Do Eleme People Celebrate Criminals?
Introduction
The
general opinion among the various security agencies in Eleme is that Eleme
People Celebrate Criminals. Is this perception true? What is/are the rationale
behind such conclusion? Are the people culpable in the on-going criminalities
in the area? I have written, lectured and
consulted severally on the Eleme people’s apathy towards on-going crime and
fear of crime in the area. Some of the factors militating against the masses
direct participation in fighting crimes include:
1. Fear
of retribution,
2. Fear
of invasion by adversary,
3. Culture
of loyalty,
4. Respect
for cultists’ commitment,
5. Focus
on personal needs,
6. Inadequate
laws,
7. Police
attitude,
8. Politicians’
roles,
9. Government
commitment to cultists and their course, and.
10. Gender
Cold War.
The Eleme
social system is interposed with lots of roadblocks and checkpoints to regulate
behaviours, control crimes and punish criminals. Among the various controls system
are such institutions that everyone would want to belong in the society. They
include:
1. Marriage Institution
2. Leadership Institution
3. Institutions of Crime Control
4. Traditional Courts
Every
Eleme person, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, young or old, religious or
non-religious is a member of one of these institutions in the society. How do
these institutions ensure that Eleme people do not celebrate criminals?
Marriage
In his
book, The People of Eleme (1988), Chief
O. O. Ngofa observed that “Marriage is a natural sequence of growth and
progress. So long as a man is not married, he continues in a second class
status in the society. He never ties the full fathom of cloth, irrespective of
his stature. He is not allowed to join other men during consultation”.
In this statement are the strict limitations imposed on those yet to be
admitted into the Marriage Institution.
In Eleme,
marriage is regarded not only as a liberator and a status, but also confirms
that the person concerned has acceptable character and background. He can be trusted
in any affair and is regarded as a responsible person.
Eleme
culture cherished marriage between Eleme and Eleme. The rationale behind this
is to ensure that thorough background check and investigation are conducted at
least to determine that the marriage is not contracted with someone with
criminal history, health challenges, fertility problems, among other important
issues.
Abraham was
quite aware of the forgoing when he told his trusted servant not to take a wife
for his son Isaac from the daughters of the Canaanite among whom he resides, “but
to go to my country and to my kindred to take a wife for my son Isaac”.
Like the Israelites, the Elemes do not just jump into marriage. They carryout
extensive background checks and screening before considering contracting
marriage. The Elemes know that marriage creates families; and the family is the
basic unit of society. The Elemes believe that if the family decays the society
smells, therefore are very mindful of whom they tie the nuptial knot with.
There are
many Eleme people today, who no matter how rich or popular they are cannot
marry in Eleme when full background check/screening is conducted as is
tradition, so they hide under the cover of “one people” or “one Nigeria” or
“one world”.
Leadership
The Eleme
culture frowns at crimes and condemn criminals, it rejects them and refuses
them admission into leadership positions in the society. For someone to be
appointed or elected into any traditional leadership position in Eleme, the
person must be free from any accusation of stealing, murder, and witchcraft. He
must be married and be adjudged to be good and has contributed to the defence,
projection and development of the community.
Another
prove that the people of Eleme do not celebrate criminals is the existence of
well-defined traditional institutions of crime control and punishment. These
institutions are explained in the table below.
Institutions of Community Policing and Crime Control
All towns and villages
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. Every
Eleme man and woman, boy and girl belongs to one or more of these groups. The
groups are:
S/N
|
INSTITUTION
|
DESCRIPTION
|
FUNCTION
|
1.
|
Oku O’tor
|
Family group made up of smaller units
agreeing with kindred lines.
|
Settles minor disputes between members
of the same family.
|
2.
|
Oku O’e
|
Extended family which owns a hall and
maintains one shrine, known as Nsi Eji
|
Settles disputes between members of
the same family in matters of assault, stealing, boundaries, inheritance,
adultery, witchcraft, invocation of juju, and other forms of
misdemeanour.
|
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.
|
Egbara Eta
|
Uninitiated adult men below Oku Ekpo
|
They promote communal work, security,
control social decay, and perform traditional entertainment such as:
wrestling, dancing, and singing.
|
5.
|
Mba Eta
|
Organization of Women selected on age
and representative basis
|
Regulates the activities of women;
ensures high morality and discipline among women.
|
6.
|
Eji
|
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 Eta Eji.
|
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.
|
7.
|
Ejor
|
These are deities or gods such as
Ejilee, Onura, Ebaajor, Mbie, Ejamaaejor Ogbenwata, Ndorwa, Osarobinmkpa and
others. They are known as Oku Ejor and dwell in a separate spiritual kingdom
known as Eta Ejor. They are believed to be somehow senior and superior to Oku
Eji.
|
They act as agents to Obari (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.
|
8.
