‘I was threatened with death over refusal to be chief priest’

Titus Akhigbe, Benin

Family members of Mr. Lucky Brown Abusomwan of a sleepy community in Urhonigbe, Orhionwon Local Government Area of Edo state, who reportedly fled the country for safety, have raised an alarm of threats on his life for refusing to take over as chief priest from his grandfather, Chief Ogiemwonyi Ekomwaredo, who died in 2016.

It was reliably gathered that seven days after the burial of Chief Ekomwaredo, Mr. Brown, the grand child was summoned to return home from the city for the rites of take-over as the new chief priest.

It was learnt that Mrs. Beauty Abusomwan, the mother of Brown, the next in line to fill the vacant position of chief priest, personally brought her son to the village for the performance of the necessary rites.

However, trouble started when Brown declined to take over as the new chief priest as a result of alleged strange conditions and sacrifice he was supposed to carry out before enthronement. It was learnt that he (Brown) was told in clear terms that the consequence of not taking over as new chief priest is death.

Based on the alleged death threats, Brown reportedly escaped into the bush, from where he found his way back to the city.

Brown said: “I am in a dilemma. I can no longer enter my village just because I declined to be chief priest.

I declined because I cannot be involved in the kind of sacrifices I was asked to carry out in 2016 when my grandfather, the chief priest of my community died.

“I cannot cope with the conditions I was given, so I had to run into the bush, from where a Good Samaritan helped me find my way back to the city. The sacrifices I was asked to do is strange and despicable.

“The good Samaritan who helped me when I ran into the bush advised me never to return to the community, that the consequence of my refusal to be chief priest is death.

I have been declared wanted by the community since 2016. I had to run for my life when I was threatened with death.”