RECENTLY, there was outrage in the Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State when masquerades known as Oriokpa Nsukka beat a female nurse identified as Miss Blessing Ogbonna, a staffer of a private hospital, to stupor. The masquerades flogged the nurse so badly that she fell off the motorcycle on which she rode. Worse still, as she tried to get up and run, they swooped on her, beating her till she fell into a drainage. Narrating her ordeal, the victim said that a tipper had blocked her view while she was riding to the hospital in which she worked, and that when she sighted the masquerades advancing towards her, it was too late to run. Advocating justice for herself and other victims, she said she had become traumatised by the incident. Some members of the public reacting to the viral video of the incident called for the outright ban of the Oriokpa Nsukka masquerades, lamenting that they had become notorious for acts of criminality, including the illegal use of arms.
Among other reactions, a human rights group, Heroine Women Foundation, called for sanctions against the masquerades and their handlers. Executive Director of the foundation, Ambassador Onyi Mama, said: “Watching the video of the attack on this helpless lady is so painful and I wonder what has happened to our humanity. What is even more sad is that this is a nurse in the business of saving lives who was on her way to work when these conscienceless individuals descended on her and had fun in her pain. How do you even begin to define this as a cultural display? I call on the relevant authorities to round up anyone involved in this act to serve as a deterrent to others.” Following the incident, the Enugu State House of Assembly set up an ad-hoc committee to come up with practical measures to regulate the activities of masquerades in the state. The action followed a motion by Honourable Malachy Onyechi on the abuse of human rights, threat to life, and destruction of properties by masquerades in the constituency. Onyechi, who represents the constituency at the state House of Assembly, noted that the menace of masquerades in the area was alarming, as many had either been injured or lost their lives following their activities. The suspects involved in the episode have since been arrested and charged with assault, extortion and blockade of a federal road.
To be sure, we are not against masquerades and masquerade festivals. The heavily-costumed indigenous personages regarded as spirit beings or conveyors of the ancestors have existed for centuries. They are cultural figures that served, among other duties, policing functions in primordial times. Once in that costume, the practitioners are venerated and treasured for the spiritual significations that they encode. It is axiomatic that masquerade festivals showcase the rich culture of the people and occupy a pride of place in the indigenous Nigerian societies, including Igboland where they stage dramatic performances and offer prayers to people during various traditional festivals. Given the roles that they continue to play in the society, particularly in preserving the indigenous cultural heritage, we find no reason to question the existence of masquerades and masquerade festivals.
This position, however, comes with a caveat: masquerades and masquerade festivals cannot be used as vehicles for criminality. While masquerade festivals deserve to be embraced with warmth, things must be done decently and in order. Because of what they represent, masquerades in the contemporary society must be associated with grandeur, not roguery. On no account should hoodlums be allowed to continue visiting violence on innocent citizens, using them as a tool for mendicancy. Of course, because of their cultural underpinnings, masquerades may receive financial blessings from the people during festivals, even as they offer benedictions in the traditional way. That is not out of place. What is out of place is to shamelessly hunt for money under the ancestors’ garb, acting like renegades. Where those attending a festival offer no money either because they have none or because they are unwilling to, they should not be harassed or verbally abused, let alone beaten blue and black. In this regard, we condemn the brutal assaults meted out by the Oriokpa Nsukka masquerades on a law-abiding citizen going about her lawful business. The attack rubbishes the essence of the masquerades and casts a pall on the cultural festival.
How do you promote culture by visiting violence on innocent people? Why harass and beat innocent people for not giving you money during a supposed cultural celebration ? Is that celebration about extortion? It is distressing that even when the victim attempted to flee the torture scene in this case, she was hemmed in by her tormentors and treated like mere chattel. The incident reeks of sexism and sadism, and the perpetrators must be severely sanctioned. In this regard, we applaud the steps taken by the Enugu State House of Assembly. Modern society should have no place for hooliganism under the guise of cultural celebrations.
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