by Victor Dike

THE Igbos are found mostly in the South Eastern and South Central Nigeria called Igboland or Igbo society (Alaigbo or Anaigbo). By the late 20th Century the population of the Igbos was about 27 million. The majority of the Igbos are Christians, but some of them practice the indigenous traditional religion, whose major tenets are shared by all Igbo-speaking people of Nigeria . However, a relic of the indigenous religious practice of the Igbos is the dehumanizing Osu caste system, which has divided and alienated the Igbos.

Therefore, this paper discusses the Osu caste system, an indigenous religious belief system, practiced within the Igbo nation, with the purpose of bringing the discriminatory, dehumanizing and obnoxious caste system to the attention of the international community. This is because whenever issues of discriminatory practices around the world are tabled for discussion in the international community, the repugnant and discriminatory Osu caste system is never mentioned.

The Osu, by definition, is a people sacrificed to the gods in Igbo community. And they assist the high priest of the traditional religion to serve the deities or the gods in their shrine. It is the belief of many Igbo traditionalists that the deities, which were (and are still) perceived in some quarters as being very powerful, would wreck havoc in the society, if they are not appeased.

In some special circumstances, those who hold the traditional beliefs of the Igbos could transform a Diala who committed certain atrocities against the land into an Osu. This process involved intricate rituals (offering of libations and sacrificing animals to the earth goddess). Some of the ancestors of the present-day Osu people inherited their dehumanizing social status this way. That method is now a thing of the old; Western influence has affected this practice. Presently, one could acquire the Osu status through inheritance and marriage.

For this author, the Osu caste system is a societal institution borne out of a primitive traditional belief system colored by superstition and propagated by ignorance. It is absurd to categorize a human as a sub-human being. Although this author is not a member of the group, he condemns the practice of the Osu caste system because it is a human rights aberration.

The Osu caste system, which is a form of discrimination, has caused inter-communal discords and wars between the Osu and the Diala in Igboland. And many lives and properties have been destroyed as a result.

According to the United Nations definition, discrimination includes any conduct based on a distinction made on grounds of natural or social categories, which have no relation either to individual capacities or merits, or to the concrete behavior of the individual person.

The discriminatory Osu practices involves inequality in freedom of movement and choice of residence, inequality in the right of peaceful association, inequality in the enjoyment of the right to marry and establish a family, (and) inequality in access to public office. That is the crux of the matter with the Osu caste system in Igboland. If one may ask, could a right exist if it is not regularly enforced? To put it differently, can a right exist without a specific legislation that provides for its protection and remedies if violated? Oddly enough, the victims of the Osu system do not have any legal recourse in Igboland. And strangely, some people believe that the humiliating Osu caste system is a part of the Igbo culture nobody should temper with. Fortunately, many Igbos have a contrary opinion.

The Osu caste system and the indigenous religious practices of the Igbo nation. All human beings are created equal, but human experiences are heterogeneous. Some people have had it rough all their lives on earth, while others do not have a lot to complain about. Naturally, life has the same meaning for everyone, but the Osu caste system in Igboland seems to have changed the meaning of life for a group of people branded Osu. No historical question gives the Igbos more concern than that of, “How did the Osu caste system come to be in Igboland?” This section of the paper attempts to deal with the question.

There are many versions of oral information on the origins of the Osu caste system. In the absence of documented information, oral sources are central to the study of history in Igboland and other parts of Nigeria . There is a paucity of written information on the issue of the Osu caste system. This is apparently because many people shy away from discussing the issue for fear of being branded Osu lovers. However, available little documented information show that the Osu caste system started out of the indigenous religious practices of the Igbos.

And the belief was that these gods could be manipulated in order to protect them and serve their interest.

An individual’s fortunes are determined by the by-product of interactions that exist between one’s “chi”, the deities and the Creator or “Chineke”. Humans interact directly with deities, which function as intermediaries to the Supreme Spirit or Creator. Being in good terms with powerful deities in one’s domain is an assurance that one is likely to obtain the largesse of creation while, at same time, minimize the wrath of the forces of nature. It is an individual’s obligation to observe the customs of the land since their violation could offend the deities; and goodwill and protection from the deities depends on one’s cordial relationship with them.

