Women and kids in the lake


THE SUDDEN APPEARANCE OF A POOL OF WATER, SAID TO HAVE HEALING POWERS, IN A FARMLAND BELONGING TO AMEKE-NACHI COMMUNITY IN ENUGU STATE HAS TURNED THE QUIET LOCAL COMMUNITY TO A PILGRIMAGE spot, WRITES CHRISTOPHER ISIGUZO


For the once sleepy and relatively unknown Ameke Nachi community in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, the last three weeks would remain indelible in their minds. This follows the discovery of a mysterious lake in the area which is said to have powers to cure any type of disease and health challenges ever imagined by the human race.
The lake was alleged to have surfaced and disappeared in the same place in 1992. But, whereas it has appeared about three times in the last 80 years, this is the first time it is generating the kind of attention that has trailed its appearance.
Since the appearance of the mystery lake, measuring about 120 to 170 metres in width, about three weeks ago it has become a pilgrimage centre of some sort as thousands of Nigerians, both young and old, especially sick ones and their relations, throng the place seeking all manner of divine intervention in their lives.

Windows of business…
The rate a which visitors throng the place is gradually transforming the community and opening windows of business for the people, especially plastic container sellers, food vendors, commercial motorcyclists, wait-and-take photographers and vehicle operators as they now make fast businesses.

Pilgrims from far and wide…
When THISDAY visited the lake within the week, it was discovered that the lake has become a pilgrimage centre of sort as it now plays host to people from all parts of Nigeria. People come from as far as Katsina, Borno, Osun, Kwara, Abia, Anambra, Imo, Niger, and other surrounding states for those within Nigeria. The mystery lake which has been given several names including “Osimiri Jordan” meaning River Jordan; Pool of Bethsaida among others has also hosted people from neighbouring countries like Togo, Benin Republic and Ghana who came in search of healing. Countless testimonies abound as people struggle to dip themselves in the lake.

In search of miracles…
However, while some people including the young, the old and the aged simply dip themselves in the lake, some others dig holes at the bank of the lake to fetch clean water which they believe could heal them. Some others also cut the leaves, the bark and branches of trees around the area, believing that if they boil them with water and drink, it could also wash away their diseases.
There are people who also imagine the unthinkable: they came with photographs of their relations overseas to pray at the lake, believing it would bring progress to their family members irrespective of where they might reside.

How it all started…
Sources told THISDAY that the whole story started on November 11 when a Fulani herdsman ran to the community and announced how water covered the place just few minutes after he passed.
“He told us that he passed that place with his herd of cattle and soon after, heard a strange noise; when he turned back, he discovered that a big stream had appeared at the same place he just passed with his cattle. At that point, he ran to Garki and informed his relatives, who also came there and discovered that the water had healing power. From that point, the news spread to the community”, a villager said.

Stories of healings…
From the time, the news started spreading; it has been one story or the other of how people are miraculously healed after dipping themselves into the water. Even one of the reporters who came to see what was happening claimed he had a serious headache that had worried him for about two days which allegedly instantly disappeared after drinking from the lake which the people of the area call “Ogbongwu”.

People of all ages, with all forms of ailments are being assisted by their relatives and friends to dip themselves into the River.
A can seller at the entrance to the River, who gave her name as Ogechu Ude said: “My house help was suffering from enlarged scrotum; we were trying to raise money to go to University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital before a friend told me about this place. We brought the boy here and by the time we went home, he was fully healed. That was how I started selling empty cans here.”
Another visitor, a civil servant, who identified himself as James said he came after neighbours told him about the healing power of the water:

“I heard about people who had difficulties in walking but they got healed after visiting this place; I also heard of people who regained their sight after visiting this place; I am just coming out from the River and I believe that I am free of any form of sickness and challenges disturbing me”.

Another visitor from Kwara State who gave his name as Segun said he had about the healing powers of the river in Lagos and decided to come and have a first hand knowledge of how it works:
“To be honest with you my brother, I was having bad sight which has worried me for over 8 years but after dipping myself here, I can tell you that I can see clearly now. This is surprising.” He says he intends to buy as many gallons as possible so as to take the water to his state and Lagos where he resides so that members of his family and other close associates could have a taste of it,” he said.
The traditional ruler of Nachi community, His Royal Highness, Igwe F.O Onuigbo, Obi II, said at his palace that the mystery lake was older than him.

Onuigbo, who spoke through his Lolo, because of his ill health, said: “I used to pass through that area to attend school at Inyi-Achi in Oji River, in the early 40s. In those days, there was no water there; the only thing you would see there was white sand. But once you get there and you are thirsty, all you need to do is to scratch the surface of the land and ask it for water; water will full your hand immediately if you are an upright person, but if you are evil, no water will come out. That has been the situation.”
“Later, we noticed that after some years, the water will form a stream there and would disappear in few weeks. If such happens, we will be fetching water there. However, women who are menstruating and evil people don’t go there. We never heard about healing power of the river until this recent appearance.”

