I miss my son, Orlando

All my friends have gone , Says Orlando Owoh’s mother

Orlando Owoh’s Mother

At 100years plus she is still agile as she  walks  briskly around and does not bend or use walking stick  . She weeps when she hears her son  , Orlando Owoh’s music  on radio  ,  taiwoabiodun.com reports

Carved on the wooden  door of the  bungalow is the   sculpture  of the late African Kennery, Owomoyela Oladipupo Olaore aka Orlando Owoh . Each time the centenarian  sees the   carved wooden  sculpture  of her son she feels sad  , ” I am always sad seeing this but I found solace in his  children and friends who are supporting me ” she said .

Mama Morenike lost her son, Orlando Owoh about 10 years  years ago after a brief illness .

One thing that cannot be taken away from the old woman is cleanliness as her environment is clean so also the centenarian herself is very neat showing evidence of good living . She   walks slowly  and with dignity .Her  sparsely decorated living room with sofa chairs makes the place  beautiful. She said “My son , I am always neat and my  children and Orlando’s friends take  good care of me ”you should thank them on my behalf “.

Mama’s Age

Considering her   good stature  many guess that the old woman cannot be less than a 100years of age  while some doubted it but she declared ” I don’t know my age but I know I am over 100 years of age. All  my friends have gone like Madam Eunice, Madam Adenike, , Mrs Asagba , Madam Caroline  Oladoyin   in fact all my friends have died ,I am the only one remaining. That is why I am saying I want to go , there is nothing I am still doing on earth”.

How  I met Orlando’s  father 

Asked how she met the late High Life musician’s father   and who gave the late musician the nickname “Orlando”  , the old woman said “His names are   Oladipupo Olaore   Owomoyela   Orlando Owoh , his father christened him ‘Olaore’  but I called him ‘ Oladipupo’ .Mama  gave the reason why Orlando’s  father named  him ‘Olaore’ , she said “because my late brother Omoyinbo whom I was living with in Owo  was a friend to Orlando’s father   And he betrothed me to Orlando’s father .I  I fell in love with him because he was from Ifon so also Orlando’s father .So when he was born , Orlando’s father said he  benefited   from  the friendship and called him “Olaore” ( Friend’s wealth). His friends called him ”Orlando” and it stuck on him” .

 

Orlando’s friends did not desert me 

Mama has been very grateful to some of her late son’s friends who did not abandon her , she said ” Some of Orlando’s friends  did not desert  me. l just came from Die The Matter his childhood’s friend  house who used to give me food and money .Die The Matter has just dropped me at home now .Same with Oba Francis  Apata, who is the Onipe of Ipe. Oba Apata used to come to me and that is the chair he sits  ( pointing ) whenever he comes here ,not minding his status. Orlando’s friends did not abandon me , I am grateful and I hope and pray they will do same  during my burial when I’m gone”.

Though she looks  hale and hearty but she denied her look and  said ” I can no longer walk as usual , I am not living “, she said sobbing .

 

How Orlando got his Songs 

According to Mama ,  the late musician did not inherit  the skill from his parents , she said ” I didn’t teach him how to sing , though  I was a  chorister  in a church but his own  was natural .And I remember that his father was a member of  ‘ ASINKO ‘ cultural music , and it is believed that may be that was where he also  got it from, but Orlando’s music is more that  of a ordinary  because his music is quite different and unique”.

Where are Orlando ‘s wives ?

Mama who lives with some of her children spoke about Orlando’s wives and said  ” Some have gone to remarry while  I am still seeing  some of them, and they have been very  nice  to me  while for those who remarried  have to move on”.

 

I miss him 

When does she feel her son’s absence?, the reporter wanted to know , and her response ” I am always pained each time I remember him.I thought he was the one to bury me but it turned otherwise .It is painful .No woman will pray to bury her child”

Reincarnation

Will Mama pray to have Orlando  if she comes to this world again? ! her response ” I wish to give birth to him if the opportunity comes again. I wanted to die when his death was announced .Even ,I still feel like taking poison and die anytime I remember him. I remember how the bad news was broken by one of his  sisters, I felt like dying , up till now I am not myself”.

