Ekerụ Ọlụ Eke: The Emergence Of ‘Mbute Ike’ Prophets — Odumeje And Onyeze Jesus In Igboland

“Ekerụ ọlụ eke” is a slogan of the new religious-thespian magician In Igbo Land. A land that used to be revered for its generation’s resilience in the face of varying vicissitudes.

I heard that cryptic slogan early last year from Odumeje, who emerged with some strange drama with a confusing title of “Prophet”.

He understudied the terrain and focused on becoming popular hence ceased the social media to perform his thespian talents, including spinning and flipping sick and aged people to the crowd and the supporting seats.

That continued to the chagrin of decent minds until his ego clashed with some towns when he arrogantly insulted their traditions.

That heist he had with the people slowed down such drama and he became an allure of some ‘smart guys, who began to employ his comedy and humorous skills to their mutual benefits.

Today, you can see how mingles glamorously and flamboyantly. It worked! While Odumeje gained popularity, some folks were thinking and cracking their minds on how to become socially relevant like him, and one of such thoughts is the product that birthed the man,”Ekelu ọlụ eke”.

He caught the latitude of freedom the social media offers and also the generous credulity of our society. With these available, then the market is vast, hence the bearer of the new slang sprung into action with similar tact and bravado of the other, but this time even though he makes similar outrageous challenges like “raising the dead” (walking above river Niger), he spiced it up with a brazen level of obscenity to test the compunction of our people towards our cultural values.

Subsequently, as it appears he is actually rising in popularity like he dreams, more confusing ideas are being innovated and our youths of different age sets keep surging with rams to a certain stagnant water where they are stripped to bathe to sacrifice for power (Mbute Ike).

Such a degenerative and barbaric development is now very lucrative. Therefore, the man, Onye Eze ‘jesus’, brandishes his own creativity from spraying money to his naked customers by brink of the disturbing lake, rain insults to those who look back and invoke the name of God and Agbala at the same time.

At the sight of the horrendous display, I think of the erosion of our values and cultures.

If the family system has failed to bring these youths to their roots, the traditional institutions may have also be failing. May be a call to protect the water and curses such practices would attract? Or the government has to call to stop the flagrant abuse of aquatic lives and the health consequences of such communal bathing.

What if the lives of the desperate and ignorant victims are exposed to unknown infections. I cannot pin down who can stop the terrible pandemic of our cultural aberration and control the impending epidemic at this point but I will use this opportunity to speak up to those who might read and communicate the truth.

Meanwhile, the silence to this trend is only incubating more Mbute Ike prophets, and who knows the next strategy the next one will come up with.

(Credit: Ozion the Expressionist)