The 80-year-old man continued: “The last time it appeared was in 1992. At that time, it just formed a small stream, which later disappeared. It has never been as large as this. This is all I know. We have never known about its healing power; this is the first time we are hearing about healing. I don’t know whether it is true, we equally heard it like you.”
On his part, the traditional Prime Minister of Ameke-Nachi, Chief Dominic Onuigbo said since he was a kid, this was the third time it had sprung up in his life time of over 80 years.

He maintained that the water only comes out during dry season adding, “It usually comes out in every twenty years or more. But this year’s emergence is greater than it used to come out. Hunters who know there in dry seasons, when they get there, if you are a righteous man, you bend down and beg it to please give you water that you are thirsty and dig the dry sand with your bare hands. Water will come out and Ogbongwu will give you water to drink. You can even fetch the one for your bath. In those olden days, it has rules that women on their menstrual circles don’t go there to take their bath but fetch and take it outside to take their bath.”

On the issue of the water healing ailments, Onuigbo said: “In those olden days, if you go there, anything you beg your God and it wishes, it can do it for you but now that it came out, it was from Mecca that the message came that people should go to Enugu State that the water will come out and that it heals if you drink it. There have been cases of those who were sick and after taking their bath, they got well. Everybody is struggling to drink it and if they drink it after sometime some are cured of internal sickness after some days.
“We made it a law that nobody should collect any money from anybody there. The only thing you pay is the Okada money that takes you to the water. There were those who suffered eye problems that got well after washing their eyes with the water. Things like rheumatism and other illness are cured there too. There was a little boy we thought will die after the doctor had given up. We took him there after bathing him and he got well,”

Opportunity for businesses…
Apart from the “healing” angle to the lake, it has also offered some people the opportunity of raking in money as they engage in series of business activities. The manor beneficiaries are motorcycle operators, petty traders and wait-and-take photographers. Some of the cyclists, petty traders, gallon sellers and photographers make as much as N10,000 each per day from visitors to Ogbongwu mystery lake.

Meanwhile, the Anglican Bishop of Enugu Diocese and Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), South East zone, Bishop Emmanuel Chukwuma advised visitors to the Ameke Nachi “wonder lake” in search of healing to be careful in order not to incur the wrath of God as succumbing to the powers of the “spirit of water” could amount to idolatry.

The Anglican cleric made it clear that all power belongs to Jesus and not in the spirit of water, asking the visitors to the water who have by so doing become “ogbongwu adherents” to look for verifiable, tested and credible testimonies and not hearsay, before they could believe that there is anything mysterious about the water.

He said: “People should testify in public that this water has healed anybody. They should stop these unnecessary misconceptions. Let us have testimonies. That is my reaction; that we should not just make unnecessary allusion to the water, that people want to make great deal out of it. What makes it mystery water? Who and who officially confirmed it.  You as a journalist; can you identify somebody who you can say that this water has done this or that; somebody will testify then we can know it is a mystery water.

“So, how can we say mystery water, mystery water? Who and who can come out and say this has happened and people will say yes, before he was blind, now he can see, he was cripple but he is now walking or that he has whatever disease but he is now alright; certified by a medical doctor. It is then that you can know that it is a mystery water but unnecessary popularity and allusion to water that is ordinary, we should be very careful because it can mislead people.

“People rushing there, I think it is out of ignorance. You see, that goes to tell you that people are caged, people are imprisoned by problems and they are seeking for solutions. They needed immediate solution that is practical, that is natural. So, at the end of the whole thing, how many has come out to testify the authenticity of whatever miracle that happened, tested by a doctor. If that is true, then you can now believe that there is something mysterious in that water. But for now, I seem to be very much skeptical about it; that’s my position.”

He said: “It is just like the people of Bethsaida in the Bible. When the people were turning the whole thing into idolatry, Jesus Christ now diverted their attention to water. The pool of Bethsaida has dried, our attention should be on Jesus Christ, not on water; spirit of water cannot save. Pool of Bethsaida today has dried; all power belongs to Jesus, not water. Believing in water is Undeterred by Bishop Chukwuma’s warning, miracle seekers have continued to rush to “ogbongwu” with their gallons bearing in mind that the lake could disappear in the same manner it appeared. Today, on the streets of Enugu, most women, especially pregnant ones now carry the water in bottled-water containers believing that it equally scares away people with evil intentions.

Source: This Day