NewStats: 3,261,701 , 8,174,830 topics. Date: Friday, 30 May 2025 at 08:12 AM 5666a

SavageResponse:


You're taking this thing too personal, it would appear you're an osu

Are "Osu" people not humans like yourself? In this century people still have the temerity to call fellow humans outcast. This is so heartless. I am from Arochukwu, the caste system does not exist in my community.

vengertime:


Anambra of all places? That have hard working people that are ambitious to take care of their families

You are 100% correct. One thing I know about the Igbo's is, they ain't lazy at all

Blaze14k:


She's from elu. I will send you a message to ur inbox now

Just replied

POWERFULGOD:



You are the one feeling Low-key inferiority complex here, I'm sorry I hurt your feelings but Anambrians always ahead.....
Oh I never say I'm from Anambra state...

That's my problem with you losers, once you are called out, you start deflecting. Please take correction.

Blaze14k:
I would like to use this opportunity to seek guidance based on the issue I have on ground. I believe it's igbos especially elderly person who is in a better position to give me a reasonable explanation. I told my mum my girlfriend is from ohafia, abia state and she instantly told me I can't get married to her. Her reason is because people from ohafia, arochukwu, izombe, and few other places in abia state are regarded as OSU. I complained to other of my family but they also rejected her.

I have made some research personally and found out people from other part of igboland marry from those places. Now my question is why are they strongly rejecting her cos it doesn't make sense to call everybody from different local government in abia state OSU.

I've made more research on the girls family and found out they are king makers and her father belongs to eze's cabinet.

Her father and mine are no longer alive. They both have a traditional title and belong to eze's cabinet too. Please I need your advice cos I really want marry this girl. I also know that people encounter alot of difficulties when they want to get married. So I need a clarification from someone who has extensive knowledge on igbo tradition. Thank you

"Orun Re re ooo"?... Toba dorun ko se Orun re...? Iwo ko kiunse Omo ELEDUMARE/Omo OLODUMARE, tabi EYIN OJU ( abi EYIN LOJU...?)ELEDUMARE/OLODUMARE... Se toba de Orun, se waa se Orun Re...? Oro re koni pedi sun re o... Ki oro re kotodi sun re o, obaje tete gba JESU NI OLUWA,OLORUN ati OLUGBALA RE...

Blaze14k:
I would like to use this opportunity to seek guidance based on the issue I have on ground. I believe it's igbos especially elderly person who is in a better position to give me a reasonable explanation. I told my mum my girlfriend is from ohafia, abia state and she instantly told me I can't get married to her. Her reason is because people from ohafia, arochukwu, izombe, and few other places in abia state are regarded as OSU. I complained to other of my family but they also rejected her.

I have made some research personally and found out people from other part of igboland marry from those places. Now my question is why are they strongly rejecting her cos it doesn't make sense to call everybody from different local government in abia state OSU.

I've made more research on the girls family and found out they are king makers and her father belongs to eze's cabinet.

Her father and mine are no longer alive. They both have a traditional title and belong to eze's cabinet too. Please I need your advice cos I really want marry this girl. I also know that people encounter alot of difficulties when they want to get married. So I need a clarification from someone who has extensive knowledge on igbo tradition. Thank you

Abam, Ohafia and Arochukwu were the ones who made others slaves(Osu) in the past, so there is NO WAY they can be called slaves. Maybe your family line has slaves in it and your people are scared of being found out.

Blaze14k:
I would like to use this opportunity to seek guidance based on the issue I have on ground. I believe it's igbos especially elderly person who is in a better position to give me a reasonable explanation. I told my mum my girlfriend is from ohafia, abia state and she instantly told me I can't get married to her. Her reason is because people from ohafia, arochukwu, izombe, and few other places in abia state are regarded as OSU. I complained to other of my family but they also rejected her.

I have made some research personally and found out people from other part of igboland marry from those places. Now my question is why are they strongly rejecting her cos it doesn't make sense to call everybody from different local government in abia state OSU.

I've made more research on the girls family and found out they are king makers and her father belongs to eze's cabinet.

