During my interview with Chief Tunde Onibode, i quickly asked him if slavery activities and relics could still be seen or are kept at the palace, shrines or family compounds at Owo. I asked, "Sir, are there no slave history in owo? He simply responded by saying, "What Owo is best known for is Igogo, though many households owns slaves in the olden days".
We began to discuss about the ancient festival and its relevant to the people of Owo.
History
The Igogo festival began over 600 years ago during the reign of the late Olowo Rerengejen. The monarch married Oronsen, a beautiful and affluent queen who had, unknown to the king, supernatural powers. She enriched the monarch and she was loved by the monarch. Queen Oronsen insisted on certain taboos. She insisted that nobody should grind Okra in her presence or pour water into the yard. In addition, anyone arriving from the farm must not lump a load of firewood. King Rerengejen cautioned his other wives not to carry out any of these activities.One day, Queen Oronsen had a rift with the other senior wives of the King. They conspired against her with the intention of violating her taboo while Rerengejen was not in the palace. Her taboo was violated and she left the palace.
While she was running out of the palace, some palace guards and chiefs ran after her to bring her back, an effort that was futile. She later felt tired and waited at a place called "Ugbo Laja" where she was persuaded to return to the palace. Her refusal frustrated the guards into forcefully capturing her but she disappeared into "Igbo Oluwa", now a sacred forest, leaving her head ties (oja) at "Ugbo Laja" which the guards returned to King Rerengejen. "Ugbo Laja" is now a sacred grove. Queen Orosen's terra cotta sculptured image from "Igbo Oluwa" by Ekpo Eyo stood at a distance to inform the Owo people that nothing will bring her back to the palace but that annually they should always sacrifice two hundred items of different articles, such as dried fish, kolanut, Aligator pepper, bitter cola and many more for ritual (Igogo) and in return she promised to protect the Kingdom.
Festival Events
Igogo festival lasts for 17 days and begins with Upeli proceedings by the Iloro chiefs. The chiefs are led by "Akowa" known as "Akowa of Iloro" who is the head of Iloro chiefs. This Upeli procession lasts for days and featured several activities including Utegi, Ugbabo, Uyanna and Ugbate. It is also a period for the celebration of new yams. During this procession, booming of drums by individuals or associations are forbidden and the use of caps by men and head ties by women at close range to the Owo monarch, the Olowo of Owo is forbidden. The festival features the dance of bare-chested men known as ayoyos, the Iloro Quarter men called Ighares. They often wear white/gray painted calabash made caps with two horns of Bufallo in their hands. They struck these horns together while dancing around the town and visiting some sacred places in the town. During this rite, any animal that crosses their part automatically become their delicacy. The chief plait their hairs and dance round the town and visits their beloved ones who will give them a gift in return. The monarch often dress like women and dances round the town. Dancing in the market by the monarch is also one of the rites performed during the festival.
The time of the event was the period of the annual yam festival, but because of the happenings (Oronsen saga), the Igogo was incorporated alongside the yam festival which has now overshadowed the yam festival. The Olowo still celebrates the yam festival as part of the rites/events during the Igogo. A day after olowo's igogo is set aside for the yam festival, on that day the Olowo feasts the Owo people with OBETE (asaro) yam porridge.
Anago James Akeem Osho is an history curator, tour guide, nature, and heritage conservationist.
+234 (0)8037043233
anago.tourism@gmail.com