Idolosa, an agrarian village in Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State is pinned down by a plethora of ancient taboos. It is now craving for development, Assistant Editor Bola Olajuwon reports.
For a first-time visitor, what welcomes one to Idolosa are farmlands and palm trees, which are the main economic sources of the inhabitants. The village can only be accessed through a network of un-tarred roads, which are slippery during rainy season. Besides these, the village, which is about 20 minutes’ drive from Agosasa, a nearby town, is highly respected by surrounding villages and towns, owing to its deity called ‘Olojikan’ and ancient taboos, which the inhabitants hold sacrosanct. The village is headed by Onido Oba Haruna Ishola Obanla of Obanla Ruling House. But the saying that ‘uneasy lies the head that wears the crown’ is more apt in describing the taboos surrounding the Onido himself.
The monarch and a plethora of taboos
According to Idolosa tradition, its monarch cannot sleep outside his domain, even for one day. He does not associate with other monarchs because he is forbidden from seeing any other crown-wearing monarch, although he now craves for such socialisation. History has it that such a meeting is always fatal.
Also, the Onido cannot see a native woman, who just put to bed face-to-face – except after three lunar months. He and his visitors cannot sit on chairs in the palace – except on the treated skin of cows slaughtered for Olojikan during its annual celebration. He must also straddle himself with a white wrapper before adorning any other cloth, which must also be straddled. However the monarch can wear the native sokoto (trousers).
That’s not all. It is customary for Onido to visit the Olojikan Shrine first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
Despite these ancient restrictions, the residents and indigenes adulate the town’s customs and culture as the authentic when compared to other Yoruba domains already consumed by civilisation.
A prince of the town, Fatai Obanla said the un-initiated would be awe-struck when taken through the process of selection of their kings and chiefs. He ascribed the peace being enjoyed in the town to “observance of our native laws, no matter how others call them”.
Another resident, Femi Adewole said there is nothing secretive about the town’s culture and customs. “All residents,” he said, “are aware that we take them sacrosanct and no one dares go against them since we all know the repercussions”.
Amidst all the don’ts, the sixth king of the town craves for its growth. In an interview with The Nation, he urged Ogun State and Ipokia Local Government to consider the agrarian community for agricultural projects and industrial development.
The myth about the king, kingship and deity
In a town where one can hardly separate its kings from its sacred shrine, the monarch gave a background about himself and the myth surrounding the town and its kingship. He said: “My name is Haruna, my father is an Alhaji, having once performed the Muslim hajj. His name is Alhaji Rasheed Obanla. I attended school a little and later learnt some crafts because there wasn’t enough money to sponsor my education. When my father’s elder brother died, the people in the town said that the Obanla family should continue to rule the town. That’s how I got here.
“On kingship, it started before I was born. I knew the third king, although they did not do his initiation in my presence. The second king was the elder brother of my father. So, when he died, the people and the youths in the town said he did not live long enough on the throne and that the family of Obanla, our family, should continue ruling; that is why I am here as king.“
On the royal families in Idolosa town, the monarch said: “Obanla family rules and we are still on the throne. But Adeoye, Oyero and Oluwabi families can also rule.”
On the relationship among the royal families, Oba Obanla asserted: “We are from the same source. We are one but just have different names. It is this deity, Olojikan that brought us together; it is our source. As we heard from our fathers, we came from Ilé-Ifè.
“When our forefathers were coming from Ilé-Ifè with the Olojikan deity, they got to many places before they got to Agosasa. If you go to Agosasa now and ask for the deity, it is there. After that, they went to Agada; if you get to Agada and ask for the deity, it is there. After Agada, they went to Idoforo. When they got to Idoforo, the deity couldn’t settle down there and so they passed through Idomasha before getting here.
“After they got here, the water deity also got here and Olojikan also got here. The initial deity said it will be taking a cow as sacrifice yearly and Olojikan also said the same thing. As we all know that two bosses cannot rule in the same territory, so the water deity left and Olojikan settled down here. We are one family here. We cannot separate our deity from our kingship. Olojikan gave our kingship its authority long before we started crowning kings here.”
On how long the town has been in existence, Oba Obanla explained that only the town’s elders can give adequate reply to such a question because “I am still very young and I don’t have adequate information about that”.
Explaining some of the taboos that surround his kingship, the Oba said: “I can’t see another king at the same time. And the reason is this: whenever I want to see another king, I won’t put the native crown on and the other king won’t also put on his own crown. Both of us can only put on ordinary cap and not native crown.”
He said the town’s monarchs do not attend obas’ meeting. “No, during our forebears’ time, they do not go for such meetings. But I will like to attend such meetings during my own regime, so that we can also be receiving good tidings in my town,” Oba Obanla said.
On why a woman who just gave birth cannot see him as a king, he submitted: “It is true because it is our tradition and what we met with our forebears. Even if it is my wife that gives birth, it is until the next three month before I can see her. A woman that is living in this town, who just gave birth cannot see me for three months and she cannot eat ‘eko’, otherwise known as pap, made from corn. It is an abomination. Other people in the town can eat ‘eko’ but she is exempted. The three months that I am talking about is not the Gregorian calendar. Rather, it is counted with the moon. “
In search of growth
But in the face of these taboos, Oba Obanla said: “In my own regime, I want this town to develop. There is no one on earth that will not die, but I want a progressive change for my town in my regime. I want a positive change for my town in the name of Obanla family.”
On whether he can sell portions of the land, especially if the government comes and says it wants to build something on it, he said, “We all know that it is the government that owns the land. We are just trying to take possession of it. If the government comes and say it want to build a school or a company on it, we cannot build it on our own, so it is mandatory on us to allow the government to do it.
“This land is what we inherited from our forefathers but owing to civilisation, I cannot say if I can sell it or can’t because I don’t want the town to remain stagnant.”
Onido explained the power of the Olojikan deity thus: “It is very powerful. But the irony is that it is from it that we got Islam and Christianity. So, it does not stop us from embracing Islam and Christianity. Even as the monarch, I do give them money in the mosque and in the church. I do give them money to fuel their generators so that they can have light whenever the electricity power is out. I do pray here in my house and at the same time, I do worship the deity.”
On whether he can leave his town and sleep in another town, he said: “No, I can’t. The reason is that I must go to the deity every morning and night. I must greet the deity every morning as I wake up and before going to bed at night. I may have played outside in the early hours of the morning but I must come back to the deity to pray. I can’t even leave it and travel abroad, even just for one week.”
On what he wants the government to do for him and the village, he said: “Firstly, I need a car. Secondly, we need water. Since the regime of other kings, we’ve never had water in the town. We need water and better facilities for schools. “
On the taboo that forbids him from sitting on a chair, Oba Onido said, “I can sleep on the bed, but I cannot sit on a chair in the palace. I do sit on the animal skin of sacrificed cow during our deity’s annual celebration.”
The crossroad
The only visible forms of development in the village are the village primary school, the mosque and church worship sessions blaring via the public address systems, music from the few entertainment spots and a few notable houses.
But amidst the craving for government intervention, the monarch warned: “I don’t want to go against this town’s laws and customs. This has never happened and it won’t happen during my reign.”
Some of the residents interviewed agreed with the oba that the customs remain sacrosanct and non-negotiable.
