‘Sacrilege to the land caused Ode Irele deaths’

Moses Enimade, a high chief and the Oyewoga of Ode Irele, Ondo State, says the recent death of 20 youths in the town was caused by sacrilege done to Molokun, god of the land – rather than any disease.

Speaking with NAN during an interview on Saturday, Enimade, the next in command to Oba Cornelius Olanrewaju-Lebi, debunked reports that the deaths were caused by a strange disease or Ebola virus.

Instead, he said some stubborn youths broke into the inner room of Molokun Shrine on April 15.

“Molokun is a deity of the land, only the Chief Priest and High Chief Gboguron are qualified to enter the shrine,” he said.

“The youths entered the shrine and made away with traditional items in a bid to acquire extraordinary powers and engage in money ritual. They were not qualified to enter the room (shrine). They had to face death penalty’.”

He said he could not remember the last time Malokun or any other god had to strike like this in the area.

“There is no community or town without its own culture and tradition; what happened in Irele is the judgement of the gods on stubborn youths,” he added.

“Even the Kabiesi himself is not permitted to enter the Molokun Shrine’s inner room except the Chief Priest and High Chief Gboguron. Sacrifice must be performed before they can enter.

“Because these youths want to be rich at all costs, they entered the sacred place and made away with traditional items and 20 of them have died as a result of their desperate acts.

“We have to appease the gods or else many will still die and we have to bury them according to tradition. Their corpses belong to the gods and will be exhumed if buried by their families.’’

Enimade, said “death caused by Molokun is characterised by severe headache and blindness” and added: “Proverbs 29:1 in the Bible says he that had been reproved and hardened his neck shall suddenly be destroyed without remedy; so youths of nowadays must be careful.”

Some residents who spoke with NAN appealed to the chief priest to make necessary atonement to avert calamity in the town.

They said news of the deaths had given the town and state a bad name.

While Sheed Osuolale said he was afraid when the news broke, Esther Bantefa urged the chief priest to quickly perform necessary rituals.

Another resident, Tayo Akinyelure, implored parents to warn their children against going near shrines.

“Many youths do not believe in all these traditions and customs,” she aid. “It is high time parents warned their children against committing sacrilege.”

There have been conflicting reports on number and nature of sudden deaths in Ode Irele, which occured earlier in the week. While some residents said more han 30 people died, the state government gave the death toll as just 14.

The state says it has sent samples taken from victims to a laboratory in Lagos to ascertain the nature of the disease, but Kayode Akinmade, the state commissioner for information and strategy, said on Friday that the deaths were “directly connected to an exhumed corpse in the community“.