The living spirits of Emekuku: Inside Owerri’s most ancient masquerades

From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
If you’ve never stood in an Emekuku village square in December, with drums rolling and a masquerader gliding past in a swirl of raffia and colour, then you haven’t really visited Owerri.
In Imo State, Owerri is the heartbeat of Igbo culture, and at the centre of that pulse is Emekuku Ancient Town, a place where masquerades are not mere entertainment. They are history, lineage, and living tradition.
Emekuku, in Owerri North, is made up of 10 villages and has produced giants, from National Labour Congress (NLC) President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, a native of Azaraowalla, to Archbishop Emeritus AJV Obinna, who hails from Umuocham. But beyond leaders and rivers...