Introduction
The topic
“Addressing Nigeria’s Security Challenges through Community Policing” is very
dear to my heart. I also want to believe
that as young Nigerians, the security challenges facing our country are
worrisome and so demand all hands to be on desk to proffering workable
solutions.
Community Policing: Answer to Nigeria’s
Insecurity
Over the years policing
in Nigeria have had to deal with problems like increased crime and general
calls for services coupled with poor funding of the police, and corruption in
governance. The federal ownership and control of both the police and the
policing functions is also not helping matters as this also widen the gap
between the police as an organization, policing as a function and the people
who are the beneficiaries and burden bearer. What then can we do to solve the
problems of policing in Nigeria? The answer is community policing.
Community
policing projects a working relationship between the community and its police
agency. The major elements of community policing are partnership and
participation by members of the community to reduce crime, deal with community problem-solving
and improve the quality of life for the community. It enables the citizens to
partner with the police in dealing with crime, fear of crime and other social
issues in the community.
Community Policing: A Shift from PCRC
It is a shift
from the present Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) approach which
builds community police relationships in a democratic and consultative way,
empowers communities in relation to the police, and strengthens them through
active involvement in policing in defined areas as well as enabling the police
to communicate there problems directly to the immediate communities they serve
and through that solicit community cooperation in the execution of their lawful
duties
While police
officers and all law-abiding citizens in the community are involved and
participate actively in community policing round the clock the selected elite
members of the police community relations committee meet monthly and neither
prevent crime nor communicate awareness. Osaro
Ollorwi (2004) revealed that PCRC as is practiced in Nigeria is mere
singing the praises of the police in the face of rising crime waves and
deteriorating socio-cultural and economic structures. Can we beat our chests
and say that PCRC is delivering on its mandates as itemized below vise-a-vise
increasing crimes and fear of crimes prevailing in the country? He
questioned. It is conceived that PCRC
will:
- Regularly assess the performance of the police in their task of maintenance of law and order,
- Assist the police in forging cordial relationship with the community,
- Serve as avenue for providing crime information to the police,
- Assist the police improve its image among the public, and
- Assist the police improve its performance.
He reiterated
that the PCRC is a far cry from the ideas and philosophy of community policing.
PCRC elicits nature do not only exclude the real stakeholders in security but
also make it functionally and structurally deficient. It operates like the
formal police agency. Therefore the PCRC should not be confused with community
policing. The PCRC involves assigning a few officers in a police division as
community affairs officers, or community relations specialists. These officers
attend monthly PCRC meetings and reduce tensions between members of the police
and the public. The PCRC programme is sham or merely public relations attempt.
It had no real effect on the philosophy or culture of most police divisions.
Its remoteness from the community of discontent where citizens’ dissatisfaction
with the police exists is another disadvantage.
Citizens’ Efforts in Crime Prevention
Sometimes, the
police and citizens have been in competition to demonstrate their superior
capabilities in crime prevention and control. This is reflected in the
activities of Odua Peoples’ Congress (OPC), Anambra Vigilant Services (AVS) aka
Bakassi Boys, Bayelsa Volunteer Services etc.
Nevertheless it
can be emphasized that most effective way to avoid such confusion is to
integrate the capabilities of the country’s police with the citizens at all
stages and all levels of policing through community policing. This is what Japan , Britain ,
USA , South Africa
The failure of
government programmes for the control of crime informed private citizens
playing a variety of roles that is making a decisive difference in the
prevention, detection and prosecution of crime around the world. Private
Citizens represent an underutilized source of assistance in crime control and
social decay management. While law abiding citizens are willing and potentially
capable of assisting the police, they lack direction and experience. However,
with proper supervision and guidance by the police, citizens can contribute to
reduction of crime and betterment of society.
The Nigeria
The public
remain the pivot upon which effective policing revolves. Citizens run the
institutions. Their involvement and participation are necessary ingredients for
community crime prevention and control.
A community
crime prevention effort encourages residents to know and recognize their
neighbours. It also serves as eyes and ears of the police for
spotting and reporting any unusual activity.
