Osun Osogbo Festival is one of the biggest annual traditional festivals among the Yoruba people in the south western part of Nigeria.
Osogbo, the host community is the capital city of Osun State and the festival started about 700 years ago.
The festival is usually celebrated annually in the month of August.
August 11 this year was another opportunity for the people to showcase their cultural heritage. The festival also attracted Osun adherents and worshippers from all over the world.
Osun is a goddess of all things feminine; fertility, spirituality, emotions, sensuality, nurture and love. The festival is in the honour the goddess.
Thousands of worshipers and tourists traveled down to the state capital days before the grand finale of this year’s edition of the festival.
Sadly, the event turned out bloody as two rival cult groups whose confranterniy names were ot easily ascertained came to the event to showcase their powers and superiority over one another.
The one week event which was climaxed on Friday, August 11 this year did not end on a cheerful note. It was ravaged with the bad and the ugly as three young men believed to be secret cult members met their waterloo having attempted to disrupt the peaceful celebration that attracted people from all walks of life including tourists from outside the country.
At least three persons were feared dead, and others reportedly injured in a clash that occurred between the two rival cult groups in Osogbo, the Osun State capital on Friday.
The clash occurred during the grand finale of the festival as a result of which many residents, visitors, spectators, and foreigners were thrown ilinto panic as people were scampering for their safety.
Reports said the clash was quelled by the prompt intervention of security agencies and the local vigilante group which were able to bring the situation under immediate control.
While trying to subdue the hoodlums, about ten operatives of the Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Service were wounded by the hoodlums and taken to the State Teaching Hospital for treatment.
The suspected cultists also vandalized the NHFS office close to the scene of the incident.
Mr Hammed Nureni, the State Commandant of the Nigeria Hunter and Forest Security Service who confirmed the incident said no fewer than three persons were killed in the clash.
He said despite the earlier warning by both conventional security agencies and the local vigilante operatives about the event, some miscreants chose to have their way as result of which three persons were killed.
His words: “We counted three dead bodies. After the incident that happened at the groove, the hoodlums proceeded to our office and got it vandalized. Also ten of our men were wounded.”
The Aare Onakakanko of Yorubaland and National Coordinator of Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Iba Gani Adams who was physically present at the event vehemently condemned the unfortunate incident.
Speaking during the event at the palace of the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, said “It is unfortunate that cultists and miscreants took advantage of the hospitality of the festival to create a platform for cult rivalry which Osun goddess abhors and we must collectively stop the trend.
“This is an opportunity for Osun and Nigeria to attract tourism development.
“Osun Osogbo is renown globally and we must protect and project it to the whole world. Nothing must disturb the advancement of the festival and by extension Yoruba tradition”.
However, despite the urgly incident, Governor Ademola Adeleke has stressed the commitment of his administration to tourist development, assuring the visitors and tourists that his adminstration is poised to creatimg a conducive atmosphere capable of guaranteeing the safety of the tourists and people of the state.
He said: “This year’s celebration therefore provides the greatest opportunity ever for our people to have a new look at our culture and tradition. We are challenged to capitalise on our rich culture to build an economically sound and virile nation.
“As a government, our administration has a tourism and cultural industry agenda. During the campaign and within the transition committee, we devised far-reaching programmes and policies for the arts, culture and tourism industry. We indeed created a new holistic approach by adding the creative industry as a whole”.
Adeleke who described the event as a celebration of culture and religion, disclosed that the government recognized the socio-cultural benefits of the festival hence the efforts of his administration to improve the aspect of the groove
“You can see the big crowd that is here today. By next year it will be a lot different. But we thank God that today was successful.
“In terms of development, since inception of worshiping the goddess, they never had it like this. We had to beautify in less than two months. We still have more to do, just keep watching”, he added.
Also speaking, the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, thanked the Governor and corporate sponsors of the festival for their support through the years.
He prayed for all attendees, Osun State and Nigeria as a whole, stressing that the prosperity Osun is noted for would rest on everyone.
During the festival there is sacred forest located in the outskirts of Osogbo which is believed to be one of the forests where “Orisha”, the spirit they believe blesses them, reveals itself.
Devotees are led by a virgin maiden called Arugba who is a link between the community and the goddess.
The virgin maiden leads in all sacrifices offered in the river. The Arugba (virgin maiden) carries all the sacrifices (flowers, honey, gold etc) of the community and for all those in attendance. The tradition dictates that these sacrifices be carried in a big calabash. Before all this happens, the worshippers offer a special prayer in the shrine of a priestess.
The Osun Osogbo grand finale was witnessed by several dignitaries and tourists from across the country and around the world.
