Godwin Tsa, Abuja
If Mpape, with its allure of hilly topography was to be in Europe, it would have, most likely, been architecturally transformed into a paradise of estates by developers.
But here in Nigeria where nature’s beauty appears loathed, Mpape has been left to rot away with no developmental roadmap. It is now a slum perched atop one of the undulating hills in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and hosting criminals of different pedigree.
Historically, the area was inhabited by the native Gbagyi who lived in huts because they lacked the technology to blast the rocks and chisel out decent homes from the hilly haven. Today, many workers in Abuja have nestled in the area due to its affordable accommodation and closeness to the city centre.
The road to Mpape is not straight. It snakes gently from an intersection along Murtala Muhammed expressway, through the hills to the zenith that houses the bulk of the residents.
Despite the presence of major mining and construction companies in Mpape, which birthed names like Arab Village, Berger Quarry Road I and II, the place has remained an eyesore.
If you cannot stand the horrible odour of decaying flesh and blood in abattoirs, please do not come near Mpape because that is dominant smell that oozes from various overflowing dumpsters. More so, the area is overcrowded with narrow roads and no streetlights.
From dusk, many parts are in darkness, providing a perfect atmosphere for lovers to frolic. For those who hate noise, Mpape is not for you. Go to Asokoro or Mpape will drive you crazy. All vehicles, irrespective of how rickety, have loud horns and the drivers blare them indiscriminately.
The cacophony does not end there. Motor park thugs and commercial motorcyclists have theirs. As they scream for passengers’ attention, you wonder if there is a competition for madness going on.
While residents battle the sordid dirtiness that Mpape epitomizes, they are also dealing with rising insecurity challenges. On March 2, 2020, residents were awoken by armed robbers’ thunderous gunshots at about midnight. The criminals reportedly stormed an estate, successfully gained entrance and robbed as many people as they could.
One of the victims, Mr Ikenga Anayo, told Daily Sun that a police team, which arrived several hours after the robbery incident, advised residents to form a vigilance group to keep criminals out of the area; since they (police) lack sufficient manpower, firearms and vehicles to swiftly respond to distress calls.
He, however, lamented that such vigilance groups were already in place in several Abuja communities and estates, but they were no match for daredevil robbers with more sophisticated weapons.
As regards money ritual, Mpape also comes to mind. There have been several cases of ritualists preying on vulnerable residents without hindrance. A resident who craved anonymity said ritualists leveraged on the prevailing austerity to lure residents into spilling blood to make wealth:
“Those involved in money making rituals have a variety to choose from. The most common seems to be the blood ritual, which involves out-and-out killing. The victim’s blood is used along with other items for appease some unseen gods to unlock to the tap of wealth.
“Ages of such victims vary; day old babies, school age children and adults may be used, checks revealed that the age of the victim often depends on what the ritualist’s ‘ori’ (spirit) agrees with. Many treasure seekers have been caught in the act of trying to dig up graves to obtain skulls and other parts for rituals.”
Mr Emmanuel Emela, said: “In most cases, this involves rich men whose wealth spring from the people they have sex with.” While there may be no scientific evidence to back up his claim, Mpape actually houses residents who believe in the potency of charm and sorcery.
Collaborating this story, Tijani Abacha Umar a commercial motorcyclist from Kano State said: “Sometimes, the culprits go on to look for virgins as they are believed to work better. Findings revealed that after some time, the victim either dies or becomes useless.
“A number of ‘runs’ or ‘Aristo’ girls have fallen victim of ritualists while trying to use what they have to get what they want. Many also became bedridden with strange diseases, a lot of others never lived to tell the story.”
Investigations also revealed that a number of those erroneously referred to as “Yahoo Boys” (internet fraudsters) have delved into money rituals as internet scamming is no longer lucrative; no thanks to cyber policemen that have continued to clamp down on them. Rather than call it money ritual, the fraudsters refer to it as “Yahoo Plus.”
When Daily Sun visited the palace of the Chief of Mpape, Alhaji Abubakar Ibrahim, the monarch was said to be resting. However, his brother, Prince Anwal Ibrahim, said stories about ritualists and kidnapers have been blown out of proportion:
“The common crime in Mpape is breaking and entering and smoking of India hemp and other drugs by the youths. We don’t have reported cases of kidnapping and ritual killers. If they exist, it is rare and minimal.
“We have vigilance groups in Mpape, but they are not functional. The reason is that, government did not make provision for their payment and they can’t keep working without salaries.
“Sometimes when security issues come up, people rally round and contribute money to mobilize them. When we do not, the criminals operate and go scot free.”
At the new police station where our reporter visited, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) was not in the office. Attempts to get the official report on the rate of crime rate failed as the officer in charge of crime was said to have gone on operation with the DPO.
However, another senior officer at the station confided in Daily Sun said crime rate was indeed high. He lamented that given the high level of crime, the police need additional personnel and operational vehicles to tackle the menace.