The Central Obi’s Judicial Position
It is important at this point to bring out clearly the judicial role of the central Obi of Oraifite. The central Obi-in-Council constituted the highest court in Oraifite, the members of the council were his Ogbataonuba, the priest of the Edo deity; and its head was the obi of Ezumeri himself. Serious criminal cases such as yam, cocoyam, kola nut and he-goat thefts were tried at the court. It also handled serious civil cases like land disputes and disputes over the ownership of tree crops such as palm fruits, coconut and breadfruit trees. Moreover appeals from the lower courts (village councils) were sent to this court for hearing. Certain court fees were paid by the parties to a dispute, namely, the complainants and the defendants. A complainant bringing a case to the court had to pay a fee of Oru ahia in cowries (about two naira). The accused had to pay an equal amount. Half of the money went to the obi while the other half was shared among other members of the court. In a land case, the disputed piece of land was kept in the custody of the head of the court (the Obi), pending the settlement of the case, after which the land was restored to the rightful owner as established by the court. If in settling a case, it was discovered that the accused person denied the charge made against him, and there was no conclusive evidence to establish his guilt or innocence, in order to convict or set him free, the accused person could be made by the court to establish his innocence by swearing in the name of an agreed deity before the shrine of that deity. The accused was set free. If he swore to a deity, ultimately, his innocence (if he took the oath) would be ultimately established if he did not die after Izu-asaa (twenty eight days) of his taking the oath. It was the general belief that a person who swore falsely would die after the given period. However, a situation could arise in which the court had no conclusive evidence either to convict an accused or to set him free. For instance, an individual could be accused of murder but there might be no available evidence to prove the person's guilt beyond all reasonable doubt. In such a situation, the court would refer the case to an oracle, preferably Ibinukpabi, the famous Oracle at Arochukwu. The verdict of the Oracle was final because it was regarded as the verdict of a god. People found guilty of yam, cocoyam or kola-nut stealing were said to have committed an offence against the Ana deity (earth deity) and were required to offer a sacrifice of propitiation to the Ana deity. The sacrifice consisted of a goat, fowl, some pieces of white chalk and a piece of white cloth. As part of their punishment, such people had theirhair shaven. After this, the items stolen were tied to theirnecks and they were paraded round the local markets when infull session for all to see. The stigma associated with the punishment meted out to them usually lasted till the end of theirlives. People found guilty of manslaughter were exiled from thecommunity for a period of seven years. The exile was known asIgba Oso Ochu.
The Socio-economic Role of The Obi:
The Obi occupied an important position in the social life of the people. He always appeared in special regalia when giving private audience at his palace and during public functions. He wore distinctive red regalia and a locally woven red cap to match. On ceremonial occasions, he carried his staff of office and his sword (mma-agha). At times two of his sons would act as his body-guard by standing or walking by his side, holding their own swords. In hot weather, they fanned him with a royal fan. Whenever the Obi arrived at any gathering of Oraifite people, the people stood up and greeted him by bowing to him and saying his title or praise-name aloud in unison, and the Obi would return the greeting by waving his royal fan to the people who took their seats after the Obi had sat down, The business of the occasion then commenced. It is to be noted that it was the prerogative of the Obi as the traditional ruler of the people of Oraifite, to break the traditional kola-nut, at any gathering of the people, which he attended. The Obi also presided over important celebrations such as the New Yam festival, Ilo-mmuo, Igu Aru, Ikwu-Aru andMgburi festivals. On the advice of his counselors and thepriests, it was the duty of the obi to fix the time andduration of the celebrations. In conjunction with the priests,he offered a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the gods in whosehonor the events were held. The new yam festival (Ili-ji) was usually held between August and September every year in honor of Ifejioku (the god of yam), Ilo-mmuo was held in September for the Ana deity and Igu-Aro was held between January and February in respect of a ceremony called Ikwu Enwe. Ikwu-arufestival took place between February and March in honor of the Edo deity.