Cultural Heritage Groups

Oro is an old event gods, in the days of our forefathers, we had the months that we celebrated the festival (May and June). Magbo is in May and has a Pakor June, 17 days Days interval we do during our general market day (Oburu Oke) we don't do it on friday and sunday because of other religion. Before the date is selected, we must update our king and he will look at the schedule with the government for free access and check if the date is free, after that it will be communicated to the Ministry of art and culture for approval. The notice will also be sent to all security departments in the state. After this process, we bring the Oro gods from Agbele (Magbo) and also Liwe will bring theirs from Orisun  Liwe (Sholakun Oriwu).

The gods (Oro) will start prayers at night for cleanse and also for good things to come to ikorodu, during the morning time of the day before Isemo, women will come out to sweep all areas as Iyawo Ile Oloro and by night time Oro itself will go round to pray for each houses. At Oja Ita, sacrifice will be made , which includes ram, male chicken, obi, and gins along with pounded yam and egusi, these food items are to be used for sacrifice before the Isemo day that women are not meant to come out.

We have elders elders that are the head of each shrines:

• Olumale Magbo - Ajana -
• Olumale Pakor - Ajana - 
• Alase Liwe - Ajana -

The celebration is one of the prominent festivals in Ikorodu, it is the type of festival when all sons and daughters of Ikorodu, come home from all over the world to come and celebrate, mostly because of prayers and thanksgiving.

During the Isamo Day of the festival, all shrines will come and pray for the King and all our visitors including Kings from other communities. The King will give drinks and Obi back to the shrines to use in prayers for the community as a whole and the Oro will be taken to every home and only the men are allowed to come out. Once the prayer section is over during the night, it will bring peace, wealth and success to the land of Ikorodu and state in general.

Note: before the festival starts, it will be discussed in the radio and newspaper for everyone to be aware of the festival period.

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Obaluaye is the first Orisa that God sent down to the world, is the king of all Orisa, which are the gods of wind. Obaluaye communicate with whistles (isu-fe) and the whistle can not be  done in the afternoon during the hot sun because it may lead to sickness and there is a precaution for it. 

• Nobody can worship the god with an evil heart or wickedness, only those who apply truth can relate with the god.
• The God of Obaluaye stays wherever he desires, Obaluaye  doesn't easily stay anywhere and has been in Ikorodu for a very long time, over 400 years.
• The god is a very jealous one, and must be worshipped every time to tend its anger to avoid calamity in the kingdom
• The god does not worship other gods, and Obaluaye has many gods underneath it, like; Orisa Ibayin, Orisa baale, Sango, Obatala, Osun, Agoro, Wari-warun, Olugbola, Eerinle, Oyaa, Iyemoje, Iroko, Oke, Esu, Ogun etc.
• The adage for Obaluaye (Oriki) Olode, Shoponno etc.
• The rulers for Obaluaye; Alagbo, Asogun, Iyalode, Majeobaje, Asipa, Amugege, Baase, Afooooooo olodumare.
• The head of Obaluaye worshippers in Ikorodu is, Chief Mrs Olumade Kehinde Olayinka.
• Obaluaye worshippers tend different items to worship, goat, ram, cock, bush meat, cow, roasted corn, beans and corn porridge, pap, palm oil, black cloth, red cloth, alcohol, bitter cola etc.
• Obaluaye festival is every month of June in a year.

Obaluaye Office Address: 40, Adeniran Ogunsanya Street Sabo ikorodu Lagos Nigeria.

Head: High chief Mrs Olumade Kehinde Olayinka: 08028352999

Ashogun: Oja-bello Abiodun: 08024502718

Secretary: Yusuf Oluwafunke Abidemi: 08052349412

Obaluaye Festival is held every month of June in a year.

Day activities:

• Day 1: Night vigil for every igbarumole
• Day 2: We carry and sprinkle ero around the community
• Day 3: We make sacrifice to esu, ogun and others
• Day 4: We carry sacrifice around the community to appeas the ebora and spirit
• Day 5: We make sacrifice  for Obaluaye and Orisa ibanyin
• Day 6: We make sacrifice for iroko tree  and alaragba and we party
• Day 7: We make sacrifices for all the orisas Ama kije.

Written by: Chief Mrs Olumade Kehinde Olayinka

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Agemo is the god who gives children, people looking for a solution come to worship Agemo and receive answers to their prayers. We celebrate Agemo festival every August of each year, and the festival takes seven days. Three days out of these seven days, our King will come and sit with us for the rituals. During our festival we make sacrifices to our ancestors both female and male. Whenever we want to start our festival, the Meboyi will be the first to come out before the Agemo god. Meboyi and Agemo have been united since our ancestors' reign and we celebrate every festival and activities together, they are literally one group of worshippers.