Her father and mine are no longer alive. They both have a traditional title and belong to eze's cabinet too. Please I need your advice cos I really want marry this girl. I also know that people encounter alot of difficulties when they want to get married. So I need a clarification from someone who has extensive knowledge on igbo tradition. Thank you

The thing is if you eventually marry her your daughters might face the same challenge. It's difficult but you have to really consider the future. People from that side marry mostly men within or other tribes who don't have a clue what osu means.
Goodluck to you

Cosmicwill:


The thing is if you eventually marry her your daughters might face the same challenge. It's difficult but you have to really consider the future. People from that side marry mostly men within or other tribes who don't have a clue what osu means.
Goodluck to you

I've asked alot of people no one is able to tell me people from ohafia are osu. Even my uncle, the eldest in my family didn't mention anything like that.

Blaze14k:
I would like to use this opportunity to seek guidance based on the issue I have on ground. I believe it's igbos especially elderly person who is in a better position to give me a reasonable explanation. I told my mum my girlfriend is from ohafia, abia state and she instantly told me I can't get married to her. Her reason is because people from ohafia, arochukwu, izombe, and few other places in abia state are regarded as OSU. I complained to other of my family but they also rejected her.

I have made some research personally and found out people from other part of igboland marry from those places. Now my question is why are they strongly rejecting her cos it doesn't make sense to call everybody from different local government in abia state OSU.

I've made more research on the girls family and found out they are king makers and her father belongs to eze's cabinet.

Her father and mine are no longer alive. They both have a traditional title and belong to eze's cabinet too. Please I need your advice cos I really want marry this girl. I also know that people encounter alot of difficulties when they want to get married. So I need a clarification from someone who has extensive knowledge on igbo tradition. Thank you

That's interesting...

The Arochukwus, Ohafias and the allies or confederates in today's Abia are not collectively called Osus. They were the lord's who set up so-called little colonies and also historically never enslaved or sold themselves to the white men like they did to other Ibo tribes through the Ijaws, Efik, and Ibibios middlemen on the coasts.

From my deep knowledge of Nigerian history, the Aros [Arochukwu], Abam and Ohafia of today's Abia State were the major arrowheads of the brutal slave trade in the 17th to 18th centuries that ravaged the Ibo areas. The sub tribes now called Ibos were brought from the interior areas to the coastal regions to be sold as slaves to the Ijaws, Ibibios, Efiks, etc, who then acted as middle men and sold them off to the white slave buyers in places such as Bonny Island. In an archival book I read years back, an American slave ship captain who was at Bonny in the late 1700s wrote in his logbook that about 3 in 4 of the enslaved Africans who were shipped out of Bonny in the late 1700s were from among the "Eboes."

Mahenson:
The Osu caste system is very strong in Igbo land no matter how civilization and Christianity tries to gas light it.

My candid advice, send some well respected elders from your village to go on an annonymous and discrete inquiry to the girl's village to make their findings.

If their findings reveal she is not an OSU, let them tell the entire UMUNNA of it and you can go ahead and marry her, but if she is, the Lord is your strength as you are OYO.

Indeed.
That Osu caste system thing is VERY STRONG among the Ibos and it will be difficult for them to do away with it despite the fact that the first major ban on it was in 1967... Over 56 years ago.

frozen70:


You have done well with the little investigations you have done to be sure that she is not an Osu

Even non Osu from their place don't marry Osu, I don't want to know their reasons

But since you are very sure of your stand

I think you will be ready to sponsor anyone that will go for secret investigations from your family to her family

Is called Iju Ajuju Nwanyi

When the investigator goes and come back, the whole family will listen to his findings at a seating, including your woman

So advice your family to nominate an uncle that will do that

He may have to Lodge incase it's night depending on when he took of

If you really love her let this be one of the sacrifices you are making for her

Meanwhile she must not be aware of the findings

But will be aware of the family result announcement

Good luck

Ifylee515:
Izombe is not Abia state ,it's actually in Oguta LGA imo state

vengertime:


I grew up in the village with them even though my family is not.

