Oloolu, Ibadan’s violence-prone masquerade with money-spinning streak

By Olaoluwa Ismael Bilau –

As many people may have heard, it is a taboo for a woman to see the Oloolu, Ibadan’s most famous yet dreaded masquerade, when he embarks on the annual public procession through the streets of the ancient city to pay homage to notable personalities in Ibadanland.

So, ahead of this year’s parade of the masquerade through designated parts of the Ibadan metropolis, the Oyo State Government, the Office of the Olubadan of Ibadan, and the state headquarters of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) issued special advisories to residents, particularly women and girls, warning them to be mindful of their movement during the days set aside for the procession and along Oloolu’s route of passage.

But despite the warning, reports abound of hurried closure of shops and markets and women scampering to safety as the retinue of Oloolu’s supporters herald his coming.

However, save the Oloolu, no one knows the exact hour of passage through designated routes like Ode Aje, Oje, Oja Oba, Ayeye, Popo Yemoja, Bere, and Oopo Yeosa, among other areas. His approach is bound to spread panic. Often, the Oloolu has attracted criticism from religious communities, particularly the Muslims, who have engaged the masquerade and his followers in open physical confrontation that resulted in bloodshed and death.

Various accounts of violence involving the Oloolu exist. The Egungun Festival in Ibadan in 1929 turned violent, with the colonial authorities inviting local police to restore order. Fast forward to 1949, when Egungun Alapansanpa was arraigned before an Ibadan Magistrate Court and slammed with a two-pound fine for the unruly conduct of his followers.

However, the masquerade’s prosecution did not deter future Egungun Festival-related violence, as two government staff, Lamidi Lawal and Tiamiyu Afolabi, died in 1954 as a result of the beatings they received from Egungun supporters. The Oloolu also clashed with then-popular Ibadan-based Islamic crusader Alhaji Akewusola Ajagbemokeferi, who led other Muslims in a confrontation with the Oloolu in 1976. Prompted by the scale of the violence, the Olubadan of Ibadan at the time, Oba Yesufu Oloyede Asanike, threatened to send Ajagbemokeferi back to his hometown in present-day Osun State.

In addition, Oloolu’s public procession of 1982 turned violent at the Ayeye area of Ibadan and spread rapidly to the Oloosa Oko area. Led by the famed Mufu Oloosa Oko, the confrontation left two persons dead.

Also, Ibadan politicians exploited the Egungun culture to their advantage. A new masquerade named “Aktor,” who emerged in 1983, was created by local supporters of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) to attack political opponents, particularly those of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).

The most vicious, perhaps crushing, humiliation of the Egungun Oloolu was in 2012 at Popo Yemoja in Ibadan, where the masquerade was attacked and stripped of his costume in the most brazen manner—a demystification of the Oloolu.

On the days the Oloolu is out, no other masquerade is expected to be on the street. Any masquerade who dares challenges the Oloolu’s assumed authority is caught in the battle for supremacy that often leads to violence.

Therefore, the Oyo State Government, the Olubadan Council, and the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) should step in and collaborate with the owners of the Oloolu, the Aje Family of Ode Aje, and the Alagbaa (Egungun council) to rebrand the Egungun festival, particularly the Oloolu, with the objective of harnessing the masquerade’s tourism earning potential for Ibadan’s growth and development.