Alagemo has priest and priestess of different position and ranks:

Agemo festival is done together with the Eleku festival, during the festival the Eleku worshippers do come to meet the Alagemo worshippers and they celebrate together, this means the Alagemo, Moboyi and Eleku celebrate their festival every month of August in Ikorodu.

The Alashe of the Ikoodu Alagemo worshippers has his way of dressing, His costume consist of “Itagbe, Iyun, Iro, fila, ipawo and the other chiefs use “laba, iyun, agada, and the women uses “iyun’ while the Alagbo use “Itagbe” and they all tie their “iro and ipele”. The other male chiefs use “iro, laba and agada”.

The Agemo has Kingdom they use for worshipping and festivals:

• Gbogboro Kingdom
• Essi Kingdom
• Agogo Kingdom.

Rituals rites we use in worshipping Alagemo:

Ram, Cock, bitter cola, Yam (boiled), palm oil, water, alcohol, goat etc.

The warning; 

• Women are not privileged to enter the alagemo forest.
• Whenever Agemo descends out, women are not permitted to move close to the god, but women can move closer to moboyi without footwear.
• Agemo followers do not wear footwear during agemo festival

Written by: Chief Kazeem Ishola.

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Osugbo festival takes place in August every year. When we go to our festival, we cook yam porridge, use some food items like roasted fish as protein and everyone will eat it as a second food on the festival day and as well use pig meat.

The Apena group would make sacrifices to the Gods before starting any activities from the festival start, also there is a festival called “Odun Onile” in Osugbo, it is a yearly festival. This festival helps people with stillbirth deliver safely even when someone has other issues the sacrifice of Ela would help. 

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Written by: Chief Kareem Ore (Apena)

The Eleluku festival is celebrated during the month of August every year. The Eluku god does come out on the first day of the festival and the fourth day. 

Rituals rites we use in worshipping Eleluku:

Ram, porridge yam, palm oil, alcohol, bitter cola. 

The Eluku god is most feared in Ikorodu kingdom, but has the most sacrifice and pray for every child and adult. Only ikorodu indigene are permitted to recite Eluku praise, non-indigene must not do so.

Eluku praise chant:

Omo eluku moden, omo imale afeeleja

Omo akeni gbo ki eru ba ara ona

Omo eni oba nreti e ni ariko

Omo asale jeje bi eni ti ori obirin rii

Opa agba osugbo ofi ori e wole turuturu

Warning:

• No footwear are allowed, when following Eleku god
• No mobile phone is allowed 
• No use of umbrella
• Only ikorodu male indigene are allowed to carry the Eleku god
• Females are not permitted to see the Eleku god.

Written by: Chief Lateef Ilesanmi (Otun Asiwaju Eleluku of Ikorodu)

The lire god requires sacrifice before it descends during the festival and has another sacrifice rendered to the god before going back to the shrine

Rituals rites we use in worshipping Lire: 

Guinea fowl, pig, snails, bitter cola, shea butter, yam etc.

Several prayers are done before seeing this god.

Written by: Chief Isiaka Ayodele Bamigbose (Olotu Lire of Ikorodu)

Location: No, 25, Oba Adenike Alagbe Str, Ajina Ikorodu L/S.

Awo-opa in Ikorodu was founded in the year 1653, it is a very solid tradition in the world, and has a branch of tradition called Awo osugbo abalaiye.

The god Awo-opa worship is ‘Iji-nla’ and the god of ‘olowo-oko’, but the god known to every awo-opa as a symbol to know each other is the ‘kere-kere god’.

The kere-kere god is carried on the shoulder by ‘odagba-olokun’ and every awo-opa follows behind. Awo-opa is a dispute settler god in town, when there is trouble between family members or property dispute, awo-opa god will settle it without bias and everyone will be at peace. The ‘Iji-nla’ god and ‘olowo-oko’ are the gods used to tend peace in the town to avoid war and calamity for every visitor and indigene of Ikorodu town. 

Awo-opa celebrates its festival for all gods in the month of April of every year, after the completion of ‘olowa-oko’ sacrifice by awo-opa, success and goodwill come upon the kingdom and its people.

Symbol recognition for the female goddess are ‘omo labake’, and ‘adurofo’ is the women that carry the god sacrifice. 

Written by: Chief Orija Adedoyin

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1. Gbedu (drum tradition): This is the main King group which beat the drums during coronation of the king or chiefs, they also display during weddings and burial in ikorodu. 

• If Gbedu goes out for burials or ceremonies, there is a sacrifice that the chief priest must do before the next outing to avoid calamity.
• Gbedu is used to warn or pass messages in the kingdom before festivals. 
• Gbedu is the king of all drums in ikorodu, and whenever this drum is being played, no other drum must be played alongside it.