|
Oku Eta
|
The Traditional Ruler (Oneh Eh Eta)
and his elders (Oku Ekpo)
|
They constitute Owe Ebo Ete 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.
|
9.
|
Oku Nkporon
|
Group of Initiated men with the
Highest Judicial Powers and Authority.
|
They constitute Owe Nkporon 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.
|
10.
|
Oku Nyoa
|
Oku Nyoa are group of initiated elders
led by One Nkiken (Land Priest/Traditional Prime Minister). Nkiken
(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.
|
One Nkiken (Land Priest and Leader of
Oku Nyoa) 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 Oneh Eh Eta on the
active advice of Oku Nkporon; receives and performs the duties of Oneh Eh Eta
if One Eh Eta is 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.
|
The existence of these
groups helps to solve the problems of crime and criminality in the society.
They help maintain law and order. They control behavior in society. They are
the pivots upon which the community revolves. They solve social decay and
render communal services. These institutions maintain the center of gravity in
all aspects of human relations and dealings. But, are these institutions still
relevant in the modern Eleme? Why are they not as active as they used to
be? How comes the modern legal system is
bent on reducing their powers and rendering them moribund? Will the society be
better for it, if these institutions are revitalized, empowered and encouraged
to participate actively in community policing? Your answers, comments,
observations, suggestions and updates are very necessary.
Traditional
Court
There are
three authoritative government functions in Eleme – rulemaking, rule application,
and rule adjudication. These are the three old functions of separation of power
in Eleme except that an effort has been made to free them from their overtures
– rulemaking rather than ‘legislation’, rule application rather than
‘executive’ and rule adjudication rather than the ‘judiciary’.
The
traditional political system of Eleme has been stressed by no differential and
diffused character of political and social structure. It would be noticed that
the Chieftaincy in Eleme fulfil at one and the same time the rulemaking, rule
application and rule adjudication functions and specialization is not
consciously related to the idea of fulfilling roles at all.
The
process of rulemaking is direct and democratic. At the clan level,
representatives are sent from the sub-clans to take part in a clan meeting. The
sub-clan is divided into communities and villages, and the communities are
further divided in lineages and sub-lineages. The lineage is again divided into
what is called “Oku Otor” i.e. people of the same family. Each Oku Otor has
“Ekpone” (head of the Oku Otor), who is the source of authority for all others.
No member of the Oku Otor can take decision or perform any act without
consulting Ekpone.
The
Ekpone posse law, he executes the law and passes judgment on those who disobey
his order. He offers sacrifices to the gods and liaisons the family with the
ancestors. Any matrimonial disputes or quarrels are mediated by him. In return,
he is accorded respect, obedience and honour by members of the family and
others outside the family depending, of course, on the charisma and will power
of the Ekpone to hold together his subjects.
Above the
Oku Otor level we have the next kin group – the lineage or extended family
called Oku Oɂe. The head of the Oku Oɂe is known as “Ekpone Oɂe” – a very
important figure in the community who holds the title of “One Nsi Oɂe”, a
symbol of authority of the ancestors, which is very important and mystical in
Eleme traditional political system. The One Nsi Oɂe who must be an initiated
member of “Oku Nyoa” is seen as the intermediary between the Oku Oɂe and the
ancestors. He is the fountain of authority in the community. He serves the
“Oɂe” shrine (“Nsi Eji Oɂe), assisted by the next older person who is being
prepared to succeed him at the appropriate time.
In Eleme,
wisdom is associated with age and it is commonly believed that the oldest man
is wiser, is closer to the ancestors, and is respected by them. And so, the
oldest man is usually the One Nsi Oɂe. He is usually the priest of “Nsi Eji
Oɂe”. He makes laws, he also adjudicates.
Rulemaking
function is also performed by adult male members of the clan in a general
assembly called “O’elabo of the Clan”. The O’elabo is made up of the Oneh Eh
Eta (the chief), and the elders (Oku Ekpo) collectively referred to as Oku Nkporon,
the Egbaraeta, leaders of thought and representatives from each village and
community.
The
procedure for rulemaking at the caln level is democratic, but the final decisions
taken depend on the elders when they retire to a “tete-a-tete” meeting known as
“Ola”. The “Ola” group finalizes all discussions made in the meeting and
decides on decisions to be adopted. The Ola group consists of Oku Nkporon
(group of initiated men with the highest power and authority and made up of
representatives from each community). Matters often discussed in such
assemblies ranges from land disputes, imposition of levies, to war, peace or
defense.
The Oku
Nkporon also performs the functions of executing and adjudicating the laws they
have helped to enact. The output structures are also multi-functional. Other
structures such as Oku Omu (age grades), Egbara Eta (uninitiated men), Mba Eta
(organization of women selected on age and representative basis), also perform
rulemaking, rule application and rule adjudication functions.
