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MFUM—WHEN a traveller hinted that there was a
community in Niger Delta where traders do not pack
their wares home after the day’s business, but just cover
them with waterproofs and other materials, it sounded
too real to be true in this evil era.
So this reporter went to Mfum community in Ogoja
Local Government Area, Cross River State, located at the
intersection that leads to Abakaliki and Igoli, which is
30 and 15 kilometres away, respectively, from Ogoja
metropolis, to authenticate the claim.
The strategic position of the community has turned the
people of Mfom, especially the women, to traders.
The makeshift stalls, where they sell foodstuff like garri,
rice, plantain, cocoyam, banana, fish and bush meat
to the thousands of people, who traverse the busy
Abakaliki-Ikom Highway, littered the roadside.
It’s true—Madam Agade
A shop owner, Madam Grace Agade, who confirmed the
claim to Niger Delta Voice, said: “There is a strong spirit
that guards the foodstuff and anybody who attempts
to steal any item is on his own
“This is because the person will see what he or she is
looking for by coming to this community to steal stuff
items meant for sale just because nobody is guarding
the items of trade.
“If anyone steals from the market, the spirit that
guards that market will follow such a person to his
house or his destination and instructs him to return the
item.
“But if he remains stubborn and keeps the item,
something will happen within three days.
“If he does not die, he will run mad and it is only if
his people come to appease the community that the he
can be healed of the madness.”
Spirit arrests gari thieves
She said sometime, last year, “some people stole some
basins of gari and when the sprit went after them, they
had to return the garri and our youths beat them up.
“They had to perform sacrifices before they were allowed
to go back to their homes.”
Another lady, Rose Eddy, said she has been selling
food items in the market since the road was constructed,
several decades ago, adding, “nobody had stolen my
items except the incident of last year.”
Switching to Pidgin English, she said: “Dem know our
community say thief no dey survive here and any
person wey steal, na him go take him head carry am.”
THE Vanguard
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