 

I Love his songs

“I used to listen to his music on the radio, yes, he had a good voice while. listening I would be crying .I love the song he  waxed for me in one of his records  that is “Ero ba mi ki yemi Morenikeji ye  teja …”.(  greetings to my mother who is selling fish) I also love the  “Ojo” track, which is  among his most popular music he sang in  praise of “Ojo” , mama added  “He sang the song in praise of  Ojo who is a member of our  family .But I don’t know where he ( Ojo ) is now”.

 

No premonition about Orlando’s fame 

The late Musician’s mother said it is a blessing for her son to be popular for she never expected such in the beginning .She looked  at the ceiling when asked whether she had any premonition that her son would be popular , she swore “nobody told me that Orlando will be a great man when I had his pregnancy and I thank God that I didn’t contemplate to  abort it”

I tried  to stop him from smoking hemp

Mama said she did not support her son  smoking the substance , Indian hemp ( Igbo), she said “I used to advise him not to smoke Igbo  but he  too used to argue that if he didn’t smoke it he would not have the energy to play and sing .I even went extra mile to prepare  agbo (local herbs ) for him to make him stop it but he did not take the  concoction (agbo ).

Bury me at the cemetery 

Asked  where she would like to be buried  after her death, mama said she preferred her church’s cemetery , “though my son , Orlando was buried in Lagos but I have told them all that when I am dead I should be buried at the  Church’s cemetery .I am the Iya Egbe of St Andrew’s Cathedral Church, Owo. My father , Jacob ‘slept’ at the cemetery and Mama  Julianah who took care of me was also buried there .When I die I want to be buried at our cemetery in Owo but not to be carried to Ifon or anywhere”, she pleaded.

 

 

Epe Plywood and Boatyard: begging for resuscitation

 

Have you been to Epe Boatyard recently?.Have you also been to Epe plywood company?.If no,  please go and see what have become of the two once great companies! .

It is unfortunate that these  two giant companies established by the late Obafemi Awolowo and Alhaji  Lateef Jakande in Lagos state had been abandoned for over 25years.

Epe Plywood 

The once famous moribund Epe plywood factory’s   environment is filthy while some areas have developed heavy moulds. The compound  have been taken over by overgrown  weeds .

At the gate one could see  the rustic iron gate of the Epe Plywood company  that speaks volumes as four  haggard looking security officers guarding  the company  are  bitter,  they confided in this reporter that they had been there working for over 24years, with their delayed their salaries  from Ibadan , the head office .

” We are being owed   some months’ salaries  and please publish our  predicament but don’t mentioned our names”, one of them pleaded.

Parts of the industry
Parts of the industry

Seeing  the multi –  million naira worth of machines wasting away could melt one’s heart and open litany of  questions on government’s management in business  activities.

Inside the premises are abandoned and rusty engines  like sawing machines, lifting machines , cutting machines, smoothing machines and many others .The  rusty and weather – beaten machines  exposed to the sun and rain would bring endless litany of complaints about the abandoned company.The company that had been producing wood for chairs , tables and doors and other furniture works cannot even produce for itself again!

Epe Plywood Industries Limited was established in 1965 and jointly owned by Odu’a Investment Company  who owned 91 . 2 per cent  and the Bank of Industry which had 8.8 per cent .The industry was into saw mill business  producing furniture, veneer , flush doors .It was a major wood processing company  established in 1965 for the production of plywood, flush doors, veneer and furniture. Many of Nigeria neighboring countries like Ghana, Cote D’ voire ,Gambia Sierra Leone among others  patronized the company.

Epe Boatyard, Plywood dying
Epe Boatyard, Plywood dying

There is no adjectives that would be fit  to describe the condition of the once highly rated  Boatyard in the town of Epe which  Lagos state was proud to have when it started but now opposite is the case!  