The concept is
of the opinion that the potential victims are themselves in the best position
to diminish criminal opportunity, to observe, and to report suspicious
activities and to minimize their own vulnerability to crime. The success of
Lagos State Neignbourhood Watch in this direction is worth mentioning. In
Lagos, neighbourhood watchmen are recruited,
vetted, equipped with vehicular and communication gadgets and police officers
deployed to go on patrol with these
neighbourhood watchers, while others are stationed at a given black spots for
most part of the day and this have helped in bringing about a reduction in
crime in such area as Victoria Island .
Community Policing more than Crime Fighting
Community
policing is more than crime fighting, in which the
community members merely provide “certain crime information”, then the police
move to buy this information; as Dandison
Ugochukaru Okeke (1996) would want us to believe. It is this perception
that limits the scope of community policing. Provision of crime information is
less than 30% of what community policing sets out to address. Community policing
have proven to be an effective instrument of bringing the police and the people
closer together, build partnership, trust, cooperation and problem-solving
capabilities, thereby addressing issues within the crime and social decay
continuum.
Crime/Social Disorder Continuum
(Police – Public Apart) Crime/Social Disorder Continuum (Police –
Public Partnership)
Raising Crime Rate & Increasing
Reducing Crime Rate &
Social Decay
Improving
Social Welfare
The more the
police and citizens cooperate in implementing community policing to the right
of the crime/social disorder continuum the more reduction in crime rate and
other social disorder. On the other hand, the more the police and citizens work
apart in policing to the left of the continuum the more the increase in crime
and other social disorder.
What
then is Community Policing?
There are many
definitions of Community Policing but for his presentation we will rely on the
definition put forward by the US Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).
According to COPS, Community Policing refers to:
“a
policing philosophy that promotes and
supports organizational strategies to address the causes and reduce the fear of
crime and social disorder through the
delivery of police services that includes aspects
of traditional law enforcement,
as well as prevention, problem-solving, community engagement, and partnerships. It balances reactive
responses to calls for services with proactive problem-solving centered on the
causes of crime and disorder. It requires the police and citizens to join
together as partners in the cause of both identifying and effectively
addressing the issue of crime,” emphasizes are mine.
Africa Traditional Policing
By “aspects
of traditional law enforcement”, COPS have in mind the building of
Community Policing functions and structures on an existing traditional crime
prevention arrangements within the community itself. But, contrary to this
laudable expectation, the Nigeria Version of Community Policing is the direct
opposite, leading to failures of the system in all Police Divisions in the
country. The system’s disregard for the subsisting community policing structure
on ground on its arrival and the institution of strange policing system that
not only alienate the people but disorganize the hitherto community’s
functional policing capabilities is both worrisome and resistible. The result
is rising crime rate and increasing social decay. Crimes and criminality began
to increase in geometry progression because the western pattern of policing
provides many escape routes for criminals as compared to the indigenous
customary policing.
Problems of Community Policing in Eleme
Although the
police in Eleme headed by DPO, Eleme Police Division, SP Fienyobo Sinclair, an
epitome of a well groomed police officer have recorded tremendous success in
Eleme making the area relatively peaceful. His achievements are due to his
ability to see the burning desire of the people for a safe and secure
environment and involve them in policing the area. The support of the people
was unreserved but the real potentials
of community policing are deterred or handicapped by poor funding, lack of
skilled manpower, dart of modern technology and the national cankerworm called
corruption.
To complicate
matter, our youths who are supposed to use their formative age to pursue
education, training and development are being manipulated and lured into
various crimes for their sponsors’ socio-political and economic interests. Our
youths between the ages of 18 and 40 now constitute reservoir of terrorists’
recruit and cells building; they also dabble into matrimonial matters like
divorce and child custody, land cases and boundary disputes and others,
resulting in violence, loss of lives and property etc.
Indigenous Community Policing
Community
policing system is not meant to be photocopied and introduced into any police
jurisdiction as did the former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun
after his visit to the United States of America to undergo a study of community
policing as it negates the central concept, philosophy and operational ability
of community policing . The visit which took him to three U.S. police agencies
namely, Houston Police Command, Atlanta Police Command and Chicago Police
Command between December 2003 and March 2004 exposed him to the operations of
the community policing framework and revealed how the strategy brings the
people and police closer to reduce crime, prevent neighbourhood decay and
improve social welfare. The five months study visit started in Houston, Texas
where Mr. Balogun and his entourage were taught the concept and principles of
community policing, the importance of decentralization of policing, and the
permanent beat assignments for officers thus allowing them to become integral
part of the community they serve. The visits to Atlanta and Chicago were no
different as Mr. Balogun and his group underwent further training in the
operations of community policing as a strategy for crime prevention.