All these
structures and functional roles of the political system condition have
influenced the political thought of the Eleme people. It should be seen clearly
therefore, that the traditional court referred to is not a particular permanent
building but interplay of several forces – political, social, cultural and
otherwise for the highest good of the people.
There had
been the belief in the mystical powers of the chiefs. People respected the
chief (Oneh Eh Eta) because of his power to make libation and sacrifices to
ancestors and as a result, they have better harvest. It was through myths that the chief was able
to hold his people together. It was only the chief who can call on the gods to
punish or not to punish evildoer in the clan; apart from him, no other person
can do it. The importance of the myth was that it helped in the effectiveness
of rulemaking and rule adjudication.
The chief
was an essential element in the system. The community was held together not
only by economic and social links – such as living and farming together – but
by spiritual and religious links, as already discussed. There was a strong
religious element in the Chieftaincy; the chief was the link between the living
people and the spirit of their ancestors; and he performs many duties such as
making sacrifices and libations which were essentially those of a priest.
Similar
conceptions are found in other parts of the world. The Kings of England, for
instance were thought to have magical or miraculous powers of healing a certain
disease by touch, and as late as the reign of Queen Anne (1702 – 1714), people
were regularly brought to be cured by the touch of the royal hand.
Since the
chief in Eleme and his people were linked in this spiritual way, it was
difficult to fit strangers into the system. This may be one reason why
strangers tended to live in settlements of their own outside the town or
village. This personal link between the chief and the people was distorted by
the new legal system introduced by the European invaders on one hand and the
lopsided Nigerian Constitution on the other hand.
The
system developed among the people different idea and thought about wealth,
power and authority. Wealth to them was not accumulation of wealth in the form
of commercial or industrial capitals. If wealth was accumulated, it took the
form of consumption of goods and amenities. Wealth to them was meant to be used
for the benefit of all and the support of additional development; hence the
people of Eleme believed strongly in extended family system and African
socialism.
The
growth of the Eleme traditional legal system has been slow and steady. All
towns and villages in Eleme have the same basic structure that encourages the
existence of agreeable human groups with specific socio-political functions. We
have seen that these groups helped in maintaining peace, order, and stability
in pre-literate Eleme. There were age grades to which all males belong called
Oku Omu. The family group made up of smaller units agreeing with kindred lines
called Oku Otor; and the extended family, which owned a hall and maintained a
shrine known as Oku Oɂe.
The
hierarchy of the community was made up of the chief (Oneh Eh Eta) and the
elders (Oku Ekpo) called Oku Eta, and another group of initiated men who have
the highest rulemaking, rule application and rule adjudication status called
Oku Nkporon. By this arrangement, all imaginable situations were speedily dealt
with by the appropriate group, thereby sustaining peace and order in the whole
clan.
Disputes
between people of the same age group (Oku Omu) relating to assault, defamation
of character, issue of threat, invocation of juju and minor matrimonial cases
were dealt with by Oku Omu. Disputes between members of the same family in
matters of stealing, assault, defamation of character, issue of threat,
invocation of juju, adultery, boundaries, inheritance, witchcraft, and other
forms of misdemeanour were settled by Oku Oɂe.
The aggrieved member may sue the other party or the elders may in the
circumstances intervene directly.
Disputes
between two or more persons or between two families concerning divorce, land
tenure, custody of children, rape, stealing, assault, defamation of character,
issue of threat, invocation of juju, adultery, boundaries, inheritance,
witchcraft, elopement and so on were settled by Oku Eta.
Owe Ebo Ete (Oweboete) Court
Apart
from the above arrangements for settling of cases and disputes, the system also
recognized two traditional courts which sit in the chief’s palace or in the
disputants’ community town hall. These are “Owe Ebo Ete” and “Owe Nkporon”.
Both courts operate at the community level, sub-clan level, and at the clan
level. Whenever Oku Eta sits as a court it is called Owe Ebo Ete (Owe Ebo Etate).
Owe Ebo Ete is presided over by the chief (Oneh Eh Eta) while the elders
constitute its membership. Its decisions on matters brought before it is final
and binding, but an unsatisfied party reserves the right to appeal to a higher
level Owe Ebo Ete or to the highest court called Owe Nkporon.
Since the
traditional legal system in Eleme does not differentiate between criminal and
civil cases, each matter is taken on its merit and as it affects the
co-existence of the parties concerned as well as the larger community. The
remedies sought are generally declaration of title, compensation or restoration.
That is, to establish ones right, to be cleared of accusation, to recover
property or to obtain a public declaration.
