Abiku and Emererefer to people who are believed to cycle rapidly and repeatedly through birth and death. A consecutive familial sequence of births and deaths of infants is construed as the same child dying and being born over and over again.
Abiku literally means ‘‘born to die’’ in Yoruba. It is a concept similar to Igbo’s concept of ogbanje. A typical characterization is that they are ‘‘a cycle of wicked spirits who of their own volition enter the wombs of pregnant women and are born to die shortly after’’.
Cultural mechanisms presented to account for the phenomenon include that some children come into the world after a pact with their heavenly playmates to return after a specified period’ and that there are companies of wandering spirits (elere, elegbe, emere) given to the prank of entering into pregnant women for the sheer relish of the mischief.
It is believed that Abiku or Emere usually make a covenant with his companions that on a named date, he/she would return to his normal life. Emere refers to one who belongs to such a group and may be compared to ndi otu of the Igbo. The Yorubas believe that Emere causes the abiku phenomenon, but not all Emere are Abiku.
The Igbos believe that ogbanje (same as Abiku or Emere) results from the subversion of human destiny by a willful alliance of the newborn with deities who guard the postulated interface between birth and pre-birth (spirit) existence, while the Yoruba concept of Abiku and Emere is more of possessing a pregnancy by spirit pranksters.
Surviving persons manifest abnormalities of psychological life with vivid fantasy life or dreams characterized by the presence of water, orgiastic play with unfamiliar children, and frightening contact with a water goddess. Labeled children and adolescents often exhibit manipulative, histrionic dissociative, and other maladaptive behavior.
They may also be gifted. Contradictory and facultative practices of excessive indulgence of and ostentatious hostility towards Abiku/Emere children are described but are better understood as exhibitions of acceptance of life and rejection of death.
Abiku is said to be someone, who does not care about their own suffering, they suffer with a smile. Sweetness and bitterness are two extremes that are present at all times. This is the energy of Abiku’s Ori: When we talk about Abiku we can see that a lot of people like to suffer and they do not care that they are suffering. Their feelings and their activities are always connected with suffering.
If we look at the lives of people critically, we can easily see this. This is a trend for everyone that has Abiku energy. The reality of Abiku is connected to their Ori. One of the toughest challenges is how to treat (heal) someone who is born with the energy of Abiku. Ifa considers the individual top priority, using all the knowledge and instruments it deals with making the individual’s life good here and now, in this life.
Everyone is born with some sort of pre-destiny. It is not fate because if something is fated, then the individual has no way of affecting that. But when something is pre-destined, someone can realize that or not because everyone is responsible for his own life. In life, we have all that which we can call good luck: progress, longevity, health, luck, but good goes hand-in-hand with destructive energy, and if we wish to achieve the good, we have to neutralize the bad.
We can classify destructive energy into four basic destructive elements:
Death
Sickness
Failure
Confusion
When we consider a person who has the Abiku syndrome, it means that these destructive energies are constantly stalking him and that he is under a heavy influence in at least one area by some of these elements. When everything seems to go well and suddenly it seems as if one of these energies got activated and it gives out the impression of being out of the person’s control.
Emere and Abiku are the kinds of children who make a certain pledge concerning their life duration with their mates in the Spiritual Sphere. At the expiration of their time, they die and reunite with their mates. Some oral traditions also confirm that some Emere among them are readily married in their realm and probably bore children over there.
A spirit that is referred to as Spiritual Husband (Oko Orun) will have sexual intercourse with her in her dream and this will result in miscarriage. The Emere and Abiku if eventually cannot return to their mates, perhaps because of some spiritual appeasement made by their parents, believed to be having problems because their mates will be crossed with them for breaking the reunification accord.
The problem such person usually confronts is the misplacing or total loss of any items in their possession often, money. The solution to that may include offering sacrifice inform of food to stop such occurrence.
Characteristics of Abiku and Emere
Abiku
Frequent physical illness
Prevalence reduced by modern medical methods
Has a ‘‘date with death’’
In utero detection and treatment of ‘‘abiku illness’’ is possible
Parental moral and social transgressions may be contributory
Emere
Visual hallucinations
Children cults comparable to adult witchcraft cults
No physical illness
Rejoices at misfortune of others; often believed to cause bad luck
Fainting and trance-like episodes
Association with water spirits and deities
Social deviance or parental involvement in sorcery may be contributory
Prevalence reduced in recent years
The native healers consulted, unlike published authors who see Emere as a cause of Abiku distinguishes clearly between Emere and Abiku. Their impressions of Emere may be summarized as ‘‘bad kids from bad parents, who bring bad luck to their parents.’’ Their problems are seen as predominantly behavioral and experiential. There is no ‘‘date with death’’ or physical illness issues as with Abiku.
An additional twist is the notion that medical science has actually reduced the number of Abiku worldwide, and they boast an ability to diagnose Abiku in utero, by divination. But since Emere could cause Abiku, the Abiku has the potential both to die on a date or at will and to be associated with psychological problems.
Some Abiku Names and Meaning
Ikudeinde: Meaning death has come back. The tone is signifies dread
Kokumo: Meaning not dying again. The tone is signifieshope
Apara: Meaning one who comes and goes. The tone is signifiesdeadpan
Ikujore: Meaning death leaves him. The tone is signifieshope
Biobaku: Meaning if he does not die. The tone is signifiesreservation
Durotimi/Rotimi: Meaning stay with me. The tone is signifiessupplication
Kukoyi: Meaning death rejects this one. The tone is signifieshope
Malomo: Meaning don’t go again. The tone is signifiessupplication
Research has also shown that the Abiku and Emere are very attractive because of their beauty and they love to live very close to water or coastal areas. They are the agents of Esu (a deity) according to some thoughts and convictions, but some believe that they are good to be with because they will affect anybody they love with blessing endowed on them spiritually.
The Yoruba tradition affirms that the Emere and Abiku spirit usually roam around some areas like the side of the road, corners in the cities and villages, footpaths in suburban areas, jungle, inside trees like Iroko tree, etc, and all these places are forbidden for pregnant women to go by. The Yoruba belief is that if a pregnant woman goes to such areas, the spirit of the Emere or Abiku can follow the woman to her home and she might eventually give birth to a child with either Abiku or Emere spirits.
In preventing such incidence, pregnant women according to the Yoruba tradition are advised to attach either a needle or a small white stone to the edge of their clothes. The Emere and Abiku would not be able to follow the woman because those things are signs that work against them.
Aside from this, pregnant women are not advised to stay alone in a hidden and dark place. They should also desist from going to T junction at noon. They are also forbidden to go out at the late hours of the night and they should desist from going to coastal areas and dumping sites.
Although, this could be unacceptable in science because it is a metaphysical issue in which science is incapacitated to accept or refuse. It is completely out of the scientific realm.
This is not to discredit science because science has made some irrevocable contribution to improving child mortality rate to the extent that the concept of Abiku and Emere has almost gone extinct. However, the fact is, there are still cases of children’s death without any sign of illness. Whenever such an incident happens, the Yorubas believe is that such a child is either Abiku or Emere and the solution is to trail the spiritual dimension.
In conclusion, it is obvious that the concepts of Abiku and Emere is far beyond the prospects of physical death. They reflect the group assumptions that early mortality is not the design of a Supreme God (Olodumare) but an aberration. Unfortunately, the explanatory myths also end up designating surviving children themselves as potential aberrations.
Stigmatization with names suggestive of non-human status and implying an innate abnormality may also be important. One important group that must not be overlooked is the mothers who repeatedly suffer from losses from infant mortality, recurrent or not.
Credits:
Ogbanje/Abiku and cultural conceptualizations of psychopathology in Nigeria by Sunday Ilechukwu
Abiku and Emere In Yoruba Culture by Oluwo Jogbodo Orunmila
To a proper Yoruba individual, Orisa Aje Olokun represents the energy of wealth and market profitability. customers and neighbours in traditional Yoruba market settings, whether in rural, semi-urban, or urban communities would greet traders using Aje based on their belief that it is effective. You’ll hear words like “Aje a wa o or “Ajé á wọgbá o” orAje a bu igba je o,” which can be translated to you will enjoy better sales has become a normal greeting in commercial places.
It is also a truism that some cognomen, lineage panegyric, such cognomen include: Aje ti so eru d’omo. Meaning Aje, the goddess of commerce, that turns a slave into an heir. Yet another is a special request and plea to Aje such as “Aje dakun ma na mi ni pasan re ko se nani” Meaning Aje, the goddess of commerce, I implore you not to use your whip on me for it’s it has dire consequences; And many other sayings like that.
Many Yoruba people, as part of their daily routine, recite Aje’s panegyrics while opening up their business with the belief that it will boost sales for the day. You’ll hear some say: “Aje Olokun gbere temi wa leni o,” meaning Aje, the goddess of commerce, bring my goodies or business fortunes today is a common prayer in the Yoruba setting.
Some families in Yorubaland are classified as adherents of the Aje deity. Some of these families named their children in honour of their chosen deity, i.e., Aje. Such names include Ajewole, Ajebandele, Ajewumi, Ajifowobaje, etc. not to mention those who dedicate time to worship the deity.
Orisa Aje Olokun is said to be a woman who mastered the Water Body called Okun (Sea), the source of other water masses. It’s why the deity is referred to as Aje Olokun (Aje, the owner/master of the seawater). There’s a shell used in the symbolism of Aje. It is the bigger version of Cowries. Aje is eulogized as: “Aje ogugunisọ. Aje onisọ iboji” Meaning: “Aje, the one looking for where to reside. Aje, the one who resides with those who create a space for her.” While Aje Olokun is the feminine energy of wealth, water itself is a masculine element.
The Origin of Orisa Aje Olokun
According to Yoruba mythology, Aje is the founder of the world’s oldest market known as Ejigbomekun located in Ile-Ife. He was and still remains the custodian of the market. The significance of Aje to the people of Ile-Ife is that the deity was an ancestor who lived in the town where her shrine is domiciled to date. It is believed that Aje was one of the 401 deities sent to the earth by the Almighty God (Olodumare) to form the world’s first society called Ife Oodaye.
Aje is said to be the daughter of Olokun, the Yoruba deity of seawater. Nevertheless, Olokun himself respects Aje, which is why she is sometimes referred to as Aje Olokun (Goddess of wealth). In fact, in Yoruba traditional religion, some are of the belief that it is essential to praise Orisa Aje Olokun before anyone can get favour from Olokun, this is due to the fact that Aje is the only daughter of Olokun and Olokun loves her dearly. Also, Aje is believed to inhabit waters, this was the source of spending cowries before the advent of present currencies.
Describing Aje, an Ifa Verse says: “Sare sese, ko maba tayo’re, Rin gbere gbere ko ma ba da ire wonyi nu”. This verse is to explain how a man should react to wealth, how to take care of the goddess, and lastly, its benefits. The verse is an illustration of the experience of Orunmila when he went searching for the goddess of wealth at Oja Ejigbomekun.
Orunmila, like others, was in search of the goddess but he did not rush; he took his time and followed the instructions given to him. Others went in search of the goddess of wealth but the goddess hid from them, seeing their desperation.
When they left, Orunmila came as directed by the ifa divination and the goddess of wealth chose to follow him. On getting home, Orunmila offered her bananas and other special foods she liked. The goddess of wealth was so pleased and she became the great source of wealth for Orunmila.
The Ifa verse above describes the nature of wealth and how the acquisition of wealth cannot be achieved forcefully. There are principles to be mastered before one can get rich and not through desperation and forceful behaviour. Just like Orunmila mastered the Orisa Aje Olokun and was able to win her.
Further appreciation and emulation displayed by Yorubas, is being seen, by endearing the name Aje to describe a woman of African ancestry deified as Aje Olokun. A woman who wields a myriad of creative spirituality and cosmic power. It is also being given as names to kids, perhaps to portray the exact virtue of Orisa Aje Olokun.
In Yorubaland, there is also Ojo Aje (Monday) as the name beginning the first working day of the week, a significant day with a significant name. A better comprehension of Aje makes one realize it is important not to just be of lip service alone, but its evident activation tested, sometimes by a first buyer of an item or patronage in the day.
The first buyer upon the starting of a day especially a Monday, Ojo Aje, shouldn’t be a debtor, Aside from the fact that it is not advised in the Yoruba cultural setting, it’s a very bad business practice which affects business growth greatly. If not curbed, such may keep repeating itself, resulting in not making profits.
