“I Was Taken to Okija Shrine Days Before My Election” – Chris Ngige
Former Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chris Ngige, has shared a startling account of how he was forcibly taken to the Okija shrine just days before the 2003 governorship election that brought him to power.
In an exclusive interview, Ngige, who governed Anambra State from 2003 to 2006, revealed that powerful political figures compelled him to swear an oath of loyalty at the notorious shrine.
“I was taken to Okija shrine by force. By midnight, I didn’t know where we were going, and it was just a few days to my election. They insisted I must swear an oath of loyalty,” Ngige recounted.
According to the trained medical doctor, he went armed with a Bible and holy water, confident that no shrine or deity could overpower the Almighty God. Upon arrival, he witnessed strange rituals, and another person eventually took the oath on his behalf.
Ngige further disclosed that after becoming governor, a security report revealed fraudulent activities being carried out at the shrine. Working with then-President Olusegun Obasanjo, he ordered its demolition.
“When I became governor and the security report showed what they were doing there swindling people President Obasanjo instructed my Commissioner of Police through the IGP to dismantle it. We went there and leveled the place,” he said.
While that particular shrine was destroyed, Ngige noted that several smaller shrines still exist in Okija. However, he believes the influence of such places has diminished as people realize they were being manipulated by fraudulent operators.
Key Takeaway:
Ngige’s revelation sheds light on the hidden, dark pressures of Nigerian politics in the early 2000s — and how one of the most feared shrines in the country met its end.
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