The President General of Concerned Izhians In Diaspora (CIIA), Hon. Dominic Obeji Nwogbaga, has condemned the notorious act of extortion by self-acclaimed Prophets in Izzi, especially Pastor Ubadimma.
Hon. Nwogbaga sent a serious warning to anyone claiming to be a prophet or Ezenwanyi in Izhi land, urging them to desist from extortion.
Speaking with our correspondent on Monday, Hon. Nwogbaga decried the actions of these self-acclaimed prophets and traditional practitioners who label elders as evil to extort from villagers.
He noted that Izzi land has its own diety which works without the suspects being stripped nâked.
Hon. Nwogbaga further warned that if the activities of these self-acclaimed prophets are not curtailed, Abakaliki will soon witness the rise of Oke-Ite and other bad activities.
Recall that in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, a prophet known as Ubadimma had emerged, famous for his prophecies and identifying individuals he claimed were evil, causing misfortunes for others.
Over the years, Ubadimma had traveled from village to village, identifying those allegedly responsible for tying the destinies of others, and received payments in cash – an act the PG has labeled as extortion.
Recently, Ubadimma was invited by the people of Agharaoza, Ndi-Ebo Ezzainyimagu, Izzi Local Government Area to deliver their land from misfortunes and pray for the prosperity of their children and young ones.
However, according to reports, Ubadimma demanded additional money from the villagers after they had paid 1.5 million for his services.
He had demanded that every male child in the village that is up to 18 years would also contribute 2,000 naira each to give to him to buy petrol for his travel.
During the deliverance session, Ubadimma allegedly stated that an elderly chief, Elder John, was responsible for the lack of progress among the young people in the land, claiming he had cornered their destinies for his children’s benefit.
Ubadimma allegedly ordered the demolition of Chief John’s houses, and destruction of his property, supposedly to destroy alleged evil charms. Sadly, Chief John later reportedly died of heartbreak after being stripped and paraded as the “evil doer” of the land.
Interestingly, the prophet Ubadimma would create a banner celebrating the death of the chief who had died just so he (Ubadimma) could eat.
Sequel to this, Ebonyi State House of Assembly had placed a ban on prophecies, crusades for spiritual cleansing and fishing out witches and wizards by some acclaimed prophets in the state, in 2024.
This came after the member representing Izzi West state constituency, Abiri Gowin, moved a motion for the ban during a plenary of the Assembly in Nkaliki, Abakaliki Local Government Area.
Consequently, the people of Agharaoza had called on the government and other important bodies in the state, to come to their rescue from the hands of Ubadimma.
After the death of the chief and despite the lamentation of residents of the village, Ubadimma had hosted another crusade in a village at Enyigba, Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
At a later time, it was speculated that the prophet was arrested.
Reacting to the incidents, Hon. Nwogbaga has called for an end to such activities associated with Ubadimma and others like him.
He demanded a stop to the obsession of self-acclaimed prophets and priestesses in making Izhi youths believe someone is holding their destiny.
He also demanded an end to the practice of labeling elderly men and women as witches and wizards, linking them to witchcraft.
“Stop destroying families in the name of prophecy and extorting money from villagers by promising them a better Future”.
“As a group, we are urging security agencies to and the government to go after these people that are humiliating our grandparents. It’s becoming worrisome”.
“If the activities of the self-acclaimed prophet, Ubadimma are not totally stopped, others will definitely emerge and start claiming that they are Prophets, thereby destroying our lands more”.
Regarding Ubadimma’s purported arrest, the PG expressed satisfaction, emphasizing that it was long overdue.
However, he further demanded that if Ubadimma has not been truly arrested, the authorities should investigate and apprehend him for extortion and causing misery in the name of prophecy.