Yoruba’s Beliefs About Orisa Aje Olokun
Commerce, the cowry (Owoeyo) had been the Yoruba medium of exchange long before the Europeans came. Hence the decoration of Sekere drum with cowries in appreciation and honour of Aje deity is, to say the least, instructively abominable for anybody, no matter how highly placed to put any tribe above the Yoruba race as far as legitimate trading business is concerned. This is because Aje remains one of the early deities of the Yoruba whose imagery creation is the popular Sekere music played everywhere in Yorubaland.
Alaafin Onisile 1738 – 1750: Alaafin Onisile was remarkable for his indomitable courage and lion-hearted spirit. He was moreover very artistic and was said to have made seven silver doors to the entrances of his sleeping apartment. During his reign, the Sekere (Calabash) drum was ornamented, not only with cowries but also with costly beads e.g., Iyun (Corals), Okun (Stone beads, Benin), Erinla (stripped yellow pipe beads), and Segi (blue pipe beads), strung with silk thread dyed red; all of native manufacture. He was a great warrior and for his exploits was nicknamed “Gbagida! Wowo I’ewon ab’esin fo odi (Gbagida, an expression of admiration), a man with clanging chains (for prisoners) whose horse can lead over a town wall).
Download MP3 Song of Aje Olokun
Coming back to modern trade, it is pertinent to say that different past Alaafins (kings) of Old Oyo Empire were very resourceful in opening the Yorubas to Trans-Sahara trade with West African Countries as early as the fifteenth century. Trade routes led from Timbuktu in Mali, Goa, Tuareg, and Tripoli. Still, as far as (Oceanic) Coastal trade was concerned, the Alaafin used the Port of Allada in Wema to control European shippers.
“By the middle of the 18th century, when Oyo had grown into an empire in the full bloom of life, Oyo was bounded to the north by the Niger, to the West by Modern Togoland, to the east by its sister Kingdom of Benin and to the South by the Gulf of Guinea, and Porto Novo and Badagry were its main coastal outlets. Dahomey, it may be recalled, became a tributary state of Oyo in 1730.
One other imperative of Yoruba in the pursuit of commerce is that any such pursuit must be legitimate with the norms of the society. It is on this note that Yorubas believe it’s unavoidable to sweat and labour to make ends meet; The tribe does not encourage cheating and unlaboured wealth. they work very hard to be wealthy, Yorubas are very industrious from the beginning with a strong emphasis on legitimacy. There is a popular Yoruba saying that is an extraction from a verse in the Ifa Corpus that goes thus:
“Ise ni Oogun ise
Eni ti ise nse
Ko ma bo orisa
Oro kokan torisa
Ibaa bo orisa
Ibaa bo obatala
O di ojo ti o ba sise ko to jeun”
It Translates Thus:
“Work is the medicine for poverty
Whoever is poor
Let him not worship divinities
Nothing concerns the divinities
He may worship the divinities
He may worship Obatala
It is not until he does a profitable job that he would eat”
Eni ti Eru ati Omo nfi ojojumo wa Kiri
Iwo ni labomon ti bori aye
Aje Iwo lajiki
Aje iwo lajige
Aje Iwo lajipe
Eni amusokun
Eni amusede
Iwo lani ra opolopo aran
Aso Oba ti n kona yanranyanran.
Aje Agba Orisha
Jeki ni e lowo,
Maje kin ni e lorun.
Aje fi ile wa se ile,
fi odede wa se ibugbe oo..
Aje ojire loni ooo.... Ase
Download MP3 Song of Aje Olokun
Oriki Aje (Panegyric/Praises/Eulogy of Aje)
Aje is usually praised this way in the morning:
Aje Karo o Aje olokun Ogugu luso Aje oniso booji Asewe dagba Asagba dewe Eni ti eru ati omo n fi ojojumo wa kiri Iwo ni labomon ti bori aye Aje Iwo lajiki Aje Iwo lajige Aje Iwo lajipe Eni amusokun Eni amusede Iwo lani ra opolo aran aso oba ti kona yanranyanran Aje agba orisha je ki ni lowo maje ki ni e lorun Aje fi Ile MI se ibugbe, fi odede MI se ibura, aje o jire loni oo
Translation Aje good morning Aje you are the owner of sea One who has shelter Aje you are the ones who people seek solace under your shield or umbrella You are the ones who promote younger person to the position of elders You make old look younger You are the force and power that rule the world Aje is you that every human being around every day they wake up Aje is you we wake up to greet Aje is you we wake up to praise Aje is you we wake up to call upon Aje it is through you we acquired beaded jewelries and golden jewelries Aje it is through you we acquired expensive clothes Aje you are the the elderly of all orisha Aje let me have you in form of money in my pocket not in form of debt on my name
***
If you look at the translation, it seems that Aje is thought to be the owner of the sea ie Olokun. It seems that what I heard about Aje being Olokun’s daughter is incorrect.
Second Oriki Aje (Panegyric/Praises/Eulogy of Aje)
Aje iwo lobi Ogun ilu Aje iwo lobi Olufa Aje iwo lobi onipasan owere Oyale asin win bear asin win dolowo Oyale asi were oso asi were di aniyan-pataki Aje pe le oa kin lOrisas Agede ni wo Ajenje lotu Ife ti o fi njo koo ti ni Aje dakun wa jo koo temi ki or ma kuro lodo mi
Translation
Aje gave light to the war of the city Aje gave the light to the boa Aje you gave the light to Onipasan owere He went to the madman’s house and made him rich He went to the crazy man’s house and made him a character Aye, I greet you, the last one who arrived among the Orisas Aje, eat banana fruit in Ifá so that you can come with one Aje please, come to me, stay with me and do not leave me
EJIOGBE says: Aromogege Aromogege Oji ni kutukutu mokun ola dani Olomo siju pee wole Aye loruko IFA Eni ti o ba siju rere re wo nii lowo IFA kio siju rere re woo mi ki nlowo…
Translation: He who robes the child to befit the child He who robes the child with the utmost of care The one who wakes early in the morning, holding the robes of prosperity The one who looks after the Earth is the name of IFA Whoever you look to with your eye of compassion is blessed with prosperity IFA, please look at me with compassion and let me be blessed with riches… IFA, please look at us with your compassion and let us be blessed with riches! Ase Ase Ase O! Ire O
Annual Aje Festival, Ile-Ife
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi explaining the essence of Aje festival said: “Aje is the spirit of market profitability. That is why this festival is very important to all humanity because nobody can survive without it. We do business, profit is expected, if you work you expect stipends at the end of the month, so that is simply Aje.”
Since his ascension to the throne as the 51st Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi (Ojaja II) has been at the forefront of reawakening the consciousness of the people to the tremendous roles that Yoruba deities and gods play in creating an enabling atmosphere for the sons and daughters of Yorubaland, both in Ile-Ife, Yorubaland, Nigeria and in the Diaspora.
Apart from leading the campaign for peace, unity, building the bridge of cooperation and friendship within the Yoruba race and other ethnic nationalities, including the extension of such agenda beyond the shores of Nigeria, Oba Ogunwusi, regarded as the Arole of Oodua is passionate about celebrating the gods, with the conviction that it would go a long way in preserving African culture and tradition and also help in developing the economy of the people.
Once, a year, Ile-ife, Osun State, the cradle of Yoruba civilization, is always agog for Aje Festival celebration. The celebration usually in honour of Orisa Aje Olokun, the Yoruba deity of wealth and market profitability. The annual event is usually held at the Afewonro Park in front of the Ile Oodua, the Ooni’s Palace, amid fanfare with cultural displays and traditional rites. Indigenes of the ancient city within the country and in the Diaspora habitually pour in to pay homage to Orisa Aje Olokun.
Download MP3 Song of Aje Olokun
On the first day, the festival usually climaxes with a party and entertainment which usually commence by 6.00 pm and dovetailed into the early hours of the next day. It witnessed traditional rites and cultural displays. They sang praises of the deity, the gods of the land as well as the economic and cultural endowments of the town.
On the third day, the grand finale, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the custodian of the Yoruba culture and tradition, usually lead the traditional proceedings in the company of the chief priest known as Oba Isoro. The Ooni-in-Council led the procession of a huge crowd of participants from the Ooni’s Palace to the Aje’s Shrine also known as Ile Aje.
The shrine is about half a kilometer away from the point where the Ooni and his chiefs usually offer prayers to Olodumare to bless Ile-Ife, the entire state and Nigeria. The prayers always centres on economic advancement.
Aje’s relevance goes beyond Ile-Ife and the Yorubas. Records show that it is a deity that influences every aspect of income-generating activities across the globe. The deity is believed to give very strong support to anybody involved in profit-making ventures.
People always come from different parts of the world to join the Ooni who is believed to be the head of all the 401 deities and the representative of Oduduwa to celebrate the festival. Orisa Aje Olokun was one of the 401 deities sent to the earth by the Almighty God (Olodumare) to form the world’s first society called Ife Oodaye.
An Ife indigene, Adekunle Idowu, quoted a palace chief as saying that since Aje Festival came to the limelight, industries had started springing up, small and medium scale businesses had started improving. He enthused that hotels and other hospitality businesses had witnessed huge patronage, thereby boosting the economy of the town and the state:
“The Ife Grand Resorts and Conference Centre built by our monarch, the Ooni, is a major improvement in the hospitality sector in Ife. Petty traders are making more sales motivated by the surging human traffic to the festival. This is due to the cultural tourism revolution and other developmental programs that our Kabiyesi has put in place. He repackaged the Aje festival. What we are witnessing in the reign of Ooni Ogunwusi is a redefinition of the monarchy.”
In a remark, Oba Ogunwusi believed that Africa’s survival rested heavily on the sustainability of the culture and tradition of the people. He called on the people and the government to collectively cherish and develop the culture and tradition for economic advancement.
Download MP3 Song of Aje Olokun
He added that Nigeria was abundantly blessed with a rich culture and tourism potentials capable of turning the country’s economy around. He called on the people to maximize the potentialities:
“As Christians or Muslims, we all need to respect our cultural heritage. In 2017, we prayed during the Aje Festival and we centered our prayers on the economic recession. Within one week, we surprisingly experienced the dollar crash from about N480 to N350. This year, we have prayed again and very soon, the economy will improve tremendously.
“Aje is the spirit of market profitability. That is why its festival is very important to all humanity because nobody can survive without it. If we do business, profit is expected. If you work you expect stipends.” He urged the youths to be industrious to fulfill their destinies and not to take a short-cut route to success that would not last.
Oba Ogunwusi who is the co-chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), also called on youths to be agents of peace and should never engage in brigandage during the forthcoming governorship election in the state. He prayed for the peace and progress of Ile-Ife, the state, Nigeria, Africa, and the world over:
“Don’t let politicians use you for thuggery or election violence as you too can be in their positions if you discover your potentials and remain focused. As we are gathered here today to celebrate Aje Festival of wealth, the Almighty Olodumare (God) will answer our prayers. He would give us abundant peace and economic progress in Ile-Ife, the State of Osun, entire Nigeria, Africa and the world at large:”
Iyalaje of Apapa, Lagos, Princess Toyin Kolade, said that Yoruba culture is too important and rich to be ignored if we must be seen as serious people who care for the future generations because it depicts a significant perspective. She enjoined Nigerians to value their cultural heritage rather than ignoring it in preference for foreign culture and religion.
REFERENCE
Rev, Samuel Johnson, “The History of the Yorubas”, 1921.
Adu Boahen, Ph.D., “Topics in West African History” 1966.
Ayilara Oluwaseun, “Aje Olokun, the Energy of Wealth”, babayooba.org, Accessed August 2021.
Idowu Oyinkansola Genesis, “An Exegesis Of Aje Olokun {Yoruba Goddess Of Wealth}”, ncboaucom.wordpress.com, Accessed August 2021
Oyasogo Abiodun, “Facts About Aje Olokun (The Goddess Of Wealth)”, themomentumtv.com, Accessed August 2021.
“Oral Discussion with Chief Falola Okunade”, Ifa priest, Akoda Awo of Lanlate, Atunfase Awo Adimula of Oyo state, the Alaga Egbe Orunmila Afopesoro and the Olofin Awo of Ibarapa & Oke-Ogun
IKU BABA YEYE – Oba (Dr.) Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, “Aje: An Early Yoruba Deity with no Second Fiddle“, 2019.
Written by Okunade Johnson, an enthusiast of Yoruba Indegineous Culture
UNDERSTANDING ORO RITUAL AND FESTIVAL – WRITTEN BY AWO AMOSUN IFAKOREDE
Whether known to you or not, there are negative spirits or forces among us and this is acknowledged by almost if not all religions of the world. These negative spirits or forces are called “Ajogún or Ebora” in the Yoruba language, they are known as “jinn or genie” in Arabic, Jews call them “shedim” in Hebrews, Indian refers to them as “rakshasa” and English man calls them demons just to mention few. This is how almost every race of the world acknowledged their existences because we all perceive their effects or maladies in our society either directly or indirectly unless we choose to sweep their stories under the carpet.