But they failed
to appreciate the difference between the socio-cultural and economic settings
of America and Nigeria. Instead of modernizing our hitherto existing community
policing or adopting those elements that fit our system or modify it to suite
our local setting we are merely forcing ourselves and attempting to do it the
America way and here we are – loss of our once cherished value system, social
decay and more crimes. Community policing is indigenous to African societies.
It is indigenous to Eleme. Community policing is not a policing concept or
philosophy that should come to a people from somewhere, especially when the
people already have theirs in place.
What Constitute Community?
Another
important aspect of community policing being undermined in Nigeria is what
constitutes a community in the context of Community Policing. Jack R. Greene (1988) observed that the most significant problem in community
policing strategies is the attempt to define “community “accurately. Greene
found that in most community policing programmes, the concept of community is
defined in terms of administrative areas
traditionally used by the police to allocate patrols, not in terms of
ecological areas” defined by common norms, shared values, and interpersonal
bonds. He argues that the police must abandon their traditional patrol
allocation methods and key in on the ecological areas to focus on community
norms, strengths, and standards.
In this regard,
Community Policing must key into the people’s traditional crime prevention
system, incorporating the already existing community policing and crime control
institutions, functions and other structures.
Partnership
Partnership is
an indispensable ingredient of community policing. Community policing requires
the police, the public, elected officials, government and other agencies
working in partnership to address crime and social disorder. As stated earlier
there is no single model that fits all communities with their different
contexts. What matters is “What Works” for us. We must tailor community
policing concept to suit our environment, people, safety and security problems.
Community policing is dependent on the coming together of community
stakeholders to pursue the goal of improved safety and security as well as
reducing incidences of conflicts and its resultant devastations.
It requires
partnership to be set up in order to generate the pooling of resources towards
a common goal.
Process of Partnering
|
S/NO
|
PROCESS
|
DETAILS
|
|
1
|
Scoping
|
Understanding
the challenges; gathering information; consulting with stakeholders and
potential external resource providers; building vision of the partnership.
|
|
2
|
Identifying
|
Identify
potential partners; securing involvement of suitable partners; motivating
them and encouraging them to work together.
|
|
3
|
Building
|
Building
partners’ working relationship through agreeing on the goals, objectives and
core principles under pinning the partnership.
|
|
4
|
Planning
|
Partners plan
programmes of activities and begin to outline a coherent project.
|
|
5
|
Managing
|
Partners
explore appropriate structure and management techniques for managing the
partnership medium to attain set goals.
|
|
6
|
Resources
|
All
stakeholders identify and mobilize cash and non-cash resources for the
attainment of the set goals.
|
|
7
|
Implementing
|
Once resources
are in place and project details agreed, the implementation commences work to
a pre-determined timetable and specific deliverables.
|
|
8
|
Measuring
|
This phase
involves measuring and reporting on impacts and effectiveness of operations.
Outputs and outcomes. Whether or not the partnership is achieving set goals.
|
|
9
|
Reviewing
|
What is the
impact of the partnership on partner organizations? Is it time for some
partners to leave and/or new partners to join.
|
|
10
|
Revising
|
This phase
deals with revising the partnership, programme or project in the light of
experience.
|
|
11
|
Institutionalizing
|
Building
appropriate structures and mechanisms for the partnership to ensure long-term
commitment and continuity.
|
|
12
|
Sustaining or
Terminating
|
Building
sustainability or agreeing on an appropriate conclusion.
|
Basic Principles of Community Policing
Partnership
For community
policing partnership to work efficiently, three basic principles must be
jealously guarded. These are equity, transparency and mutual benefit.
Rationale for Partnership in Community
Policing
ü
Partnership is central to achieving sustainable
development.
