Fear has enveloped most Communities in Imo state, particularly Communities where there are ancestral trees.
The fear is fallout of the fall of Ukwu Uko tree at Umudagu, Mberi, which killed over 30 people and injured many last Thursday.
Since the Umudagu tragedy, concern has been expressed in most communities which have such ancestral trees.
Governor Rochas Okorocha, had ordered that huge trees, irrespective of superstitions or ancestral trademark surrounding them should be cut down, as a measure to avoid a repeat of the calamity at Umudagu.
Investigations conducted by Trumpeta indicate that despite the fears ravaging across the communities in Imo most elders in such communities still proffer one form of superstition or the other concerning ancestral trees.
Meanwhile, the last may not have been heard on the tragic death of over twenty people who were killed by the mystery Ukwu Uko tree at Umudagu Mberi in Mbaitoli LGA.
Since the Mysterious and tragic fall of the over 400 year tree old on the night of 16th May 2013, indigenes of the area have been trading blames over the sad incident.
Youths of the area have blamed their elders for rebuffing all past attempts to cut down the tree. One of the youth who spoke to Trumpeta on condition of anonymity said that any time the youth present proposal to cut the tree the elders will kick against it, saying it is a symbol of the community and cannot be destroyed by anyone
Others blamed the tragedy on the purported arrangement by some elders of the community to dance to the pressure of the youths and cut down the tree. An elder from the community revealed to Trumpeta that they have been having meeting to agree and negotiating on how and when to dislodge the tree.
He also disclosed that they left their meeting mid way on the same issue, that fateful evening due to the rain while subsequently fell the tree.
The elder, as a conservative, believe that the tree must have fallen out of annoyance and disappointment on the purported arrangement by the youth to force the elders to cut down their ancestral and trademark tree which they brandished fetish “my son this tree has been here all these years more than 400 years without any problem but look at what just happened because the youths have accused the tree of being fetish and should be cut down”
Another stunning story on the ugly incident, has it that a certain mad woman had earlier warned the traders at the Ukwu Uko evening market not to come around that tree for three day which is to elopes on the day of the tragedy.
Meanwhile, the tragedy which left people in sorrow has left a victim’s two legs amputated.
An eye witness narrated to Trumpeta how a lady’s legs were amputated by rescuers in a bid to save her dear life, since machines were not available to cut off the tree from where she was trapped.
Also, palpable fear and tension has gripped residents of Umudagu following reports that other ancestral trees located in the area might pose a threat.
This newspaper was told that there are other trees in has similar stature with the Uko tree located in the community.
