PART 2: THE VISITS – WHEN CURIOSITY MET REALITY
VISITING NDI DIBIA: THE BEGINNING OF THE CONFUSION
As my curiosity grew, so did the warnings.
When I informed Chidimma of my intention to visit the famous blind Dibia of Ozubulu popularly known as Onye Luo Uka, she strongly discouraged me. She seemed genuinely worried and immediately connected me with a Catholic priest.
I explained my intentions clearly to the priest
I was not seeking wealth.
I was not seeking power or to harm someone spiritually
I simply wanted to understand.
I wanted to observe.
I wanted to learn how effective these practices truly were and whether there was a rational explanation behind the countless stories I had been hearing.
I also informed my spiritual director, a Catholic priest, about my plans.
His response surprised me.
He did not tell me that Ndi Dibia were fake.
He did not dismiss everything as nonsense as Fr. Kelvin Ugwu would say
Instead, he advised caution.
"Be careful," he warned. "Do not insult them. Do not trample upon their objects or sacred items while claiming there is no power in them. There may be powers you do not understand."
Those words stayed with me
Suddenly, my research no longer felt like an ordinary exercise in curiosity.
It felt like I was approaching a territory where even those who doubted still exercised caution.
And yet, I continued.
THE AWKUZU DIBIA
The landlord repeatedly reminded me of the visit to the man who helped transform his life.
One morning, we travelled to Awkuzu.
As we entered the compound, I immediately noticed a multitude of children and youths doing chores
Was told the man has 4 wives and numerous children.
We entered a room, there sat an elderly man, well over eighty years old.
Without realizing it, I committed my first mistake.
I walked in wearing my footwear.
Immediately, I was corrected.
Apparently, there were traditions and taboos I knew nothing about.
For the first time in my life, I found myself face-to-face with a Dibia dressed in full regalia.
For the first time, I witnessed Igba Afa with my own eyes.
The greetings; The chants; The symbols; The atmosphere.etc
Everything felt foreign.
The language and expressions were unfamiliar, forcing the landlord to occasionally explain what was happening.
My mind was bursting with questions.
But scared of committing any alu or nso ala again
hence could not casually interrupt and conduct an interview.
Then came the moment of divination.
After performing his consultations, the Dibia looked at me and announced something unexpected.
According to him, I have a call.
He explained that he would consult the spirits to determine whether my path was meant to be Christian or traditional.
This was getting interesting.
Soon after, I was instructed to step outside and perform a simple act.
I was handed a flat stone and told to flip it.
When I returned and showed the result, the Dibia studied it carefully before making his declaration.
My calling, he said, belonged to the traditional path.
The omenala way.
I could not help but smile.
Then I gave him a straightforward answer.
"I can't do it."
The old man simply looked at me.
The landlord spoke to convince me that his daughter is also answering the ezenwanyi call.
Over the following months, the landlord repeatedly tried to convince me that I should reconsider.
I remained firm.
Eventually, I told him that my focus was on growing in my Christian faith and answering the call to be a Catholic religious.
Only then did he stop.
But there was one detail that continued to puzzle me.
This same landlord was a devoted Knight of the Catholic Church.
The contradiction fascinated me.
How could someone be deeply rooted in Catholicism while maintaining such strong confidence in a Dibia?
I left Awkuzu with more questions than answers.
And the most intriguing encounter was still ahead of me.
THE BLIND DIBIA OF OZUBULU
My first interaction with the famous blind Dibia happened over the phone.
He requested ₦10,000 for Igba Afa and sent me his account details.
What caught my attention immediately was the name attached to the account.
It was a Christian name. Didn't know before then that dibias bear a Christian name.
Three days passed without payment.
Then he called me personally.
I explained that I could not afford the amount.
To my surprise, he told me to simply send my name.
He would conduct the divination first and allow me to pay later.
What happened next caught me completely off guard.
The things he said about my life, my circumstances, and some of the challenges I was facing seemed remarkably accurate.
Coincidence?; Cold reading?; Spiritual insight?
I honestly did not know.
Eventually, he invited me to visit him in Ozubulu.
This was the man whose story had started my entire journey of discovery of ndi dibias.
Naturally, I had to go.
Weeks later, I arrived at his residence.