ü
Partnership recognizes qualities, competencies
and new ways of solving crimes and related problems.
ü
It eliminates unhealthy competitions, avoids
duplication of efforts and prevents wastage of valuable resources.
ü
It encourages innovative approach to the
challenges of security and safety.
ü
It creates the forum for partners to share
competencies and capacities in order to achieve both common and complementary
goals more effectively, legitimately and sustainably.
ü
It provides access to more resources.
ü
It offers dynamic and new networks for
channeling engagement with the wider community and greater capacity to
influence policy agenda.
ü
It enforces greater understanding of values and
attributes of each sector thus building a more integrated and stable society.
Obstacles Militating Against Community
Policing in Nigeria
Although some factors obstructing the
deliverability of Community Policing promises to Nigerians have been discussed
it is imperative to itemize these additional obstacles for easy reference. They
include:
v Prevailing
attitude of skepticism.
v Rigid/preconceived
attitudes about specific sectors and partners.
v Inflated
expectations of what is possible.
v Inadequate
partnering skills.
v Restricted
internal/external authority.
v Too
narrowly focused role/job.
v Lack
of belief in the effectiveness and competence of partners.
v Conflicting
priorities.
v Competitiveness
within sectors.
v Intolerance
of other sectors.
v Local
socio-cultural and economic climate.
v Scale
of challenges/speed of change.
v Inability
to access external resources.
However, most of
these obstacles are surmountable with patience, commitment, and effort.
How “Ogbe” Survived Western Influence and
Judicial Harmer
In
Eleme “Ogbe” have managed to survive both western influence and judicial harmer
as an instrument for protecting one’s life and properties, elicit the truth
from an offender and ensure confidence. This practice has come under the harmer
of the modern judiciary and attack of western education yet its end is far to
be imagined. As Chief O. O. Ngofa noted:
“Inspite of the fact that modern judiciary
frowns on the invocation of what they call ‘harmful juju’ the practice of
invoking the local deities is on the increase in Eleme, irrespective of the
rather high fees and protracted sacrifices that are associated with its
invocation and revocation”.
Ogbe
has remained an important instrument of investigation, and invocation of investigative juju is the practice of
the people that has come to stay despite the onslaught of Christianity and
modern judiciary on the practice.
Security Implications of Dislodgement of a
People’s Culture and Tradition
The result
of the concerted dislodgement of the culture and tradition of the people of
Eleme is a crash of the value system as against an upsurge of anti-social
activities such as increasing levels of violence, robbery, murder, kidnapping,
fraud, vandalism, cultism, adulteration, impersonation, immorality of all kinds
and types and several other forms of malpractices and crimes. Today, the church
is complaining; its instruments of modern socialization have failed to instill
discipline and morality in the people. The school is at crossroads, confused
and stranded; it is either its storehouse of modern socialization materials has
been exhausted or the operators have lost focus. The government is worried; its
modern legal system has failed to inculcate fear and checkmate increasing
anti-social activities. The society is no longer at ease, it is drifting,
things are falling apart, crimes and fear of crimes everywhere, and soon, the
center cannot hold except drastic measures are taken now.
Extend Investigation Frontiers
Yet, we
must also notice that there are people now, who are still tradition conscious
and who would not mind submitting to tradition wherever custom demands. This
group is a link and a foundation to build on in our efforts to police the
community and control crimes. The frontier of investigation should be extended
to include where the suspect or accused hail from so as to subject him to the
traditional crime detection and investigative processes. This will ensure:
1.
That timely confession
is obtained.
2.
That the innocent is
granted freedom as soon as possible.
3.
That only the guilty
is convicted.
4.
That the prisons are
decongested.
5.
That the society is
rid of criminals.
6.
Law-abiding citizens
go about their legitimate businesses without crime or fear of crime.
The
government owns it a duty to encourage the reformation and rehabilitation of
all the institutions of traditional courts and politics as they affect
community policing and crime control the same way the traditional herbal
medicine was done, especially now that community leaders and clan heads are
liable to punishment if they knowingly allow any criminal activities go
unpunished in their locality. Supernatural devices such as Ogbe and Ejor should
be considered in crime detection or establishing guilt or innocence of an
accused or a suspect.
