Beheaded Igbo woman, Mrs Bridget Mike-Agbahime did not visit Imo for 30 years, see her husband’s home in Orodo

 Following the gruesome killing of an Igbo trader in Kano State, Angela Nkwo-Akpolu in Owerri visits her community in Orodo and recounts the situation of things there.
Uneasy calm, pain, anguish, bitterness, regret, and anger are some of the words to describe the tempo in Umudimodu village in Amaukwu-Orodo autonomous community in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, home of beheaded female Igbo trader in Kofar Wambai Market in Kano State, North West-Nigeria, Mrs Bridget Mike-Agbahime, on June 2 over allegations of insulting the Islamic faith.
Their last market day, Nkwo-Orodo was devoid of its usual bubbling, banters were almost non-existent, young and old, male and female, everyone wore gloomy faces over the gruesome way their wife and mother was killed. Unlike past market days, this one was near empty, as the people appear to be in mourning.
Pastor Mike Agbahime, her husband in his 80s hails from the community and pastors a church under the Deeper Life Bible Church in Kano State.
A visit to the country home of the Agbahimes showed a deserted compound, consisting of about four houses but with nobody ready to speak over the incident.
"No, no, no, we cant talk to you, we have nothing to say, look at the house of the people you are looking for. They have not returned, but you can go there, if you don’t mind” the villagers said. No one was willing to talk, their excuse been that they do not know the couple anymore, having stayed so long outside their community without sending word across.
The Authority gathered that the couple have not visited home for over 30 years, do not belong to any community group whether family, village, or age grade.
Even the women declined comments saying it the men have refused to speak over the matter, it will be out of place for them to comment.
However, a woman in her farm obliged but on the condition of annonymity. According to the woman who said that she has been married to the community for 30 years, she does not know  the beheaded woman and her husband.
According to the woman, the slain woman and her husband have not been home in the last 30 years. They do not belong to any family, village or community meetings or age grade. The beheaded woman came to the public glare following her gruesome killing.
The woman explained that as a woman, she is deeply pained by the death of the woman but was quick to add that she had nothing to say about who she was because she neither knew her or any member of her family.
“My sister, I don’t know her or her husband. They have never been home since I got married into this community for the past three decades. Yes, I heard that they have a son but he too has never visited home. I don’t know any of them” she summarized.
On his part, the traditional ruler of the community, Eze Mike Chukwuemeka Amah who condemned the killing, said that no body has right to take the life of any body, adding that  that the community was unhappy with the sad development.
According to him, the beheading of Mrs Mike was not only an assault on the people of Amakwu-Orodo community, but on the entire Igbo race, but was quick to add that he has appealed to every member of the community to remain calm and law abiding.
The monarch expressed satisfaction at the arrest of the alleged prime suspects and urged the federal Government to stiffly bring the pepertraors of the dastardly to justice, even as he commended the Imo and Kano States Governments  and the pan Igbo group, Ohaneze Ndigbo for their prompt responses.

He  appealed the Federal and State Governments to compensate the grieving family.
The Authority gathered that the couple have an only child, a male child named Enyinnaya who has lived all his life in Kano State and has never been to the village before.
Their country home which is an ancient mud house bungalow building is still under construction.
Meanwhile, men of the Nigerian Police Force have taken over the community, an action that has not gone down well with the indigenes during the Nkwo-Orodo market day.
Armed and stern looking police men were stationed at strategic points in the market, perhaps to forestall any break-down of law and order. The men of Nigeria police force in their uniforms and with their Hixus vans were seen everywhere in the market. While two vans with armed police men where at the entry and departing points of the market, another Hilus van with security men, where at the entry point into the grieving community.
Already, they have commenced a “stop and search operation. Before entry into the village, every car is flagged down by gun wielding policemen and thoroughly searched. One policeman explained in pidgin English "abeg open your boot, they say una wan kill Hausa people for killing una sister in Kano.”
Confirming the police take over of the community, the Police Public Relations Officer in the State, Mr. Andrew Enwerem said that the measure was taken to forestall any break down of law and order in the community and  to give succor to the mourning family.
The villagers in their different analysis recounted a similar event in the past  between 1999/2000, how one Gideon Akaluka from Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State  in the  was also beheaded in Kano, Kano State and his head cut off and allegedly paraded the same way that of Mrs Agbahime was paraded about the market.
According to them, the recent event has again opened a healing wound with yet another beheading of an Imo State born woman in the same Kano State, and wondering if Igbos had become endangered species in Kano State.

By Angela Nkwo-Akpolu