Today I had a journalist who came to interview me on what's happening around us in Nigéria. We discussed so many things like the role of IFA in our modern day politics, we talked about the Fulani taken over of our lands and many more and it was very interesting chat I must say but the one that touched me most was when the interviewer ask me what are the babaláwo doing to stop using of hunman beings for rituals or as a sacrifice and I laughed, he asked why am I laughing then I said am laughing because having been watching a lot of so called ritualist that was been caught on TV and I haven't seen anyone bearing Ifa something on their names they are all bearing Muslim and Christians names but that's not to say all the Muslims and Christians are into the act because there is a lot of good Muslims and Christians out there and am not saying all Ifá priests are good. A true Ifá priest will never use human beings for rituals because it has long been prohibited by Orunmila like it was prohibited in the Quran and in the Bible when Abraham and Anabi Ibraheem wanted to use their only child as a sacrifice for God and the child was replaced with a ram and since then no one is allowed to use or offer human beings as sacrifice. So you can never see a true Ifá priest that has wisdom and knowledge of IFA indulge in such act likewise you can't see a good pastor or good Alfa doing such things, then I remember a verse from the holy odu Eji Ẹ́lẹ́mẹ́rẹ́ that goes like this........
Eji Ẹ́lẹ́mẹ́rẹ́: "THE ONE THAT SHOUT ALOUD, WHOSE SHOUT ARE THUNDEROUS,
THE POECULAIR ÒGÚN MOUNTING HIS FATHER'S THRONE,
IFA DIVINATION WAS PERFORMED FOR OLUMENA WHILE GOING TO PURCHASE AN ANTELOPE AS A SLAVE".
Now the story behind the verse go as follows..... Olumena bought an antelope (Àgbọ̀nrín) as a slave and took her as a wife. When Olumena got married to his wife Àgbọ̀nrín (Antelope) he summoned his Ifá priest on the third day of their marriage to consult with Ifá for her. They disclosed to him that her wife would beget children but that Olumena should offer sacrifice to forestall trouble looming after the birth of their children. He said they should give him the prescriptions for the sacrifice for the children's sake. He offered those sacrifices and it was accepted by Olodumare. Later the woman became pregnant and gave birth to a child. The name of the child was Olumena. This Olumena gave birth to Olumebo who in turn gave birth to my father Agiiri-Mesin.
As time passed, Olumena gave up the ghost. Àgbọ̀nrín was given as an inheritance to Olumebo. When olumebo died too she was given to Orunmila. This was where the trouble started. Àgbọ̀nrín declined to marry Orunmila as she had already become of age. When Orunmila insisted, Àgbọ̀nrín packed all her belongings and started running away and Orunmila went after her.
"The forest water resemble dye, the savanna water is like palm-kernel Ifá divination was performed for Olú-igbó (forest monster) he was told to offer sacrifice that his forest may not be burnt this year but he ignored the sacrifice. IFÁ divination was performed for Olú-Ọdán (The savanna monster) he was advised to offer sacrifice so that his savanna may not be chocked up by dryness this year but he refused. Ifá divination was performed for Olusansan and he was also advised to offer sacrifice in order that his lots might not turn into cuts wounds but he refused".
Àgbọ̀nrín was running helter skelter and ran into Olú-igbó's house. She explained her ordeals to him and he promised her that he will protect her and that she should find a suitable place for herself where she could hide that he would know what to do should Orunmila come to ask of her. Olú-Igbo was battle ready for Orunmila. Not too long after, Orunmila arrived. Orunmila told Olú-Igbo to order his guest out if not he will set his entire domicile ablaze but Olú-Igbo refused to accent to Orunmila's request. He refuted the claim and the threat made by Ọrunmila that he would set his domicile ablaze and challenged Ọrunmila to do his worse. So Ọrunmila used the power of command on the Olú-igbó's forest. That very day the whole forest was set ablaze by those on hunting expedition. As the flames started, Àgbọ̀nrín ran out of the forest to take refuge in Olú-Odan (Savanah monster) domicile. Àgbọ̀nrín explained her ordeals. Olú-Odan ordered that Àgbọ̀nrín should get settled. Later Ọrunmila arrived and he ordered that olú-Odan should send out his guest but olú-Odan refused blatantly. Ọrunmila then used his power of command and said that the whole savannah would suffer from the scorches of sun. So the entire domicile of olú-Odan dried off. Seeing this Àgbọ̀nrín took to her heels. She then ran to Ọlọmọọdẹ's house where she equally received. Ọrunmila also entered this bush and ordered that they should send their visitor out. This people also refused to send Àgbọ̀nrín out. As usual Ọrunmila used his power of command on the bush and as from that very day, the bush lost its exclusive privacy because hitherto, it was forbidden for the the guild of hunters to enter into the bush for hunting. When Àgbọ̀nrín saw this looming catastrophe she started running about for her safety. She didn't know when she ran into a deep pit within the bush.