Hence, if you agree with me that these spirits are in existence among us, and if truly, they are, don’t you think it is necessary to put them to check to avoid their effects that can result into uncontrollable chaos? However, in a bid to have control on this spiritual realm, almost every race of the world developed different forms of exorcism.
WHAT IS EXORCISM?
According to Wikipedia, Exorcism is a religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons and jinn or other spiritual entities from a person or an area, that is believed to be possessed. In general, exorcism is of two stages, the casting out and cleansing. The formal is aimed at expelling the bad spirit while purification of the host is the target of the latter. The exorcism method chosen is dependent on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist, this may be done by causing the entity to swear an oath, performing an elaborate ritual, simply by commanding it to depart in the name of a higher power, and sometimes the spirit might be destroyed or disintegrated into smaller harmless units. Note that the last possibility is said to be complex and relatively impossible.
SPIRITUAL CLEANSING IN YORUBA SPIRIRUALITY
Coming down to Yoruba spirituality, does this spirituality possess any form of exorcism? Yes, it does. Traditionally in Ifa religion, there are several methods of spiritual cleansing and theses are called Ìràpadà or ipaarọ which are mainly for individual spiritual cleansing, in fact as part of the Ifa initiation process, a special procedural bath is dedicated for this purpose so as to rid you of all unwanted spiritual essence.
However, for the community at large, the ORO ritual is adopted. Oro ritual is an important form of exorcism that is aimed at casting out Ajogún or Ebora (negative spirits or forces) out of the community. It is not done often but only when necessary. It is executed only by experts in this field who had been initiated into the Oro cult. The initiation offers them knowledge and protection that assist them in carrying out this gruesome task and this is the main reason why people are told to stay indoors during this procession as people can become possessed. The kind of symptoms experienced by the bewitched person depends on what the spirit is capable of doing in its host, the consequence might even be as great as death.
In contrary to the above definition given to the Oro ritual, several rumors have been said about the Oro ritual. I have been asked several questions concerning Oro ritual and its festival, some of these questions are answered below in a question-and-answer format. I hope this helps your understanding.
Q1. why is Oro ritual done in the night?
A1. If the primary purpose of the Oro ritual is considered, the most suitable period for it is in the night when everyone is in their houses. The purpose of Oro is to cast out negative spirits or forces and cleansing the community of them. While doing this, thing could go out of hand and they might lose control of the Ajogún they are expelling and this can seek new abode in anyone passing around. Hence it is necessary it is done with fewer people or no person moving around.
Q2. Why does Oro ritual involve only the initiates?
A2. The Oro ritual is different from all other festivals that generally promote cultures and traditions, Oro has a special purpose which must include specialist/experts only. When illness seems complicated, you don’t call a general doctor, you call a specialist in that field to shed light on it. This is why we need only pundit not non-initiates.
Q3. Why do you think Oro ritual excludes both the females and non-members of the Oro cult?
A3. As for the non-participants, I think the answer to question two has taken care of that as specialists are needed for this task. As for females, Yoruba spirituality see women as receptacle, most of the times, they attract and receive. And also, they possess negative energy which always attracts things to themselves just as seen in the conventional movement of electric current. The direction of the current in the external circuit is directed away from the positive terminal and toward the negative terminal of the battery (this is just an example).
So, because women are seen as receptacle or receiver, they are always excluded in the Oro ritual.
Q4. Does Oro ritual involve human sacrifice?
A4. No, the oro ritual does not involve human sacrifice. In all cases of Oro ritual, it is done as a form of exorcism just as explained earlier and this means a particular or group of negative spirits or forces called Ajogún are casted out. During this Oro procession, people are told to stay indoors, this is to restrict movement of people within the possessed community and this is done to prevent the casted spirit from taking a non-participant as a new abode as it believed that the participants are fortified. The effect experienced by this person depends wholly on the type of the spirit. For example, if the Ajogún causes illness, the person might be experiencing this and if it has capacity of causing death, the person might die.
I HOPE THIS HELPS YOUR UNDERSTANDING
Note: There is no perfect picture to depict the Oro ritual as it is sacred.
Yorubas are considered to be rich in terms of culture and tradition. The name Yoruba was applied to all linguistically and culturally related peoples. The Yoruba People, of whom there are more than thirty-five million according to CIA World Factbook of 2012, occupy the southwestern corner of Nigeria along the Dahomey border and extends into Dahomey itself.
To the east and north, the Yoruba culture reaches its approximate limits in the region of the Niger River. However ancestral cultures directly related to the Yoruba once flourished well north of the Niger. Portuguese explorers “discovered” the Yoruba cities and kingdoms in the fifteenth century, but cities such as Ife and Benin, among others, had been standing at their present sites for at least five hundred years before the European arrival.
Archeological evidence indicates that a technologically and artistically advanced. Yoruba were living somewhat north of the Niger in the first millennium B.C., and they were then already working with iron. Ifa theology states that the creation of humankind arose in the sacred city of Ile Ife where Oduduwa created dry land from water. Much later on an unknown number of Africans migrated from Mecca to Ile Ife.
At this point the Eastern Africans and Western Africans synergized. Ife was the first of all Yoruba cities, Oyo and Benin came later and grew and expanded as a consequence of their strategic locations at a time when trading became prosperous. Ife, unlike Benin and Oyo, never developed onto a true kingdom; but though it remained a city-state it had paramount importance to Yorubas as the original sacred city and the dispenser of basic religious thought.
Until relatively recent times the Yorubas did not consider themselves a single people, but rather as citizens of Oyo, Benin, Yaba, and other cities, regions, or kingdoms. The old Yoruba cities typically were urban centers with surrounding farmlands that extended outward as much as a dozen miles or more. Both Benin and Oyo are said to have been founded by Ife rulers or descendants of Ife rulers.
Benin derived its knowledge of brass casting directly from Ife, and the religious system of divining called Ifa spread from Ile-Ife not only throughout the Yoruba country but to other West African cultures as well. A common Yoruba belief system dominated the region from the Niger, where it flows in an easterly direction, all the way to the Gulf of Guinea in the south.
It is no accident that the Yoruba cultural influence spread across the Atlantic to the Americas. Yoruba slaves were sent to British, French, Spanish, and Portuguese colonies in the New World, and in a number of these places. Yoruba traditions survived strongly in Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, and Trinidad and Tobago. Yoruba religious rites, beliefs, music, and myths are evident even at this late day.
In Haiti, the Yorubas were generally called Anagos. Afro-Haitian religious activities give Yoruba rites and beliefs an honored place, and the pantheon includes numerous deities of Yoruba origin. Also, more than one-third of Afro-Brazilians claim Yoruba ancestry.
Yoruba culture is famously visible in Bahia, Brazil, manifesting in everything from its religion to its music; in Brazil, Yoruba religious activities are called Anago or Shango, and in Cuba, they are designated Lucumi. There are salient structures that constitute the Yoruba plethora of cultures and traditions.
The most prominent are the Yoruba political structure, the social fabric, the sociology of the race, especially in areas relating to love, marriage, food, music, dressing, language, inheritance, in-laws, respect for elders, and unmatched love for neighbours and everybody a Yoruba person has contact with, banking system are some of the cultural tenets that define the Yorubas.
ORIGIN AND LOCATION
The oral history of the Yoruba recounts Odùduwà to be the Progenitor of the Yoruba and the reigning ancestor of their crowned kings. Upon the disappearance of Oduduwa, there was a dispersal of his children from Ife to found other kingdoms. Each making its mark in the subsequent urbanization and consolidation of Yoruba confederacy of kingdoms, with each kingdom tracing its origin to Ile-Ife.
After the dispersal, the aborigines became difficult and constituted a serious threat to the survival of Ife. Thought to be survivors of the old occupants of the land before the arrival of Oduduwa, these people now turned themselves into marauders. They would come to town in costumes made of raffia with terrible and fearsome appearances, and burn down houses and loot the markets.
Then came Moremi on the scene; she was said to have played a significant role in the quelling of the marauder’s advancements. But this was at a great price; having to give up her only son Oluorogbo. The reward for her patriotism and selflessness was not to be reaped in one lifetime as she later passed on and was thereafter immortalised. The Edi festival celebrates this feat to date.
The Yoruba people live mostly in Southwestern Nigeria. Traditionally, the Yorubas organized themselves into networks of related villages, towns, and kingdoms; with most of them headed by an Oba (King) or Baale (a nobleman or mayor).
There are other towns and cities with historical affiliation with the Yoruba people because they share one or more similarities together. Some of these cities and towns are Benin city, Warri, Auchi, and Okene. They have developed a variety of different art forms including pottery, weaving, beadwork, metalwork, and mask making. Most artwork is made to honour the gods and ancestors and since there are more than 401 known gods to the Yoruba there is much sculpture and artwork made.
PRE-COLONIAL GOVERNMENT OF YORUBA SOCIETY
Traditionally kingship and chieftainship were not determined by simple primogeniture, as in most monarchic systems of government. Monarchies were a common form of government in Yorubaland, but they were not the only approach to government and social organisation. The numerous Ijebu city-states to the west of Oyo and the Ẹgba communities, found in the forests below Ọyọ’s savannah region, were notable exceptions.
These independent polities often elected an Ọba, though real political, legislative, and judicial powers resided with the Ogboni, a council of notable elders. The notion of the divine king was so important to the Yoruba, that it has been part of their organisation in its various forms from their antiquity to the contemporary era. During the internecine wars of the 19th century, the Ijebu forced citizens of more than 150 Ẹgba and Owu communities to migrate to the fortified city of Abeokuta.
Each quarter retained its own Ogboni council of civilian leaders, along with an Olorogun, or council of military leaders, and in some cases its own elected Obas or Baales. Opposite the king’s palace is the Ọja-Ọba, or the king’s market. These markets form an inherent part of Yoruba life. Traditionally their traders are well organized, have various guilds, officers, and an elected speaker. They also often have at least one Iyaloja, or Lady of the Market, who is expected to represent their interests in the aristocratic council of oloyes (Paramount Chiefs) at the palace.
YORUBA’S TRADITIONAL RELIGION
The Yoruba faith, variously known as Aborisha, Orisha Ifa, or simply (and erroneously) Ifa, is commonly seen as one of the principal components of the syncretic pool known as the African traditional religions. It largely survived the so-called middle passage and is seen in a variety of forms in the New World as a result. Ife bronze casting of a king dated around the 12th Century, currently in the British Museum.
Orisa’nla (The great divinity) also known as Ọbatala was the arch-divinity chosen by Olodumare, the Supreme God, to create solid land out of the primordial water that constituted the earth and populating the land with human beings. Ọbatala descended from heaven on a chain, carrying a small snail shell full of earth, palm kernels, and a five-toed chicken. He was to empty the content of the snail shell on the water after placing some pieces of iron on it and then to place the chicken on the earth to spread it over the primordial water.
MUSIC AND DANCE
Music and dance have always been an important part of Yoruba culture for those living in Nigeria as well as in the diaspora. Yoruba music and dance are used for many different occasions in life such as religious festivals, royal occasions, and entertainment. Yoruba traditional music focuses on Yoruba deities. Drums and singing are the main elements of Yoruba music.
Instruments such as metal bells and wind instruments are sometimes used. Yoruba is a tonal language. Words must be pronounced in the appropriate tone (pitch) in order to understand speech in its correct meaning. There are three major tones: high, mid, and low. Most Yoruba music is based on these tonal patterns of speech.
Juju music emerged in the 1920s and is the most well-known form of Yoruba popular contemporary music in Nigeria. Juju has its roots in traditional Yoruba drum-based music. Juju is dance music played by large ensembles centred on guitars and drumming. Singing is a major part of Juju music and is inspired by Yoruba poetry, proverbs, praise songs, and the musical character of the language.
YORUBA TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE
For a man or a woman who has reached the age of marriage to remain single is against the mores of the Yorubas. Men get married even when they are sexually impotent in order to save either their faces or the faces of their immediate relatives, as well as to get one to look after their domestic establishment.
There are six important steps leading to the traditional Yoruba marriage:
Igba ifojusode: The time for seeking a potential spouse.
Ifa f’ore: The approval of the oracle-divinity.
Isihun: The release of the voice of the young woman.
Itoro: The request for the young woman’s hand in marriage.
Idana: The creation of the affinity bond.
Igbeyawo: The transfer of the wife to the husband’s lineage.
