Chinweuba Onumba—the famous Afa divination Dibia who was given a Certificate of Merit in the Science of Divination by the British colonial administration.
The real feat that made Chinweuba popular was when he was arrested and brought to court by some clients for whom he had done a divination. Some members of a family had come to him to ascertain whether the sick patriarch of their family would survive. But he told them to go home, because he whom they had come to enquire about was dead.
On arriving home, they found that it was true. The mind being deceitful, they believed Chinweuba may have used sorcery to kill the patriarch of their family. So they had him arrested.
In court, the white colonial judge brought out a pod and suggested to Chinweuba that, since he claimed it was through Afa he knew that the man had died, he should use the same Afa to tell the court how many seeds would be found in the pod once it was broken.
A tense Chinweuba brought out his Afa. He began to call on all his ancestors who did Afa before him. He called on his Ezumezu. He reminded them that they were the ones on trial, not him. He then threw his Afa down, and asked them to open the pod, and that they would bring out six seeds.
Lo and behold! When the pod was opened in the court, they saw only six seeds. The English judge then commanded that a Certificate of Merit be immediately issued to Chinweuba Onumba. The judge stated that this was not magic, but a finely-honed tradition of the Igbo. And, that was how Chinweuba Onumba became the first Dibia to receive a licence to practice the art of divination during Nigeria’s colonial era.
#I Remain Dr. Smart 🧠 Wisdom Professor and i just want to make common sense.