The people of Umuaka community in Imo State , Nigeria , categorize one of their ten villages Osu. Other minor lower caste groups found in many kindred are given the pejorative Igbo expression of ndi ejiri goro ihe, meaning those who are sacrificial lamb to the gods. They are slaves to the gods of the community and kindred. As is the case in Umuode in Oruku community, the discrimination of the Diala against the Osu in Umuaka affects marriage and relationships of love with the Osu and the rest of the community. The Diala is traditionally and socially abhorred and forbidden to marry an Osu; intermarriage with Osu is an abomination.

In the late 1980s, the Osu people in Umuaka revolted, as they could not take the humiliation from the Diala any more. They physically assaulted a couple of women from the Diala section of the community, with the intention of transforming the women to Osu so that the Diala would reject them.

It has been noted in the preceding sections that the Diala interact less with or avoids the Osu completely. In some communities in Igboland an Osu is regarded as a worthless human being.

As Chinua Achebe, in Things Fall Apart, notes, a conversation, which ensued over the question of admitting outcasts to a local little church in the village of Mbanta, between Mr. Kiaga, a missionary teacher, and one of the converts, the Osu is: a person dedicated to a god, a thing set apart – a taboo forever and his children after him. He could neither marry nor be married by the freeborn. He was, in fact, an outcast, living in a special area of the village, close to the Great Shrine. Wherever he went, he carried with him the mark of his forbidden caste – long, tangled dirty hair.  

Robot  Villager

# 1 Forwarded by Sabella Abidde THE Igbos are found mostly in the South Eastern and South Cen...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 28.03.2007 16:37

oluye  Villager

# 2 "The people of Umuaka community in Imo State , Nigeria , categorize one of their ten villages Osu. Other minor lower caste groups found in many kindred are given the pejorative Igbo expression of ndi ejiri goro ihe, meaning those who are sacrificial lamb to the gods." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A CHRISTIAN VIEWPOINT One of the reasons why Africa is still backwards is that we chose to worship principalities and powers instituted by God, rather than worship him directly. Therein also lies the root of corruption. That the "fallen gods" accept bribes before they carry out the duties assigned them by God. The social and physical orders are reflective of the spiritual order, since the visible is created from the invisible. Reading about the Osu, I could not but see parallels and contrasts between the "sacrificial lambs of the gods" and the voluntary Lamb of God. Africans understood the need for sacrifice, but like Cain, we continually choose the wrong offerings and direct them to the wrong deity. The triumph of Christianity is that the High priest offered himself as the Lamb, the Judge turned himself into the villain and the deity became the lead worshiper. By thus offering himself as the Lamb, Christ has set at liberty all those who have been designated as sacrificial lambs. Here we see justice- for sin did not go unpunished; we see love- as God spares His creation; and we see wisdom- working it out so that the two could co-habit. In this display of absolute justice, love and wisdom, the holiness of God becomes apparent in comparison to deities that perpetuate themselves in power through the sacrifices of unwilling lambs. Riding on this redemptive act of the Lamb of God, the Osu can turn their shame into glory- if they will approach Him in faith. While the ignorance of the past can be overlooked, the greatest regret is that some so-called Igbo Christians still look down on their Osu kinsmen. The task of restoring the Osu people rests squarely on the shoulders of Igbo Christians. Posted by oluye| 28.03.2007 20:20

Ogadinma  Villager

# 3 Therefore, this paper discusses the Osu caste system, an indigenous religious belief system, practiced within the Igbo nation, with the purpose of bringing the discriminatory, dehumanizing and obnoxious caste system to the attention of the international community. This is because whenever issues of discriminatory practices around the world are tabled for discussion in the international community, the repugnant and discriminatory Osu caste system is never mentioned. Thanks a lot for forwarding this article. I have been struggling to understand the origins, rationale and the reasons for this Osu caste system in ala Igbo. I further wonder why people fear it even more today and why many prefer not to discuss it! This article raises more questions for me than anything else! Anyway I'll be back to raise more of these questions later! Thanks for bringing the discussion up in the first place Posted by Ogadinma| 28.03.2007 21:53

