A social media critic based in Ebonyi state, Oko Chukwu Obeni, has narrated how he was flogged by the traditional ruling council of his community, The
A social media critic based in Ebonyi state, Oko Chukwu Obeni, has narrated how he was flogged by the traditional ruling council of his community, TheNation is reporting.
This followed a traditional court process by the 2nd tier traditional leaders of his Amasiri community in Afikpo North local government area known as Essa. The Essa after finding him guilty of disrespecting the community and tarnishing its image allegedly handed him over to the forth tire and traditional security outfit of the community known as Isioru.
The Isioru, it was gathered, proceeded to flog him as punishment in line with traditions of the community. Midway into the flogging, his elder brother intervened by buying off 18 strokes of the canes with N9, 500 in accordance with the tradition of the community.
Obeni was said to have made some posts on his facebook handle against some leaders of the community, which they considered slanderous and capable of jeopardising existing peace in the area. And the strokes of cane is for anybody that goes contrary to the rules and regulations governing the community.
Obeni, who is hospitalised at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital later apologised to the community over his action.
On his part, the Chairman of Isioru, Julius Amadi Nyerere, said the punishment meted to Obeni was age-long, stating: “Some of these punishments are being removed. For example, if it was in the old, the authority of the community in Amasiri which the Essa like this is representing, sometimes it is usually.
“But because of modernisation, these things have changed and you are just given a few strokes of canes to reform you to desist from behaving the way you did. The Essa invited the guy to defend himself and he was found guilty and he was punished accordingly”.
