In what might appear to many people as another Nollywood movie, residents of Benin are living in fear as some have reportedly died because of a sacred Iroko tree cut by a pastor.

This is not the best time for the people of Iguoma in Uhunmwonde Local Government Area of Edo State following mystery deaths which have led hundreds of natives to flee their ancestral homes. Meanwhile there is a controversy on what actually is the cause of the deaths.
For instance, the two warring groups in the community don’t agree on this. The tragedy, which befell the community, became public after some leaders of Iguoma, led by Pastor Joseph Ighodaro, who also is the Secretary of the community, stormed the palace of the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, last Monday, begging the Oba to revoke an alleged curse placed on the community by his father, Oba Erediauwa.
They claimed that a native doctor revealed to them that their problems were caused by Oba Erediauwa’s curse and not the cutting down of sacred trees. But the other faction in the community, led by the Chief Priest of Okhuaihe N’ Uleku shrine, Mr Uyimwen Odeh, dismissed the curse claim, saying the problems in the community came because some sacred trees were cut down after 14 days prayer session by Ighodaro and another pastor that came from Delta State.

Pa Jolly Agbontean, who spoke on behalf of the Odeh group, said all the shrines in the community were sacred as they belonged to the Benin monarch but that the Ighodaro group destroyed the shrines, adding that, as a result, the shrines were now killing the persons behind the destruction and not the entire community.

FULL STORY @ https://www.tori.ng/news/92069/vengeance-of-the-gods-sacred-iroko-tree-on-a-killi.html

cc. lalasticlala mynd44

when I read the full story I just dey laugh like say dem use koboko whip me.. the degree of stupidity

Y didn't the tree start with the pastor, knowing he initiated such plans....Abi he's now imitating Boko Haram by looking for soft targets

Fear fear

SPACE BOOKED

Lmao iroko tree on killing spree, what's next sacred goat on romping spree

Smh so iroko left the culprit and went after soft targets. Lol Africa!
Lalasticlala

Tree be like

If this story has any iota of truth in it, then it isn't strange as many have believed worst things in the past and died of their beliefs. See below for the history of the 'untouchable grapes' of the 'gods.

Doctufos: Homo sapiens III 24:4-34


4. In those days, it was a belief that whoever tasted the grapes would die of a very strange disease.
5. This superstition had spanned fifteen centuries without anyone in the land checking if it was true.
6. There had also been tales of twenty-three people who had died of diseases when they took the grapes.
7. This was the story told from generation to generation to keep the inquisitive children and youths of the land away from the tree.
8. In those days, Staphylos followed after one of the priests of the gods until he had entered the bush.
9. Then he saw how the priest climbed the tree and plucked the grapes, squeezing the water in it into his mouth.
10. When Staphylos discovered this, he hid in the bush until the priest had sucked ten of the grapes and departed.
11. When a hunter came close and found the remnants of the eaten grapes, he knelt before the grape tree and praised all the gods of the land, saying, the gods are satisfied with the land by eating our grapes.
12. When Staphylos saw the hunter, he approached him and said, a man like you and me ate the grapes and not the gods.
13. The hunter was angry, saying, young man, why do you not have respect for the gods of the land? Do you want their wraths to come upon you?
14. Who can stand the wrath of Katakhthonios our god? Who can survive the anger of Zeus?
15. Now young man, fall before the tree of the gods and seek the forgiveness of the gods for equating them with humans like us.
16. When Staphylos heard him, he smiled and departed.
17. Now in the day when dionysus his father celebrated the day of wine, there was shortage of wine.
18. Then dionysus said, I have experienced something like this in the past which I can not clearly remember.
19. But I was not disgraced in those days because I made more wine and the people drank to their satisfaction.
20. But these days I do not know how I made such wine. Now my son Staphylos, what do you think? Should I send the people away because of shortage of wine?
21. Staphylos said, let them wait, father, for the gods shall give us wine in surplus.
22. So Staphylos went and fetched many grapes. Then he squeezed their water into many pots and gourds and mixed some wine with them. Then he brought them to the people.
23. Now everyone wondered when they saw that which they supposed was wine. Then they were amazed when they had tasted it.
24. And they loved its taste more than the taste of the wine which they had earlier.
25. The priest whom Staphylos saw sucking the grapes arose and said, this is not wine but the grapes of the gods.
26. Now the people feared greatly that they would die. Then they began to ask Staphylos if the saying of the priest was true.
27. Then Staphylos said, why do you ask me when you should have asked the priest how he knows the taste of the grapes of the gods?
28. Now they asked the priest and he could not reply a word. Then he departed in disappointment.
29. However, the people continued to ask Staphylos fearfully if the wine contained grape juice, then he said, you have well spoken.
30. Truly it is the juice of the gods, but we are free to taste it now because the gods are not interested in the food and drinks of humans, because they have their own food and drinks in their realms.
31. But of a truth, it is the priests of the gods who suck the grapes ever since.
32. When Staphylos had ended his saying, many reasoned with him, but some remained fearful and died of the fear of being killed by the gods.
33. Now when Staphylos prospered continually, the people loved and adored him. Then he was deified as the god of grapes and wine, because he was one who made the people drink grape juice mixed with wine.
34. So the worship of Staphylos as the god of grapes and wine lasted for many centuries and even overshadowed the worship of his father dionysus who first discovered wine.

cc. lalasticlala