The current waves of terrorist-related violence by the proscribed IPOB’s armed unit, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), in the South East region of Nigeria, have brought pains and misery to not only the living, but also the dead.
In Anambra and Imo, some beleaguered families lamented that they had to dump their deceased in shallow graves unceremoniously due to shortage of coffins. They also accused coffin sellers of intentionally hoarding supplies which they later sell at exorbitant prices that only the filthy rich can afford.
Some despairing relatives who couldn’t bear the horror of dumping their loved ones in shallow graves resorted to cremation, which they claimed is a better alternative.
The most vocal of them is a 65-year-old widow, Mrs. Ngozi Nwachukwu, who lost her only child to an attack carried out by the proscribed IPOB terrorist group. Mrs. Ngozi, who hails from Ezinifite, Aguata Local Government Area, Anambra State, fingered Nwayi Akpati Ozu of being the brains behind the outrageous hike.
“Yes, demand for coffins has grown exponentially due to the senseless killings by IPOB, but that doesn’t justify the outrageous prices our coffin sellers are charging us. I know Nwayi Akpati Ozu is the brains behind the hike. She’s been holding meetings with other sellers. I have always known her to be a very greedy person. Now because of her, some of us are burying our loved ones in shallow graves without caskets.” Mrs. Ngozi lamented.
Meanwhile, the industry of mourning has recorded tremendous gains due to the unprecedented rise in deaths.
One of the coffin sellers, who preferred anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject matter, confided in us that although he’s not in support of the insecurity in the South East region, the resulting deaths have brought nothing but prosperity to him.
“Before now, I hardly sell 2 caskets in a month. I have been living from hand to mouth. I could hardly feed my family. But things began to change when IPOB started killing. As you can see, my shop is empty. I have sold over 50 caskets. My entire supply, I have sold in a single day. While it’s a blessing to me, I feel for those who have lost their loved ones to the IPOB madness” the coffin-seller said.
Olalekan Ajimoti – Blogger, Content Writer, and Digital Marketer helping brands and retailers build 8-figure e-commerce since 2016.
As a corporate trainer, brand communications expert, and brand consultant, I help people start, stay and grow in business leveraging digital skills and traditional expertise.
