By KEMI KASUMU
The statement below, which comes and has been adopted as final update on our two earlier reports of Monday, provides deeper knowledge of the true story regarding what transpired between the two autonomous communities of Akure and Isinkan, in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State, South West Nigeria, during the Monday August 22, 2022 Aheregbe’s festival. Excerpts:
“Just at that time, a Divisional Police Officer arrived at the scene and directed that the police team had no right to tell or advise the women to close their shops and that their order was to ensure nobody caused any form of trouble in the market and other parts of Isinkan. This intervention immediately ended any controversy about the market being closed or otherwise. Traders right away went about their business activities peacefully.”
The 2022 edition of the traditional Aheregbe festival in Akure may have come and gone. It will however remain the most tension-soaked festival in the recent history of Akure South Local Government.
Earlier on Sunday, the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladelusi Aladetoyinbo, issued a press statement through his Chief Press Secretary, Michael Adeyeye, announcing the closure of markets and trading activities in Akure on Monday, the 22nd of August 2022 in observance of the yearly Aheregbe festival.
Perhaps, sensing that the Deji’s message might imply a subtle extension of Aheregbe festival and the closure of markets and shops to Isinkan, an autonomous community in the same local government, the newly installed Iralepo of Isikan, Oba Oluwagbemiga Olofin-Adimula, issued a congratulatory message to the Deji of Akure, wishing him a successful celebration of Aheregbe.
He used the opportunity to remind the people that Aheregbe festival does not extend to Isikan.
Late in the night, however, the Deji of Akure issued another press statement asserting that the festival indeed would extend to Isinkan and that shops, markets must not be opened for trading activities in the ancient community.
Several media organizations immediately began to make overtures to the Iralepo palace to obtain reactions to the new press statement, but none was forthcoming.
Apparently, having extracted a direct confirmation of the intention of the Deji to extend Aheregbe to Isinkan, the principal High Chiefs of Isinkan were said to have hearkened the directive of the Iralepo and immediately changed their strategy of engagement from media reactions to on-the-ground mobilization.
High Chief Ojumu who was saddled with the task was said to have embarked .on a house-to-house call across Isikan community. By daybreak on Monday, all shops attached to buildings or houses in all parts of Isinkan were opened for businesses while market women had set their shops at Isinkan markets as early as 6 o’ clock in the morning.
In addition, the Iralepo was said to have also ordered the Oshugbo Usi, which has control over the Eshos, the pre-eminent traditional youth group of Isinkan, to take positions at all entry-points to Isinkan and protect shops and shoppers at all cost. The Eshos thereafter mounted a covert presence in places like Imogun, the traditional boundary of Akure and Isinkan close to the St. Thomas Anglican Church in Isinkan, Danjuma area, Oke Isikan along Ondo Road, Onyearugbulem junction, and similar places.
The die was thus cast for what journalists had expected would be an epic showdown.
By 8am, several policemen were also seen taking positions at the major entry-points to Isikan. They were said to have been mobilized by the Governor, Arakunrin OluwarotimiAkeredolu SAN to prevent any potential breakdown of law and order.
Market and trading activities thus continued in earnest in the whole of Isinkan.
At about 3 o’ clock in the afternoon, a media team of the BBC joined other journalists at the main Isinkan market where a detachment of the Nigerian police arrived and appealed to the market women to close their shops saying that the Iralepo had directed that they should do so. Some of the market women began to close their shops and the consensus was that the showdown was over.
However, elderly ones among the market women quickly stepped in and insisted that it would take the Iralepo’s physical presence to confirm the claim before they would close their wares.
Mrs. Cecilia Abosede, who spoke on behalf of others said: “The policemen are dabbling into what they do not know. The only condition for closing shops or markets here in Isinkan is during the transition of our Oba, the Iralepo. It is a taboo to close the market at any other time. If our Oba has any reason to close the markets, he knows what channel to use to pass his message.”
Just at that time, a Divisional Police Officer arrived at the scene and directed that the police team had no right to tell or advise the women to close their shops and that their order was to ensure nobody caused any form of trouble in the market and other parts of Isinkan.
This intervention immediately ended any controversy about the market being closed or otherwise. Traders right away went about their business activities peacefully.
Several people were interviewed who had come to buy items in the market. Most of them expressed their surprise that the festival was being extended to Isinkan in the first instance as the place had traditionally served as an alternative market anytime Akure markets were closed. They commended the Iralepo for standing and protecting the tradition of the people of Isinkan.
