Man caught, allegedly burying charm at Enugu market

Sixty one year-old man identified as Amedu

A sixty one year-old man identified as Amedu, who claimed to be from Kogi State, yesterday escaped being lynched by an angry mob for allegedly placing juju at a market stall in Garriki Market, Awkunanaw, Enugu, in order to recover a debt owed him.

But for the timely intervention of the chairman of the market, Chief Abraham Okenwa, irate traders would have lynched Amedu.

It was gathered that Amedu was owed over a N100,000 by a female yam seller, identified as Chidi, who was yet to pay him the remaining N17,000.

When Chidi would not pay the debt at the stipulated time and after Amedu had made several attempts to recover his money, he was said to have perfected a plot to bring juju to the woman’s shop so that if she did not pay, some evil might befall her.

It was the charm that he was burying in front of the woman’s shop yesterday morning when luck unfortunately ran against him as people, who passed by raised the alarm that attracted the mob.

Although Chidi is said to be a “notorious debtor”, it did not deter the angry mob, who tore Amedu to shreds before help could come through the intervention of the chairman, who brought in the police to quell the situation.

Traders who spoke with The Guardian were divided. While some condemned the man that he should have reported the woman to the market union instead of employing fetish means to recover his debt, others took side with him on the ground that he had exercised enough patience with Chidi, who they added, hardly settled her debts.

By Lawrence Njoku [The Guardian]