On the life of 60, Nigerian businessman and healthcare skilled Ken Okoroafor completed his formative years dream of acquiring the respected identify of “Leopard Slayer”.

Jubilant crowds thronged as he was once inducted into the distinguished and male-only Igbuu Population in his homeland of Oguta, in south-eastern Nigeria.

In earlier period, slaying a leopard was once now not simply an operate of bravery however a ritualistic feat that conferred societal status.

To change into a “Leopard Slayer”, referred to as an “Ogbuagu” within the Igbo language, a person needed to provide a leopard – hunted and killed through himself – to the native king. Its meat was once nearest shared among 25 villages round Oguta.

Over date, the observe advanced, and family not had to hunt the leopard themselves.

My mom recollects the carcass of a leopard mendacity of their front room again in 1955 when her father took the identify. It have been captured for him through a qualified hunter.

She recalls consuming leopard meat two times within the pace: “It tastes wild and a bit salty.”

Conservation issues nearest ended the worth of leopards as they become scarce within the pocket. The terminating identified leopard sacrifice passed off in 1987.

As soon as prevalent throughout Nigeria, leopards now have a tendency to be solely present in a couple of nationwide soils, the place they’re safe.

These days, the monetary an identical – a considerable however hidden sum – is sent a few of the community heads within the 25 villages, keeping up the communal spirit of the custom.

“In Oguta when you join this society, you get respect and you join them in most of the decision-making in the town,” stated Mr Okoroafor, who has lived in the USA for many years however returned to his roots to change into an Ogbuagu.

“That attracted me. It’s something I’ve been hoping to join since I was a little boy.”

The primary recorded worth of cash as an alternative is going again to 1942 when a person named Mberekpe Ojirika stuck a leopard for the rite, however nearest his mom gave up the ghost.

Custom stipulated that Ojirika needed to mourn for 6 months and may now not proceed with the ritual. When he after attempted to search out some other leopard, he failed.

Figuring out the trouble, his relative, the Eze Igwe – the standard king of Oguta – allowed him to pay 4 shillings in lieu of offering a leopard.

“From that time, you now had a choice to use money or a leopard,” stated 52-year-old Victor Aniche, the stream secretary of the Igbuu Population, and a grandson of Ojirika.

“When I did my own [ceremony] in 2012, someone offered to bring me a live leopard from northern Nigeria. They had one to sell to me. But I couldn’t imagine having an endangered animal killed,” stated Mr Aniche, a mechanical engineer and graduate of Cambridge College in the United Kingdom.

However these days the trail to changing into an Ogbuagu remains to be rigorous, involving 3 elaborate phases.

The Igbuu Population – of which there are round 75 stream individuals – is as aged as Oguta itself, tracing its roots again over 4 centuries to the city’s origination through migrants from the traditional Benin Kingdom.

Regardless of being classed as a part of the Igbo ethnic workforce, the family of Oguta conserve a definite id. Their dialect, customs and traditions eager them aside with an area and diaspora nation estimated through diverse assets to be similar to 200,000.

Lots of the ones in need of to change into an Ogbuagu make a selection to walk thru their ceremonies all through the festive Christmas season, permitting households and diaspora communities to come back in combination, incessantly drawing immense crowds.

On 21 December, Zubby Ndupu, a petrophysicist who works in Nigeria’s oil sector, started the primary level to change into a “Leopard Slayer”, referred to as “Igbu Agu” – when the search is re-enacted.

The presen began at 09:00, with the Ogbuagu accumulating in a immense tent at Mr Ndupu’s house. They greeted every alternative with the clinking in their gold-coloured swords and exchanged pleasantries.

Despite the fact that the Eze Igwe does now not attend population occasions, he despatched a consultant to fasten the rite.

The Ogbuagu sat to deliver of hierarchy, enthusiastic through the month they become complete individuals.

Girls weren’t allowed to the touch the Ogbuagu, input the collection or take part within the rite, however I watched from within sight.

The Ogbuagu feasted on conventional dishes similar to goat-meat pepper soup, nsala soup – created from catfish – pounded yam and palm wine.

All over the rite, Mr Ndupu was once referred to as ahead through the secretary: a palm frond was once attach to his wrist, chalk marks have been drawn on his hand, and he was once given a brand-new gold-coloured sword engraved together with his identify.

He nearest moved across the accumulating, greeting every Ogbuagu and clinking his sword towards theirs 4 occasions.

Within the afternoon, nearest the feasting, Mr Ndupu was once led in a procession from his house. The “Leopard Slayers” walked in hierarchical sequence, with the most recent start up, Mr Ndupu, located on the finish of the layout.

The gang proceeded to the Eze Igwe’s palace, the place they introduced cash for the leopard to the king.

The second one level, referred to as “Iga Aji”, is a non secular area performed privately on the start up’s house – with individuals of the Igbuu Population in attendance.

All over this segment, the start up is gifted with a pink sash, symbolising royalty, together with sacred beads and feathers.

