Crisis looms in Abia community over ban on native doctors’ new yam festival

…Herbalists Petition Gov Otti, Security Agencies — Traditional Ruler Cites Security Concerns

By Steve Oko

OHAFIA — Tension is brewing successful Okon Aku community, Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State, pursuing a prohibition placed connected members of the Okon Aku Traditional Herbs and Roots practitioners (popularly known arsenic Dibia Okon-Aku) from celebrating their yearly Iri-Ji (New Yam) festival scheduled for Saturday, September 20.

The herbalists, describing the determination arsenic “unlawful and unconstitutional,” person vowed to defy immoderate effort to halt the festival, insisting it is portion of their cardinal rights.

In a powerfully worded petition addressed to the community’s accepted ruler, HRH Eze Ndukwe Iko, and copied to Governor Alex Otti arsenic good arsenic information agencies, the practitioners—through their lawyer, N.B. Kalu, Esq.—demanded the contiguous lifting of the ban.

They argued that the prohibition amounts to a gross usurpation of their rights to state of worship and relation arsenic guaranteed nether Sections 38 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The contention reportedly arose aft the assemblage municipality crier announced the exclusion of 1 of their members, Chief Uche Ikenga, from the festival—an enactment the herbalists said was unjustified. According to them, the consequent broad prohibition was linked to their refusal to excommunicate Ikenga without cause.

The practitioners alleged that efforts had earlier been made to disrupt their archetypal Iri-Ji outing connected September 16, 2025, with threats of apprehension and detention. They besides stressed that their relation is duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

“Such intimidation and harassment interruption Nigeria’s presumption arsenic a secular authorities wherever nary radical is empowered to enforce spiritual oregon taste beliefs connected others,” the petition work successful part.

The radical called for urgent involution by the Abia State Government and information agencies to analyse the legality of the ban, show the festival to forestall unrest, and supply capable extortion during the celebration. They pledged to behaviour their activities peacefully but warned of ineligible enactment if harassment continues.

When contacted, the accepted ruler, Eze Ndukwe Iko, defended the ban, citing information concerns. He accused the autochthonal doctors of imposing a 30-day curfew connected the community—an enactment helium described arsenic oppressive and disruptive.

“The prohibition was due to the fact that of a information challenge. The autochthonal doctors spot a curfew successful the assemblage for 30 days, which infringes connected the rights of others. The assembly of Ezieogos, made up of 23 compounds, met and resolved to halt the festival to debar imaginable clashes, particularly betwixt Christians and autochthonal doctors,” the monarch explained.

He added that akin tensions erupted past year, astir resulting successful fatalities. “We told them not to destabilize the community. They are nether the community, not the different mode round. Whatever they privation to bash should beryllium done successful their backstage homes, not successful public,” the monarch insisted.

The station Crisis looms successful Abia assemblage implicit prohibition connected autochthonal doctors’ caller yam festival appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.