Why less Crime in Pre-colonial Societies?
The use
of supernatural devices to detect crime, establish guilt or proof innocence of
an accused or suspect accounted for less crime in folk societies and is not
peculiar to Eleme. This section shall therefore rely extensively on the book, “Community
Policing & Crime Control in Pre-Colonial Eleme: Issues and Perspectives” by
Osaro Ollorwi (2012).
“There were many reasons for less crime in pre-colonial
Nigerian societies. Life in the society was such that less chance existed for
individual deviation. Members were interested in one another as persons. They
confided hopes, fears and shared experiences, gossiped together and filled the
needs for intimate human companionship. In sum, there was intimacy, sympathy
and a comfortable sharing of many interests and activities.
“But, these were not all; norms were enforced
with impunity and individual fears of the forces of nature and of the gods,
were not small in coercing individuals into conformity. This is the type of
societies that Stanislas Spero Adotevi (2007) described as ‘Happy and just societies, with no problems and without malice’.
“Writing about crime control in societies
under similar cultural setting Laura Bohannan(1966) stated that the maintenance
of peace and order within a folk society “is
not the function of a system or of a structural integration of systems, but the
compound result of the roles and values of various persons and institutions”.
Ours is a look into how the “various
persons and institutions” that have been responsible for community policing
and crime control in the various societies.
“He observed that among the Tiv, power to
deal with witchcraft whose manifestation on the bewitched were illness, bad luck,
bareness and death were with the hands of the elders in the gerontocracy. A man
bewitched looks for his enemy; someone known to possess “tsav” hence someone
influential, whom he has offended, wronged or given cause for envy. He then
summons the elders to remedy the situation. This remedy consists of a wholly
secular arbitration of the reasons for his bewitchment, the ceremonial
reparation of the damage it has already done to health or luck and a ritual
reconciliation between himself, the elders and all possible witches.
“Thus through the mediation, the elders
exercise a restraining control not only on the trouble makers who disturb the
community and its elders but also on the wealthy and influential members of the
community who found the association of witchcraft with all manifestations of
good and evil in man and in the world.
“According to E. E. Evans-Pritchard (1972),
among the Azande witches who have been detected to have bewitched their victims
to death are brought before a Prince’s Poison Oracle who then authorizes
vengeance or indemnity. If his victim is ill and is not seriously injured, he
is asked to reverse his action and save the life of the victim.
“David Tait (1953) discussed at length, crime
control among the segmented society of Konkomba. According to him, theft and
cases of homicide were dealt with by the elders and whatever decisions were
made had the backing of the clan head. Although homicides were quite uncommon,
Tait described an attempt by Nnekwe who wanted to kill his agnate at a market
place and says that, ‘he was punished by
ostracism’.
“Theft was controlled by the use of a Kaka
shrine. At the shrine were trees in which lived swarms of bees which were
believed to sting an unconfessed thief to death. If a thief confessed, he would
buy a guinea fowl to be sacrificed on the shrine. This is much more like the
ordeal of ‘Chu’ in Ochani community
of Ejamah in Ebubu clan.
“The place of diviners in community policing
and traditional crime detection is of importance. Since “finger-prints technique”
of detecting crime, Police Dogs, CIDs and so on was absent, a system of
detecting hidden criminals rested on the supernatural with diviners as their
mediums.
“Among the Azande, diviners were employed to
detect witches and sorcerers who lurked under the incognito of spiritualism to destroy lives and cause
havoc.
“The Efiks administered ‘esere’ bean, the
seed of ‘physostigma venemosum’, to persons suspected of witchcraft. According
to P. A. Talbot, if it caused death it indicated crime, if vomiting without
death, innocence.
“Charles K. Meek (1931) in his Ibo law
described a number of ways in which the traditional Ibo of Nsukka area of
Nigeria used to deal with her criminals. Among others, he mentioned the
supernatural powers of Ale Cult who in fact acted as ‘the unseen president of the community’ with powers to punish
homicide, kidnapping, poisoning, stealing farm products, adultery, etc. This is
reminiscent to the activity of ‘Ogbe’ in Eleme….
