The Alaafin of Oyo and the Titan of Yorubaland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade 1, has said that the Oyo Yoruba traditional religion serves as a vital, localized mechanism for checkmating insecurity in the country.
He stated that utilizing spiritual intelligence, communal oath-taking, and localized intelligence networks will work alongside conventional authorities to deter kidnappings and restore regional stability.
In a release by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, Oba Owoade stated this on Saturday at the grand finale of this year’s Egungun festival held at the ancient Palace of Oyo City.
He noted that the imperative for utilizing the Oyo Yoruba traditional framework in tackling the country’s security challenges is multifaceted.
According to him, “‘ traditionalists and sacred practitioners (like Isese groups) employ spiritual vigilance and ancestral invocations to protect territories, particularly securing forests and rural flashpoints against bandits and kidnappers. While indigenous groups integrate deeply with local hunters and farmers’ societies (such as Agbekoya).
“” Their intimate knowledge of local terrain allows them to track criminal elements effectively, serving as vital community-based vigilance structures.
“” Just as traditional altars and deities (Òrìṣà) are often used to administer binding oaths, in Yoruba tradition, breaking these oaths carries severe spiritual consequences, which act as a powerful deterrent against betrayal, banditry, and corruption. The religion anchors societal ethics in Ìwà (good character), respect for elders, and communal harmony.
“” Promoting these values addresses the moral laxity often seen as a root cause of civil unrest and political corruption. Hence, the formal integration of these indigenous security and intelligence frameworks into the country’s broader state and federal security architecture””.
Speaking on the theme of this year’s theme of the Egungun festival titled, CALL OF THE ANCESTORS FOR THE PROTECTION OF YORUBALAND, the Paramount Ruler advocated urgent need to integrate traditional institutions and native intelligence into the country’s National Counter-Terrorism Strategy as a necessary component of a holistic approach to address the country’s complex security challenges.
Traditional rulers, he submitted, are well-positioned at the grassroots level to gather native intelligence.(human intelligence) on the entry and exit of unknown persons, suspicious activities, and potential threats.
“”Native intelligence complements formal intelligence mechanisms by providing crucial local context, knowledge of the terrain, and insight into local customs and nuances, which is vital for effective counter-terrorism operations””.
Oba Owoade went further, ‘’as citizens, we should be creative and think outside the box to reposition our values and use our traditional and cultural heritage to our best advantage in a competitive world. A properly packaged Yoruba cultural celebration will no doubt call the attention of the world to the pace- setter State as the home of culture and in no time will be a Mecca of Yoruba Religion which is being widely accepted and practiced in the African Diaspora’’.
He stressed that Yoruba Civilisation is one of the enduring legacies in the world today and the most suited African Culture to arrest the attention of the world in this era of globalization, adding that the Yoruba civilization unlike others has Ifa as its
system of knowledge and religion that is today widely accepted and practiced in other parts of the world, especially in the African Diaspora despite the fact that unlike other religions, it does not proselytize.’’
Other speakers at the colourful event , including representative of the Minister of Culture and National Orientation, Mr. Adeniyi Odekanyn.,representative of the State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatunbosun and Professor Akinkunmi from the Faculty of Arts and Culture, Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo, who spoke on the utility values of of the traditional religious festival respectively pointed out that Egungun ( masquerades) play a role in shaping human capital and cultural Identity:
Egungun , they said , serve as important institutions of peacebuilding and conflict resolution, adding that historically and in many modern settings, they act as unbiased societal regulators that correct deviant behaviours and enforce communal ethics.
“” Egungun provide significant utility to Yorubaland’s economic development through cultural tourism, local entrepreneurship, and social cohesion. They stimulate local commerce by driving demand for indigenous textiles, attracting domestic and international visitors, and maintaining the communal stability required for economic growth
“” The festivals attract tourists and returning diasporas who spend money on transportation, lodging, and local services. The elaborate preparation for masquerade displays supports a robust local supply chain.Textile Demand: These events heavily feature traditional fabrics such as Àsọ-Òkè, as this directly benefits local weavers, dyers (adire), and tailors””, they asserted.
