Man who Embalmed Mother's Corpse in Cupboard Defended by Sister
The headquarters of Sat Guru Maharaj is conspicuously located at a
spot close to the old Toll Gate along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Here on a
daily basis, you find hordes of visitors including pilgrims going in
and coming out of the village. Last Saturday afternoon, the reporter
observed scores of Guru Maharaj garbed in red and white robes and
clutching tightly to flowers they held close to their chest devotees
swarming all over the place. Most of them could be heard discussing the
case of a fellow devotee, Chimezie Osigwe who was recently arrested by
the police in Imo State for allegedly keeping his mother’s embalmed
corpse in a cupboard in his room for 10 years.
However, one of the devotees was more vociferous than others as she was almost shouting on the top of her voice, defending Chimezie who she described as her blood brother.
The woman who was later identified as Ogechi Osigwe berated the police and some members of Ezuru Umuagwu in Ejemekwuru community in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State for allegedly conniving with one of her elder brothers to rubbish Chimezie who was accused of embalming their late mother and keeping the corpse in a wardrobe for 10 years.
Ogechi who claimed to be the last born of the late Mama Lucy Osigwe, the woman whose embalmed corpse has been at the centre of raging controversy said her brother, Chimezie, who is the third born of their mother had done nothing wrong or criminal to warrant arrest and detention by the police.
While pointing fingers at one of is brother’s for colluding with some members of the Ezuru Umuagwu community to rope in Chimezie, Ogechi said that members of the community have never hidden their displeasure with her, Chimezie, and their late mother for becoming devotees of Guru Maharaj over 20 years ago.
“This latest action of Ike, Police and some influential members of our community who have been persecuting us since we freely on our own volition decided to become members of Sat Guru Maharaj sect is sad. Since we became members, we have known no peace of mind. Members of the community led by prominent and influential elders threatened to deal with us unless we renounced our membership of Guru’s faith. But we said no, and they told us point blank that a battle line has been drawn between the entire community and the three of us, especially, Chimezie who brought Guru Maharaj’s sect into the community,” she declared.
Asked why she insisted that they were being persecuted since the Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of association and expression, Ogechi said: “My brother, what you say is true, but Ike my senior brother, and members of the community didn’t see it that way. They said that through our action that we have brought shame on the community which is largely Catholic dominated.”
Continuing, Ogechi said: “Actually, it was through our late father that the Catholic Church made an in-road into the community several decades ago, and our family has come to be viewed as one of the major custodian of the Catholic faith in the community. Therefore, to these people, our decision to become Guru Maharaj’s devotees was a source of embarrassment. What I want to say clearly and loudly here is that no amount of persecution will make either me or Dr. Chimezie, and our elder sister Lucy renounce our membership of Guru Maharaj’s sect. Guru Maharaj symbolize light. When he brought the message of salvation to us, we embraced him. It was when his path and that of ours crossed that we realized that we have been living in bondage all these years by being Christians. Guru Maharaj’s God is a living God, and it is his God that we will follow. No turning back for us.”
While defending Chimezie’s action to embalm and keep their mother’s corpse in his closet, Ogechi said his elder brother’s action was not hidden, as the Police and some members of the community who are raising dust now were in the know of it all along.
“When our mama died 10 years ago, Chimezie told me and our elder sister, Dorothy, about the action he was about to take. He said since he was the third born, and two elder brothers before him were in the United States, that he would not want to bury mama without their being informed.
“Consequently, he reached out to the two, including one who is now in the thick of the conspiracy to nail Chimezie. But unfortunately, my two elder brothers, Paschal who is a professor in the United States, and Athanius who is a Catholic Bishop in the United States also were cold to him. The one at home who later travelled to the United States had fed them lies about Chimezie and myself that we had become Guru Maharaj’s devotees, and that our family’s house has been turned into a shrine for Guru Maharaj’s devotees in the village. Consequently they told Chimezie that they would have nothing to do with him.”
Continuing, she said: “Chimezie who by now was confused sought my advise and that of our elder sister, and some other elders in the village, we were later advised to embalm the corpse and keep it until such a time when all of us who were mama’s children would have agreed on how we want to give her a befitting burial. Chimezie later went to Oguta Police Station where he sought and got the consent of officers to go ahead with the embalmment. With the approval given by the police, we were able to secure the service of a mortician who was then working with the General Hospital in Owerri, and this was how we were able to get the body embalmed.”
Asked why the embalmed body was not deposited in a government hospital or private mortuary, Ogechi said: “Since we were not sure of when the burial would take place, and the subsequent bills we will incur, we have to take that decision to keep her embalmed corpse at home. Again, we were afraid of ritualists who used to sell human parts. We don’t want anybody to mutilate our mother’s corpse.”
Ogechi added that if Chimezie had even decided to go ahead with the burial, that he would not have been able to do so because of financial constraints.
“Chimezie is a retired teacher. How much is his pension? For our community, we do elaborate burial for our departed ones, and in his present condition, Chimezie doesn’t have the wherewithal to undertake the burial ceremony. Although he had a pending court case with an oil firm whose activities led to pollution of his farmland, and he was saying that if he had been able to get any damages from the oil company that he would have used part of the proceeds to foot the burial.”