 Epe boatyard

At Epe boatyard are different sizes and shapes of abandoned , unfinished and rotting boats made of fibre and wood. In fact there is a very big boat that one could be tempted to call it the Biblical  Ark of Noah!. In  the boatyard are also carcasses of vehicles that have been abandoned and rustic in the garage begging for evacuation!.

The environment is filthy , an eyesore , irritating and disgusting !. It is unbelievable  that the  Epe Boatyard has no gate, no security. All the vehicles in the compound have become rusty .A Volkswagen Kombi Bus parked in the compound believed to belong to the company has  been turned to  a dunghill where dirts are deposited  and now used to dry rugs ;and wet clothes are spread on to dry. 

In the compound are unused boats, boats under construction and decaying wooden boats left outside the compound begging for attention .The yard is begging for attention. The fibre section of the boatyard industry have been abandoned while reptiles have turned it to their homes as one could see them running around as if competing in a race .The environment is bushy , this shows that no one comes there to cut the grass.

Another section of the moribund factory
Another section of the moribund factory

The fibre section is empty while about three fibre – made boats under construction could be seen  .One could still see some fibre materials wasting here too.

As for the plank boat-  making section  which is so big and  reminds one of  the Noah’s Ark  with other unfinished boats  that are under construction in the  yard. All these are wearing and wasting away .

One could see  about six rooms possibly this was one of the company’s quarters which  had been taken over by foreigners (Togolese) as the three women met there claimed they were living there .When questioned the women could not explain how they got there  for they confessed that they are only living there on their own.The building is also in a pitiable condition as some parts of it has become dilapidated.

Speaking about Plywood industry, Mr. Oyeyemi Ajayi described the company as a once thriving company that was the most busy and employer of over 70per cent of local workers in Lagos .He said ” we all remember how this Plywood industry was thriving then.People from all walks of life would come here to sell their logwoods to the company while the sea route was always busy as all canoes and ships would come to berth here and offload logs of wood”.

Mr.Samuel Abayomi Adeeko could not control his tears as he cried ” this place is enough to make someone weep.I cannot believe what I am seeing and I am sure Lagos State government is not aware of this place. How will this place that was flourishing in those days become a junkyard?.I am pained.”

Speaking about the two industries , Mr.Aderounmu Agbomeji  a native ,  and also an expert in Transportation lamented over the boatyard he said ” this is part of Transportation business that can be generating revenue for Lagos, unfortunately it has been abandoned”, he went further to explain what could have been responsible ,” I believe it is the fault of some people who have no idea about the business in the past government. The waterways would be highly useful and beneficial”.

An old man in his 80s , who begged for  anonymity blamed corruption and poor power supply  as the main factors for the collapse of the mighty industry. According to him , managers, supervisors and workers are part of those  who killed the industry. He explained “that companies would produce  but individuals would  pocket the money, others too would sell the  products at ridiculous prizes and  it got to a point where individuals of the company turned themselves to Alpha and Omega of the companies as each and everyone became contractor , stealing and looting the companies.

“They started dealing directly with customers outside the company. They would bring trucks at night, load them and discharge. But the money was never remitted to the company. Also, there was no constant power supply to aid production,” he said. The source added that the Plywood industry alone is enough to make Epe an enviable town in Lagos State, “but we have docile and corrupt leaders, who are rather selfish and greedy.”

The Oloja of Epe , Oba Kamorudeen  Animashaun decried the situation of the two companies that had provided jobs for the natives and non natives .The monarch said “these two giant industries provide employment not only for the indigenes but also for non indigenes , it is unfortunate seeing these companies lying like this ,I pray our son , the Lagos state governor Akinwumi Ambode to help us revive it.The boatyard was where they were constructing boats of all kinds like flying boat, speed boat and this is water transportation where we can transport our containers and decongest Lagos Ports and be transporting all these containers from Epe to Owerri, Kano, Kaduna .This is a lucrative business which had been abandoned years ago”.

 

 

Engineer  Agbomeji an expert in Transportation advised the Lagos state Government to quickly come and resuscitate the two giant companies before   it is too late.

When will  the Lagos State resuscitate these  two very promising multi-million naira business  that  employed hundreds of both indigenes and non indigenes?

