Panic in Awgbu as Violent Masquerade Attacks Funeral Guests

Onowu Ugonabo (Ego-mbute) and Agaba Masquerade

Chaos erupted in Awgbu community, Orumba North, Anambra State, on Monday, as a notorious masquerade known as Agaba defied tradition and unleashed mayhem during a burial ceremony.

Famed for its ferocity and destructive power, Agaba usually appears only after 6pm, when festivities are over. But on Monday, it stormed the event, attacking passersby, indigenes, and even the celebrants themselves.

Shocking videos show the masquerade leaping onto the podium, smashing the public address system of master of ceremony Onowu Ugonabo (Ego-mbute). Smaller masquerades fled in panic, instinctively knowing they could not match its strength.

Two men on motorcycles—one elderly, the other young—were knocked to the ground. One reportedly hit his head on a parked car, raising fears of a fatal injury. The scene left onlookers in disbelief, torn between fear, anger, and outrage.

Online rage was triggered, Some blamed the master of ceremony for resisting Agaba, claiming he should have fled like others. Many, however, condemned the episode as cultural barbarism, questioning whether such violent practices have any place in modern society.