As the annual egungun festival begins on Monday 3rd July, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso 1 has called for peaceful conduct from all sets of masquerades and their followers in the course of the 3-week long festival.
Noting that the annual egungun festival is a celebration of Ibadan custom and tradition, Olubadan warned that the festival should not be turned into an avenue to unleash terror and violence on the people.
Oba Adetunji in a press statement signed by
Adeola Oloko Director, Media and Public affairs to His Imperial Majesty Olubadan of Ibadaland
stated that the law enforcement agents have assured the people of their readiness to maintain law and order by arresting and prosecuting offenders with intent to cause mayhem during the festival.
Said he: ‘As a monarch, my appeal to our people is to celebrate the festival within the ambit of the law. Also, I will like to persuade our people to avoid use of dangerous weapons like guns, daggers, machetes and broken bottles not only during the egungun festival but also after it as the long arm of the law would not spare any merchant of violence’
it would be recall that last year, about 18 vehicles were destroyed around Akuro and Igbonna Area in Ibadan when some masquerades and their followers engaged street urchins in a free-for-all, leaving the residents to tell tales of woes.
He urged the masquerades and their followers to follow the routes already lined up for them by the law enforcement agents, saying going to market places and highly congested areas might put people in harm’s way.
Originally slated to begin on June 4, the egungun festivals had to be shifted till July 2 due to unfavourable security reports. The masquerades are expected to pay traditional homage to the Olubadan in his palace the first day and some other High Chiefs in their family houses to offer them prayers at different dates.
