By; PAMELA EBOH, Awka
An unidentified man with a masquerade rafia custume was over the weekend, burnt to death in a masquerade while trying to pull a stunt during a cultural festival in Anambra State.
It was learnt that the incident happened during the annual Eli’m Ede Cultural festival hosted by Ogbunike town in Oyi Local Government Area of the state.
The elim ede festival yearly celebrated by Chief Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano’s town is known for its signature display of various sizes and shapes of masquerades that gather at the village square to entertain indigenes.
According to an eyewitness, the masquerade attendants while leading the masquerade to Amawa square to entertain pulled a fire stunt Infront of the masquerade, which was sitting on the ground at the time, but they immediately extinguished it.
He added, “Unknown to the attendants, the fire had entered the raffia costume worn by the masquerade, and before they could put it off, it spread all over the body of the masquerade, causing the man in it, serious burns.”
It was however learnt that the man who sustained serious burn was rushed to the hospital, where he gave up the ghost in the evening of the next day.