Next receiving his pink sash, Mr Okoroafor went round greeting his kinsfolk, who had accrued in tents out of doors. They celebrated him with much appreciated of “Ogbuagu!” as they feasted and drank.

The overall level, “Ipu Afia Agu”, is a elegant ceremonial dinner that marks the start up’s complete club. The birthday party starts on the house of the start up’s mom and after strikes to his personal place of dwelling.

That is the costliest level, incessantly involving cattle, basins of fish and crates of liquor to entertain masses of visitors.

Next a up to date accumulating at his mom’s house, Pascal Okey Adizua, a 60-year-old automobile broker from Maryland in the USA, was once paraded thru the town with a symbolic, faux leopard pores and skin held top.

Accompanied through the Ogbuagu, chanting ladies and colourful tune, his modern situation was once celebrated with dancing, making a song and feasting shared through all.

Mr Adizua had finished his first level in 2023 however selected to attend till December 2024 to finish the second one and 3rd phases so his daughters – two docs and a attendant – may attend.

“My children are all done with school. The last boy is the only one in university. A lot of my friends came from the US,” stated Mr Adizua, who has lived in a foreign country for 21 years.

Each Mr Adizua and Mr Okoroafor, who finished their 2nd and 3rd phases in December, can now savour the unequalled status that incorporates Igbuu club.

“Leopard Slayers” are addressed through their identify “Ogbuagu” during Igboland – and past.

In Oguta, they rejected might rise and greet the king with out bowing. Their presence instructions appreciate in any respect occasions like weddings the place they’re given seats of celebrate.

Ceremonial beads old at the proper wrist distinguish the Ogbuagu, symbolising their situation. At conventional occasions, they will have to put on explicit clothes.

“The title ‘Ogbuagu’ is a name of praise,” explains Mr Aniche. “If you can go into the forest, stalk and kill a leopard, you are a warrior.”

Management in Igbuu follows a strict hierarchy, the place seniority is in accordance with how lengthy one has been a member, now not life. The longest-serving member holds the absolute best management place. The stream chief is Emmanuel Udom, now in his early 80s.

Along with the president, who oversees the crowd’s affairs and conferences, Igbuu individuals nominate and elect officers to take care of the day by day operations and management. Mr Aniche has served as secretary for the pace 4 years.

“We have members in their mid-40s all the way to their 90s,” stated Mr Aniche.

Some Ogbuagu come with the overdue Chukwudifu Oputa, considered one of Nigeria’s most useful Very best Court docket judges. Alban Uzoma Nwapa, a Swedish-Nigerian musician higher identified through his level identify Dr Alban, and the overdue Gogo Nwakuche, a a hit entrepreneur and husband of the overdue famend novelist Vegetation Nwapa.

The Igbuu Population is very selective. Candidates will have to personal component, have a verifiable source of revenue, be married or were married, and conserve an unblemished popularity.

Descendants of slaves, referred to as “ohu”, aren’t allowed to fasten. Those are family whose ancestors have been owned through others, both thru struggle or acquire – a remnant of a social sequence that some at the moment are running to abolish.

“We are saying now that it is time for this obnoxious, outdated, useless system to be done away with, so that we can be one,” stated Oduenyi Nduka, a former secretary of Igbuu who could also be the king’s spokesperson.

“If you go to America, some of our sons are married to black Americans, even some Ogbuagu. Those black Americans are products of the same system, so what is the problem at home?”

He defined that the standard strategy of abolishing the ohu machine had already begun, with consultations taking park between households that after owned slaves. That is anticipated to govern to the enactment of conventional rituals that can formally claim them independent of the ohu situation.

“Once that is done, the Igbuu will call a meeting and begin to accept them,” Mr Nduka stated.

Regardless of its status, some criticise the Igbuu, claiming it advantages solely the egotism of its individuals.

At each rite I attended, there was once no less than one particular person within the people murmuring about how the 1000’s of greenbacks spent might be higher old for creating the city or investment scholarships.

However Mr Aniche disagrees: “Igbuu is not a society where you come to achieve; it is a society you come to because you have already achieved.

“The Ogbuagu have introduced extra building to Oguta than others. They’re the most important employers of labour.”

Mr Aniche also pointed out that the money spent on feasting and other ceremony requirements circulates back into the local economy.

Today, the Igbuu Society’s membership spans the globe, with nearly half of its members living abroad. Yet, whether in Europe or the US, Oguta men remain deeply connected to their roots.

“I come again about 3 times each yr as a result of I like the custom of Oguta,” said Mr Adizua. “With the entire pressure within the diaspora, I really like to come back house to unwind.”

For Mr Okoroafor, the journey from a young boy dreaming of the leopard hunt to an esteemed Ogbuagu was well worth the wait.

“Oguta is a gorgeous the town that has a dozen of family who excelled in numerous disciplines,” he said, his voice filled with pride.

“The terminating date I used to be house was once 2016 however now that I’m an Ogbuagu, I will be able to come house extra continuously.”

Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani is a contract Nigerian journalist and novelist primarily based in Abuja and London.