She described one of his brother’s who she fingers as the mastermind of the plot to nail Chimezie as a habitual troublemaker.
Ogechi has tendered unreserved apologies to Sat Guru Maharaj for what she termed embarrassment the unfolding story has caused him.
“I’m on my knees begging our father, Sat Guru Maharaj, to forgive this embarrassment. Guru Maharaj has never administered any ritual on anybody. In our book of worship, Satsang, it was clearly written that no member would have anything to do with ritual. The impression they want to give is that Guru Maharaj members are ritualists. Guru Maharaj is God-sent. He has been doing wonders for the mankind. He is the master and savior of mankind. To be with Guru Maharaj is to be in light.”
Ogechi who wondered why some people are raising eyebrows over the embalmed corpse being kept for 10 years said that their own mother’s corpse would not be first of such.
“We have been hearing stories and reading reports of corpses being embalmed for years. Even some notable late world leaders are not left out. The late President of USSR, Lenin, was embalmed for how many decades? All these people persecuting us are hypocrites, and are acting out a well-planned script that will fail,” she said.
While accepting Ogechi’s apology, Sat Guru Maharaj, in an exclusive chat with Icon, accused Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mohammed Katsina, of having a hidden agenda.
“My mission on earth here is to save mankind, and no force on earth would distract me from that mission. Katsina harbours a hidden agenda against me and my devotees. As a public servant, I take strong exception to his bias, sentiments and unguarded utterances on this issue, which requires a thorough professional, articulate and open-minded investigation in order to unravel the truth instead of portraying Guru Maharaj in bad light. He should realize that before he became a police officer that I have been in the forefront of the fight against injustice, oppression and corruption.”
Maharaj who admitted that Chimezie is one of his devotees accused police of breaching Chimezie’s fundamental rights by detaining him.
“I’m going to take up this matter at the highest level. It is a clear case of injustice and naked abuse of power to arrest and detain Chimezie. What has he done wrong? I’m aware right from the onset about the action he took regarding the embalmment of his mother. He sought and got police approval before he carried out the embalmment. Katsina, like I said is acting out a script and I want to tell him that he will fail. I have never been a ritualist and none of my devotee is. I have never been an apostle of violence. I preach peace and salvation to mankind. I want to warn Katsina to beware of fate that befell other persecutors of Guru Maharaj before him. I want to tell him that when an antelope decides to confront a lion, he should beware of the consequences that awaits it.”
Maharaj who said that he remained undaunted in his mission to rescue mankind from forces of darkness however said: “For all these people who peddle falsehood or say bad things about Guru Maharaj, they are committing blasphemy and there is no forgiveness for them unless they come here and apologise. Then they can be given divine knowledge. I want to appeal to Nigerians that they should have an open mind when it comes to issues of religion. Nigeria is a secular state where freedom of religion and association is guaranteed in the constitution.”
However, one of the devotees was more vociferous than others as she was almost shouting on the top of her voice, defending Chimezie who she described as her blood brother.
The woman who was later identified as Ogechi Osigwe berated the police and some members of Ezuru Umuagwu in Ejemekwuru community in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State for allegedly conniving with one of her elder brothers to rubbish Chimezie who was accused of embalming their late mother and keeping the corpse in a wardrobe for 10 years.
Ogechi who claimed to be the last born of the late Mama Lucy Osigwe, the woman whose embalmed corpse has been at the centre of raging controversy said her brother, Chimezie, who is the third born of their mother had done nothing wrong or criminal to warrant arrest and detention by the police.
While pointing fingers at one of is brother’s for colluding with some members of the Ezuru Umuagwu community to rope in Chimezie, Ogechi said that members of the community have never hidden their displeasure with her, Chimezie, and their late mother for becoming devotees of Guru Maharaj over 20 years ago.
“This latest action of Ike, Police and some influential members of our community who have been persecuting us since we freely on our own volition decided to become members of Sat Guru Maharaj sect is sad. Since we became members, we have known no peace of mind. Members of the community led by prominent and influential elders threatened to deal with us unless we renounced our membership of Guru’s faith. But we said no, and they told us point blank that a battle line has been drawn between the entire community and the three of us, especially, Chimezie who brought Guru Maharaj’s sect into the community,” she declared.
Asked why she insisted that they were being persecuted since the Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of association and expression, Ogechi said: “My brother, what you say is true, but Ike my senior brother, and members of the community didn’t see it that way. They said that through our action that we have brought shame on the community which is largely Catholic dominated.”
Continuing, Ogechi said: “Actually, it was through our late father that the Catholic Church made an in-road into the community several decades ago, and our family has come to be viewed as one of the major custodian of the Catholic faith in the community. Therefore, to these people, our decision to become Guru Maharaj’s devotees was a source of embarrassment. What I want to say clearly and loudly here is that no amount of persecution will make either me or Dr. Chimezie, and our elder sister Lucy renounce our membership of Guru Maharaj’s sect. Guru Maharaj symbolize light. When he brought the message of salvation to us, we embraced him. It was when his path and that of ours crossed that we realized that we have been living in bondage all these years by being Christians. Guru Maharaj’s God is a living God, and it is his God that we will follow. No turning back for us.”
