Tension is rising in the Okon Aku community of Ohafia Local Government Area, Abia State, after members of the Okon Aku Traditional Herbs and Roots practitioners, popularly called Dibia Okon-Aku, were banned from holding their annual Iri-Ji (New Yam) festival scheduled for Saturday, September 20.
The herbalists, describing the move as “unlawful and unconstitutional,” have vowed to resist any attempt to stop the festival, insisting it is part of their fundamental rights.
In a strongly worded petition addressed to the community’s traditional ruler, HRH Eze Ndukwe Iko, and copied to Governor Alex Otti as well as security agencies, the practitioners—through their lawyer, N.B. Kalu, Esq.—demanded the immediate lifting of the ban.
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They argued that the ban amounts to a gross violation of their rights to freedom of worship and association as guaranteed under Sections 38 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The controversy reportedly arose after the community town crier announced the exclusion of one of their members, Chief Uche Ikenga, from the festival—an action the herbalists said was unjustified. According to them, the subsequent blanket ban was linked to their refusal to excommunicate Ikenga without cause.
The practitioners alleged that efforts had earlier been made to disrupt their first Iri-Ji outing on September 16, 2025, with threats of arrest and detention. They also stressed that their association is duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
“Such intimidation and harassment violate Nigeria’s status as a secular state where no group is empowered to impose religious or cultural beliefs on others,” the petition read in part.
The group called for urgent intervention by the Abia State Government and security agencies to investigate the legality of the ban, monitor the festival to forestall unrest, and provide adequate protection during the celebration. They pledged to conduct their activities peacefully but warned of legal action if harassment continues.
When contacted, the traditional ruler, Eze Ndukwe Iko, defended the ban, citing security concerns. He accused the native doctors of imposing a 30-day curfew on the community—an action he described as oppressive and disruptive.
“The ban was because of a security challenge. The native doctors place a curfew in the community for 30 days, which infringes on the rights of others. The council of Ezieogos, made up of 23 compounds, met and resolved to stop the festival to avoid possible clashes, especially between Christians and native doctors,” the monarch explained.
He added that similar tensions erupted last year, nearly resulting in fatalities.
“We told them not to destabilize the community. They are under the community, not the other way round. Whatever they want to do should be done in their private homes, not in public,” the monarch insisted.