“Other methods of community policing and
treating criminals in pre-colonial Ibo land as revealed by the same author
ranged from killing and selling into slavery to heavy compensation and fines. A
murderer was forced to suicide by hanging himself.
“On their part Forde Daryl and Jones G. I.
noted that among the Ibibio and Annang peoples of southern Nigeria ‘Mbiam’ is
used to detect and control crime.
“Describing the powers of Ogbe to detect and
control crime among the Eleme people, Chief O. O. Ngofa (2006) narrated thus: ‘If a farmer stores his yams in the barn and
a thief goes there in the night to steal some, the owner may upon discovering
it, invoke a powerful deity (Ogbe) to kill the thief. This is believed to
happen, as the thief will surely be killed in unusual circumstances’.
“The influence of ‘Ogbe’ among the Eleme
people was presented in a letter reference number 682/62 of 24th
November 1947 by S. Holland, Acting District Officer in charge of Ogoni
Division who reported that the people of Eleme fear and respect juju (Ogbe). He
observed that Ogbe is ‘a part of the
people’s lives – a large and fearful part’. It is this ‘fear and respect’ that
forms the vital ingredients for community policing and crime control in
pre-colonial Eleme and have helped to maintain the status quo as I have seen in
action in several communities and villages in and around Eleme.”
During
the media chat on the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) recently, the
President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan lamented the predicaments of our present
legal system observing that “to
get a criminal convicted you require above 90 percent proof beyond all
reasonable doubts”. The President
told Nigerians that he preferred the traditional system of handling cases
whereby both parties state their case,
followed by cross examinations and then the judgment. No adjournments and no
delays; with minimum cost while ensuring equity, transparency and
accountability at all levels.
Commenting
on the influence of Ogbe in Eleme P. A.
Talbot (1969) declared that: “No supernatural influence need be called in
to explain the effect which the invocation of juju undoubted has on a guilty
person. The power of thought would seem sufficient to account for, at any rate,
most of the consequences”.
Osaro Ollorwi concluded that, “The
beliefs inculcated in the minds of the people of Eleme had been so great that
despite the penetration of Christianity into the area and the expansion of
western education in Eleme for over a century now, the belief in the
supernatural powers of “Ogbe” is still prevailing. Right now, if anything
necessitating doubts happens to an Eleme man, he would resort to his
forefathers’ way of doing things, which, of course, includes the belief in
ogbe/ancestral spirit and how it could be appeased. If he does not think in
that line, someone else or a relative would remind him of it. In many cases, an Eleme man relies heavily on
his forefathers’ way of worship”.
Every
community has its indigenous system of policing and crime control before the
advert of modern civilization. Therefore, a clarion call for community policing
in the right sense of the word, as against the clamor for State Police, is
necessary to conclude this presentation. Thank you all.
APPENDIX A
INSTITUTIONS OF
COMMUNITY POLICING &
CRIME CONTROL IN PRE-COLONIAL ELEME
All
communities in Eleme have the same basic social structure that encourages the
existence of agreeable human groups with specific social functions. These
groups are responsible for policing the communities – maintaining peace and
stability. The groups are:
|
S/N
|
INSTITUTION
|
DESCRIPTION
|
FUNCTION
|
|
a.
TRADITIONAL
INSTITUTIONS
|
|||
|
1.
|
Oku כtכ
|
Family
group made up of smaller units agreeing with kindred lines.
|
Settles
minor disputes between members of the same family.
|
|
2.
|
Oku כ'e
|
Extended
family which owns a hall and maintains one shrine.
|
Settles
disputes between members of the same family in matters of assault, stealing,
boundaries, inheritance, adultery, witchcraft, invocation of juju, and other
forms of misdemeanor.
|
|
3.
|
Oku
Omu
|
Age
grade to which all males belong.
|
Settles
disputes between people of the same age group resulting to assault, slander,
issue of threat, invocation of juju, and other matrimonial cases.
|
|
4.
|
Oku
εgbara
|
Uninitiated
adult men below Oku Ekpo but higher than Asama.
|
They
assist the elders implement their decisions; promote communal work, security,
control social decay, and perform traditional entertainment such as:
wrestling, dancing, and singing.
|
|
5.
