Scores Injured As Traditional Festival Day Turns Bloody In Osun
The 2024 Olua festival in Otan Ayegbaju community, Osun State on Friday, turned bloody, leaving scores of people injured.
Sources said conflict arose from a dispute over the date of the festival, which is a sacred and peculiar celebration in the community.
According to an indigene of the town who does not want his name in print, the Head of Elemu ruling house, fractionally, is responsible for proposing the date for the festival.
He said after the date had been picked, it would be communicated to the priest, Aworo-Olua who in turn communicated to the king, Oba Lukman Fadipe.
The source said the monarch of the town, adjusted this year’s proposed date from May 23rd and 24th to May 22nd and 23rd, citing a clash with other religious activities.
“The Elemu and other ruling houses rejected the adjusted date, citing tradition and the need to hold the festival on the communityโs market day,” the source said.
He added that despite the kingโs objections, they went ahead and held their own Olua Festival on May 24th, which led to a violent clash with the group that had celebrated the festival on the adjusted date.
An eyewitness said there were gunshots and attacks by thugs, leaving many people severely injured.
Recounting his ordeal, one of the injured persons, Tosin Akintunde, said he was attacked alongside seven of his friends.
He said, โWe were at the Oluaโs forest when I was hacked by thugs. I was equally stabbed in my chest. I nearly bled to death. About seven of us were taken to the hospital for treatment while others were detained at the police station. They claimed that what we are doing is a taboo. They are wrong, we are right.โ
The king and Aworo-Olua claim that the adjusted date was necessary to avoid inter-religious conflict, while the Elemu and other ruling houses insist that the traditional date must be respected.
Aworo-Olua, Chief James Egunfemi, denied involvement in mobilizing thugs to the other Olua Festival conducted by Elemu ruling house. โI stand for peace and want peace to reign in our community. The law is above everybody, there shouldnโt be a crisis. The history of Otan-Ayegbaju is not complete without Olua festival because it has to do with the origin of the community.โ
Oba Fadipe alleged that the Elemu and Onigbo houses are the ones fanning the ember of discord in the town by holding a separate festival, which is a taboo to the culture.
He said, โI am in charge of the customs and traditions in this community. Aworo is the priest who should lead the festival joined by me. It is unfortunate that those people gathered themselves to cause conflict in the town. I adjusted the day because I didnโt want it to clash with other religious activities. One of the two days they shifted it to falls on Friday.โ
