JUJU HORRORS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8356, 17 February 1913, Page 3

JUJU HORRORS

Dreadful stories of tribal savagery are (joining from' Souaneru .Nigeria. where me tmtish autiionues are engaged in an effort to suppress the liornu juju rites. Human saorimces are an important part of me ceremonies connected with the Juju cult, and it has been shown that an organisation of priests exists for. the purpose of providing victims when they are required, Thieve priests are quite ready to accept a bribe from any person who wants to compass tne death of a private enemy. A chief named_ ixanu I fair i. who is at present lying in prison, was the Juju leader, and he has_ been proved to have maintained a profitable slave trade with the human mater.ax provided by the priests. . Tne victims were too terrified to resist or escape .lest death should, be their .lot, iand Okuru sold thousands of men, women and children into lifelong servitude.. The officers who investigated his crimes found that he had a large slave compound in the dense bush at me back of his home. The existence of this place had not_ suspected, although, dozens of white officials had been within a few yards of it. The commissioner who undertook the inquiry was poisoned by a servant, but bis life was saved by 1 the army . doctors. 'The Juju priests evidently, are prepared to fight for the existence of - their peculiar religion.