Otukpo lyrical story
Idinka Vs Otokpa: The harden criminals – An Otukpo lyrical story
Long ago before the coming of Ija the personal God’s of Elaigwu the son of Agbooko. The Otukpo people were faced with so many terrors caused by Idinka and Otokpa the crippled thief. Idinka is a giant man feared by many. Some when they saw him stealing from their farm if they are alone pretended not to have seen him to avoid being beating to death. Idinka when going for stealing always goes with his friend Otokpa the cripple. One day Ochumoija the son of Ija who is one of the wife of Agbooko brought in a charm called Uli that served as a judge.
Idinka discovered that if anybody steal or committed an offense such will be placed on oath which will be sworn before Uli. The person will swear that if he or she is the one that committed the said offense Uli should arrest him or her. Idinka thought of this critically as they are now going out of business as a result of the dirty brought in as a the village judge. One day he decided to give it a trial he told Otokpa that they are going to Echeipu farm to steal and he will carry him on a should so that he will be the one to do the stealing. If the community suspect them to be the one and they are brought before Uli he should swear that if he ever step his foot into that farm Uli should arrest him and Idinka now swear that if he ever uses his hand to steal from that farm Uli should arrest him; with this, they always escape Uli’s judgement.
Though Uli have arrest so many thieves and judge thousands of cases including fornication but they community wondered why some stealing are ongoing without the culprit being arrested. These became a thing of worried in the community. Idinka and Otokpa became a real storm in the community.
On one raining day, Idinka and Otokpa were seeing roasting maize and everyone in the community knew both of them heard know maize farm and how could they have gone to the farm inside the rain. The community chiefs gathered and summon them to the panel to explain how they got the maize they are eating. They ask Idinka and Otokpa and they turned looking at each other saying, “it was the gods that gave them the maize they are eating. As they were discussion continued Udenyi walked in with the a complain that he when to check on his farm after the rain he discovered that some of his maize were plug by unknown being.
They brought out Uli the judge deity and Idinka and Otokpa were made to swear before Uli which they make their usual appeal and they won the case once again. But this time around Elaigwu the son of Agbooko grew angry and make a suggestion that they should be taking to the farm to sample evidence. On going to the farm they discovered footprints on the ground.
For fair judgement they decided the entire villagers must test their legs on the footprints after asking Udenyi where he passed to the farm.
They test the footprints one one after the other, unfortunately their legs is of no match. When it get to Idinka turn before he could put his leg on the footprint the evidence was glaring. He sample his foot and it matches and the people shouted “gbangidi bi ikpo Idinka” meaning “exactly like Idinka leg”.
Though Idinka was court and on his confession was punished along with Otokpa but Elaigwu the son of Agbooko was unhappy about the whole case. He see a lacuna on the judgement of Uli and decided to go in search of another deity. He went down to a place called Umu to bring a deity called Ija which became the deity many Idoma were began to serve due to its power. When Elaigwu brought Ija the healer and concessioner he enshrined in it at a place called Ewulo-Ogo now called Akpegede an extract of the Upu of Otukpo.
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