By Ifeizu Joe
There is outrage over the outing of a masquerade from Awgbu community in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, during a burial ceremony on Monday.
The masquerade which has been identified by indigenes of the community as Agaba is said to be famed, and a fiery one, and only appears after 6pm, when ceremonies are already over, because of its destructive tendencies.
Multiple videos circulating online showed how the masquerade unleashed violence both on passersby, indigenes and even celebrants on Monday.
In one of the video, the masquerade jumped on the podium at an event and started destroying public address systems owned by the master of ceremony who has been identified as Onowu; an indigene.
In another, the masquerade chased other smaller masquerades in the community who seemed to know its strength, and ran as far as their legs could carry them.
In yet two others, the masquerade pushed down two men who were riding peacefully on their motorcycles. One of them and old man, and the other a young man hit his head in a parked car and many suspect that he sustained a fatal injury.
Meanwhile there have been a debate online as to the propriety of the actions of the masquerade, with some people blaming the Master of Ceremony who resisted it in one of the videos.
Many said the man would have just respected it like others and ran away, but many others whose voices are louder have described it as cultural barbarism.
Charles Ogbu, a Facebook user called on Governor Chukwuma Soludo to ban the masquerade, sanction the man behind it and also the masquerade attendants, who joined the masquerade in beating up the man who resisted it.
Many called on the leadership of Awgbu community to tame the masquerade and clip its wings as this stage and times have outgrown such mundane practice.
However, another Facebook user who identified himself as Jay has reported that the masquerade and her attendants have been arrested.
When THE RAZOR reached out to the spokesperson of the Anambra State Police command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, he said there was no such report before him.
It is however not clear yet what Awgbu community plans to do to tame the masquerade in subsequent shows, while many as asking for a leash around its waist, to be held by a strong masquerade attendant who can restrain it from destroying properties and putting lives at risk as was seen on Monday.
