CYRIACUS IZUEKWE
There has been strong mythic belief that hunchbacks can easily be used for money rituals and one can become rich by killing them in Nigeria and Africa at large. Thus the sudden high demands for hunchbacks.
Some of the victims of the attempt narrated their ordeal to P.M.EXPRESS on what they face daily from their family members and gullible ritualists who want to use them for money rituals.
One of the victims simply identified as Tolu (surname withheld) narrated how his family summoned a meeting and they discussed how the family had faced financial challenge whereas they were blessed with what they can use to make money.
He said when the speaker was asked the blessing the family had, he reportedly pointed at him and referred his hunchback as potential material that the family can use for money ritual so that everybody will be comfortable in their family.
Tolu narrated that the speaker went as far as suggesting that after the ritual, the family will immortalise him and pay homage to him periodically in the grave. He said he was however shocked that some of the family members agreed with the speaker but it was only his mother who refused insisting that his son will not be used for such and that ended the meeting.
“Since then, I became terribly afraid and did not trust anybody again, did not stay alone in the family or outside because I knew my life was in danger.” Tolu narrated.
Tolu was not the only one in that situation, another victim, Andrew said he was always afraid whenever he was alone or went outside because of the way some people looked at him.
He said sometimes their neighbours will tell him jokingly that he was wasting a lot of money referring to his hunchback, which they said can be used to make money.
He said he kept wondering why people still had such belief even as it was obvious it was only a health problem which was not corrected when he was young.
In Edo State, four men who were desirous of making quick money were arrested and paraded by the police for allegedly killing a hunchback, extracted the back and buried the remaining parts of the body in the bush.
It was while taking what they had extracted to a native doctor that demanded it for money ritual that the police arrested them.
P.M.EXPRESS carried out some investigations and asked some native doctors to know whether there was any fact in using hunchback for money rituals.
They were divided as some said it was possible while others said it was not possible as the victims merely had medical health challenge.
One of the native doctors who did not want his name mentioned posited that there were materials that can be used from hunchback for money rituals.
However, he added that it has consequences because there were other things involved which will be mixed with some materials extracted from the hunchback to perform the rituals.
He refused to disclose the other materials but said the person performing the rituals must abide by certain conditions which cannot be easily met, such as sleeping with mad women, daughter or mother and other strange things.
He however advised against such because he said the person will not last but may have money at that period.
Another set of native doctors revealed that hunchbacks have nothing to do with making money. They said it was a ploy by some of their colleagues to exploit and defraud gullible and greedy persons who wanted to be rich by all means.
“If it was possible, we will do it to our brothers, children and relations and they will become rich. Why were they (native doctors) not doing so?” one of them asked.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that medically, hunchback also known as Kyphosis is a condition in which a spine in the upper back has an excessive curvature. The upper back that supposed to have a slight curve became excess and the victim will look abnormal.
According to medical research, hunchbacks can be treated depending as the case may be but how it turned out to be a tool for money ritual was still a mystery to many who spoke to P.M.EXPRESS.