igwe  Villager

# 4 I condemn any caste system anywhere in the world. Fortunately, it is dying out in Igboland. But let us not forget that just as the system is based on religious doctrines, other caste and discriminatory systems are based on religious doctrines. This, I believe, is why Jesus said that the law is made for man and not the other way round. Unfortunately, no religion, including christianity, seems to be following that pragmatic injunction. The author forgot to highlight that one positive thing about the Igbo caste system is that those who were being persecuted found protection among the gods to whom they then pledged allegiance... I say it is positive otherwise many people who are called osu today would have been wiped out centuries ago. Today they are alive and can fight against their discrimination. However, there were those who were forcefully given over to the gods to become osu. An abuse of the system you might say... Posted by igwe| 28.03.2007 23:41

Palamedes  Villager

# 5 The Osu, by definition, is a people sacrificed to the gods in Igbo community. And they assist the high priest of the traditional religion to serve the deities or the gods in their shrine… All forms of discrimination are borne out of fear—most are irrational.--I wonder if there is more to the origin of the “Osu” tradition. I say this, because in history, victims of human sacrifices are either good members (children, vestal virgins) of the society or bad people (criminal, prisoners). The good group is usually treated with the utmost reverence whereas the bad group is normally treated with utmost contempt. I should make it clear that whatever is the origin of their treatments in the past is not valid in modern Nigeria. My intention is to invite discussion to enlighten or even educate me about them. May I also suggest to Victor Dike to contribute this article to Wikipedia to enlighten others too. He would be the first to do so and the Wikipedia community would be enriched by such contribution. Posted by Palamedes| 29.03.2007 05:38

Obugi  Villager

# 6 All, Unlike fictitious inventions like the gang rape of women as an initiation into widowhood among the Igbo, the blight of the Caste system is real. One of the most interesting things about the system in ala Igbo is that it is the Xtians who most strongly uphold the caste system. Even the Odinani (traditional religion practitioners) community in Aba doesn't tolerate it. Igbo atheists I know spurn it. In my own family, I am the only one who made it clear that I abhor the caste system and wouldn't mind marriage to an Osu. My rest of my family, church going Xtians they are, continually rationalize it. When backed into a corner about it, their fall back is: well, if its bad, its not our family that will be the ones to bear the brunt of opposing the practice. My earliest mentor in the USA is an Igbo law professor in Alabama. One time I visited his home, this issue came up. His wife was there, as were the kids. The law professor is an atheist, his medical doctor wife is a strong Xtian. It is the wife who declared that no one in her family is going to marry an Osu if she had anything to do with it, whereas the husband maintained that the system was wrong and a non issue for him. One of my female classmates, a dear friend I've known since I was a teen - born and bred in America, daughter of a strong Catholic family - dropped a guy she had been dating since she was 16 or 17because they found out he was Osu. Talk about sexual abuse, I saw with my own eyes the lengths this 16yr old girl went to hook this 20-something year old guy. Then there is the Christian church freak I was dating a few years ago. Now, this is true story, I no dey lie. The girl wan marry me badly. I raised the Osu issue. What was her reaction? First was I an Osu? she asked I said no, I wasn't, but did it make a difference if I was? Obugi, I have always been a Child of God, and the Jesus I pray to will not allow put me in a position to face that kind of choice. The above incident is one of my top two unfortunate incidents with African women. One day I'll tell the other one. Africans, na wa......... I could go on and on. Ask any Xtian, some well might deny that the subscribe to the caste system, but the proof will come when the issue "goes live" in an Igbo family. Suddenly Jesu Christi's blood won't be enough to wash the Osu clean. There is also another caste system that is even more interesting than the Osu type.....the Ume. These are families who are believed to be under a curse, with early and frequent deaths being the manifestation of such a curse. Now this is one that may actually have rational basis. One of my very good friends is an Ume. And they do die a lot, but what is the wahala? Some kind of hemophillia or other blood dyscrasia. I know I've told the story of how one of his siblings died in somewhere on NVS. I know plenty of Ume families who do suffer high mortality rates, and it is my own considered opinion that they suffer from certain genetic abnormalities. Even here in America, if I know you carry a bad gene highly likely to lead to a high mortality rate, I no go marry o, but then I'm likely to subject the beautiful woman to exhaustive genetic profiling made available by Oyibo man. As long as Oyibo invention supplies the rationale, I know she will forgive me. Praises be to the Great White Man, god of the Africans! Obugi. Posted by Obugi| 29.03.2007 10:21