While defending Chimezie’s action to embalm and keep their mother’s corpse in his closet, Ogechi said his elder brother’s action was not hidden, as the Police and some members of the community who are raising dust now were in the know of it all along.
“When our mama died 10 years ago, Chimezie told me and our elder sister, Dorothy, about the action he was about to take. He said since he was the third born, and two elder brothers before him were in the United States, that he would not want to bury mama without their being informed.
“Consequently, he reached out to the two, including one who is now in the thick of the conspiracy to nail Chimezie. But unfortunately, my two elder brothers, Paschal who is a professor in the United States, and Athanius who is a Catholic Bishop in the United States also were cold to him. The one at home who later travelled to the United States had fed them lies about Chimezie and myself that we had become Guru Maharaj’s devotees, and that our family’s house has been turned into a shrine for Guru Maharaj’s devotees in the village. Consequently they told Chimezie that they would have nothing to do with him.”
Continuing, she said: “Chimezie who by now was confused sought my advise and that of our elder sister, and some other elders in the village, we were later advised to embalm the corpse and keep it until such a time when all of us who were mama’s children would have agreed on how we want to give her a befitting burial. Chimezie later went to Oguta Police Station where he sought and got the consent of officers to go ahead with the embalmment. With the approval given by the police, we were able to secure the service of a mortician who was then working with the General Hospital in Owerri, and this was how we were able to get the body embalmed.”
Asked why the embalmed body was not deposited in a government hospital or private mortuary, Ogechi said: “Since we were not sure of when the burial would take place, and the subsequent bills we will incur, we have to take that decision to keep her embalmed corpse at home. Again, we were afraid of ritualists who used to sell human parts. We don’t want anybody to mutilate our mother’s corpse.”
Ogechi added that if Chimezie had even decided to go ahead with the burial, that he would not have been able to do so because of financial constraints.
“Chimezie is a retired teacher. How much is his pension? For our community, we do elaborate burial for our departed ones, and in his present condition, Chimezie doesn’t have the wherewithal to undertake the burial ceremony. Although he had a pending court case with an oil firm whose activities led to pollution of his farmland, and he was saying that if he had been able to get any damages from the oil company that he would have used part of the proceeds to foot the burial.”
She described one of his brother’s who she fingers as the mastermind of the plot to nail Chimezie as a habitual troublemaker.
Ogechi has tendered unreserved apologies to Sat Guru Maharaj for what she termed embarrassment the unfolding story has caused him.
“I’m on my knees begging our father, Sat Guru Maharaj, to forgive this embarrassment. Guru Maharaj has never administered any ritual on anybody. In our book of worship, Satsang, it was clearly written that no member would have anything to do with ritual. The impression they want to give is that Guru Maharaj members are ritualists. Guru Maharaj is God-sent. He has been doing wonders for the mankind. He is the master and savior of mankind. To be with Guru Maharaj is to be in light.”
Ogechi who wondered why some people are raising eyebrows over the embalmed corpse being kept for 10 years said that their own mother’s corpse would not be first of such.
“We have been hearing stories and reading reports of corpses being embalmed for years. Even some notable late world leaders are not left out. The late President of USSR, Lenin, was embalmed for how many decades? All these people persecuting us are hypocrites, and are acting out a well-planned script that will fail,” she said.
While accepting Ogechi’s apology, Sat Guru Maharaj, in an exclusive chat with Icon, accused Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mohammed Katsina, of having a hidden agenda.
“My mission on earth here is to save mankind, and no force on earth would distract me from that mission. Katsina harbours a hidden agenda against me and my devotees. As a public servant, I take strong exception to his bias, sentiments and unguarded utterances on this issue, which requires a thorough professional, articulate and open-minded investigation in order to unravel the truth instead of portraying Guru Maharaj in bad light. He should realize that before he became a police officer that I have been in the forefront of the fight against injustice, oppression and corruption.”
Maharaj who admitted that Chimezie is one of his devotees accused police of breaching Chimezie’s fundamental rights by detaining him.
“I’m going to take up this matter at the highest level. It is a clear case of injustice and naked abuse of power to arrest and detain Chimezie. What has he done wrong? I’m aware right from the onset about the action he took regarding the embalmment of his mother. He sought and got police approval before he carried out the embalmment. Katsina, like I said is acting out a script and I want to tell him that he will fail. I have never been a ritualist and none of my devotee is. I have never been an apostle of violence. I preach peace and salvation to mankind. I want to warn Katsina to beware of fate that befell other persecutors of Guru Maharaj before him. I want to tell him that when an antelope decides to confront a lion, he should beware of the consequences that awaits it.”
Maharaj who said that he remained undaunted in his mission to rescue mankind from forces of darkness however said: “For all these people who peddle falsehood or say bad things about Guru Maharaj, they are committing blasphemy and there is no forgiveness for them unless they come here and apologise. Then they can be given divine knowledge. I want to appeal to Nigerians that they should have an open mind when it comes to issues of religion. Nigeria is a secular state where freedom of religion and association is guaranteed in the constitution.”
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