YORUBA ATTIRE
Yoruba people are well known for their attire. Clothing materials traditionally come from processed cotton by traditional weavers. The Yoruba have a very wide range of clothing. The basic being the Aso-Oke, which comes in different colours and patterns.
SOME COMMON STYLES ARE:
Alaari – a rich red Asọ-Oke.
Sanyan – a brown and usual light brown Asọ-Oke.
Ẹtu – a dark blue Asọ-Oke.
OTHER CLOTHING MATERIALS INCLUDE
Ofi– pure white yarned cloths, used as cover cloth, it can be sewn and worn.
Aran– a velvet clothing material sewn into Dansiki and Kẹmbẹ, worn by the rich.
Adirẹ– cloth with various patterns and designs, dye in indigo ink (Ẹlu).
YORUBA WEARS ARE GENDER-SENSITIVE:
Men wear Kẹmbẹ, Dandogo, Dansiki, Agbada, Buba, Sokoto, and matching caps such as: Abeti-Aja – dog ear-shaped cap, fila-ẹtu, etc.
Women wear Iro (wrapper) and Buba (the top) with a matching head-gear (gele). For important outings, a Yoruba woman will add a Shawl (Ipele/Iborun) on the shoulder and can add different forms of accessories. The Yoruba believe that the development of a nation is akin to the development of a man or woman.
Therefore, the personality of an individual has to be developed in other to fulfill his or her responsibilities. Clothing among the Yoruba people is a crucial factor upon which the personality of an individual is anchored. This philosophy is anchored in Yoruba proverbs. Different occasions also require different outfits among the Yoruba.
YORUBA HAIRSTYLE
The Head occupies a pre-eminent place compare with other parts of the body; so too, the hair that covers the head. The culture and tradition of hair-do is rooted in both the spiritual and biological roles of the individual head. The head is treasured and respected, because, it is the center of body activity; through hair-do and care, Ori (head) is highly esteemed.
In times past, even at present hairdos or styles perform several roles among Yorubas; these functions or roles include the medium of communication, the mark of initiation, state of mind, religious beliefs, marital and social status of women in the society. For instance, a hairstyle from the forehead which ends at the back of the neck shows the carrier is married; besides, married women carry hairstyles from both sides of the head, and finish up at the middle of the head in such a network shape that connects the forehead and back together.
On the other hand, maiden style runs from the right side of the head to the left ear. The smaller, and the more hair strands a young lady carry, the more beautiful such a lady will look. Maidens usually carry hair-style of 8 to 14 strands, in braided or wrapped form. Braiding and binding (the use of thread to make strands) are the two common ways to beautify hair by Yoruba women in the past.
However, braiding (Irun biba; knotting hair) comes in different styles, these include:
Suku – a braiding hair style either short or long knots, it runs from forehead to the back or crown of the head.
Kolẹsẹ – as the name suggests (without legs), it is a braiding style, each knot runs from the front and terminates at the back of the head, close to the neck.
Ipakọ-Ẹlẹdẹ – this braiding style starts from the back of the head, but ends at the front.
Panumọ (keep quite) – hair style, with two different starting points, the back and the front. The knots meet at the center with a little opening.
Ojompeti (rain soaked ear) – braiding starts from one side of the head, ends close to the ear. All these have been taken over by perming or applying chemical to the hair to straighten it, the hair is then put in rollers and head put under the standing dryer for about 30 minutes to one hour. Some will braid with attachment (synthetic hair) to make long braids.
YORUBA TRIBAL MARK
The interesting feature of Yoruba’s physical appearance which is fast disappearing because of the extant laws, and international campaign, is the tribal marks. Tribal or facial mark– is a specific mark, which comes in different shapes and sizes, commonly found on the face. There are various tribal marks, by different ethnic groups within the Yoruba nation.
The Ijesa people are known by “Pele.” Pele, is a-four-horizontal-line; a-quarter-of-an-inch-long made on the cheeks on both sides of the mouth.
The Ondo natives of (Ondo State) are identified by half-an-inch-vertical lines on both sides of the nose down to the mouth (marks are thick and long).
Other Yoruba ethnic groups have different types of facial marks;
Ogbomoso natives of (Oyo State) are identified by multiple straight and curved lines (Gombo) on both sides of the face. Other sub-groups within the Yoruba nation have only curved lines on both sides of their face. Even, a particular mark, may have varieties among neighbors; for instance, Pele has about three versions:
Pele Ijesa (discussed above)
Pele Ekiti (quarter-of-an-inch-horizontal line) and
Pele Akoko (about the same length, but comes in either vertical or horizontal format); the style will depend on Akoko by Ekiti, Bini, and Okun neighbors.
The purpose of facial marks in the past was to identify each group within the Yoruba nation, to beautify, and to identify slaves. Because of the health implications and several cases of abuse, it has become an outlaw practice in Nigeria. Yoruba has the following tribal marks: Abaja, Kẹkẹ or Gọmbọ, Ture, Pele, Mande, Jamgbadi.
YORUBA FOOD
Yoruba people have a variety of food items from where common or locally based foods are made. Prominent among these food items are:
Vegetable/fruit and seed- such as: Onion, Carrot, Pepper (Rodo, Tatase, Wẹwẹ), Tomatoes.
Melon: Ẹgusi N’ la/kekere
Mushroom: (Olu/Oosun)
FRUITS
Fruits- Yoruba has a lot of fruit-bearing trees, which for centuries were part of their dietary composition, and sources of materials for local medicines. Some of these trees include:
Orange: Ọsan
Lime: Ọsan-wẹwẹ
Cherry: Agbalumọ
Cashew: Kasu
Pine-Apple: Ọpẹ-Oyinbo
Paw-paw: Ibẹpẹ
Palm-Nut/Date: Ẹyìn
Palm-Kernel: Ekurọ
Mango: Mangoro
Locust Bean: Iru-Woro/Pẹtẹ
Wall-Nut: Awusa
Sugarcane: Ireke
OIL PRODUCTS AND THEIR SOURCES
Epo-pupa: Palm-Oil from Palm Tree
Ororo: Vegetable Oil
Ẹgusi: Melon oil from melon seeds
Ẹpa: Ground-Nut oil: from ground-nut seeds
Ororo: Castor oil
Adin-Ẹyan: Palm-Kernel oil from processed palm-nuts
Adin-Agbọn: Coco-nut oil from coco-nut
Meat based foods from domestic and wild animals
Ewurẹ/Mẹẹ, Obukọ: Goat
Agutan, Agbo: Sheep
Malu: Cattle
Ẹlẹdẹ: Pig
Chicken based meat: Fowl(Akukọ), Duck(Pẹpẹyẹ), Turkey(Tolotolo), Hen(Adi’ẹ), Guinea Fowl
Wild games of various types- herbivorous, carnivorous, and insectivorous. Meaty foods also include seafood of different types such as fish, shrimps, and crabs and from animals which habitation is very close to the water- like crocodiles and alligators.
SOUP/STEW AND SPICES
Ẹfọ: has variety; ẹfọ stew will also depend on the accompanied meal. This stew can be made quickly for exigency. Time-consuming vegetable stew of different kinds is made for ceremonies.
Gbẹgiri- (Bean stew) a rich Yoruba stew common in Ọyọ, Ogbomọsọ, Ibadan, Oke-Ogun, Ọsun. It is for foods like yam-flour (Amala) and for Ẹba (made from Cassava flour).
Other stews include plain pepper stew, the viscous vegetable (Ewedu), soups to eat foods like Amala, Iyan, Eba, and Fufu.
GREETINGS IN YORUBA
Yoruba attached great importance to greetings, every occasion, season, job, and event has appropriate greetings. Anyone who lacks greeting courtesy is considered uncultured, and uncivilized.
Daily common greetings:
Ekaaro (Good morning),
Ekaa san(Good afternoon),
Ekaale (Good evening)
Greetings by Jobs: Ẹ ku isẹ o.
Traders/Sellers: Ẹ o ta o, Aje a wọ igba o, Ẹ ku ọrọ aje (you will sell )
Blacksmith: Arọye o Response Ogun a gbe Ọ. Arọye ni t’Ogun
Cloth Weaver: Ojugbooro O. Ọbalufọ a gbe Ọ
Native Doctor: Ewe a jẹ o
Hair Dresser: Oju gbooro o
Response: Oya a ya o
Carver of Craftman: Ẹ ku ọna
Response: Ọna a wọ oju o
Hunter: A re pa ni t’ Ogun. A re pa ni t’ asa
Response: Oguna gbe yin o. A dupẹ o
Palm Wine Tapper: Igba a rọooo; Ẹmọ sẹ o
Response: Ẹmọ sẹ ni t’ Ajao, ni t’ adan
MODERNISATION AND CHALLENGE TO OMOLUABI
Omoluwabi is quintessential Yoruba. Omoluwabi is not lazy. Omoluwabi cherishes industry and he earns respect and accomplishments through hard work. Omoluwabi is ever truthful. An Omoluwabi will NEVER tell lies under any circumstance. He or She is bold and courageous. An Omoluwabi will not steal, because he hates anything that will bring shame to his family or to himself.
With the increasing influx of modernisation, globalization, and technology the sacred and formally cherished Yoruba culture and tradition have been relegated to the background. The present generation particularly the younger ones are not interested in the culture but instead embrace the western culture. The age-long concept of OMOLUWABIis almost no longer in practice.
Monetisation and the quest to get rich quick has pervaded the fabric of society, Omoluabi is now an aberration while corruption is wide. The sum total of Yoruba philosophy is Iwa l’ewa meaning “Character is beauty”. And to the Yoruba, attitude determines your altitude. Take away a man’s culture; his entire being is rendered prostrate.
There is therefore a dying need to restore and transmit the Yoruba culture to the younger generation so that it does not go into extinction through whatever means so as to preserve some dying cultures. Yoruba boys traditionally prostrate and girls kneel down to greet, this is already fading out in most urban families where the sole language of communication is English.
CONCLUSION
Culture is germane regarding the identification of people. It is the major attribute resulting in the behavioural characteristic of different groups. It is consequently exhibited by the different members of the group. The language (particularly the dialect), dressing, food, hairstyle, music, and aspect of culture which is group-specific shows diversity.
The Yoruba cultural values, ethics, and norms have been bastardized in the name of civilization and western education. The believe in the phenomenon of “Omoluwabi” has nose-dived like a meteor in the night sky and the younger ones find it difficult to respect their elders. The neglect of Yoruba cultural value and good attitudes is a thing of concern to the wise in the land of “Olofin Oodua, Onipopo of Popo, Oranmiyan, Orangun ile-ila, Elejelumope, and onitagi olele.
The departed Yoruba legends and titans are weeping in their graves, on account of the stupendously shrinking space available to traditional Yoruba values and ethics. The understanding of Yoruba culture begins with the core interest and understanding of our Language. The richness of our culture, tradition, wisdom, witticism, and varied expressions lies in our language.
The concept of Omoluwabi should be replaced with its esteemed position in Yoruba societies. Modernization is good, but its replacement with our shared culture and tradition is dangerous. The Yoruba Language should not be relegated totally. Young lads should be taught the language right from the stage when they start talking, in primary schools, junior and senior secondary school.
Many of our core values from the culture are already abolished particularly among the elite. Below are a few of these values already relegated include: substitution of Suku for fixing of weave-on, Iyan for poundo, Apala for Hip Hop, Aran for Jeans, etc. hence there a need for change in appreciating Yoruba Culture because the failure of this can be dangerous to the unborn generations.
Igbo-Ora, a town in Oyo State Nigeria is nicknamed the Twins capital of the world which makes it one of the most extraordinary towns in Africa. The town is a simple town in Oyo state with a simple way of life, made up of mostly farmers and traders. It is considered the Twin capital of the world, and has the stone plinth that boasts of it.
Because more twins are born in Igbo Ora than anywhere else in the world, walking through the town might make you feel like you are seeing double. Almost every house has at least one set of twins.
According to Olu (King) Of the town, Oba Jimoh Olajide Titiloye, the town is where there is a large concentration of Twins in the world. He further stated that WHO and other universities have researched the mysterious issue of twin births in Igbo Ora community.
The town organizes world twins festival every year. At the elaborate maiden edition in 2018, according to the organisers, about 5,000 twins graced the occasion which was fully supported by the government. In 2019, during the festival, no fewer than 10 women gave birth to twins during the ceremony, the king said.