2. Kekeku: 

• The kekeku is a god of children, it grants expecting couples prayers concerning children when sacrifices are made.
• The Kekeku festival is done with the “Osu’ festival.  

Written by: Chief Moshood Rufai

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Turupu is a deity tradition that has been practiced since the first generation, and the god descends out of every first set of the moon in the tenth month. 

The chiefs of turupu are ranked with: 

• Baba Egbe Turupu
• Majeobaje Turupu
• Jagun Turupu
• Iya egbe Turupu

Written by: Chief Ibrahim Oladipupo

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Osanyin is one of the Orisha who knows the way concerning all the things that a person brings problems about to the elders.

The elders are the ones who solve the issues that come with children, work, or when a person encounters difficulties in life, or if a person has struggles in their destiny.

The things of heaven are handled by the elders.

The Orisha Osanyin deals with herbs; the herbs they use to cure sickness.

This Orisha Osanyin is very important.

The elders say that the Orisha Osanyin deserves respect, and one must bow in reverence to him.

Osinma explained that the things that the herbalists use to heal people come from Osanyin.

This Orisha Osanyin uses all kinds of leaves, roots, herbs, and forest animals or those in the bush for healing.

Written by: Destiny Olalouwa (General Secretary – E.T.C)

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Arafo is like a courtyard, during the days of our forefathers and we still use it till today. Any judgement this group passes, that the same judgement the government bodies will pass on.

Some of the chiefs are:

1. Laketu
2. Otu aile
3. Olumade – Eleku
4. Olumade – Agbela
5. Ese Ona

Written by: Chief Amojo Oluwaseyi (Esena Aranfo)

Oje Eleyinle Traditional Religion

Egun Aga: ilu Ikorodu

1. During the olden days, our forefathers beat a certain drum called “Aponran” and they dance to this drum sound, both male and female, young and old. 
2. After civilization, we now dance bende but not all Egun dance bende. There is a drum we call “sakare” and this drum is only danced to by a certain Egun called “Egun wowo bi ado” 
3. We celebrate the Egungun festival in the month of november the day after Ikorodu oga day celebration, we start a vigil. The first Egun called “Owuye ma bo”  which people wait to see the day after the celebration, the Egun prays for people on several requests they tend to pray.
4. After this Egun called “Owuye” goes back into the shrine in the morning, and by evening Egun “Eyinle” comes out and other masquerades follow for parade.
5. After three days Egun “Owuye” will come again and parade around the town to pray for everyone and its chiefs one after the other. 
6. After eight days, Egun “Eyinle” comes out and prays for the town and other masquerades, where a small gathering will be formed.
7. On the last day of the Egun celebration, the chiefs come and announce the day their masquerades will come out.  

Warning:

• Footwear are not allowed when following the masquerades
• Covering of is not permitted
• You don't make fun of the masquerades. 

Written by: Chief Moruf Faroye

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Written by: Chief Moruf Faroye

During the year, the Abilefo festival is held in the eighth month. Abilefo is the group that performs rituals for the town, offering sacrifices so that no evil may befall the town. These rituals are performed in the month of August, the eighth month of the year, so that the town may prosper and flourish. The festival is a sacred one that must not be neglected, because if it is not performed in that month, the elders gather to pray for the town and for its people.

It is something that strengthens unity, brings blessings to the town, and ensures peace for both men and women. The festival serves as protection and intercession for the entire town.

Secondly, when the festival is being held, people are not allowed to go outside the town unless the rituals have been completed, because the kabiyesi (the king) will be offering prayers for all the children of the town during the festival. This prayer provides long life and prosperity for the town.

Thirdly, when installing a new chief in the town, the Abilefo must first perform their rituals to pray for the chief, so that the chief may have wisdom to govern the people well. If this is not done, the chief cannot be recognized. They also bless the whole town during the festival, and after this, they move around to different chiefs’ houses across the town. Wherever they go, they will perform prayers for that chief and their household.

When they finish visiting all the chiefs’ houses, they will return to their shrine, where they perform the final sacrifices for the leaders of the Abilefo group.

The leaders of Abilefo are known by the titles: Chief Ago, Oluwo, Apena, and Asipa.

Written by: Chief Ayoola Oshodi

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Asa is one of the moonlight games often played in Ikorodu, especially in the Aga area. Our ancestors used Asa as leisure activities after they came back from the farm or from their various workplace during the moonlight time. 

During the preparation of the Asa festival, we worship a river in Aga, called Yewa. The person incharge of this ritual is the Ayona and one Asa, all chiefs, adults and community will be present whenever this ritual is going on.

The titles in Asa are: Eleku, Erelu, Asiwaju, female singers and the drummers.

After the sacrifice has been made, all Asa will come out and start dancing all around the community, the singers and drummers follow and partake in all activities.

