, High Chief Charles Okonkwo, Odogwu of Ibusa, High Chief Amaechi Nwaeni, Uwolo Ibusa, Omu of Ibusa, Obi Josephine Isioma Nwannabuogwu, titled elders and the highly revered Chief Priest of Ibusa His Eminence, High Chief Celestine Okafor, Ikwele of Igbuzo, addressed the massive crowd at the Ani Igbuzo, the Ibusa shrine courtyard.
In a firm yet mournful tone, he explained the gravity of the ritual, describing it as a last resort in the face of rising insecurity.
“This Isu-Ofor Igbuzo ceremony has become inevitable,” the Chief Priest declared adding that “It is a sacred spiritual act passed down by our forefathers, invoked only when evil threatens to consume our people. Ibusa is known for peace and hospitality. We are not a land of violence, and we reject these criminal invasions with every fiber of our cultural heritage.”
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As the Chief Priest of Ibusa Kingdom, High Chief Celestine Okafor, publicly listed the various atrocities committed; kidnapping, theft, spiritual poisoning, and robbery, the crowd responded by striking the ground and chanting curses, invoking the wrath of the gods and the ancestors upon the perpetrators and their enablers. The ritual was performed at various symbolic spots within the town, before continuing towards the Eke market.
Ibusa War Lords, High Chief Charles Okonkwo, Odogwu of Ibusa, speaking with journalists afterward, expressed deep concern over the spike in abductions and crime, which he said has instilled fear in a town once known as a safe haven for visitors and locals alike. He emphasized that while government efforts are ongoing, community action remains crucial.
“We have not been abandoned by the government, but the spate of insecurity demands more proactive response. Security is the core responsibility of the state, and it must be treated with utmost urgency. This traditional cleansing is our own way of contributing to the fight,” he stated.
Odogwu Okonkwo issued a stern warning: “Anyone involved in these acts of evil, or supporting them in any way, should prepare for the wrath of both man and spirit. The consequences will be devastating and inescapable. This is not just a ceremony, it is a declaration. We will not surrender our land to criminals.”
The Isu-Ofor ritual marks a significant turning point in the fight against crime in Delta State, sending a clear message that the people of Ibusa will defend their land not just with the law, but with the full force of tradition, unity, and ancestral justice.