My advice is, 1, go and investigate there , usually you will send someone from your village to go ask questions if she's from an OSU family or not. OSU families are within every community in Igbo land.

Number 2. If she's not but your mom just don't like the girl but doesn't want to say it bluntly, one day use style and tell her that you have made up your mind that you are no longer interested in getting married to anyone again. That things are not really fine for you, the above decision scares every Igbo mother's.

She will lower her expectations and accept whoever you bring home. Cos she feels that you're still young and should still be shopping around which is ridiculous this days

pansophist:


Igbo own are too much, that is my point.

The worse are igbos from imo. Even their men run to other parts of Igbo land for a wife, especially women from Enugu.

Interesting.

hammerT:


FOUND HIM, WATCH FROM 4.50


THIS IS A CONGOLESE MAN...



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mIyi3pdf7U

SLOVFO:


Stop gloating in your ignorance. What do you know about Arochukwu LGA, Arochukwu and the Aros? You ignorant folks from Imo state, that have not travelled outside Owerri will keep saying what you know not . Your ancestors travelled far to Arochukwu to seek counsel from the oracle and the elders...your ancestors did everything to identify with the Aros. Go and ask your people that bear the name Nwachukwu how the came about the name. Who are you in the olden days to stand shoulder to shoulder with an Aro man? If not for modernization you would have been sold into slavery by your people for this rubbish you have just said. Pardon me if you feel belittle or insulted by my response...but there is need for you to be corrected before you your ignorance and bias to your children.

SLOVFO:


I suspect that the OP must be from the Orlu zone of Imo state. Imo state people are generally obsessed with this Osu thing. Una carry am for head like gala. I have had such an experience first hand. It always starts with the OSU thing...the simple truth is that your mother doesn't want you to marry that lady for reasons best known to her. Your mum may not like (and accept) the culture of Ohafia people. And of course, their culture differs from that of the place where you are coming from.

Blaze14k:
I would like to use this opportunity to seek guidance based on the issue I have on ground. I believe it's igbos especially elderly person who is in a better position to give me a reasonable explanation. I told my mum my girlfriend is from ohafia, abia state and she instantly told me I can't get married to her. Her reason is because people from ohafia, arochukwu, izombe, and few other places in abia state are regarded as OSU. I complained to other of my family but they also rejected her.

I have made some research personally and found out people from other part of igboland marry from those places. Now my question is why are they strongly rejecting her cos it doesn't make sense to call everybody from different local government in abia state OSU.

I've made more research on the girls family and found out they are king makers and her father belongs to eze's cabinet.

Her father and mine are no longer alive. They both have a traditional title and belong to eze's cabinet too. Please I need your advice cos I really want marry this girl. I also know that people encounter alot of difficulties when they want to get married. So I need a clarification from someone who has extensive knowledge on igbo tradition. Thank you

your mother's idea that the girls from ohafia,arochukwu and surroundings are osu is not only ignorant but malicious and degrading,I am from arondizuogu in imo state and we came from mazi ixuogu family from arochukwu,the aros and their cousins from ohafia,item,abiriba,etc were the first Igbo tribes to meet the white man and traded with them,these people are kingmakers and warriors,let her not go to ohafia and call them osu she may lose her head,these people are the warrior mecenaries of igboland.
There maybe other reason your mother didn't want her,but tagging a girl from ohafia osu is just giving a dog a bad name to kill it and that leaves you in a dilemma,there is now a battle line drawn between your mother and your fiancee and they will never be peace between them for life if you marry her,if I am in your shoes I will drop the girl for peace of mind

Nnewison:



A particular traditional ruler said it's abolished in his town and he was asked to go and marry the OSU first before others will follow he didn't do that cos if he did,he would be dethroned immediately he knew that so they said to him it still remains like that.

You are in love but your family loves you so much and they can't start hating you now.they have been loving you.the issue if OSU is still strong in Igbo land.just find a way to carry out investigation properly.never cut ties with your family.they are the only people you have in this world.Family comes first.