Time will tell.

BoN’s Adventure: Ada and you did this to me!

BoN’s adventure

BoN’s Adventure

Immediately I sighted her  at Oshodi  my heart kept pounding , and before you say Jack Robinson the  “royal staff of office” which  is   in- between my legs started  dangling like pendulum .I could not hold my breath. Ha , Omo lo dara to bayi ?  , I spoke Yoruba. Ada  wore a very beautiful spaghetti clothes that revealed  her upper part and when I saw the two oranges I thanked God for seeing it for the first time in my life! .

The  fitted jeans  that revealed her curves turned me on and I became restless as the boobs showed she was not wearing underwear . l quickly used my hands to cover my  “office” located at the lower part of my  body to avoid being seen that it was getting swollen from my frontal view as it was shaking  its head like agama agama lizard where I kept it .  I screamed ” O jigbi jigbi” , then something dripped from my JT and  gummed my tights .

She wore expensive gold , not palasa  .Her brown leather shoe matched her bag .The complete set of her white teeth can make a Bishop deny Jesus Christ as Simon Peter did , just for a second.

Immediately I saw her  I followed her .

When  she sighted me she too   seemed to be interested and we began from  body language to voice ….

“What is your name? “, I asked her , She looked at me disdainfully, ” What do you want and why are you after me since?”, she queried .I stammered “I ….I …like you and want to …”, I was nervous because  I  saw a bunch of keys  with   car keys she was holding, she spoke through her nose ( like the  ‘Been – tos’). After chatting we exchanged phone numbers, I brought out my  Nokia 3310 and typed her number  but  she brought out six  expensive phones and typed mine. She spoke phonetics , again I was  fidgeting  .She  is a big girl, for she speaks Queen’s English, she must have come from the USA, or UK, I guessed.

She demanded for her transportation fare back home and I gave her 5,000 Naira leaving me with 200 Naira in my purse.I  wanted to show her that me too I dey ,   as I dangled my  keys , I  told her my car was bad.

We started to meet  at an eatery at Herbert Macaulay Yaba , where I used to pay  her  bills whereas I drink gaari  before leaving  home .One day I told her I must know her house but she said  she always return home   late from the Bank where she works.

I was proud to go out with a Banker , who lives in Surulere .I showed my friends my latest catch, big fish for that matter and latest lady in  town.

One day she demanded for 10k , and since I was not proficient in computer and send her money through on- line, she did it herself by transferring the money with my phone  into her account.

At another time she needed only 2k and I went to borrow money and transferred 20k  into her account .

Last week   my boss, Mr.Stephen Sootan  transferred 500k into my account and asked me to help him keep it and would withdraw it  when needed .The following  day Ada came and we had a nice time as I went to drink paraga, Star, Moon,  to enhance my sexual performance. Oh my Lord, different thoughts flooded my mind. I will do it today.

We ate fish pepper soup worth 12k we went in .I  brushed  my kola nut stained  teeth,  greased  my JT with Maclean for easy entry , I gave  her  fantastic kissing until I bite her tongue  and lips and blood flowed .I touched  her bum bum, gripped her .Ye! ! I was shaking like an electrocuted man .Then I unzipped .” No, no, I am a virgin and we cannot  do  it now because  I’m on my period “, she yelled. Then let me romance , I pleaded .She  did not allow me to fondle  her breasts  because ,it is a sin before God .

That  night I suffered hell for I was seeing the  beautiful erotic and  dark- cushioned area but could not go in.  I saw only the sitting room but  not allowed to go into the room  but only peeping!. I could not touch the dark colored and attractive hair called pubic hair .No, I was not allowed to touch the twins or two  oranges  displayed on her chest with the dark teat pointing .Oh my God , she did not allow me to even touch the smooth  laps that could  tempt  Man of God and fall yakata. I begged , I pleaded to touch any of these    zones to cool my tension but she refused and said since she is still a virgin and  we had not wedded , and it is against her church’s  principles.