Suing
before the Owe Ebo Ete court involved the aggrieved person going to the Oneh Eh
Eta (chief) and complaining. He would state his claims and relief sought as
well as the possibility of calling witnesses. He has to pay the prescribed fees
and he would be advised on the materials for other related processes. The chief
would try to dissuade the complainant from suing with money but if he refused,
he would be asked to sue with the prescribed fees and ordered to appear on a
date convenient to the chief depending on the nature of the case. He may
however, agree with the date or meet the chief to adjust the date after
explaining his reasons.
On the
appointed date, the chief, One Nkporon (spokesman of the community), and elders
would constitute the Owe Ebo Ete court. Both parties would state their cases
and call witnesses. Members of the court might ask questions to elucidate the
points in dispute. The disputants would be allowed to cross examine each other
and the witnesses would also be questioned to clarify issues. Thereafter, the
court would rise for consultation and on their return, the verdict would be
given. The party at fault would be seriously reprimanded and asked to pay
appropriate fine. The guilty party may choose to obey the judgment of Owe Ebo Ete
court or to appeal against the judgment.
Owe
Nkporon Court
Owe Nkporon
is the highest court in Eleme. The clan head (Oneh Eh Eta) presides over its
sitting and members are drawn from the rank of Oku Nkporon who have completed
all the processes of “Oba Nkporon”, and are therefore entitled to join in the
court’s routine consultation called “Ola”. The processes of getting the Owe Ebo
Ete and Owe Nkporon courts to sit are the same but Owe Nkporon is more
expensive than Owe Ebo Ete and its decisions are final.
Owe Nkporon
can hear a fresh case brought before it as well as appeals coming from Owe Ebo
Ete or lower levels; however, Owe Nkporon cannot be delayed unduly by any of
the parties in a dispute. Once proper
information has been communicated to the parties regarding the date of hearing,
venue, and time, the court would proceed to hear the disputants, collect
evidence, cross examine the parties and witnesses, visit to locus (where
applicable), and give its verdict, even though the other party failed to put in
appearance.
Where a
case is taken on appeal from the community level to the clan level or to a
higher level court, it is the practice of the court to request for evidence
that related the ruling of the lower court. This is the simplest and cheapest
way of obtaining justice in the shortest possible time. Although some persons
have tried to brand these processes devilish and fetish; the law has also
proscribed and labelled same as heathenish and we are aware paying heavily for
it in terms of rising crimes and criminality.
The
powers of the community are also limited by the fact that they cannot
confiscate any of the property of unresponsive ones since that is against the
law. Banishment and public ridicule is also having less effect as people can
easily run out of their community and in fact, the whole Eleme, to the nearby
urban center where they can easily make new friends and get on with a life
devoid of those cultural constraints.
The use
of Ogbe to protect one’s life and properties, elicit the truth from an offender
and ensure confidence has also come under the harmer of the modern judiciary.
However, 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 was
once an important instrument of investigation. The invocation of investigative juju as a practice of the people has
come to stay despite the onslaught of Christianity, civilization, and modern
judiciary but, the efficacy of ogbe has faded considerably.
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.
The
church is complaining; its instruments of modern socialization have failed to instil
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 check increasing
anti-social activities. The society is no longer at ease, it is drifting, and
things are falling apart, crimes and fear of crimes everywhere. Perhaps the Religious and National Values Curriculum
now introduced into our Schools would do the magic, in the next ten to twenty
years, as we pursue the goals of harmonising such key values as honesty, regard
and concern for the interest of others, justice, discipline, right attitude to
work, courage and national consciousness.
Conclusion
Conclusively, it is wrong to opine that Eleme people celebrate
criminals. The system speaks for itself and the people proud themselves as honest,
hardworking, industrious and progressives. You can never see Eleme person
escorting a criminal to or from court, or celebrating a criminal at any event.
The average Eleme person may
appear to be weak and fearful but always own up to his integrity. He hates
corruption and avoids violence. He believes in honesty and self-discipline. The
Eleme culture encourages Eleme people to stay at home, work hard and make a
respectable living at home. Perhaps, this accounts
for why majority of Eleme people do not travel very far and long. Criminals are
not needed, nor are they tolerated or celebrating in Eleme society. The Eleme
tradition hates criminals and has a way of isolating them so that they do not
corrupt others in the society. There is nowhere in the Eleme tradition that
celebrates criminals, or considers criminals as heroes or role models. The
Eleme people see criminals as evil and pandemics; and isolate and keep them away
from society.
Besides, the average Eleme person knows that Elemeland has a way of
rewarding good and punishing evil. Instances abound where a whole family has
been destroyed and the compound abandoned due to heinous crime committed by one
of its members. A close look will reveal to you that no public fund looter in
Eleme has gone unpunished. Eleme do not celebrate criminals; rather it ensures
that the criminal and beneficiaries of crime are punished to deter others and sanitize
the society.
What we are experiencing in Eleme today is as a result of the loss of
values in the Nigerian society. The unfolding events in which the future of
Nigerian youths is being used by politicians should call for the concern of
all.