That traditional ruler cracked me up...

Spiritz:
First I am a full blood Ohafia man to even think a girl from Elu the head of Ohafia clan is referred as an Osu is insulting, We are all free born never in our history did we practiced anything like Osu, we have a strong history and generation of warriors who dare enslave any of us? Aro on the other hand is one of the greatest Igbo clan the History of Igbo nation is not complete without them.

Mybe ur mom is just a Christian worried about our traditional practice not even In Elu but in deep Ohafia villagees like mine which doesn't harm anyone yet I have a sister married in far away Enugu

Case closed.

djkaneo:




Abam, Ohafia and Arochukwu were the ones who made others slaves(Osu) in the past, so there is NO WAY they can be called slaves. Maybe your family line has slaves in it and your people are scared of being found out.

Indeed. The Aro confederacy.

Samantha124:
First of all, what's OSU?

The person above failed to explain Osu caste system properly. It's only obtainable in the Igbo ethnic group, one of three major such groups in Nigeria. It's more like the Indian caste system but this one is just two classes: The Diala (freeborn) and Osu (outcasts). In the dim pre-Christian days, there were many unacceptable traditional practices like human sacrifice. Some people were sacrificed to deities without shedding their blood. The offspring of these people were not accepted as Freeborns in the community. They may not intermarry with the so-called Freeborns; they are treated like lower class or more aptly outcasts. During the colonial Christian evangelization era, many of these outcasts seeing a greenlight of a new world where everyone was equal, readily embraced Christianity and western education. Most of these so-called outcasts are now in high positions of reckon outside in other countries where their identity was obscure and not an issue. One of such was even the military governor of one of the states in the Igbo area of Nigeria during the Military istration of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. There was friction of course, because of his Osu origin. Despite spirited efforts by well-meaning Igbo people and the religiouses to decriminalize Osu system, diehard traditionalists still discriminate subliminally.

How were the people sacrificed to the deities without shedding of blood?

Yankiss:
The person above failed to explain Osu caste system properly. It's only obtainable in the Igbo ethnic group, one of three major such groups in Nigeria. It's more like the Indian caste system but this one is just two classes: The Diala (freeborn) and Osu (outcasts). In the dim pre-Christian days, there were many unacceptable traditional practices like human sacrifice. Some people were sacrificed to deities without shedding their blood. The offspring of these people were not accepted as Freeborns in the community. They may not intermarry with the so-called Freeborns; they are treated like lower class or more aptly outcasts. During the colonial Christian evangelization era, many of these outcasts seeing a greenlight of a new world where everyone was equal, readily embraced Christianity and western education. Most of these so-called outcasts are now in high positions of reckon outside in other countries where their identity was obscure and not an issue. One of such was even the military governor of one of the states in the Igbo area of Nigeria during the Military istration of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. There was friction of course, because of his Osu origin. Despite spirited efforts by well-meaning Igbo people and the religiouses to decriminalize Osu system, diehard traditionalists still discriminate subliminally.

Samantha124:
How were the people sacrificed to the deities without shedding of blood?

It's done. They were just dedicated to the deity. Just like today, goats and fowls are sacrificed to deities without slaughtering them. The priest just commits them to the deity as his own in exchange for prayers sought or for good done by the deity. Such goats roam freely without anyone tampering with them. Anyone who steals them either runs mad or is killed.

Let's say a person was committed to a deity as a teenager, would that mean he or she wouldn't be allowed to get married because whoever sleeps with him or her would also have a mental illness or gets killed too?

Yankiss:
It's done. They were just dedicated to the deity. Just like today, goats and fowls are sacrificed to deities without slaughtering them. The priest just commits them to the deity as his own in exchange for prayers sought or for good done by the deity. Such goats roam freely without anyone tampering with them. Anyone who steals them either runs mad or is killed.

Samantha124:
Let's say a person was committed to a deity as a teenager, would that mean he or she wouldn't be allowed to get married because whoever sleeps with him or her would also have a mental illness or gets killed too?