|
Mba εta
|
Organization
of Women selected on age and representative basis
|
Regulates
the activities of women; ensures high morality and discipline among women.
|
|
6.
|
Oku εta
|
The
Chief (כnε εε εta) and his elders
(Oku Ekpo).
|
They
constitute Owe Ebo Ete court and adjudicate in disputes between two or more
persons or between two families concerning land tenure, divorce, custody of
children, stealing, boundaries, inheritance, adultery, witchcraft, invocation
of juju, defamation of character, rape, elopement, and so on.
|
|
7.
|
Oku
Nkpכrכ
|
Group
of Initiated men with the highest judicial powers and authority.
|
They
constitute Owe Nkpכrכ
court and adjudicate in more serious matters requiring urgent or detailed
investigation such as murder, witchcraft, inheritance, land tenure, divorce,
custody of children, stealing, boundaries, adultery, right of burial,
invocation of juju, rape, and so on at the appropriate levels of the
society.
|
|
8.
|
Oku
Nyכã
|
Oku
nyכã are group of initiated elders led by כnε Nkikε (traditional Prim Minister/Land Priest). Nkikε (Mother goddess or Earth-Spirit) is the only Deity that
directly relates to the foundation of a community or village and its
protection. It is the mother that sustains all living things and receives all
of them back to its stomach. The position is hereditary and it is confined to
the lineage or family of the original founder of the community.
|
כnε Nkikε (Traditional Prime Minister/Land Priest and Leader of
Oku nyכã) exercises spiritual and administrative powers. He
performs Ajija ritual for cleansing
of Pregnant but unmarried girls and Owaraekpaa
Osila (first daughter ritual). He appoints and installs כnε εε εta on the active
advice of Oku Nkpכrכ;
receives and performs the duties of כnε εε εta if found guilty
of gross misconduct or upon demise of an incumbent until a successor is
appointed and installed. He ensures that things are done in accordance with
custom and tradition. He commands the respect of the gods in the
community.
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b.
SUPERNATURAL
DEVICES/INSTITUTIONS & SECRET SOCIETIES
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9.
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Eji
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These
are ancestral spirits – that is, spirits of all who have lived and died. They
are known as Oku Eji and dwell in a separate spiritual kingdom known as εta Eji.
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They
exercise spiritual power and authority and are believed to be ever watchful,
powerful and able to help or punish any person. They communicate through
dreams and their feelings merely conjectured. They administer divine justice
by blessing the good and punishing the bad. And since they cannot be seen or
heard, there is always no appeal against the decisions of Oku Eji.
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10.
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Ejכ
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These
are deities or gods such as Ejilee, Onura, Ebaajor, Mbie, Ejamaaejor
Ogbenwata, Ndorwa, Osarobinmkpa and others. They are known as Oku Ejכ and dwell in a separate spiritual
kingdom known as εta Ejכ.
They are believed to be somehow senior and superior to Oku Eji.
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They
act as agents to כbari (God). They
communicate directly through the human consciousness of the priest or medium.
In this way they reveal secrets, prescribe remedies or answer questions put
to them, and administer divine justice. They have the power of life and dead.
Thus, can kill the guilty or spare the life of the innocent.
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11.
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Ogbe
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These
are supernatural devices such as Ogbenwata, Ejilee, Onura, Ebaajor, Ndorwa
Nkiken, Nnani, etc. they can be owned individual or by the community.
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They
exercise both political and social powers to maintain calm. They have power
to end or spare life. Ogbe are the most effective instruments of
investigation, crime detection and dispute resolution. They are soldiers of
solidarity of friendship and guarantors for security of life and property.
They are traditional courts of last resort.
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12.
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Kpripkε
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Secret
society of noblemen.
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They
are exposers of deviants and revealers of anti-social behaviour of
individuals irrespective of social status. They administer punishment as
directed by the elders and assist the elders in executing their decisions.
They are agents of social control and political cohesion.
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c.
OTHERS
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13.
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εsכ כkiã εbiε
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This
is a musical rendition by a designated singer, sometimes accompanied with
“Ekere”, sometimes not.
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It is
used to expose immorality and to reveal whatever crime that was committed in
secret by individual or family lineage whether the culprit is living or dead.
It is an agent of social control.
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