Literally, ‘mbara-araghi-nsi’ is a public arena where littering of feces or defecating was unacceptable. However, the concept of mbara-araghi-nsi is beyond what the literal meaning depicts. In Ogbuebule, defecating in public arenas, most of which were sacred places, was inconceivable as that would amount to committing an abomination.
Before the coming of the White Man to Ogbuebule, citizens were at liberty to answer the call of nature in the nearby bushes and in some cases flowing rivers. However, such liberty could not be exercised at ‘mbara-araghi-nsi’. Doing so would incur the wrath of the community. Hence the above literal interpretation would be incorrect.
In those days, “mgbe elu bu ala Osha” (when treetops were to the Squirrel what the ground is to man), when men never wrongly point accusing fingers at another without being ready for a duel, when men were not in a hurry to ask another “what can you do”, when people neither spoke carelessly nor hurled abuses or false accusations at another, my community had a number of arenas called ‘mbara-araghi-nsi’. This is a “no nonsense” place where an aggrieved individual was allowed to challenge the other party to a duel.
In Ogbuebule mythology, ‘mbara-araghi-nsi’ is an intersection of three footpaths where grievances or misunderstandings are usually settled through physical combat or dueling. It was believed that the gods hold meetings at mbara araghi nsi. Hence, any fight at “mbara araghi nsi” would ordinarily be regarded as a duel that only the gods can settle. It cannot be separated, not even by elders except it has the potential of degenerating into shedding of blood. By default, choosing “mbara araghi nsi” for dispute resolution is an acceptance of non-interference by humans. As a matter of fact, they are usually goaded, jeered and cheered until a clear winner emerges. Sometimes, they are taunted especially if either party wants to give in. This ensures that the defeated party never ever ‘desecrates’ the public arena again.
Although, it is mostly the young that resort to mbara araghi nsi to resolve their disputes, it should be pointed out that there is no age restriction. Secondly, whereas mbara araghi nsi could be any place where three footpaths meet, whether on the way to the stream or the farmland, it was mostly the road to the stream that attracts the most assemblage of youths. Hence, most of such fights usually took place on the way to the village stream.