ORIKI IGBO-ORA (PANEGRIC/EULOGY OF IGBO-ORA)
Igbo-ora lasako Ofokun-bara-diyo Oroko-roko-magbado -bowale Ilu taa mo ni igbo-ora titi doni Tii se ilu alaafin ajagbo Ode han-un-han-un nise-e-won Ilu igbo-ora,won wa se bee Won sope depo Igbo-ora nibi talejo wo Tolowo lowo Nibi ti olori buruku wo to di olorire Nibi ti won tin se ila orere falejo je Ilu lajorun ajamu edu Igbo ora nibi ti lasogba tedo si Lojo to koko toyo oro de Okiri-kiri lati reranpa Atamatase ode ti merin-in so laaye
Igbo-ora ilu ogo
Nibi ta won ode nla-nla fi n se ile won
Ogun ibariba to le won de bee
Ilu igbo-ora
Nibi ti ibeji bibi po sini gbogbo agbanla aye
Igbo-ora ni
Omo asogbo dile
Omo asogbe digboro
Omo asakitan doja
Eyin naa leso inu igbe dilu
Ni igbo-ora lasako
Nile BINU OMOTE, olori omo
Lasogba Ajadi Aro Lagaye Ayisa Opo Lajorun oun Ajade Ni won jo sode ke sira won Ooo remo ri Igbo-ora lo ti de Igbo ora nile ibarapa Nibi teranko n gbe fohun bi eniyan Nile Oyewole Oyerogba Otanbala Kolorun o de ile fun eniyan re Nile kabiesi oba to ju oba lo HRH OBA JIMOH TITILOYE ILUFEMILOYE Omo asorolu eru bami Arojo joye Omo adele teji teji Omo Opomulero Maja lekan Oporoso Opo gbaja Baba loni ka rodi laso Omo bi osi aso Bi osi ewu Onirunrun idi laba ma ri Bi kuru kuru Bi koko,bi ewo Eniyan to ba mo iwulo aso Ko ma fewe owu nudi Nitori kosohun tin ba oku de boji Ojo tabaku aso ni ba ni de poro sare Eni ba fewe owu nudi Oju aso ni pon oluwa re…… Kabiesi ooooooooooooo
Despite being deceased, it is believed that our ancestors are part and parcel to the larger family. They are regarded as the collective spirits of the ancestors who occupy a space in heaven.
It is pertinent for Ifa/Orisa practitioners both at home and in the diaspora to know what and what not is Egungun to broaden and widen their scope on the sacred term.
Egúngún Da’nafojura of Ita-Alakasu, Ogbomoso
1. The word Egúngún has no translation in to another language.
2. Egúngún is not a masquerade.
3. Egúngún is a sacred representation of the Yoruba ancestors.
4. Egúngún worship is dedicated to the people who lived on the earth and died “Ara Orun”.
5. Egúngún worship is part of the Yoruba traditional Religion.
6. Egúngún is not an Òrìsà.
7. Egúngún is representing forms of human of deceased.
8. Egúngún is covered from head to foot with cloth similar to the deceased.
9. Egúngún dress consists of cloths of various colours .
10. Egúngún dress can be as well with feathers of different kind of birds.
11. Skins and bones of different animals can be used too for Egúngún dress.
12. Egúngún cloth is called Eku
13. Egúngún shoes are made of Iyamoje cloth
14. Egúngún speaks with an unnatural tone of voice.
History is written only by the survivors, not by the dead, and Just like Chinua Achebe said; “until lions have their own historians, history of the hunting written by the children of hunters will always glorify the hunters”
If Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) was given long life as his contemporaries and his life was not prematurely terminated and survived the first Nigeria Military coup, it is most likely the story might not be as some of his detractors today portray him or even want to obliterate his achievements from the annals of Nigeria political history.
kakanfo Samuel Ladoke AKintola on his coronation
Born on Sunday, 10 July 1910, between 1954 – 1959, Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) became Deputy Premier and Premier of the Western Region of Nigeria in the immediate post-independence era (1960 – January 1966).
Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) was regarded as Sir, Chief, Aare/Kakanfo, Honourable, Lawyer, and Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON)
Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) was the 13th Aare Ona Kakanfo (The Generalissimo or Military Field Marshal) of Yorubaland without fighting any war – the first to hold the title in the 20th Century.
As the leader of the opposition, he instructed all delegates to the constitutional conference of 1957 to secure the grant of self-government to the federation of Nigeria in 1959. Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) was among the leading torch-bearers’ nationalists and was equally among the front-liners who fought for the independence of Nigeria and was awarded the prestigious national award of Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON).
As a journalist, Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) was behind the expulsion of a white man who called a Nigerian a monkey. As a parliamentarian, he moved an independence motion.
Samuel Ladoke Akintola’s son (the youngest child), Tokunbo Akintola, was the first black boy at Eton College in London.
In 1946, Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) proceeded to England on Scholarship award by British Council to study Diploma in Administration and Journalism at Barnel House, Oxford in Great Britain.
In 1947, Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) enrolled at the Inns of Court in London and was called to the English Bar (B.L.) in 1949.
Before 1950 when Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) finished his studies, he had finished reading the complete works of Shakespeare and some other well-known poets.
In March 1950, Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) arrived Nigeria as qualified Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) had English and Yoruba Proficiency and oratory prowess which till today has not been matched by any Nigerian.
Samuel Ladoke Akintola’s Oratory skill in English and proficiency of Yorùbá mastery was unparalleled and became “envoy-extraordinary” of the Action Group.
The abbreviation S.L.A. was given when he became the Editor of Daily Service Newspapers and by his admirers when he was the secretary of Nigeria’s first-ever political association, the Nigerian Youth Movement.
Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) was a first rank and forthright journalist who used his pen to arouse public awareness and interest on diverse issues and mobilized Nigerians for the struggle for national independence.
Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) became the first legal adviser for the Action Group who combined the use of his pen and speech to promote and defend his personal and political party’s fortune.
Akintola was never a “pupil” to Awolowo, they were both matured men with legal and political experience when they formed Action Group in 1950, different ideas culminated and Awolowo was chosen as the leader of AG while Akintola replaced Bode Thomas as the Deputy leader of AG after his death in 1953.
One of the many things that made Ladoke Akintola and Obafemi Awolowo fall apart was that Obafemi Awolowo requested Ladoke Akintola to put government funds in a private account. Particularly a National Investment Property Company (NIPC) which Akintola said was of no positive impact on the economy of the western region.
A combination of Awolowo’s management abilities and Akintola’s oratorical skills made the Action Group the best and most well-organized political party in Nigeria at the independence of 1960. Without Akintola there was no Awolowo.
In Samuel Ladoke Akintola’s (SLA) limelight days, no political party rally would be complete without Ladoke Akintola making his last remark to disperse the gathering.
Akintola Taku (Akintola became adamant) was given to him when he stood his ground when the situation called for it. Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) insisted that the cocoa house, Investment House, Lapal House, Western House, and the Independent Building not be called Dideolu Investment.
Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) insisted that the defunct Western Region structures and others built with proceeds from the Cocoa Industry and therefore cannot be allotted to Awolowo’s Family.
The type of coalition Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) attempted with a sharp intelligence that seemed “selling Yoruba to the Hausa” is what Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu did and still doing for political Forces. What Ladoke Akintola fought for and kept emphasizing on remains Nigeria’s problems today.
In 1962 when the feud between Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola and Chief Obafemi Awolowo was at its peak, Chief Obafemi Awolowo was the founder of the Nigerian Tribune, a newspaper he used in fighting his political war with Samuel Ladoke Akintola, while Akintola didn’t have a single media outlet in his corner. The newspapers then sided with Chief Obafemi Awolowo and painted SLA as a traitor and “power-hungry”
Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) fought for the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) to be sited in Ile-Ife because it is believed to be the source of humanity by the Yorubas; the Yoruba people’s “holy land”. As the premier of the western region, he inaugurated the governing council where he was the first chancellor of the University.
Under Sir John Macpherson, Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) became the first Federal (Centre) Minister of Labour, where he then encouraged close cooperation between management and labour in 1953.
Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) was the first Federal (Centre) Minister of Health and Social Welfare, who initiated the building and opening of the first Teaching University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria with full facilities to meet the world’s standard in 1954.
Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) is one of the main architects of Nigeria Freedom in 1960. As the opposition leader (in the Federal Parliament) elected from Osun division into the House of Representative, he instructed all delegates to the constitutional conference of 1957 to secure the grant of self-government to the federation of Nigeria in 1959.
Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) was a linguist and a detribalized, great Nigeria, who spoke English, Hausa, Nupe and his Native Yorùbá Language fluently and eloquently without arrogance.
Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) single-handedly provided water and electricity for the upkeep of Ogbomoso Grammar School and Ogbomoso High School. He built an Assembly hall for Ogbomoso Girl’s High School.
During the mass intra city road network carried out between 1953 and 1957 through communal effort initiated by Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA), parts of his father’s house at Laka/Jagun was first demolished to give way for the road construction.
Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) was nicknamed Baba Lamilami because of his hard work to make free and safe water available for all households in his hometown.
In his hometown, Ògbómòsó, the Rediffusion radio service of 1955 was installed at Okelerin Junction of the town. Similarly, the new General Hospital came into being in 1957.
Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) made sure new electricity was installed in Ògbómòsó in 1961 and a new town hall built during his period is still standing till date as a monumental edifice now called Soun Ogunlola hall, and a new Ògbómòsó waterworks Dam on (Oba River) was put to use in 1964.
Having heard of the coup, Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) went to brief Sardauna of Sokoto (Premier of Northern Nigeria) and the former having briefed Tafawa Balewa, the then Prime Minister of Nigeria, who ignored it with a wave of the hand by saying it was a mere rumour. It was shortly thereafter the said coup was executed and the three were killed.
Though Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) was killed in the hallway of his official residence as Premier of the Western Region, true to his military post of Aare Ona Kakanfo, he had a fierce battle with his killers and witnesses said the kakanfo was invincible. His killers decided to start killing his aids, workers and threatened to kill his family if he keeps giving them a tough time and to show the world of his selflessness even though he could defeat them. To save those around him, the Kakanfo faced his killers like the brave Spartan that he was.
The then Commissioner of Police, Chief Odofin Bello instructed his deputy, Olufenwa to get a load of mobile police unit ready to accompany the late body of Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, SLA prepared at Adeoye Hospital to Ogbomoso his home town for the final journey. His body conveyed to Ògbómòsó by S. Ade Ojo, Mr (Later Chief) Lekan Salami, Mr. Agboola Ajao and his younger brother Chief Adigun Akintola at 3 a.m of January 23, 1966, and got to Ògbómòsó at about 5 a.m.
In Ògbómòsó, others who saw and witnessed the final burial were Reverend S.A. Ige, Chief J. Ola Adigun, Chief Ogunniyi and Onpetu Ijeru, Oba Oladeji Atoyebi as there was no Soun in the throne, and by 6:30 a.m the burial was completed before news filtered around the town of the final rites. May His Soul Rest in Peace!
Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA) was survived by his wife Chief Faderera Akintola (now late), his children Chief Abayomi Akintola, Dr. Abimbola Akintola (a medical doctor), and Mr Ladipo Akintola an accountant of note and an accomplished author who died a few years back. Although Chief Ladoke Akintola gave birth to five children, the three mentioned above survived him. Omodele Akintola, the first child of the family, died in 1965, Tokunbo died in 1973, while Oladipupo Akintola also died in 2006.
Bode Thomas, Obafemi Awolowo and Ladoke AkintolaChief obafemi Awolowo and Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola
In an interview with The Punch newspaper on 30th November 2013, Dr Omololu Olunloyo, a great nationalist, a two-time former Commissioner of Education of the old Western Region, a former Governor of Oyo state, one of our few remaining elder statesmen and a man that played a prominent role in the politics of both the First and Second republics said the following-
“Chief S.L. Akintola was the supreme leader. Chief Obafemi Awolowo left (the Premiership of the Western Region) of his own volition without advice to contest the federal election. In the federal election, he contested but he had no alliances. Stubborn, aggressive, very hardworking, visionary leader that Awolowo was, he never understood real politics at any time. In real politics you have to look at the figures, you have to have allies- there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies. You must have some allies. Nigeria is too fragmented for you not to have allies. If you are counting in the presence of someone with nine fingers, you don’t count in the person’s presence and say ‘so you have nine fingers’. We had a brilliant man called S.L. Akintola who understood real politics. Awolowo believed that book knowledge was so important but he (Akintola) knew better. A situation arose- Awolowo wanted to ally with the east and Akintola wanted to align with the north. So there was a crisis”.
