At the age of 60, Nigerian businessman and healthcare professional Ken Okoroafor achieved his childhood dream of obtaining the revered title of “Leopard Slayer”. Jubilant crowds thronged as he was inducted into the prestigious and male-only Igbuu Society in his hometown of Oguta, in south-eastern Nigeria.
In ancient times, slaying a leopard was not just an act of bravery but a ritualistic feat that conferred societal prestige. To become a “Leopard Slayer”, known as an “Ogbuagu” in the Igbo language, a man had to present a leopard – hunted and killed by himself – to the local king. Its meat was then shared amongst 25 villages around Oguta.
Over time, the practice evolved, and people no longer needed to hunt the leopard themselves. My mother recalls the carcass of a leopard lying in their living room back in 1955 when her father took the title. She remembers eating leopard meat twice in the past: “It tastes wild and a bit salty.”
Conservation concerns then ended the use of leopards as they became scarce in the region. The last known leopard sacrifice occurred in 1987. Once widespread across Nigeria, leopards now tend to be only found in a few national parks, where they are protected.
Today, the financial equivalent – a substantial but undisclosed sum – is distributed among the family heads in the 25 villages, maintaining the communal spirit of the tradition.
The Igbuu Society is highly selective. Applicants must own property, have a verifiable income, be married or have been married, and maintain an unblemished reputation. Descendants of slaves, known as “ohu”, are not allowed to join. These are people whose ancestors were owned by others, either through war or purchase – a remnant of a social order that some are now working to abolish.
Despite its prestige, some criticise the Igbuu, claiming it benefits only the ego of its members.
Source link
