A
new investigative and enlightening report has revealed the unknown
information about an ancient community in Ogun State, which boasts of
more than 200 Yoruba deities, and possesses a healing water.
Itolu is an ancient community in Yewa South Local Government Area
of Ogun State. Very close to Ilaro, the headquarters of the council and
shares boundary with Ita Waya.
Situated on the Oja-Odan Road and directly opposite the the second
gate of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Itolu, though in rustic and
derelict situation, has a great historical significance.
The community, populated by the Yoruba, Ohori, Eegun and Aja
people, neither has electricity nor potable water as well other social
amenities, but possesses a healing water.
Equally, the town acclaimed to be like a forebear to Ilaro, boasts
of more than 200 Yoruba deities, while its Ile Odu’a (shrine), remains
central to crowning any Olu of Ilaro.
The spiritual water, it was learnt, has its sources from two rivers
– Osun and Yewa – joined another called Erifu and formed a confluence
at Itolu. Yewa is warm while Erifu and Osun are cold. This wonder of the
nature turned Itolu to a Mecca of sort, as people throng the nearly
forgotten town, for the spiritual water.
When Daily Sun visited the community, it was virtually deserted,
except for the few people carrying out one chore or another. A man whose
head was being shaved by his wife was approached.
Flanked by their sons who appeared to be twins, the couple was about responding, when a voice from the house bellowed in Yoruba: “Awon Alagbari tun ti de. Bi won se ma nwa niyen. E ma da won lohun”. Meaning “Fraudsters have come again. That is how they come every time. Don’t answer them.”
Few seconds later, a man who looked frail appeared from the house
and continued to sound the caveat to the couple. But after taking time
to carefully narrate the mission in details, the man who refused to give
his name, reluctantly agreed to talk, but not until his palm was “greased.”
After haggling the “price” for a while, the middle aged
man, finally agreed to open up by only referring him to the most elderly
person around since the Baale, Chief Hamzat Ajibawo, was not available.
After asking about the whereabouts of the elder, he was said to
have gone to the farm. Immediately, the couple dispatched one of the “twins” to go and call the man from his farm.
After few minutes, the man appeared and headed straight to his house, which was close to the couple’s abode.
The man, apparently miffed by government’s neglect of the town
despite its historical significance, recoiled and blamed the couple for
yanking him off his farm for unimportant matter.
The 80-year-old man, Pa Amole Adeyemi, lamented how many prominent
visitors including organisations had visited the town and promised to
help the town, but after they had allowed them to scoop the Erifu water,
they all disappeared into thin air.
He said the elders in the town had since vowed to toll access to
the water since nobody was ready to help the town. According to him,
Ilaro was an offshoot of Itolu. He narrated that Oduduwa, the progenitor
of Yoruba race, lived in the town with his 201 deities, which till now
have shrines all over the town.
Apart from the shrines for the deities, there is a particular
shrine dedicated to the invocation of Oduduwa’s spirit. He disclosed
that it is at this shrine any Olu of Ilaro will be for a whole day in
order for necessary propitation to take place. He added that at the
shrine, however, no water must be used for sacrifice purpose except the
Erifu water.
At this juncture, Pa Adeyemi’s eyes became misty as he talked about
how the town has been abandoned and at the brink of extinction, not
only by government, but the monarch who understands the historical
importance of the town. He particularly recollected how the town was
under siege by land grabbers for over a year, yet, the traditional ruler
could not help the town.
On the spiritual healing power of Erifu water, Pa Adeyemi, said the
claim was not a hoax as many visitors throng the river to scoop the
water. These visitors include churches, traditionalists, white men and
others who had been probably instructed by spiritualists to get the
water. He, however, said despite the healing power of the water, people
should not toy with the taboos associated with it.
For example, he said nobody should wash clothes in the water, while
the fish cannot be killed and cooked as food. He claimed that no matter
how many hours the fish is cooked, it would never be done for human
consumption.
In the case of Ile Odu’a (shrine), no other water is allowed into
the shrine, while a woman who is on her menstrual cycle, is forbidden
from stepping into the shrine. To show appreciation for the spiritual
and historical significance of Ile Odu’a, the elder said it was a white
man who rebuilt the shrine with facilities such as modern toilets and
fence.
Corroborating Pa Adeyemi’s submission, a custodian of one of the
deities’ shrines, Ijise Akinyemi, a native of Ohori, said the 201
deities domiciled in Itolu, are always offered sacrifices as at when
due. Failure could spell doom for not only Itolu but its offshoot,
Ilaro.
Another indigene, Augustine Oluwasegun, an ND 1 Accounting student
of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, bemoaned the neglect the town
suffered over the years. He said the town which preceeded many
historical towns in Yoruba land, lacked basic amenities such as
electricity and pipe borne water:
“If you noticed that people were not friendly when you came, it
was not their fault but the pains they feel by government’s neglect.
You can only feel the presence of government when an Olu of Ilaro is
about to be crowned. This is because he has a special propitation to be
done with Erifu water at Ile Odu’a. After the exercise, the town rolls
back into oblivion.
“Even the access road to the riverside is now totally cut off
because of rainfall. The vegetation around the place is swampy and the
mangrove will surely hamper your gaining access to the water. We appeal
to government, because of the historical significance of the Itolu and
spiritual essence of Erifu water, social amenities should be provided.
“Also, Erifu water, Ile Odu’a as well as other shrines, should
be developed into tourism sites. It is sad that when you search for
‘Itolu’ on the google, the search engine will show the search result as
‘Italy’. The town that is supposed to be on a global map is being
allowed to ebb into historical oblivion.”
When requested to be taken to the river, they all declined. They
claimed it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a
needle, than for anybody to go to the riverside. But when they were told
that the mission would be incomplete, without visiting the water, they
called for volunteers.
Armed with machetes, two able bodied men and the student guided a
reporter to Erifu water. The access road was bushy, while the ambience
of the water had become marshy and dark because of the panoply of huge
trees and mangrove around the area.
The train, however, waddled through the swampy path, replete with
thorns, leeches and wild wasps, before it managed to get to the river,
with its “confluence” barely visible as a result of ferns,
which has almost covered the surface of Erifu. But the flow from both
Yewa and Osun tributaries, were distinct and warm nature of Yewa was
felt.
The villagers, having realised that there was no intentin to
stealthily scoop Erifu water as initially thought, showed their
appreciation by giving cherries (Agbalumo) as a token for their
hospitality.
Efforts should be geared towards the development of tourism potentials, not only in Itolu, but in other places in Nigeria.
Source: The Sun
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