
The late Aku-Uka of Wukari Dr Shekarau Angyu transit to the Land of his Ancestors last weekend in a colorful ceremony which displayed the culture and traditions practice by Wukari Kingdom since time immemorial.
As was the tradition, the late monarch, dressed in a colorful royal regalia was escorted to the Ancestral Land by a brave horseman who carried the corpse of the monarch on his back and rode deep inside the forest where he joined him with the Ancestors.
According to the tradition of the Kingdom, such horseman must be a brave and courageous person who would be chosen days after the death of the monarch before the burial day after consultations with the gods of the land and would be given 5 million Naira to leave for his family in case he does not returned because he might meet many disastrous things or wild animals on his way to the Land of the death or on coming back to the Land of the living.
Last weekend event was witnessed by hundreds sons of the soil who came from far and near to mourn and sympathize with the Kingdom as well as to see the historic ceremony.
People close to the royal family had their hair and beard shaved while accompanying the horseman to the forest.
At the start of the transition to the land of the Ancestors from the Palace, there were many people but gradually they turned back when it reached the point where only the horseman and the corpse on the horse back will proceed deep inside the forest.
The late Aku-Uka was subsequently taken to the final resting place in the forest as the culture demands and the brave horseman has safety returned.