No. Not really. The person committed to a deity does not get killed or have mental illness. I said it's observed that once goats were dedicated to a deity, whoever steals them runs mad or is killed. Not the goat itself. Conversely, the person dedicated to the deity is not killed or runs mad. However the society stigmatizes the person. He/she was classified as osu and the offspring of such union, if married, is also seen as osu, even if just one of the parents is osu. It's an archaic practice now heavily criminalized.

You didn't understand my question... Let me try to rephrase.

Would the people they sleep with also get mad or be killed?

Yankiss:
No. Not really. The person committed to a deity does not get killed or have mental illness. I said it's observed that once goats were dedicated to a deity, whoever steals them runs mad or is killed. Not the goat itself. Conversely, the person dedicated to the deity is not killed or runs mad. However the society stigmatizes the person. He/she was classified as osu and the offspring of such union, if married, is also seen as osu, even if just one of the parents is osu. It's an archaic practice now heavily criminalized.

Samantha124:
You didn't understand my question... Let me try to rephrase.

Would the people they sleep with also get mad or be killed?

No. Read my explanations carefully. I understood your point. They will not die or run mad. That case scenario was for those who steal goats sacrificed to deities. People sacrificed to deities are allowed to live in towns but under ostracism. Their offsprings are also classed like them.

Okay, I get it now...

Yankiss:
No. Read my explanations carefully. I understood your point. They will not die or run mad. That case scenario was for those who steal goats sacrificed to deities. People sacrificed to deities are allowed to live in towns but under ostracism. Their offsprings are also classed like them.

What Osu means in other parts of south east is different from what it means in Abia State especially in Ngwa.
Osu people are spiritually d humans.
(An Osu head can never be buried).
Osu is different from Ohu which means slave.
In Ngwa land Osu does not mean outcast.
Wife of Osu is Mmaji.

Take note: in Ngwa, an Osu does not automatically give birth to Osu.
But one can become of an Osu by being qualified to be one.

ChinenyeN i need your contribution please.

OnoVegasBlog:
What Osu means in other parts of south east is different from what it means in Abia State especially in Ngwa.
Osu people are spiritually d humans.
(An Osu head can never be buried).
Osu is different from Ohu which means slave.
In Ngwa land Osu does not mean outcast.
Wife of Osu is Mmaji.

Take note: in Ngwa, an Osu does not automatically give birth to Osu.
But one can become of an Osu by being qualified to be one.

ChinenyeN i need your contribution please.

Correct. Ngwa has different types of Osu, depending on the "industry", none of which are outcasts. Traditionally, Osu have a sacred status in Ngwa. They often acquire more wealth and fame in the community and have their own unique burial rites. The Mmaji and Njoku cult status and all that comes with it is a great example of the Osu practice in Ngwa culture. This particular Osu status (Mmaji and Njoku) is specific to yam cultivation and the Ihi Njoku yam cult.

As a short summary, families whose industry is yam cultivation can choose to dedicate one or more of their children to Ihi Njoku. A male child dedicated to Ihi Njoku is known as "Njoku" (The Sacred Yam). A female child dedicated to Ihi Njoku is known as "Mmaji" (The Sacred Yam Knife). The Mmaji and the Njoku status receive first portions or rites of certain foods, meals, etc. This sort of ritual authority can even supersede the kindred roles of Opara and Ada within a farming family. Mmaji and Njoku are only allowed to marry each other as a way of further magically increasing the family's farm yield with each generation. Upon death, the heads of the Mmaji and the Njoku are to never touch the ground. Some families will chop off the head before burial. Others may bury the entire body, but keep the head and neck contained in a casket to avoid with the ground/earth. Then typically after six months, they will exhume the body and retrieve the head and remove it from the casket. In either case, the heads of both the Mmaji and the Njoku are then placed in the family's Ihinjoku shrine and become part of the effigy itself.

Other traditional "industries" in Ngwa have their own specific rites associated with an Osu in that industry. Overall, Osu are sacred and have a lot of ritual authority in Ngwa culture.