BENIN CITY, Nigeria (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - For almost two decades, 42-year-old Patience earned a steady income sending girls from Nigeria to Europe for sex work, using black magic to stop the women from fleeing.
Now she is afraid the illegal trade could kill her.
During a ceremony in March, Oba Ewuare II, leader of the historic kingdom of Benin in southern Nigeria, invoked curses on anyone who used witchcraft to aid illegal migration.
Since then, anecdotal evidence suggests the trafficking has slowed although it is too soon for firm data to be collated.
At least nine in every 10 Nigerian women trafficked to Europe come from Edo, a mostly Christian state of 3 million people, according to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC). Many came through the hands of women like Patience, who supplements her income as a hairdresser by selling girls into overseas sex work - but the leader’s ceremony has stopped that.

“I didn’t hear directly from his mouth but, through the radio and television. The Oba has stopped everything,” Patience told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in her home in Benin, where she lives with her husband and four children.
“Whenever I go out, I meet girls who beg me to take them to Europe but I refuse because I don’t want to die. Everybody is afraid.”

“No one will ever come here again,” said David Ubebe, a juju priest who for eight years attended to a flow of women bringing girls to swear oaths at his shrine as well as phone calls from madams in Europe asking him to compel girls to pay them.
He used to earn an undisclosed income for each black magic ritual he performed, boasting his powers could make someone menstruate nonstop or lose peace of mind, but is nowhere to be too nervous to defy the ban.
Meanwhile Patience is convinced a madam she knows in Europe has fallen ill because she defied the Oba by trying to extort more money from a girl and no one can diagnose her illness.
“It is the effect of the curse placed by the Oba on those who cheat. That is the reason why she is sick,” she said.

https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKCN1LZ12D-OZATP

Where's the oba to curse fulani herdsmen rampaging through Edo farms?

The scare will only last a while. After a while they will get back their confidence and call bluffs on the oba's curse.

I can actually testify to the fact that since the man issued that curse earlier this year, I've read about many human traffickers in Benin being busted and arrested. Isn't this a good omen? And who has answered this man's prayer - God or the gods of his ancestors?
It's complicated, because I know those gods can only do evil - they can't fight evil that human trafficking and prostitution is.
Lalasticlala what sayest thou?

musicwriter:

There're no Gods and gods. All Gods are Gods.

It is the white man's supremacist world view that puts his own god with capital G to have you believe that his god is better than your African Gods.

There's a difference bro. A lot of difference. God is the Creator of the world Universe and its inhabitants while gods are Satan's demons.

dederocs:

But Jesus said 'dont you know ye are gods'... So are you saying Jesus was calling his disciples demons?
Read what he said deeply... We are gods of the earth, don't over emphasize on the capitalization, of course there is only one creator. Jehovah.

The Jesus definition of gods that He says we are, is different from the gods that demons are. Capitalization is very important to make the difference clear.

vanbonattel:
Where's the oba to curse fulani herdsmen rampaging through Edo farms?

don't be ignorant. there is a limit to everything.. where are the Pastors to pray against fulani herdsmen rampaging the country

So The Oba Is Scared To Curse This Lifeless Government

The beauty and strength of my great Benin kingdom.

The king who sees value in his people, not politically motivated or selfishly selective.

The Oba of Benin is divinely enthroned by God.
Unlike some social media mobile politically selected king whose subjects threw tear-gas in his palace.

Long live the King of Benin,


Oba Ghato Kpere.. Ise!!!

Swear for politicians abegg

I hope he extended the curse to cultists too?

Wash, swear for polithiefcians na. mtchewww, d traffickers use the Benin diety to brain wash their human cargo. telling them all the fictitious spells that will happen, we really need to Emancipate our selves from mental slavery . alot of these ladies eyes clear once the get to Europe and fight their godmothers.

If the yeye OBA dynasty had powers, the British could not have used gun powdered guns to bring down one of the prestigious and powerful BENIN EMPIRE.

Imagine, predominantly Christian State.Majority of Edo people are primitive and believe in their diety. What baffles me is the countless MEN OF GOD (otobolizer) dat come from their.