The first thing that struck me was the size of the building under construction
This was no ordinary village compound.
The blind Dibia was building a massive modern mansion.
I met his young wife, I met his son.
Unlike the atmosphere in Awkuzu, this setting was relaxed.
We sat in an open area within the compound, giving me the opportunity I had been seeking all along.
I asked questions; Many questions.
And he answered them freely.
I learnt about incarnation and told him I am not interested in knowing whom i incarnated from
According to him, he had once been an evangelist.
He claimed to have preached at crusades and travelled extensively before being spiritually compelled to embrace the traditional path.
Then came my own diagnosis.
He informed that enemies had projected evil into my life, listing the events in my life
The solution, according to him, would begin from ₦500,000.
I nearly fell off my chair.
Sensing my reaction, he casually began narrating stories of clients abroad who paid millions for his services.
He also claimed that religious leaders occasionally consulted him secretly.
According to him, they preferred visiting under the cover of darkness to avoid being recognized.
Whether true or not, I could not verify.
But it certainly made for an interesting conversation.
For hours, he explained aspects of his practice and answered questions that had bothered me for months.
He was a cheerful fellow; He laughed easily; He joked often.
Nothing about him matched the frightening image I had formed in my mind.
When I finally left, I felt satisfied.
I had gathered valuable information and knowledge about the practice.
My plan was simple.
End the communication.
Move on.
Unfortunately, Onye Luo Uka had other plans.
Instead of disappearing from my life, he became the one constantly calling me.
And then, unexpectedly, he began discussing plans of marrying me.
I was afraid to tell Chidimma because she warned me.
At that point, my research had officially become complicated.
THE AZIGBO DIBIA
If the Awkuzu visit raised questions and the Ozubulu visit increased my curiosity, the Azigbo encounter pushed me into genuine confusion.
Like the others, he first conducted Igba Afa.
Later, I arranged a personal visit so I could understand how his works and compare with the ones I got from the other dibias. .
The man spoke with remarkable confidence.
He shared testimony after testimony.; Story after story.
Each designed to prove that his methods worked.
I introduced myself as a committed Christian seeking understanding of traditional religion practice rather than spiritual intervention.
His response was immediate.
"You cannot be more Christian than me."
He then explained that he had once served as a pastor before discovering that his true calling was rooted in traditional spirituality.
Again, I found myself hearing a familiar pattern.
Christianity.
A spiritual calling.
Then a transition into traditional practice.
I listened carefully.
Part of me was fascinated.
Another part of me remained deeply cautious.
I was uncomfortable with the idea of anyone performing rituals involving my name or person.
Still, my desire to witness results firsthand remained strong.
So I made a decision.
Instead of allowing any work to be performed on me, I paid for a ritual intended for a brother.
I wanted to observe the outcome objectively.
“And if it works, then you can perform on me” i told him
I informed my family of the plan, The date was fixed.
The payment was made
And one morning, the Dibia arrived.
He came carrying a fowl, yams, and several ritual items.
Unfortunately, I was struggling to meet a project deadline and could not remain with him throughout the process.
Occasionally, he called me to provide one item or another like knife, water, plate
At one point, he requested that the chicken and yam be prepared.
I served the meal to him and the gardener working in the compound.
The remaining food i travelled back to the city the next day and gave away
Everything appeared ordinary.
Until I saw what he left behind.
When he was done, I stepped outside and noticed an object placed in the soil.
I froze.
"What is that?" I asked.
He calmly explained its purpose.
Then came the statement that unsettled me.
It would remain there.
Permanently.
Not only that.
It would require periodic attention.
Possibly annual offerings.
That was the moment my confidence disappeared.
This was not what I thought I had signed up for.
Suddenly, my harmless research no longer felt harmless.
I began imagining the questions my family would ask because this is not what we discussed
I began wondering what exactly had been established in our compound.
For the first time since beginning this journey, I felt genuinely uncomfortable.
Thankfully my brother arrived days afterwards.
Raised the alarm
We immediately agreed with other family members including the priest that the Dibia would have to return and remove whatever he had left behind.
Little did I know that removing it would not be the end of the story.
In fact, the real confusion was only beginning.
WATCH OUT FOR PART 3
