Ilorin: Muslim Group Tried to Stop a Traditional Festival, Sparking Tensions

Ilesanmi AdekanbiJuly 2, 2023

2 minutes read

Ilorin, the capital city of Kwara State in Western Nigeria, is known for its rich history and cultural diversity. Founded by the Yoruba people in the late 18th century, it became a Muslim emirate under the Sokoto caliphate in the early 19th century, after a rebellion led by a Yoruba commander and supported by Fulani and Hausa allies.

Today, Ilorin is home to various ethnic and religious groups, including Muslims, Christians, and adherents of the Yoruba traditional religion. However, not everyone respects this pluralism and tolerance.

Recently, a Muslim group called Majlisu Shabab li Ulamahu Society stormed the residence of a traditional religion priestess, Yeye Adesikemi Olokun Omolara Olatunji, to impose a ban on any form of isese festival in five local governments in the state.

Isese, which means tradition in Yoruba, is a term used to describe different kinds of festivals celebrated by followers of the Yoruba traditional religion in Nigeria and other countries. These festivals honour various deities or orishas, such as Osun, Sango, Oya, Obatala, and others.

Yeye Adesikemi, who is an Osun devotee, had reportedly released fliers announcing a three-day traditional event aimed at celebrating some of these orishas. The event was supposed to take place in Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Ilorin South, Asa, and Moro local governments.

However, members of the Muslim group were not pleased with this plan. They claimed that they were sent by the Emir of Ilorin, Dr. Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, to warn against the festival. They also claimed that they were backed by the laws of the land. They said that Ilorin does not permit idol worshipping and that only Islam can be publicly practised in the emirate.

In a viral video published on Facebook on Monday by one Arowolo Abdulfatai (Sheikh Abdul Fathai Arowolo), members of the group can be seen confronting a young woman who attended to them at Yeye Adesikemi’s residence. The woman, identified as Alaba, was told to desist from any isese celebration or face dire consequences. The group also said that they were not there to fight but to warn her peacefully.

In another video published after the visit, Yeye Adesikemi expressed her dismay at the development. She said that she had been living in Ilorin for many years and had experienced nothing but peace until recently.

She said that she had always been fair and kind to her neighbours and that this had been reciprocated over the years. She said that one of her people shared the invite online which caught the attention of the Imams. She said that she began to receive death threats and heard that meetings were being held to ensure that the festival does not hold in Ilorin.

This incident has raised concerns about the state of religious freedom and harmony in Ilorin and Kwara State at large. It has also sparked reactions from various quarters, including human rights activists, civil society organizations, traditional religion practitioners, and other stakeholders.

Some people have welcomed the ban, saying that it is necessary to protect the peace and security of the state. Others have criticized the ban, saying that it is a violation of freedom of religion.

The ban on the isese festival has highlighted the tensions between Muslims and traditionalists in Ilorin. It is a reminder that religious freedom is still a fragile right in Nigeria.