Why Nigerians are scared during this period of the year

The ember months are September, October (it really shouldn’t be), November and December. Within these three months, a fever grips most Nigerians. Why?

It’s the last quarter of the year, a period when Nigerians are ‘spiritually sensitive’. After slugging through the year, it is the goal of many that they see the end of the year.

This shouldn’t be any reason to be jittery but you have to understand that Nigeria is a very religious country and by extension a spiritual one.

It is believed that towards the end of the year, evil forces, demons and principalities of the dark world work overtime to ensure people don’t see the end of a year and beginning of a new one.

Pastor Bola Olajuyitan, the General Overseer of God’s Seed Ministry admitted to Daily Times that a lot of crime happens during this period because of the upcoming festivities.

ALSO READ: Christians have no business of being afraid during the ember period

He also said that there are a lot more road accidents during this period which can’t really be explained.

"A week to the end of the month of August, we usually have a seven-day vigil to ward off evil, and it has been working for all of us over the years,” he told Daily Times in October 2017.

Everyone in Nigeria knows that during the Ember months that there is a significant increase in road accidents. It is believed that evil spirits are the reason for this.

Yearly, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) embarks on an Ember months campaign to educate people on the habits of good driving as well dispelling the notion that demons cause road accidents.

Mr Bisi Kazeem, Corps Public Education Officer of the FRSC spoke about this myth during the FRSC/Nigerian Breweries Plc 2017 ‘Don’t Drink and Drive’ mega rally and awareness campaign in November 2017.

“Nigerians must be aware that frequent cases of road crashes during yuletide are not linked to any spirit killing people but due to increase in human and vehicular movement and the struggle on the part of most people to travel to meet their loved ones, characterised by bad road usage and more trips on the part of commercial drivers to make more profit in preparation for the yuletide” he said.

This is a logical explanation for the increase of road accidents during the ember months but sometimes logic doesn’t trump superstition and beliefs.

Try telling the average fervent Pentecostal Nigerian Christian that demons don’t come out en masse to suck the blood of the children of God.

From Monday, September 12, 2017, to Sunday, September 18, 2017, Evangelist Joshua Orekhie held a seven-day midnight prayer and fasting program.

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The purpose of this program was to “declare war on blood sucking powers.” He further wrote on his website that “It is a month set aside in the kingdom of the occult to sacrifice more lives at the altar of darkness to prosper the works of darkness. Some wicked people demand for more blood, others eat flesh in the spirit realm by causing fatal road accidents for their victims and thereby use or sacrifice them for evil.”

These words might sound like lines from a Helen Ukpabio spiritual thriller but they are real and many Nigerians consider them true.

And speaking of Helen Ukpabio, the Nollywood filmmaker/evangelist who got into trouble for the child watch scandal circa 2012 had an ember months special deliverance session in 2013.

The ember months fever helps keep the church packed for some pastors. While some demons on the roads, a few others are more careful not to speed or drive recklessly.

Whatever you believe in, be safe during the period.