REFERENCES
1. UCH Ibadan Website; https://uch-ibadan.org.ng
2. Wikipedia
3. Media Reports Projects, Chief The Honourable S.L Akintola GCON, Premier Western Nigeria (1960-1966) selected speeches, “Let God, History and Posterity Judge” Edited by Yemi Adedokun
4. We Should be Kind to History, Samuel Ladoke Akintola Betrayed Nobody written by By Ogunwoye Gbemiga Samson published on National Insight
5. “Ògbómòsó in the Early Times Modern Era and in Today’s Contemporary World” Written by Chief Oyebisi Okewuyi (Page 99-103) Published by Johnny Printing Works
6. A discussion with Pa Rev. Ogunleye on December 2019
Oyotunji African Village is a village located near Sheldon, Beaufort County, South Carolina that was founded by Oba Efuntola Oseijeman Adelabu Adefunmi I in 1970. Oyotunji village is named after the Oyo empire, a pre-colonial Yoruba kingdom lasting from the 1300s until the early 1800s in what is now southwestern Nigeria. The name literally means “O̩yo̩ returns” or “O̩yo̩ rises again” or “O̩yo̩ resurrects” referring to the African Yoruba kingdom of Oyo, now rising in a new form near the South Carolina seashore.
Oyotunji village covers 27 acres (11 ha) and has a Yoruba temple which was moved from Harlem, New York to its present location in 1960. It was originally intended to be located in Savannah, Georgia, but was eventually settled into its current position after disputes with neighbors in Sheldon proper, over drumming and tourists.
Oyotunji was intended to follow the model of Yoruba villages in terms of layout, politics, and social relations while also incorporating some Fon traditions from the kingdom of Dahomey.
Along the road approaching Oyotunji African Village in Sheldon, South Carolina, a sign is posted in both Yoruba and English:
“You are leaving the United States. You are entering Yoruba Kingdom. In the name of His Highness King Efuntola, Peace. Welcome to the Sacred Yoruba Village of Oyo Tunji. The only Village in North America built by Priests of the Orisha Voodoo Cults as a tribute to our Ancestors. These Priests preserve the customs, laws, and religion of the African Race.”
HOW OBA EFUNTOLA ADEFUNMI I FOUNDED OYOTUNJI
During the slave trade era, many Africans were taken as slaves abroad. While going, some left with their culture and tradition which they continued within the foreign land where they found themselves. They continued with the culture and tradition of their fathers so as to maintain their identity.
The Yorubas in slavery are among the Africans that maintained their culture in the strange land and it was handed down to their children from generation to generation.
Many of their children, after the abolition of the slave trade, have married children of their former masters thus having children of mixed blood, that notwithstanding, they still carry on with their African culture in the foreign land since most of them cannot trace their root back to Africa.
The Yoruba culture has been one of the prominent and most celebrated one throughout the world till date. In the faraway United States of America, there is a Yoruba community named O̩yo̩tunji African Village. It is located near Sheldon, Beaufort County, South Carolina.
O̩yo̩tunji is regarded as North America’s oldest authentic African village. It was founded in 1970 and is the first intentional community in North America, based on the culture of the Yoruba and Benin tribes of West Africa.
It has survived 51years of sustaining the Yoruba traditional sociology and values in the diaspora. The village is named after the O̩yo̩ Empire, and the name literally means “O̩yo̩ returns” or “O̩yo̩ rises again” or “O̩yo̩ resurrects”. The village occupies 27 acres of land.
O̩yo̩tunji was founded by His Royal Highness O̩ba (King) Waja, O̩funto̩la Oseijeman Adelabu Adefunmi I.
Born Walter Eugene King on October 5, 1928, Oba O̩funto̩la Oseijeman Adelabu Adefunmi I, a Detroit native, began studying Afro-Haitian and ancient Egyptian traditions as a teenager. He was further influenced by his contact with the Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe in New York City at the age of 20, an African American modern dance troupe that drew from many cultures within the African Diaspora.
August 26, 1959, O̩ba Waja became the first African born in America to become fully initiated into the Oris̩a-Vodoo African priesthood by African Cubans in Matanzas, Cuba, and became known as Efuntola Osejiman Adefunmi. After his return to the United States, he formed the Yoruba Temple in Harlem in 1960. The temple, committed to preserving African traditions within an American context, was the cultural and religious forerunner of Oyotunji Village.
He later traveled to Haiti where he discovered more about the Yoruba culture. Armed with a new understanding of the African culture, he found the order of Damballah Hwedo, Ancestor Priests in Harlem New York.
This marked the beginning of the spread of the Yoruba religion and culture among African-Americans. He later founded the Sàngó Temple in New York and incorporated the African Theological Arch Ministry in 1960. The Sàngó Temple was relocated and renamed the Yoruba Temple.
With the rise of black nationalism in the 1960s, King began to envision the construction of a separate African American nation that would institutionalize and commemorate ancestral traditions. In June of 1970, he fulfilled this vision with the creation of Oyotunji African Village.
It was during this time that he also established a new lineage of the priesthood, Orisha Vodoo, to emphasize the tradition’s African roots. Today, over 300 priests have been initiated into this lineage and the African Theological Archministry, founded by Oba O̩funto̩la Oseijeman Adelabu Adefunmi I in 1966, now serves as the umbrella organization for the Village.
To further his knowledge of Yoruba culture, he traveled to Abeokuta in Nigeria in 1972 where he was initiated into the Ifa priesthood by the Oluwo of Ije̩un at Abeokuta, Ogun state, in August of 1972. He was later proclaimed Alase̩ (Oba-King) of the Yoruba of North America at O̩yo̩tunji Village in 1972.
In its early years, Oyotunji Village was home to as many as two hundred people. Today, its residential community consists of few African American families, governed by an oba (king) and the community’s appointed council.
Each family is committed to the teachings of the Yoruba tradition, which include a religious understanding of the world as comprised primarily of the “energies” of the Supreme Being Olodumare, the orisha deities, and the ancestral spirits. This religious world is maintained spiritually through rituals, chants, music, sacrifice, and annual ceremonies.
Oba Efuntola Osejiman Adefunmi passed away on Thursday, February 10th, 2005 at O̩yo̩tunji African Village in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Since Adefunmi’s death in 2005, the village has been led by his son, the fourteenth of twenty-two children of Oba Efuntola Osejiman Adefunmi, till date.
The O̩ba title is referred to as “O̩lo̩yotunji” of O̩yo̩tunji.
OBA ADEJUYIGBE ADEFUNMI II
After Oba Adefunmi I’s death in 2005, the Village has continued under the leadership of his son, Oba Adejuyigbe Adefunmi II who updated Oyotunji’s structure and goals. Focusing on sustainability projects, the Village serves as a retreat from the pressures of the wider society. Potential residents can buy land in Oyotunji. Short-term visitors can also visit the Village for research, tourism, education, spiritual consultations, festivals, and overnight lodging.
HRM Oba Adejuyigbe Adefunmi II began his destiny on earth on December 21, 1976. Born the 14th child of 22 children to His Royal Highness Oba Efuntola Adefunmi I, and the third child of five born to Iya Esu Ogo Oyewole.
King Adejuyigbe Adefunmi II was raised in the Kingdom of Oyotunji African Village and began drumming at the age of seven. He was rooted in the traditional lifestyle of the Oyotunji African Village settlement in North America and witnessed thousands of Africans in America that came to his father’s Kingdom in search of broadening their cultural awareness.
An extraordinary listener and attentive history student, the young King, under the teachings of H.R.H. Adefunmi I, was entrenched in the traditions and culture of his ancestors; the Yoruba people of Southwestern Nigeria and Benin. He was rooted in the traditional lifestyle of Oyotunji African Village settlement in North America. King Adejuyigbe Adefunmi II witnessed thousands of Africans in America that came to his father’s Kingdom in search of broadening their cultural awareness.
By the time of his graduation from the Yoruba Royal Academy, King Adejuyigbe Adefunmi II was an initiate of several sacred Egbes (African societies) to name a few: Egbe Egungun, Egbe Obatala, Egbe Onilu ayan, Egbe Akinkonju. Not the least of which would be the Prince’s entrance into Igbodu, the society of the Fathers of Mystery in the worship of Orunmila.
Traveling throughout the United States and the Caribbean in the entourage of his Father, King Adejuyigbe reflects:
“It was an amazing opportunity to observe my Baba, the Alase of Oyotunji, in all the commands and demands of being a King. I also observed, through his service to Africans in America and the undertaking of spiritual responsibilities to the tribal family within the village, and the toll it took on him.”
As a young man, King Adejuyigbe followed his first love of drumming and touring nationally and internationally performing Reggae, and African music playing alongside notables artist such as “The Wailers”, “Inner Circle”, “Freddie McGreggor”, “Junior Gong Marley”, “India Arie”, and countless others.
The development of a wide diversity of entrepreneurial skills as well as years of hard work and training in carpentry and administration on Dopkwe, (Oyotunji construction), gave birth to the “Stucco Kings” company In 2001, King Adejuyigbe moved to Key West, Fla. as an artist in residency at the Lofton B. Sands African Bahamian Museum.
King Adejuyigbe Adefunmi ll lead the team in idealizing, planning, and constructing a full-scale African Village. King Adejuyigbe Adefunmi II made many valuable contributions to the education and cultural expansion of the African American population in Key West giving daily lectures and classes to students from the Monroe County, Fla. schools.
King Adejuyigbe Adefunmi II became the King of Oyotunji on July 3, 2005, thus continuing a legacy of Yoruba Kings in America that has been confirmed and supported by the Ooni of Ile-Ife (the King of the holy city of Ife) thousands of Yoruba Americans came to celebrate the Royal Coronation.
Following the Royal Coronation, HRM traveled to The Holy city of Ile-Ife and was crowned by the Ooni of Ife just as his father did on Nov. 16, 1981. HRM was also invited to Ophia Ketou, the Republic of Benin for extensive ceremonies of installation.
When asked what His Majesty looks forward to the most, following in the footsteps of his Father, he says:
“the passion of my heart at this point in my journey is twofold, to fulfill my Baba’s vision for the Kingdom of Oyotunji in its ultimate beauty and to pass to the next generations our customs, traditions, cultural lifestyle, and skills in a way that serves the betterment of our world and its people”.
Our focus is the practical application of ancient African traditions and culture in a modern time utilizing our ancient African worldview to guide us while providing nature based solutions, the earth is our religion, and if you do not care for our mother you are disrespecting the Orisa”.
Oba Adefunmi II further aspires to increase to all peoples and cultures of the world the practical value for ancient traditions today!
In an interview, Oba Adejuyigbe Adefunmi II said:
“The reason my father the late king chose to resurrect the act of polygamy is because naturally, there are more women than men on earth and if every man and woman got together, there would be a country full of women who would be alone. The idea is that our marriages are not sanctioned by the state.
We never looked to the government or the state for approval or money, we have our own kingdom. There is a sign before you step into Oyotunji that says you are now leaving the United States of America and entering the sacred voodoo kingdom of Orisa priest, we have the laws of our people.
Basically, we are letting people know that you are leaving the mindset of America and entering with the mindset of an African. That means you may see things you do not understand and it may be different. At Oyotunji, we issue our own documentation for marriage, so your marriage is based on religion rather than politics.
Even our school in the kingdom is sanctioned by Oyotunji. In 1981, Oyotunji was issued a religious charter to operate under a 501C3 status, a non-profit status and it is called the ATA, the African Theological Arch-ministry. So, we are a product of the ATA. This is the business and “legal” arm of Oyotunji.
So we are a tax-exempt organization, so we do not pay tax to the state because we are basically considered as a church to the American government or a large religious institution. So we never look to the American government for approval.
“My wives are in Canada, Atlanta, Oyotunji, Virginia, and different places. African people always did things upfront as opposed to doing it closed doors. European people would sneak out of the big house, go into the plantation and sleep with all the slave girls, then sneak back into the house like nothing ever happened.
That is not the case with African men. I like to quote the great Fela Kuti who said that African men don’t run around the street chasing women. Instead, he brings the women to his house and surrounds himself with them as he sits in one spot. At Oyotunji everybody does not practice polygamy, it is reserved for only the people that can afford it. It requires a lot of money and land. That scares people away from polygamy and I think I am the only Yoruba in North America that I know who practices polygamy”,
In the same interview, he continued: “Our education is based on our culture. In Oyotunji, we have our own school, we had to educate ourselves because we could not let the Oyinbos teach our children about Plato, Aristotle, Greek and all these things, we grew up learning about the ancient kingdoms, like Ile Ife, Accra, Ashanti, Ouagadougou, all those great kingdoms of our great extended African ancestors.
For a long time, people were not allowed to get jobs outside Oyotunji. Baba looked down on you if you went to get a job outside the village because he believed that we worked for the Oyinbos for over 200 years, now you should work to build an African nation in North America.
So for the first 30 years, all the income of Oyotunji came from Oyotunji. As time went on and population decreased because people started moving to other cities to take on other things, Baba encouraged his people to get jobs so that they could make their own money.