"Man adult becomes panicky at the hearing of the shout of witches Ifá divination was performed for Ajigalorun who was an Ido city princess. When she was asked to offer a goat as a sacrifice and when the sacrificial items are complete it should be be taken to the far bush. She was told that she would meet a man there. The man has been ordained to be her husband".
When the sacrifice was done she carried the sacrifice into the bush as directed. So when Ọrunmila noticed that Àgbọ̀nrín had hidden herself inside the pit in the bush, he followed her. Ọrunmila then used his medicinal whip on her and later put Ifá divination signatures on her body as well. This signature is still been carried about by Àgbọ̀nrín(Antelope)till today. Ọrunmila also became so infuriated that he cursed the woman to become an animal as it is till today. Meanwhile Ọrunmila himself couldn't come out from this pit. The two of them were just gazing at each other but Àgbọ̀nrín managed to excape leaving Orunmila behind. A little while after Ọrunmila began to hear the footsteps of someone from where he hid. Orunmila appealed to the woman to come to his rescue. The woman untie her head tie and threw it downwards. This was what Ọrunmila held on to pull him out with the kind assistance of the woman from outside.
When he got out, Ọrunmila asked his benefactor what brought her into the bush, Ajigalorun then disclosed her identity as a princess from Ido city and as a barren woman. She added that she was in the bush at the instance of Ifa. Ọrunmila assured her of the fruit of the womb if only she could marry him. It could be recalled that this woman had already been told that an husband had been waiting for her in the bush. So she accepted Ọrunmila's proposal. She took Ọrunmila to her father's palace in Ido city. So they became husband and wife.
Ọrunmila left the town the following day. Afterwards the couples didn't see each other again, not knowing that Ajigalorun had taken in already. When she was to put to bed, she gave birth to a male child called Olomo. When the child reached the age of sixteen years, he one day asked his mother to show him his father. Ajigalorun confessed that she hardly knew the man. However, his physical descriptions and the praise names that he often adducrd to himself might help him to identify the type of person he was. She said, he was dark in complexion, but has very white set of teeth and amongst his names were :
Akala gives birth to the ejio
Ojúgbóná gives birth to ojú kéré
I am the son of eegun Òkè igeti....
The above is all what she could recite from the epithets of Ọrunmila. She added that the man resided at Otu-Ife. This child continued to recite this praise names often and often. One day Ido city was confronted by a war and this child was taken as captive. He was subsequently sold into slavery to Ojugbomekun market at Otu-Ife. Then it was time for Ọrunmila to celebrate his annual IFÁ festival. In this ancentral period it was customary for them to offer human beings as a sacrifice or propitiations, so Ọrunmila sent people to the Ojugbomekun market to help him buy slave that he will use for his annual IFÁ festival. So, it was this child that was bought as luck would have it. The name of this child was Ọlọmọ without knowing that he was a son to Ọrunmila. This boy has been on chains for three days, expecting zero hour. While on the chains he would be chanting the praise names of his father and singing IFÁ songs in addition; not knowing that he was already in his father's house. However, when it was the third day when the real offer of sacrifice was to be done, this boy chanted a very special praise name of his father. While Orunmila was kneeling down meditating and saying the annual prayers, he said they should go ahead to untie a slave. There, they rushed back to report to Ọrunmila that he should come and listen to what the slave was saying and Orunmila asked them to go and bring the slave to him. When the boy was brought to Orunmila he asked him to repeat what he had been chanting. The boy repeated the whole verse as ever. Orunmila then recalled his association with a woman at Ido city, most especially when the boy mentioned it that it was pooye that gave birth to Ọlọmọ. Orunmila asked for the name of his mother, he said it was Ajigalorun who was also known as Pooye. Orunmila asked again where is your hometown? The boy replied Ido city. Orunmila asked who is your father? The boy replied I don't know him but my mother said my father was dark in complextion, he lives in ÒKÈ igeti at Otu-Ife. Orunmila exclaimed and concluded that the boy belongs to him. Orunmila then ordered that they should bring him two big-horned goats and he said as from today on, no Ifá priest should use human blood to appease his inner head any longer. So goats were used instead of the boy that day. And from that day it was prohibited to use human beings for any kind of rituals in the Yoruba traditional religion.
Journalists : Wow! wow!! wow!! You're a true son of your father and why don't you make this story a movie so that people can have better understanding because a lot harm has been done by the Nollywood films makers.
Me: Thanks for the compliments and am working on it to make it a movie very soon, more so the story is in my up coming book titled ORUNMILA "The journey on earth.
Journalist : Wow! Thanks for your time and we will be looking forward for your book.
Me: You're welcome and no problem, very soon i will call you to the book lunching.
Bàbàláwó Ògúndeji Ẹlẹ́buibọ́n
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