Religion can destroy your humanity. Religion can make you justify suffering your own parents just because they refused to join you in your own church. Religion can make you rejoice at the death of a priest because they said Native Doctor did it. Religion can make you rejoice at the illegal arrest of your people because they are traditional religious worshippers and not a part of your Christianity.
Religion can be divisive and destructive to a people. I remember when the case involving Mathias and Ebuka was raging. I told the supporters of Mathias that they would lose the case. In fact, I strongly advised that they should make sure they settle outside the court. In this, I got only bashing from traditionalists. They trumpeted how they will win in court. They said they would go to the mortuary and bring dead bodies for Ebuka to raise them. If not he can't deny doing arrangee miracles. I told them it doesn't work that way. But they refused. Later, Mathias settled outside the court and it all ended.
Funny enough, today the same Christians that supported me when I said Ebuka or any pastor can't be subjected to prove anything to anyone, are mocking native doctors and asking that they should disappear as a prove they can actually disappear. We do lose our senses when it is about religion. What we stand against today, we can embrace tomorrow once it is against another religion. This is bad.
You don't target people because they are Dibịa, pastor or Eze nwanyị. You can't stand and say you are banning Eze nwanyị or Dibịa. What you do is go after criminals among them. It will amount to intimidation and harassment to go after someone because he is a Dibia. Have you gone after people because they are priests and pastors?
When we talk, you make it look like we are against fighting insecurity. Bunch of blackmailers. You don't fight insecurity with insecurity. You don't fight fraud with fraud. If you want to fight insecurity, you must fight it the right way. The problem we have is that once someone is doing what we think we like, we don't care how he goes about it. This was why some individuals started thinking they were free to do anything once they mentioned Biafra's freedom. They started supporting liars, kị́llers and kidnappers all in the pretence of Biafra. But that wasn't it. This was why people like us rose up against them and saved the soul of IPOB from them. I support Soludo in his fight against criminality, but if Dibịas should register, every pastor, priest and Imans should also be asked to register. You can't say you are cutting the excesses of Ndi Dibia without doing the same to pastors and priests.
Being a Dibia, Ezenwanyi, priest or pastor isn't a crime. Go after anyone committing the crime. If Nigeria is working, you will face a lawsuit for illegal arrest. By the time you finish paying compensation, you will learn your lessons.
Soludo has opened a door. More doors will be opened. One day, someone who will scrutinise the actions of pastors and priests will rise. Funny enough, many Christians who are supporting the mădness going on today will rise against it. We must understand that whatever goes around comes around. If you must fight insecurity, do it the right way.
Elochukwu Ohagi, Philosopher, Teacher and Activist, 2025.
