This year makes it five years since Benard Okorhi, 43, disappeared to an unknown destination following threats to his life and family by traditional council members over his refusal to accept the chief priest title of his community deity, Igbe deity of Otu-Jeremi in Delta State.

His wife and daughters were also to be circumcised, with his eldest daughter to replace her late grandmother as the custodian of the community/village oracle.

It was gathered that due to the gravity of the community’s threat, Okorhi, his wife and children had disappeared to an unknown destination between 2016 and 2017 when they were last seen.

A family source who spoke on the development said, according to tradition, Okorhi is the next Chief Priest by blood and lineage following the death of the former chief priest in 2020.

The source said local chiefs in the community alleged that the death threat is as a result of the absence of a chief priest in the village shrine, which they claimed have led to mysterious deaths, suffering, sickness and hardship of some members of the community.

Okorhi, who however, refused to claim the traditional position, had cited his Christian belief as the reason he would not get involved in what he believed to be a barbaric and evil throne that only caused the death of innocent lives.

Angry by the refusal, the traditional religion adherents in Otu-Jeremi, renewed their call in the community to hunt down Okorhi and threaten to also exterminate his family lineage.

A Chief in the community, Efetbore Ovie, said Okorhi refused to carry out the traditions of the Otujeremi tribe, which requires his wife and daughters to be circumcised and his eldest daughter to replace his late grandmother as the custodian of the community/village oracle.

He said: “following the death of the chief priest in 2020, Okorhi by blood and lineage is the rightful successor and is to be crowned the chief priest of the Otu-Jeremi shrine. Since Okorhi refused to replace the late chief priest, it can only be overcome by death of the appointed spiritual successor and his blood used as an atonement to appease the oracle.”

According to sources close to the wife and children, “Okorhi family said he will not participate in such act because of his Christianity and inability to carry out blood rituals from animals and humans and other inhumane responsibility that comes with holding such position.”

Another chief in the community, Onome Kokori, said unless Okorhi takes up the chief priest title or face death, sickness, hardship and calamities will continue to befall the land, which he said Okorhi is aware of.

They revealed that a person who refuses to hold the office of the chief priest would be killed and his blood used to atone for the sacrilege brought upon the land.

A member of the community, who spoke in confidence, said such deaths are usually carried out by poisoning or spiritual attack on the person as it is not uncommon for people refusing to be the chief priest especially as the tradition is becoming unpopular among the people.

Meanwhile, the Otu-Jeremi Divisional Police Station, Delta State, said the position of chief priest has been causing a series of problems in communities across the country, which sometimes leaves the successor or the family members dead or brutalised.

One of the officers who spoke in confidence said investigations are ongoing to ascertain the threats on Okorhi’s life as they are not aware of any such threats.