That was the time I went out and left Oyotunji to explore the outside world. I took up construction and started to learn the major conventional way of building houses and this is something we brought back to Oyotunji. Basically we were taught to go out, acquire something and bring it back to build our nation.
I was about 22 years old when I moved to California from there I went to Atlanta then I took up an artisan residence in Key West Florida. I took my both construction knowledge and my African knowledge to build a small village in Key West where the local people there could come and see the Yoruba culture in that little village.
It was when I was about 25 years old that I was called back to Oyotunji to assume the throne. I had to give up my fabulous life as a musician to become the king. I played with reggae bands and we travelled, stayed in hotels, met girls, drank, ate and made money. I travelled with a few bands in North America.
I performed rap music as well for many years, however, when it was time, they called me home and I had to give up everything in one day. I was living the good life, going to parties one day and the next day I was in Oyotunji dressed in black mourning dress for three months. We used the traditional coronation process as our ancestors did.”
HISTORY THROUGH PICTURES
Ile Afrique , Oyotunji’s new guest lodging
Oba Ofuntola designed A flag with red, gold and green bars; the gold emblazoned with a black ancient Egyptian ankh. The Yoruba temple would march thru the streets with flag and drums headed to the 67 Worlds Fair
Later in 1993 Oba Ofuntola I became the only Official representative of traditional African religion to address the Parliament of World Religions in the 100 yrs of the organization. African delagation pictured in rear
The Village square
Students from HABESHA collective tour Oyotunji Village
OyoTunji in 1978
Oyotunji has restored to the African American the anciet right of Gelede ( recognized by UNESCO) and Egungun Ancestor worship
Oba Adefunmi
Mali styled grand entrance to Oyotunji African Village
Later in 1973 Oba Adefunmi I commenced the construction of the Osagiyan Palace at Oyotunji
King Adefunmi II traveled and built replicas of African Villages in Milwaukee, WI
In the summer of 1993 Oba Ofuntola was recognized as the oldest living Babalawo in the USA and became the Araba of Ijo Orunmila Igbo Mimo
In the fall of 1970, Oba Ofuntola I founded the Yoruba Village of Oyotunji in Beaufort County South Carolina, and began the careful reorganization of the Orisa vodu priesthood along the traditional Nigerian lines
In 1981 Oba Efuntola was sponsored by the Caribbean Visual Arts and Research Center to present a paper at a conference of Orisa-Vodu priests at the Univeristy of Ile-Ife,Nigeria
HRM. Oba Adefunmi I has been called The Father of the Cultural Restoration Movement in N.America
HEBESHA students listen intently as the King speaks during Obanjoko ( audience with the King)
German students pose with Oba Adefunmi II
OYOTUNJI AFRICAN VILLAGE TODAY
Now after 51years, the Kingdom of Oyotunji African Village continues to sustain and promote an appreciation for the “depth of culture, beautiful art, the grandeur of customs and resilient history of the New World Yoruba in the United States.”
In Oyotunji, you have to be married in order to own land. they don’t sell land but they give it to you based on your needs. If you need land, you would have to get a wife and write a petition to the Oba who would grant you some land. If you want to expand, then you can get more wives.
If you have more wives and children, the Oloyotunji would give you more land so that you would continue to build. You have to practice Yoruba etiquette, they do not have a moral system but an etiquette system which are some of the things that they expect you to do.
The ethics of Oyotunji require that you dobale (prostrate) when you see your elder or you ‘tesile’, that is when you touch the ground and kiss your hand. It is a form of respect. At Oyotunji, you have to wear the Yoruba aso (clothes).
Oyinbo (foreign) clothes are not necessarily permitted. They accept jeans and dashiki. Women are not allowed to wear pants. Sometimes if they have visitors that are wearing tight dresses, Oyotunji women would wrap them with a cloth to cover them up because this is the law.
They are cultural people and they have ways of doing things, not like the Oyinbo people. There is no fighting in the village and if there is a fight, the aggressor would have to pay. If you want to continue fighting, the elders would take you into the Igbo (forest) and both of you can continue. Once that is done, it is over.
Each person is required to pay an assessment to the crown. Young boys and girls are not allowed to fraternize and date like you have in the western society where you end up with teenage pregnancy. They have the men and women compounds. You also have to join your gender society at 14.
It is like the right of passage, the boys join the Akinkanju society (society of courage), while the girls join the egbe Moremi because their heroine is Moremi. All the women in Oyotunji strive to be like Moremi. The idea is that they utilize the laws and rules of Yoruba culture.
Many years ago, if they had a dance in Oyotuji men and women could not dance together unless you were married and even if you were married, there must be space between both parties while dancing but things are a bit relaxed now. You also have to report daily for community service.
Oyotunji represents a reshaping of African cultural and religious traditions while reflecting black nationalist trends. Black nationalist ideals ranged from racial consciousness and religious separatism to political independence and date back to the nineteenth century. Village residents enacted these tenets at Oyotunji by combining them with African-derived cultural and historical elements.
Oyotunji African Village is the first intentional community based on the culture of the Yoruba and Dahomey tribes of West Africa; founded (1970) in the Americas. Now in 2018, after over 45 years of sustaining the only Kingdom based on traditional Yoruba sociology and values, OAV brings to the Low-country and greater global community the depth of culture, beautiful art, the grandeur of customs, and resilient history of the New World Yoruba.
Oyotunji African Village is positioned as the pinnacle center for learning, exploring, and celebrating the ancient traditions and culture of the Yoruba people of present-day West Africa. The vision of this unprecedented institution lends itself to flowering into a national and international ethnic, cultural, resource, and service-based community. With goals to cultivate media production (print and audiovisual) facilities, ongoing sustainable agriculture/mariculture initiatives, as well as import/export and entertainment conglomerate business ventures.
The Kingdom of Oyotunji African Village’s core business is to serve in the elevation of humanity’s understanding and appreciation of the genius, highly technical, social, and Royal hierarchy of African people. The institution of OAV serves as a real-time reminder of the sociology and African world view contribution made to society by African ancestors of antiquity.
AFRICAN THEOLOGICAL ARCHMINISTRY (A.T.A.): The mission and vision of the African Theological Archministry (A.T.A) is to organize and create places of worship while preserving and teaching the spiritual technologies, cultures, and heritage of our Yoruba-based African ancestors. We commit to creating an institution that will inspire and empower all people to consider the use of ancient African traditions as a basis to revitalize ourselves, families, communities, oceans, rivers, lakes, animals, and soil.
The calling card of the African Theological Archministry is cultural restoration through innovation and serviceability. African Theological Archministry’s future goal is to cultivate a united inter-generational collection of traditional chiefs, leaders, dignitaries and African Traditional Religious devotees, and Pan-African professionals who share and distribute educational programs and materials dedicated to the spiritual, psychological, social, and economical freedom of people’s of African descent.
Oloyotunji and the Alaafin of Oyo
Oloyotunji and the Ooni of Ife
The village is also a destination for visitors who are encouraged to enjoy the following:
–The Trader’s Bazaar African Market located within Oyotunji African Village is a 25-year-old authentic African market operated by Village residents. Many hand-carved wooden statues, beaded jewelry, books, cloth, and traditional attire along with spiritual charms, soaps, and other products adorn the shelves of this market.
–On-site lodging for overnight stays: Oyotunji African Village visitors now have the opportunity to stay on-site within its newly renovated, hostel-styled Afrique.
–Festivals – The Kingdom of Oyotunji African Village hosts 14 annual traditional African Festivals and ceremonies that are open to the public from January until December.
–Cultural Education: OAV is positioned as the pinnacle center for learning, exploring, and celebrating the ancient traditions and culture of the Yoruba people of present-day West Africa.
— Eat, sleep and play without leaving the village: Meals are available on-site.
The Kingdom of Oyotunji African Village’s core business is to serve in the elevation of humanity’s understanding and appreciation of the genius, highly technical, social, and Royal hierarchy of African people. The institution of OAV serves as a real-time reminder of the sociology and African world view contribution made to society by African ancestors of antiquity.
Prophet Daniel Abodunrin is remembered by most Nigerians to date for his miracle mission that later became his doom. Determined to recreate a biblical occurrence, he wanted to prove that he is the modern-day Daniel and that what happened around 620 B.C. could repeat itself in the year 1991 A.D.
It was gathered that during the Easter Lenten season of 1991, the famed Zoological Garden University of Ibadan was populated with lots of tourists having a nice time. Amongst them was a prophet abhorring a sinister motive, unlike the others.
Driven by the zeal and passion of religion and with the utmost belief that he would be saved by the Holy Spirit or that the angels will paralyze the lions as they did for Daniel, Prophet Daniel Abodunrin didn’t stop praying, thereby providing what was the spectacle of the year for everyone in the zoo.
Many people condemned the prophet for such a bizarre act while others believed the lions were possessed by demons stronger than the prophet and demanded that they should be killed. While some believe that he is not a true man of God but a pretender who just wanted to test his “unchristian” spiritual powers.
CHARACTER OF THE BIBLICAL DANIEL
The character of Daniel (God is Judge – Belteshazzar) inside the bible remains one like no other, he was simply a man of high esteem, in fact, no weakness was recorded of him.
We know that Daniel was a young man of the nobility and was the cream of the crop of the Israelites. He was young, likely 16-18 at this time, good-looking, intelligent, and wise. He was taken as a captive for just these reasons.
After a time of training in the Babylonian ways, culture, language, etc. he entered the personal service of Nebuchadnezzar as an adviser and also an overseer. Daniel lived in Babylon for over 60 years, into his eighties.
Daniel grew up in a turbulent time. He was born around 620 B.C. and taken to Babylon after the siege of Jerusalem ended (it started in 605 B.C.) Israel had been under attack for some time and succumbed to the world power of Babylon.
Daniel, along with many other native Hebrews, was exiled to Babylon for many years. Jews loved their homeland, Jerusalem, and the temple, but were forced from their homes and taken to a foreign culture and country.
Daniel was merely a boy when he was forced to leave everything he knew. All the rest of his life he lived in a pagan and sinful culture. There were continual temptations to live as the sinful people around him. Peer pressure was strong to get him to conform.
A law was even passed forbidding the worship of anyone/anything except the Persian king. It was certainly not an easy life or an easy time in the history of Israel for Daniel to live. Daniel was about 80 when Persia conquered Babylon.
Daniel was very uncompromising, relied on God, humble, wise, and above all; undauntingly bold. He pronounced the true meaning of dreams and visions, even when those could have been negative and unpopular.
One of the most popular events or acts he was directly involved in his lifetime was the “lion’s den occurrence”. Other popular events or acts are; interpreting the dreams for Nebuchadnezzar on two occasions, interpreting the handwriting on the wall for Belshazzar, and the visions about the future of the world.
Daniel lived long, into his 80s. Although there was no record of how he died, he lived a well-fulfilled and celebrated life.
The Character of Prophet Daniel Abodunrin
The fact that the Prophet’s first name is Daniel could be a hint at how the man wanted to be seen by others as Daniel in the bible. Prophet Daniel Abodunrin was also referred to as a Bishop or a pastor.
Obviously, Prophet Daniel Abodunrin’s goal was to demonstrate something that had never been done before. His plan was to replicate what was written in the Holy Bible thousands of years ago about Daniel.
I’m of the opinion that religion is powerful, faith moves mountains and of course, greater feats than the one attempted by Prophet Daniel Abodunrin have been achieved by men of God before and after 1991 when he dared to enter the lion’s den.
Another interesting factor to consider about Prophet Daniel Abodunrin is the fact that he wore a red robe to replicate the biblical Daniel, not a suit like it’s the custom of an average Nigerian Pastor. He was probably determined to show the world that he could demonstrate God’s power as Daniel did in the bible.
An account of the event mentioned that he approached one of the staff of The Zoo to allow him to go inside Lion’s enclosure but the staff refused and told him he cannot do that. Determined to enter the lion’s enclosure, he still went ahead to sneak in.
Prophet Daniel Abodunrin was obviously determined to recreate a biblical occurrence, he wanted to prove that he is the modern-day Daniel and that what happened around 620 B.C. could repeat itself in the year 1991 A.D.
Prophet Daniel Abodunrin could have been a Christian and not a pretender depending on dark magic. He could have just been an overzealous man of God trying to prove that God is powerful or rather that he is a powerful man of God.
The University of Ibadan Zoological Garden
Ibadan, the capital of Oyo state, is the largest city in Nigeria and the third in Africa after Cairo and Johannesburg. The city which lies in the southwestern part of Nigeria is known for its rich and fascinating cultures, lifestyle, history, and spellbinding tourist destinations.
