Why It Is Now So Easy To Commit Abominations In Nnewi

By Anayo Nwosu

PREAMBLE

In Nnewi, “Nsọ Ana” as a term refers to those offences or acts that desecrate the land. Any contravention of an nsọ ana is deemed are as ABOMINATION.

NSỌ ANA- “Nsọ” means “abhorrence” while “Ana” represents the “Earth”, the ground upon which we stand.

Nnewi had believed that there was a god that governed the earth. This god was responsible for poor and rich harvests. Attributed to this god also was the wellbeing and the progress of the inhabitants living in an area.

It is common to see some families migrate from their ancestral homes to new settlements because a divination had revealed that their former abode was “too hot” and was responsible for the misfortunes or untimely deaths of members of their family.

People that could not relocate due to lack of land would consult oracles to reveal the real cause of their misfortunes and to prescribe what needed to be done.

The Mother Earth or “Ana” was/is worshipped in Nnewi. Its shrine is located in front of Maria Regina Comprehensive Girls High School on Nnobi Road, Nnewi.

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You can access the shrine via the back of the former Nitel Exchange Office, Nnewi. The current chief priest of Ana Nnewi hails from Nnewichi.

The following are examples of what constitute abominations in Nnewi:
Incest, Stealing of Yam Tubers, Murder, Suicide, Abortion, A woman eating the Penis and Scrotum of any Animal, Making Love to a Menstruating Woman, etc.

CLEANSING OF THE LAND

Once it is established that someone had committed an abomination against “the land” or “Ana”, the chief priest of Ana Nnewi is consulted. He would prescribe the items to be provided and other rituals to be performed.

Materials required are usually Eggs, White Ram or Goat, White Pigeon, White Clothes, Alligator Pepper, White Chalk and Cowries and Money.

The priest knows the right proportions of the offering that would propitiate or appease the land or “ana”.
There are some abominations that require an importation of specialists from another town, Ohaehi or Ohaeri to perform the rituals of ịkpụ alụ or appeasement.

These special priests inhabited the present day Oraeri in Idemili North LGA in Anambra State. They had known abilities for appeasing the gods and also the ability to cleanse the land.

Ịkpụ alụ or cleansing the land does not prevent the person “melu alụ” (i.e who committed the abomination) from serving the punishments prescribed by Nnewi. For instance, a murderer must serve a 7-year exile in another town before returning to the village.

CONCLUSION

Now the Ana Nnewi has been discredited by Christianity and criminalised by the colonial government, many of hitherto abominations have now become common practice. And Ana shrine seems too frightened or scandalised to rediscover itself and wreck havoc in the lives of people that commit alụ on a daily basis.

The Ana Nnewi shrine appears to have even changed or have lost its vigour as it watched as people, mere mortals encroach on its lands. Why not, since our people have started pouring strong spirits like Hennesy and Vodkas on its effigy and its priests have started answering Christian names?

The chief priest of Ana Nnewi cannot claim of having the kind of patronage his predecessors had. He must engage in other businesses like agbachalụ obelu afa or trading to survive as the revenues or proceeds from the shrine have dwindled seriously. Same is the misfortune of Oraeri people that appease the Ana god.

I heard that some smart pastors now specialize in neutralizing whatever atrocities comimitted by current or ancestral residents on a land through deliverance or ọlụ ezi na ụnọ. Catholics amongst the citizens feel no more guilt after confessing their alụ or mpụ to their priests. Anglicans and Pentecostals move around with alụ as they are proud to confess their mpụ or mortal sins to any human being. They just murmur their sins to their new God and claim forgiveness without appeasement or penance.

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The new ndị ọkpụ alụ or pastors now collect the “thank you” gifts for their efforts from their “customers” even as they mischievously label the chief priest of Okwuani Nnewi and Oraeri people charged in Igboland with ịkpụ alụ as idol worshippers.