Africans and their mumu don start. why can't he curse Edo state to be developed instead? or at least for once curse Oshomole for stealing or curse any governor that does not deliver...stupid as.s

Rubbish fake juju and fake stories

Balunmalun:
Is he that powerful

Na the ritual wey place the curse be this...
At least the red attire is scary enough...

Wow

And Oba of Benin cannot curse corrupt politicians

Oba no dey go to court, abi I lie, it's not a lie..

And some people say JUJU no dey..

The Oba of Benin na deity on its own..

I hope they wont go resting on their oars with this belief.

There are a thousand and one people who are on the set out daily, trafficking themselves as I did ignorantly some 20 years ago. Is the curse going to scare someone like that who is bent on killing himself by himself already ?

The root causes of these irregular migrations and trafficking needs to be attacked first and above all.

These causes obviously ranges from our shameless rogue leaders, our children-proliferating parents who would birth like rats without minding the economics of fending for these kids and down to the craze for quick wealth by our youths who now see it as a trend and something fashionable to earn dishonourably.

I am doing my bit at sensitising the willing with my story through my book in my siggy. I poured out my heart as I know and feel it in the book in a no-holds barred manner and not minding if my ox was getting gored in the process. No regrets for one bit because the story needs a telling.

Hoping we get there soon and put an end to this crazy scourge.

The fear of Oba is the beginning of change ;
My.king there

KendrickAyomide:
don't be ignorant. there is a limit to everything.. where are the Pastors to pray against fulani herdsmen rampaging the country

They are and the prayers are being answered.

Happy about the outcome
Other societal ills can be challenged soon

Good work Oba!!


.

bullsh*t, people actually believed this? when are we ever going to shed our crude way of thinking as a nation.

And I'm not even surprised. When people don't even know curse and blessings don't work. Only cause and effect does.

We are teaching our children to worship God while other countries are teaching their children to be gods.
We teach our children to pray for smart phones and cars, while they teach theirs to invent smart phones and cars. Then our children become adults who go to church to thank God for smart phones and cars purchased from other countries whose children have become adults who invent cars and smart phones. That's why they don't need our God because without them our God can't bless us. It is the cars and smart phones they invent that we give testimony and thank our God for in our churches. Then we go about boasting that it was pastor's prayers and anointing that gave us these stuff.
We are teaching our kids that "A" is for "Apple" and they are teaching their kids how to turn apples into other products and how to impregnate apples to give birth to beautiful bubbles.
We are still teaching our kids the botanical names of plants while they are teaching their kids how to marry mango and orange to produce man-range. They are teaching their kids coding and programming in well equipped schools while we are teaching our kids how to prophecy and speak in tongues in well equipped churches.
Our children's school drama is about how to be a pastor or imam while theirs is about how to relocate to a new planet. They boast about conquering Mars, while we boast about hearing dreams and prophecies.
We choose our leaders based on tribe and religion while they choose theirs based on the solutions these leaders bring to the table.

We are poor yet look rich but they are rich yet look poor. We are doomed if we don't change our mindset.

It's so sad

hmm

ike007:
Africans and their mumu don start. why can't he curse Edo state to be developed instead? or at least for once curse Oshomole for stealing or curse any governor that does not deliver...stupid as.s

ignorance is not an excuse for foolishness.

Who told you Edo is not developed.. U miss road

booblacain:
The scare will only last a while. After a while they will get back their confidence and call bluffs on the oba's curse.

Not people who understand the oba powers and the tradition of the land.

eleojo23:
I hope he extended the curse to cultists too?

Anybody who decides to join a cult has cursed himself already.

SoftP:
The beauty and strength of my great Benin kingdom.

The king who sees value in his people, not politically motivated or selfishly selective.

The Oba of Benin is divinely enthroned by God.
Unlike some social media mobile politically selected king whose subjects threw tear-gas in his palace.

Long live the King of Benin,


Oba Ghato Kpere.. Ise!!!

Ise!!!

ike007:
Africans and their mumu don start. why can't he curse Edo state to be developed instead? or at least for once curse Oshomole for stealing or curse any governor that does not deliver...stupid as.s

You don't curse something into existence, you have to build to develop. Get sense.

SoftP:
ignorance is not as excuse for foolishness.

Who told you Edo is not developed.. U miss road

no b the same Erediauwa me been dey..abi namayo, abi ringroad or new Benin... oga cank down for side abeg. its a sheit hole