The four major traditional festivals in Ikorodu may have faced some hindrances in year 2020, where traditional folks observed the ancient events on low key due to the global epidemic threat. The 2021-year is free of the restrictions imposed by government and the traditional festivals were all marked in successive order. The Odun-Osu, Magbo, Liwe and Agemo traditional festivals were observed in 2021 with full celebrations.
The special features of the 2021 Agemo festival were bountiful as the good people of Ikorodu officially welcomed a new chief-priest of Agemo, Alashe Wasiu Akinsanya (Weskolo) who performed his first official duties, and the people had ample opportunity to cleanse their land from evil occurrences, fates and taboos.
The Agemo festival comes fourth in line of succession to the other key traditional events in Ikorodu. The festival is a celebration and an appeal to the Agemo Deity, which is believed to have power of healing, bringing good tidings to the land and making people successful in their chosen career.
The deity, which was brought to the land by the builder of the first house in Ikorodu, has a guardian who is also the custodian and face of the festival. The guardian, known as the “Alashe,” must emerge from three of the designated families in Ikorodu. Like the Levites of the ancient Jews, whose descendants produces the chief priest of the Jerusalem Temple, the Ayanbadejo Family, the Asemade Family and the Asekuloye Family are the rightful heirs to the spiritual stool of the Ikorodu Agemo.
The first Agemo to be performed in the post-covid-19 lockdown on August 30, 2021 was officiated by a new Alashe. High Chief Gbolahan Wasiu Akinsanya is the fourteenth Alashe and was installed on March 24, 2021, a day after his immediate predecessor died on March 23, 2021. He was excited about the special duties attached to his office and made efforts to make his first task a success.
Fully prepared for the 2021 Agemo-Eyibi, the people of Ikorodu prepared food, drinks, acquired new dresses and beautified the streets of Itumaja, and Ejina. These are the house, office of the high priest and shrine of the Agemo Deity. Though the festival is always marked in a seven-day activities, the third day is the most significant, for that is the day His Royal Majesty, the Ayangbure of Ikorodu will take a seat at the open square and representatives of the deity (the high priest and the masquerade) will pay homage and take his supplication for the people of Ikorodu.
The Ayangbure of Ikorodu is required by tradition to walk from his palace to the Ajina Square, where folks will assemble for his blessings and prayers. His Royal Majesty, Oba Kabiru Shotobi and his large entourage departed the palace and walked through the town to the Ajina Square, where the high priest and masquerade were waiting. Oba Shotobi majestically walked in the midst of heavy performance by traditional and palace drummers to his destination in the evening hours of the day.
Traditional chiefs in large numbers formed an arc of human around the delectable monarch. Oba Kabiru Shotobi, who is arguably one of the most handsome traditional rulers in Nigeria, was richly dressed in exotic robe with matching accessories while his personal attendants carried his royal insignias.
Before the arrival of Oba Shotobi at the Ajina Square, the 14th Alashe Itumaja was waiting with his followers at the Ejina Square. The high priest, who was dressed in his white attires and traditional apparels, arranged his acts by setting up cultural troupe stool, while he arranged the royal stool for the monarch.
Musical prelude was played to entertain the curious spectators who were waiting for the masquerade to perform. This year’s festival witnessed some new developments as modern broadcast equipment like microphone, sound system and loudspeaker were used.
High priests for deities from Ikorodu and neighbouring communities also attended in solidarity for their Agemo counterpart. Each of the visiting high priests brought their distinguished stools that represent their deities. They were all seated in front old shrine with the inscription “Ile Sango Ikorodu,” meaning, Sango’s house of Ikorodu. It is the square where all Agemo festivals are celebrated and blessings pronounced. The people sought and received blessings of the Agemo high priest as he waved his metal shekels (Aja) and prayed in people’s palm. It is believed that during the Agemo appearance in the town, curses, ailments and afflictions will be cancelled and the land will be purged/cleansed of evil. Folks expecting success in business and those looking for healing had a rare chance of receiving their heart desires during the festival.
According to high Chief Wasiu Akinsanya, who spoke with the Oriwu Sun while they were preparing for the deity’s appearance on that morning, stated that little child named Adeola Akinwumi, who was hospitalized, ran out of the hospital to see the Agemo Masquerade. The child was said to receive the healing power of the deity and was healed of his ailment on hearing about the festival, adding that those looking for jobs, praying for fruit of the womb and seeking cure will get what they want during the Agemo festival.
When His Royal Highness, Oba Kabiru Shotobi arrived the Ajina Square, dignitaries all rose to pay their respect and honour to the regal looking monarch of Ikorodu. He politely acknowledged his subjects and visited the obligatory spots at the square before taking his royal stool around a spiritual tree stump. High priests with their followers took turn to pay homage to Oba Shotobi. While this was happening, the traditional drummers were performing the customary melody for the event by playing two special drums and a gong.
A group of young men carrying clay pots decorated with palm fronds, made their entrance into the crowd. One was carrying a clay pot of water on his head, while the other sprinkled water on folks with a sacred bunch of palm frond. Eager folks jostled to feel droplets of the sacred water on their head while they prayed for what they want.
On the other side, teenagers and children carrying long thin canes were flogging each other. The flogging was part of the event rites and only people who wish to flog and to be flogged participated. There was reasonable peace and the crowd looked on in anticipation of the Agemo Masquerade.
A community group named Maja Rocket (KOSOFO) formed in 1991 for the sole aim of supporting the Agemo festival, made special appearance.
The Maja Rocket (KOSOFO), which is made of men and women of Itunmaja community added glamour to the Agemo festival as they appear during the 2021 celebration in bright colourful attairs.
Reporters of Oriwu Sun, led by the deputy editor-in-chief, Hadji Kazim Ganiu-Sanni, went to Oba Shotobi for a quick interview. The Oba spoke while the Publisher Chief Monzor Olowosago who is also an honourary chief in Ikorodu, looked on from his corner as his reporters do their job. His Royal Majesty, Oba Kabiru Shotobi, who responded to the reporters, said the Agemo festival is significant to the people of Ikorodu in many ways. “Like the Odun-Osu, Magbo and Liwe, the Agemo-Eyibi is an important ceremony our ancestors performed and bequeathed to us.
Today, the ceremony has evolved into a popular event and has attained a status of tourist attraction. As you can see, people came from abroad to witness the event and everyone are excited to see the masquerade perform.” Oba Shotobi told reporters.
He explained that the economic importance of the event could make the town a good source of revenue generation if government invests into the traditional festival. This, the monarch believe, will add to the many advantage of the event. Socially, culturally and spiritually speaking, the traditional festival plays key roles.
There was a slight stampede when the long awaited Agemo Masquerade emerged at the scene. Handlers of the Agemo closely followed the deity wrapped in special mat costume adorned with birds’ feathers. They led the masquerade to the Ayangbure where it paid homage to the monarch before preforming to the delight of the spectators. Folks pushed backward in every direction the masquerade goes and he danced around the court.
The masquerade glid around the stage, as its feet cannot be seen. With its handlers, the Agemo Masquerade made symbolic visit to every major streets in the heart of Ikorodu town, and danced back to the Ajina Square. Before retiring into its shrine, the Agemo Masquerade visited the monarch for the last time, where prayers, blessings and supplications were made on behalf of the people of Ikorodu.
After the performance and blessings, Oba Shotobi and his entourage rose towards the shrine, where he was expected to appeal to the deities and ancestors for good tiding