### The Real Story of Ekwensu: Igbo Deity or Christian Devil? 🤔🔥

By Jude Obuseh 

“Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” Chinua Achebe

To the modern Igbo person, Ekwensu is the Igbo word for the Devil. He isn't just a lookalike of Satan, but Satan himself, merely called by a local name. Much like how a cup is referred to as "iko," Ekwensu is seen as the epitome of evil, the antithesis of Chukwu, the supreme God. He represents every imaginable form of wickedness, from the trivial to the downright hideous. 

Interestingly, this view is a recent development that has gained popularity in modern interpretations. Originally, Ekwensu was not the chief of evil, the daring rival to Chukwu destined to roast in hell with the humans he possessed on earth. 

According to the book "The Ekwensu Semantics and the Igbo Christian Theolinguistics" by P-J Ezeh, the original Igbo usage of Ekwensu did not connote evil. Ekwensu was a god, one among the many worshipped in Igboland. He ranked with deities like Anị, Amadị ọha, Ikéngà, and Agwụ. Ekwensu was a benevolent and powerful deity, the god of war, and was revered for his craftiness and cunning in trade negotiations. Traders sought his guidance in bargaining and other difficult mercantile situations. 

As the god of war, Ekwensu also had a chaotic and violent nature. He incited people to violence and was invoked by warriors and headhunters during conflicts. Reckless acts during peacetime were often seen as influenced by Ekwensu’s possession.

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Communities like Nru N’atọ Ezike Ekwensu in Nsukka, Enugu, and festivals such as Ekpensu in Ezi, Delta, highlight his significance. In Akpugo, Enugu, Ekwensu was even used as a praise name for great accomplishments.

The mistranslation of Ekwensu can be traced to the clash between Christianity and traditional Igbo religion. The Igbo worldview did not include a dichotomous existence of a great good force versus a great evil force. There was no concept of God versus Devil, heaven versus hell, or angels versus demons. Instead, there were gods of varying powers, spirits with good or bad natures, and an afterlife similar to the physical world.

Colonial missionaries, believing that any religion different from theirs was evil, sought to introduce their concepts into the indigenous philosophy. They improvised by using existing concepts and distorting them to fit their mold. Chi, the personal guiding force, or Chukwu, the Aro deity, became the supreme God. Ekwensu was rebranded as the Devil to complete the spiritual binary of Christian faith.

Thus began the demonization of Ekwensu. Today, the term is avoided like a leper. Most communities and individuals bearing the name have changed it to avoid any connection with evil. Being called Ekwensu paints a person unimaginably black. Communities still bearing the name likely face pressure from Christian members to change it, as names in Igboland are believed to influence one's destiny.

The story of Ekwensu is a testament to the cultural damage wrought by colonialism. However, the damage is not beyond repair. Intellectuals have published books correcting these theological errors, such as "Ekwensu in the Igbo Imagination: a Heroic Deity or Christian Devil?" by Damian U. Opata and "The Supreme God as a Stranger in the Igbo Traditional Belief" by Donatus Nwoga. 

It is our responsibility to seek accurate information about our culture, gain a deeper understanding of our roots, and pass this knowledge to others. 🌍📚💡