One of the most visited tourist destinations in Ibadan is the Zoological Garden University of Ibadan which came into existence over six decades ago and became a full-fledged zoo in 1974. The Zoological Garden is mainly for tourism, education, and entertainment purposes.
The garden has now been stocked with more and new species of animals. Animals are grouped in different sections of the zoo. Sections in the garden include the Avian, Herbivore, Carnivore, Reptile, Primate, and small animal sections.
It is a popular custom of many families living in Ibadan to visit the zoo during festive periods to hang out and have fun as well. It is a popular tourist site in the city of Ibadan; vacation in the state capital is incomplete without a visit to the Zoological Garden University of Ibadan.
Prophet Daniel Abodunrin And The Lions In The University Of Ibadan Zoo
It was gathered that during the Easter Lenten season of 1991, the famed Zoological Garden University of Ibadan was populated with lots of tourists having a nice time. Amongst them was a prophet abhorring a sinister motive, unlike the others.
Prophet Daniel Abodunrin was also in the Zoological Garden University of Ibadan on this particular day but not as a tourist. The acclaimed man of God had previously adorned a flowing red robe like he was from Babylon and had only with him a bible.
Of all the sessions in the Zoological Garden University of Ibadan, the most populated session is where the lions are kept. Of all the animals in the world, lions are one of the most recognized animals. In most stories, myths, and cultures, a lion is indisputably the king of animals.
As one of the most widely recognized animal symbols in human culture, the lion has been extensively depicted in sculptures and paintings, on national flags, and in contemporary films and literature. It’s not a surprise that any tourist to the Zoological Garden University of Ibadan ensures they see a lion.
Amongst the teeming number of tourists was Prophet Daniel Abodunrin in his red robe, clinging tight to his bible. Most people didn’t notice him and those that did never imagined he’ll dare what he was planning to do on this fateful day.
Some accounts maintained that Prophet Daniel Abodunrin approached some of the staff and that they should allow him into the Lions’ cage. He was denied access and strictly warned not to dare such a thing at the Zoological Garden University.
Another version has it that he managed to convince one of the zookeepers to allow him to enter and let God demonstrate signs and wonders saying that the God of Daniel is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Other accounts of the event insist that he sneaked in without informing the staff at all and he was already inside before they could see him talk less of stopping him at all. One thing is certain from all the accounts; Prophet Daniel Abodunrin managed to enter the lions’ enclosure.
Instantly, all eyes were on him, the supposed audience were both perplexed, anxious, and terrified. They glued their eyes on Prophet Daniel Abodunrin with a bewildering mixture of shock and terror, screams rented the serene atmosphere.
Prophet Daniel Abodunrin was not discouraged or made to change his decision despite his onlooker’s reactions. he began reciting Bible verses and speaking in tongues and calling unto the ‘God of Daniel’ to perform wonders.
He made it into the enclosure of the lions and stared at them. The lions stared back at him. It was a most discomforting sight for everyone, including the lions. An exchange of death stares and at a point, a deafening silence fell over the whole place.
Some devout Christians in the crowd were waiting to see a faith-enhancing miracle, they believed and cheered him on, and they were praying along with him while some others were realistic enough to toughen their minds for the bloodiest drama of the century.
Driven by the zeal and passion of religion and with the utmost belief that he would be saved by the Holy Spirit or that the angels will paralyze the lions as they did for Daniel, Prophet Daniel Abodunrin didn’t stop praying, thereby providing what was the spectacle of the year for everyone in the zoo.
A crowd had gathered. But inside the den of the lions, something interesting was going on with the Nigerian Daniel and the feline beasts. Old Naija’s account maintained he kept chanting: Jah, Jah, Jah which was believed to be a shortened form of Jehovah.
Prophet Daniel Abodunrin almost became a celebrity as the lions retreated to a corner as the prophet approached their enclosure. He was jubilant and felt gratitude as some of the spectators kept hailing him for his courage.
Those expecting the lions to tear him into pieces were already feeling disappointed. They felt even more disappointed when he moved closer determined to cow the lions and turn them into goats. He felt he possessed all the heavenly authority and spiritual powers to summon angels to weaken the lions.
Unknown to the to-be African version of Daniel and some of his new fans, retreating is the first thing lions do when they see something unusual in their territory. They first observe and later they get rid of suspected intrusion in their domain.
In a flash, the lions pounced on the bemused, confused, and horrified prophet. His only weapon, the Bible flew away and landed with a thud. A bitter struggle ensued and the terrified crowd could not believe the scene before their eyes. It seemed everyone was too confused or fixated to even do anything.
The look of terror in his eyes could only be better imagined. In a matter of seconds, he was torn to shreds. He died on the spot and the lions snacked on his remains. His red robe was redder with the splatter of his blood all over the place, his torn and bloodied Bible in one corner of the lions’ cage.
A stampede ensued in the zoo as people took to their heels after seeing such a horrible sight they will never forget in their lives. The prophet’s remains were collected and later buried. That was how Prophet Daniel Abodunrin met his bitter and horrible end.
Many people condemned the prophet for such a bizarre act while others believed the lions were possessed by demons stronger than the prophet and demanded that they should be killed. While some believe that he is not a true man of God who just wanted to test his “unchristian” spiritual powers.
The Aftermath
In an instant, the story was all over the country that a pastor who entered the lion’s den was mauled to death and consumed by the beasts. Many could not believe their ears. However, there were some Christians who actually believe that the pastor was a true man of God and that the lions were actually possessed by demons to have attacked the anointed ‘man of God’. This set of Christians were enraged and demanded that the lions be killed.
At this point, I will make reference to the experience of a journalist from that era, someone who actually had the experience of the saga, Akeem Soboyode, he wrote of the incident in July 2004:
About a year later, I also had cause to comment on the sad and tragic escapade of a pastor who deliberately sneaked into the lion’s den at the University of Ibadan Zoo and was mauled to death by a lion. Despite my growing reservation then regarding issues of religion, my interest in writing an article on that issue came primarily from the fact that I am a proud alumnus of the university and paid many visits to that zoo while I was a student there. Immediately after the tragic event, many suggested that the lion be put to death.
I argued in my article, also published in the PUNCH, that the lion was a beast, not a rational being as one would expect its victim to be. That was the way nature programmed it to react to such an event, and the unthinking “Daniel” should have known better.
I don’t recall if the lion was eventually destroyed, but I do remember that after the article was published, one of my Christian friends made a comment along these lines: “Ore (Friend), don’t you know the lion must have been possessed to have killed the pastor? Why should it deserve to live?”
S.T SOAP: THE RISE AND FALL OF A PROMISING INDIGENOUS BRAND
Late Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu’s quality item, S.T Soap, immediately turned into an easily recognized name during the 80s into the 90s, due to its potency, packaging, and rhythmic advert jingle which practically turned into a public hymn, particularly in the South West, which obviously was responsible for the fame and excessive demand in the market by all.
In 1979 Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu popularly known as S.T began what was referred to as S.T Soaps Limited with the amount of 5,000 naira (N5000). In an interview with L’abe Orun Program, Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu said he got N3000 from his father after which he added his own N2000. Before starting S.T Soaps Limited, Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu was buying Garri from Auchi and reselling it in Lagos.
The business kept expanding, S.T Soaps extended from the passageways of his home to raising a cutting-edge processing plant in Ijebu-Mushin, Ogun State. Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu Worked and thrived from his monstrous industrial facility, with huge loads of laborers in his workforce.
Notwithstanding his small degree of Education, Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu understood the significance of commercials on viable showcasing, he contributed a gigantic entirety on being noticed despite the huge amount of money it cost him, the brand’s Jingle on the then Radio Nigeria and across media houses actually inspires nostalgic musings. By the mid-’90s, the organization grew from the popular S.T Soap to making polythene products having over 1,000 labour force the majority of which were indigenes of Ijebu-Mushin.
You’ll definitely remember the S.T soap advert that goes thus:
Call: Ose S.T mare oo
Response: eee
Call: Ose S.T mare oo
Response: eee
Call: Okan dara fun we lasan
Response: eee
Call: Okan dara faso fifo
Response: eee
Call: Elo S.T ke ridi oro wa
All: Gbogbo kokoro ara ojobo, gbogbo idoti yen o le raiye, eela ishaka ewa bi gba lo, on foso mo kii jaso o sa, ole koko kii jewo o jare.
Call: Ose S.T mare oo
Response: eee
Late Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu
Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu’s irregular downfall started in October 2004 when the assembly line laborers at his S.T Soaps Limited started to racket for a “staff association” with the excuse that they were being used as a slave in the manufacturing company. Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu was purportedly disappointed with the possibility of a staff association inside the premises of his business, he contended that the thought isn’t proper in a sole ownership enterprise, the S.T Soaps Limited staffs who affirmed that they are being abused by the organization’s administration, started a protest by abandoning their tasks.
During the dissent, one of the staff of S.T Soaps Limited purportedly damaged a mixing machine worth five million naira. This incensed Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu who welcomed the police to capture the miscreant however on getting to the scene the police terminated irregularly noticeable all around and captured everyone they discovered including non-staffs and outsiders.
One of the locals (a deaf kid) was said to have been hit by a stray bullet. The police contribution made a total pandemonium, the residents were angered, they promised to annihilate the manufacturing plant, S.T Soaps Limited if the arrested indigenes were not delivered from police custody, the old women threatened to protest naked with a left foot sandal and a left earring, realizing the consequences of his actions, Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu called for the released of the protesters and everyone arrested at the scene.
Eventually, Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu had to give in to the demands of his workers by giving room for a labour union despite the fact that S.T Soaps Limited was a sole ownership enterprise just to allow peace reign. However, in an interview, he claimed that allowing the workers’ association worsened the issue and the employees started feeling high and mighty.
He said they started demanding an increment in salary incessantly and they were wasting the company products unnecessarily. He gave an instant when they would mix soda used in making soap after which they would abandon the mixed soda and request for a meeting with their employer, Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu himself. If he couldn’t show up due to one reason or the other, they would refuse to work and waste the mixed soda.
Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu maintained that those usually spearheading such acts were the indigenes of Ijebu-Mushin, he said they had a sense of entitlement since Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu himself wasn’t an indigene of Ijebu-Mushin. To curb the wastage of resources and motivate a smooth flow of activities in the organization, Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu sacked about fifty of the indigenous employees encouraging the unethical acts but it only worsened the issue as the whole community was displeased with this particular action.
It took the mediation of the police D.P.O and a well reputable chief of Ijebu-Mushin to suppress the developing unsettling influence, the two players; Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu and the S.T Soaps Limited staffs were called to a roundtable and a mutual ground was reached in the month of November 2004.
However, on Friday, May 13th, 2005, five policemen from the Elewe-Eran police station, Abeokuta, stormed the processing plant, S.T was arrested, one lepper from a nearby town called Baba Oníkèké had implicated him in a kidnapping and ritual case, Baba Baba Oníkèké who was a lepper asserted that Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu routinely purchases human parts from him. Baba Oníkèké insisted that he sold two human eyes to Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu for Two thousand naira. When Baba Oníkèké was told to identify Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu, he couldn’t point out who Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu was between him and his managers.
On hearing this, Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu’s first house, second house, and office were scoured by the police, however, nothing was found, the legal dispute ranges for a while yet the case was at last excused by His revered, O.S Moronfolu of the Magisterial district, Chief Magistrate court, Ijebu-Ode on June 7th, 2005.
Following these occurrences, unfortunately for him, the ritual allegation case against Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu ruined him. As someone who used to be very popular and prominent on the Ijebu social scene and even beyond, he suddenly went low, while his once thriving and booming soap business, S.T Soap also went under and comatose; which ultimately forced him to leave the scene, and retired into more private and secluded life for years, with nothing virtually heard about him or his whereabouts.
Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu couldn’t recapture his feet, His once-mighty industry, S.T Soaps Limited became history. He went into depression, his life never stays as before. In an interview, he said his greatest mistake in life was employing a larger percentage of Ijebu-Mushin indigenes anytime he had to recruit workers. He maintained that they had a great sense of entitlement and strongly believed that they are the reason he was successful.
Affirming the toll which the ritual allegations had on him and his wave-making and profitable soap business. A case, he believed was maliciously orchestrated by his detractors, at that time but the deed is done. No one heard anything about the great Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu of S.T Soaps Limited again until October 5, 2020, when the news that he kicked the bucket filtered out. The great indigenous industrialist died at the age of 64 following quite a while of engaging an undisclosed ailment.
Alhaji Safiriyu Tiamiyu was survived by many wives, children, grandchildren, with a vast estate. According to family sources, he was laid to rest the same day he died according to Islamic rites.
