BY STEPHEN GBADAMOSI
Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba (Senator) Lekan Balogun, the Alli Okunmade II, yesterday suspended the annual Egungun festival in Ibadanland.
The development was said to have followed reported cases of violence, arson and looting of shops by some hoodlums hiding under the cover of the ongoing festival in the ancient town.
Violence is said to have dominated sessions of what should normally be a pleasant masquerade festival that the Olubadan has now been compelled to invite security agencies to wade in and treat any nabbed trouble-maker ”like a common criminal.”
According to a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on behalf of the monarch by his Personal Assistant, Media, Oladele Ogunsola, the Olubadan summoned all the leaders of masquerades in the town, known as ‘Alaagbaa’ , to an emergency meeting today at the Ali-Iwo Palace in Ibadan.
Oba Balogun, who expressed sadness over the reported cases of violence and brigandage accompanying the annual festival, the video of which had gone viral, described the development as unfortunate and an affront on his palace.
He noted that he had earlier warned against the festival being turned to an avenue to wreak havoc when the festival was about to begin.
It is recalled that Oba Balogun only last Wednesday condemned similar violence during the same festival. The violence was reported at Alafara Olubadan.
In yesterday’s statement, he said as if the warning amounted to mere blabbing, the same thing was reported on Saturday on a scale that made the previous one look like child’s play.
“This is why the suspension clause has to be invoked and how long it lasts would be determined by the outcome of the meeting of Monday afternoon.”
The monarch said: “I warned seriously against what is happening when the festival was to commence and the assurances I got then were that nothing untoward would accompany the festival. But the reports coming to me have been at variance with those assurances I earlier got from the masquerades’ leaders.
“No responsible leader would fold his arms or put on the cap of ‘I care less’ when majority of those subjects one superintendents over are in agony and living in perpetual fear, just because of the activities of a few misguided elements who find it difficult to be law abiding.
Oba Balogun insisted that the ugly past “when masquerade festival was usually a period of terror when perceived enemies became targets of attack and violence had been buried a long time ago; and any attempt to exhume it will be met with stiff sanctions.
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“I use this medium to call on the security agencies to remain up and doing and ensure no culprit is spared. Whoever flouts the suspension order just given, under whatever guise, must be handled like a criminal. I’m for peace and there’s zero tolerance for whatever it is that will not give my people peace of mind.”
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