Asa materials include: 

Ilu (Drum): Erebente, Okiri, Ilale, Kutelu, ati lele. 

Ipawo: This is a stainless steel which has holes around its hedge tied with beads in a string.

Irukere: This is an item made from the tail of an animal, we hold it when dancing and greeting people. Asa uses one, the eleku Asa uses two while the singer in front of women uses one. 

Agogo: This is an announcement item used to inform people that Asa is coming.

We celebrate the Asa festival every 4th month (April) of the year, before time, preparations are all made. 

The warning in the Asa tradition:  

• Women do not climb Asa, only male are allowed and a woman in a monthly flow must not touch Asa. 
• Asa are not permitted out during the rainy season because Asa must not step on ringworms. 

Asa Dressing: Asa wears white clothes with beads,also use these white cloths to tie their heads and irukere on their hands. 

Asa Songs:

• Egungun yewa, oosa yewa, oya ka wa lo o, kaw lo, kawa lo morisa laga o.
• Omo lomo wa lorigi loke, yewa jowo bawase.

Written by: Chief Mrs Adesanya Gbemisola O.

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1. The Igunuko festival is celebrated in the fourth month of the year for fifteen days.

The Igunuko festival does not start in the month of Awó (secrecy month) because that month is not suitable for beginning Igunuko.

1. When Igunuko begins, the Chief Scribe of Igunuko announces it to the Kabiyesi (king) Oba Ayangburen with two different messages. The first message is for the Kabiyesi alone, while the second one is presented in the presence of the Art/Culture representatives. If Kabiyesi accepts it, the message will be delivered in the presence of elders and Art/Culture chiefs.
2. On the first day of the Igunuko festival, women must not pound yam or do heavy pounding.
3. During Igunuko, women must not sit on stools or climb the roof; they should not sit in high places.
4. On the first night of Igunuko, Baba Funfun (the White Father) comes out.
5. On the second night, the ritual of sleeping outside begins, and no man should sleep with his wife.
6. Igunuko is the deity of children.
7. When the Igunuko festival begins, the Orisha Igunuko comes out.
8. During the Igunuko festival in the fourth month, no drums should be beaten with women around. Any drum that is beaten should only be for the king, and women should not participate in such drumming until it reaches the palace of Oba Ayangburen.
9. During the festival, no sleeping ritual is performed on the second day of the grand celebration. Instead, there will be performances and processions across the town of Ikorodu to the palace of Oba Ayangburen.
10. During the Igunuko period, women must not cut down trees or uproot plants, especially during the third and fifth days.
11. The Igunuko festival lasts for fifteen days before it ends.
12. On the fourth day, there must be no sleeping ritual. Those who break this rule will be heavily fined. On this day, young men go around with Igunuko masks, while women must not go near the ritual grounds.
13. On the day of the fourth-night ritual, many Igunuko come out with the Mokanalé group, followed by the Ikéja Igunuko. They will wear special costumes, and men and women alike will offer prayers for blessings.
14. Igunuko is the deity that drives away evil from the land.
15.  Igunuko is the deity of the town, and within the land where Igunuko dwells, children are never harmed or given out as sacrifices.
16. If Igunuko finds a child and the parents claim it is theirs, they must not hide it. They must take the child into the Igunuko grove; if they fail, they must not make sacrifices for that child.
17. The Igunuko deity forbids smoking cigarettes or pipes in its presence.
18. The Igunuko deity forbids wearing shoes.
19. If a woman abandons her child and the child is found by the Orisha Igunuko, Igunuko will provide that child to whoever found it, and the child will bring joy.

Written by: Chief Kolawole Ogbe.

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Aborigen Awo Agba is the main society that performs rituals.

Among the Yoruba people, the Awo Apena is a very significant secret society that everyone respects. Even foreigners do not joke with this society. Many people belong to this society. Likewise, we have different chiefs in it, such as:

1. Olori Oluwo
2. Apena
3. Abiye

These three that we are discussing have great power in society. They play important roles in the Awo (society).

(1) Olori Oluwo

Olori Oluwo is the great person in charge of the entire society. He is the one who teaches people, the one who spends on society. The Olori Oluwo is the highest authority in the Awo, the one that everyone in the society obeys.

(2) Apena

The Apena is the record keeper for the society.

He is the one that keeps all the secrets of society. He is the one that records the words of the Oluwo and all instructions.

The Apena is very important because without him, no one will know what has been decided in the society. The Apena also works with the Oluwo and other elders to keep the traditions.

(3) Abiye

Abiye is the adviser in the society.

He is the one that settles disputes among members.

If quarrels arise, the Abiye is the one that makes peace. He is a wise man who gives counsel, guiding people so that peace reigns in the society.

Written by: Chief Ifatomiwa Jamiu

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