Osun is on the verge of renewed violent religious conflict as the age-old animosity between religions in Nigeria, which was recently escalated by an act that many had labeled as a sacrilege or disrespectful, appears unending following a retaliation move attributed to traditional worshippers.
Recall that a group of Christians, reportedly led by Pastor Odedoyin Ezekiel, stormed the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, a UNESCO World Heritage site, to pray against, cast, and bound the River Osun Goddess and other deities.
The Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove is an ancient and revered worship site of great spiritual significance, where thousands of Osun traditional worshippers gather each year to commemorate the River Goddess of fertility, love, plenty and prosperity.
Pastor Odedoyin Ezekiel and his church members clothed in white were seen praying fervently against the River Osun Goddess in a video that has gone viral, WITHIN NIGERIA gathered.
“Mo gbe mi, (I consume you). Bi o ti wu le ki o ni Agbara to, o gbodo tun gbe ebo mo (No matter how powerful you are, you must not accept sacrifice again). Mo de o (I tie you), mo mu bi aso (I hold you like a cloth), and mo ta ni koko (I squeeze you). I withdraw mercy from you, idol. Eyin ogun orun, e ta danu (Remove it, you army of heaven). Be engulfed by command. “Jesu Oluwa wa (in Jesus’ name)”. Pastor Odedoyin Ezekiel is seen praying in the viral video, while his congregation responds with a loud “Amen!”
When the video first surfaced on social media, many cultural custodians, priests, and traditional worshipers condemned it as a violation of heritage and a potential catalyst for religious strife.
The Baba Oosa of Osogboland, Prince Osunyemi Ifarinu Ifabode in a video recorded at the Osun Grove, condemned Pastor Odedoyin’s actions, describing them as sacrileges, and urged authorities, particularly the police and state government, to intervene and allow the law to run its course. He also advocated for the arrest of the prophets implicated, alleging religious intolerance and disrespect for their cultural heritage.
Another viral video obtained by WITHIN NIGERIA showed four unidentified men and a woman singing a popular Christian Yoruba song in reverse – Agbara Jesu Da, Nibi ti Esu ti n Joba, Agbara Jesu Da, Ko si o, o ti wo (Where is the power of Jesus when the Devil is ruling, where’s Jesus power, it’s no more because it has collapsed) while walking to a local church with a dog tied to a rope.
In the video, a yet-to-be-identified man wearing a green cloth and a nose cover is seen splashing Seaman drinks on the church floor, while another man asks two men dressed in white whether they are the ones who came to Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove but does not receive a clear answer.
He asked them to turn on their cameras and record what they were about to do. Two men were observed holding a dog at each end, while another man was seen with a well-sharpened cutlass near the church’s altar.
A man’s voice could be heard saying, “Esu, iwo ni won wa ba, a to won o” (Devil, they have come to meet you, and we are not their match). Another man placed the pastor’s bell on the ground. Inside the church, as they dragged the dog by his feet and placed a rope around his neck, a man with a sharpened cutlass severed his head. They yelled “Ogun Ye” and splashed the dog’s blood on the bell lying on the church floor.
Another man could be heard condemning them for invading the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, ridiculing their forefathers’ heritage, daring them the opportunity to return to the grove and repeat their actions.
As they were about to leave, the man who cut off the dog’s head approached the two men sitting on chairs, told them to stand up and start dancing to the song Agbara Jesu Da, Nibi ti Esu ti n Joba, Agbara Jesu Da, Ko si o, o ti wo, sprinkled the dog’s blood on them, and threw the dog’s body at one of them, asking them to notify their pastor that they had come.
In a phone chat with WITHIN NIGERIA, security expert Fabayo Samson raised alarm about religious intolerance, describing it as a dangerous motive that might lead to bloodshed, discrimination, and social instability.
Samson cautioned the government at all levels to be wary of bigots and overzealous religious leaders and followers who show no respect for other faiths.
He also asked the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to accelerate measures to raise widespread understanding about the legal implications of religious tolerance and the penalties that any offender may face.
According to Samson, security authorities, particularly the police and the Department of State Service, must constantly respond to any scenario that could lead to violent confrontation due to religious intolerance.
He stated that Nigeria is fighting insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping, and banditry, among other things, and urged religious leaders to stay in their own lanes since the country may not survive another round of internal assault.