nero africanus  Villager

# 7 =Obugi;164490>All, Unlike fictitious inventions like the gang rape of women as an initiation into widowhood among the Igbo, the blight of the Caste system is real. There is also another caste system that is even more interesting than the Osu type.....the Ume. These are families who are believed to be under a curse, with early and frequent deaths being the manifestation of such a curse. Now this is one that may actually have rational basis. One of my very good friends is an Ume. And they do die a lot, but what is the wahala? Some kind of hemophillia or other blood dyscrasia. I know I've told the story of how one of his siblings died in somewhere on NVS. I know plenty of Ume families who do suffer high mortality rates, and it is my own considered opinion that they suffer from certain genetic abnormalities. Obugi. yes obugi, the osu problem still exists in igboland but its effect has relatively diminished as compared to the 76 years ago when the white man first set foot in my village. it however manifests itself mainly in marriage issues , one thing that can be said for the osus is that they brought about the education of igbos. it was the outcasts who first went and embraced the the white man and his religion and the schools.they had afterall been rejected by their people. in the end, they gradually became more prosperous and the average igbo man who felt superior to the outcast, saw him overtake the freeborn or diala. they became the court messengers and catechists and the first school leavers. they had the power which came from the colonial masters. another thing is the oru( slaves) more often than not they are mixed with osu which people not bothering to separate the two as they are not quite the same. however , what i feel about the osu system is that the truth of the matter is that Christianity has not taken the kind of deep root like we would want it to . behold , there are still people alive who remember praying to their ancestors who still pass down certain prejudice. and sacrificing fowls and goats to the gods. it is a lot like racism where people discriminate cos it is fashionable to do so. studies have shown that modern day racists are very likely to come from very racist families and somebody from a free minded family is less likely to discriminate than those from from families where such traditional values are upheld. the osus were basically outcasts who could not be interacted with and had to exist on their own and had their own portions of the village , the village stream and the village market. today in igbo land there are entire villages who are comprised of descendants of osu who people tend to call osu. this can be related to the relative supertitiousness of the average Nigerian who believes strongly in the supernatural. if he fails his exams he starts to look for an uncle that does not get along with his father. if he is not able to find a job in a nation where there are no jobs , he takes prayer warriors to his village to break ancient curses were none existed. if his business is not doing well he look for another in the market who has stolen his fortune. if he is denied visa to UK/US he holds imaginary enemies after him responsible, forgetting that the foreign embassy official knows he will not return , if he is granted the visa. ogbanje or abiku which is simply sickle cell anemia is seen as a curse . death from dysentery and cholera is seen as an abomination, and in very tradtional parts of igbo land it is difficult to get nurses to staff wards where such are being treated. about the umeh,, you need to remember that in the area between the boundary of anambra and imo states, a lot of people answer surnames starting with umeh and eze. from ekwulobia to akokwa . a lot of people answer names starting with umeh and eze and in most of those places both of those names are titles instead of curses. however this is not to say that the concept of umeh as a curse does not exist. in all i see the osu caste system as something that will eventually be wiped out especially with the increased urbanisation of nigeria. especially if an effort is made by govt to disabuse the minds of the people first of all they have to make nigerian ethnic groups to stop hating each other. Posted by nero africanus| 29.03.2007 12:42

Obugi  Villager

# 8 Nero, it however manifests itself mainly in marriage issues , one thing that can be said for the osus is that they brought about the education of igbos. Yes, but its not just marriage. Thanks for your post too. We should be able to discuss these problems in order to make our homeland a better place. it was the outcasts who first went and embraced the the white man and his religion and the schools.they had afterall been rejected by their people. in the end, they gradually became more prosperous and the average igbo man who felt superior to the outcast, saw him overtake the freeborn or diala. they became the court messengers and catechists and the first school leavers. they had the power which came from the colonial masters. This is true, very true. In fact, the family friend I speak of who is an Ume is a scion of one of the true political power families in Imo State, one of his uncles was a Minister. Nero, there is also the issue of land. Because the Osu were dedicated to gods, they also owned the huge forests and other lands that were set aside for those Gods. Now in my hometown for instance where urbanization is pinching, the Osus are the land barons. They laugh at us as we buy one plot of land for 3million naira in the village, yes, land is that scarce in Isiuzoka. however , what i feel about the osu system is that the truth of the matter is that Christianity has not taken the kind of deep root like we would want it to . Igbo Xtians are hypocrites. Of that I'm very sure. My own father converted to Xtianity against my grandads command because only Xtians could go to the only elementary schl in my hometown at the time. He has told me so, but I doubt he would tell his pastor that one. you need to remember that in the area between the boundary of anambra and imo states, a lot of people answer surnames starting with umeh and eze. from ekwulobia to akokwa . a lot of people answer names starting with umeh and eze and in most of those places both of those names are titles instead of curses. however this is not to say that the concept of umeh as a curse does not exist. That na small thing now. I have wondered why people go by the surname Nwosu, which translates to "son of osu". in all i see the osu caste system as something that will eventually be wiped out especially with the increased urbanisation of nigeria. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: I wish this was the case. Like I said, the thing has even come to America. I dare anyone to dispute it, few Igbo will marry their fellow Igbo without checking their caste, even here in the USA. Na me talk am. first of all they have to make nigerian ethnic groups to stop hating each other. This caste thing is one of the things that justifies Igbophobia. People like SoulSista and her Yoruba sisterhood, and Auspy their supportive brother could at least have pointed to this practice if they wanted a substantive slur to cast on Igbo people. Between gang rape to initiate women into the joys of widowhood, and the caste system, I wonder which is worse, but then its very important to bow to the power of women since the White man is behind them. Get Yours! Obugi. Posted by Obugi| 29.03.2007 13:11

nero africanus  Villager

# 9 =Obugi;164550>Nero, That na small thing now. I have wondered why people go by the surname Nwosu, which translates to "son of osu". Get Yours! Obugi. obugi, nwosu is one of the more common igbo surnames and goes to show how much the osu system permeated our society , i have also noticed that the nwosus, osuala,osuafo , osunkwo,osujis are relatively more prosperous than others - the okonkwo, okafor, okorie and okeke. that they were more educated and that really helped in the speed which the caste system has diminished . i mean you cant really discriminate against somebody who is richer than you , more educated than you , which where we come from directly traslates to being better than you. as these are values or qualities we worship i still shudder at the amount of discrimination that could have been heaped on the osu if they had not made themselves better than the average igbo man. i can relate this to racism , as long as the black folk lives in projects and remains very poor ,racism will never end. because it is very simple you cant discriminate againsr sombody who is better than you. in the city where i live the asians are more prosprous thanthan the average white man , and they hate them for it. however the hate and discrimination does not come from a feeling of superiourity but from a feeling of envy and jealousy. in all , obugi, evben though you wont agree, all men should be equal so i find it surprising that you dont have issues with osu how come :rolleyes: :rolleyes: even hindu enthrones the caste system and oppression that come with it :confused1 :rolleyes: :rolleyes: Posted by nero africanus| 29.03.2007 13:54

Dimaanu  Villager

# 10 =nero africanus;164566>obugi, i have also noticed that the nwosus, osuala,osuafo , osunkwo,osujis are relatively more prosperous than others - the okonkwo, okafor, okorie and okeke. that they were more educated Nero africanus, Haba, just take your time o :frown: :frown: Shey na you write all my exams for me , abi na you dey feed my family?:lol: :lol: :lol: Seriously, it is a shame that Ndigbo, who complain of marginalization more than any other tribe, are treating their own kin like second class citizens. Death to the Osu caste system :twisted: :twisted: Posted by Dimaanu| 29.03.2007 14:41

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