Three days later ,  my Oga asked me to wire his money into his account in Owerri for he has seen the business he wanted to use it for .And I tried to wire the money into his account but it became like Fela song ” Òrò Pesi je”. Ada had  emptied my account, one million five hundred Naira has gone.Yes , I forgot to tell you that my cousin deposited  one million Naira into my account  to pay advance fee for the land he wanted to purchase  at Igbusi .

I wept like a baby, I thought it was the handiwork of my enemies.

Ada’s friend    pitied and  gave me the address of Ada at Ayilara, and asked me to ask for ‘Nkeshi’ when I get there , but I said ” No way, it is a place for prostitutes , Ada lives in Surulere”, I argued .

When I eventually made up my mind and went to Ayilara , I was told she has  just left  for  village in Benin as she has made enough money to start business.

Now she has switched off her phones for the past two months. Yesterday  I cried. I have no money in my account to sustain myself , my boss is asking for his money while my cousin is back demanding to know the site he paid for .My landlord is threatening fire and brimstone for I am owing three  months house rent , a room.  My mother died last week and I am the first born.My okada motorcycle has knocked while the  fiancée  I abandoned for Ada has gotten a job in one of the Embassies but had married another guy. Please advise me where do I  start from.

This story is a fiction.

How Sango Festival Was Celebrated In Cotonou

Many people may not know that as the Yorubas have the Sango festival in Nigeria, the Bennenoirs also have same Sango festival in the Republic of Benin.

Taiwo Abiodun was in Cotonou live and he captures the festival as it happened in Benin Republic.

“I was there when Arewa Omo’ba Oduduwa coordinated six (6) spiritually strong women to The Great Babalawo of the Nation Taiwo Abiodun last year August for holy marriage together at the Republic of Benin,” a Nigerian Prince Oba-Loye Adimula who attended the event told Taiwo Abiodun.com.

Adimula added that, “Whereas the deity of Ogho land Tunde Onibode was the Best man! — with Onisile Olanrewaju, Arewa Omo’ba, Erelu Ibukunoluwa Omomoh Adedokun, Taiwo Abiodun and Tunde Onibode.”

It was fun as Nigerians trooped to Cotonou to see the Benin version of the Sango festival. Of course Benin Republic formerly called Dahomey was once an extension of the Oyo Kingdom and no wonder some festivals and traditions of the Yoruba kingdom are still being observed in Benin Republic till date.

Incredible Twins

Owode Twins : 

They go to toilet same time, get sick same time , eat from same plate , wear same dress from underwear  to headgears. 

Welcome to the world of strange twins : Mariano Sanni( Taiwo)  and Hassanatu ( Kehinde).

They are identical twins,  their children said they hardly know who is who even their friends of many years cannot differentiate them.

Taiwo and Kehinde chorused  ” we  didn’t go to school but were into trading since our youth”the twins chorused.

“We wear same clothes from our undies to our headgears , we have same friends and doing everything same since our youth .

“We married same  day, and our parents did Nikai for us same day and went to our husbands houses same day!”

Marriage lives 

According to the twins when their husbands died  they remarried , “we didn’t want to remarry but our mother objected to it  .When we remarried again  our two husbands have died same time ” . 

Their children testified to their strange lives , according to Alhaja Musiliat Kilani who is one of the children of the twins, ” whenever you want to give them gift , the gift must be same too, but if they are not the same don’t bother to give them for they will not receive  or collect them from you.

When one is sick in the morning the second will fall ill in the evening, she gave several examples ” many times when Taiwo is sick in the morning and was taken to  Oluwalogbon Health Centre, Ishaga -Iju, her twin sister fell ill in the same evening and was taken there too.The two wer discharged on the following day .

It is true they eat from same plate, drink from same cup, eat from same meat , that is they will cut the meat with their teeth and the second will eat the remaining half no matter the number of meat in the plate , they will cut it with their teeth .

The twins added” when we were young we did our mensuration same day , or either one would  start a day earlier before the other  .Up till now we wear same  color of  undies”

What would happen if they don’t do anything together?, Senior Evangelist Saliu Sanni  who also refused to tell who between the two that is his biological mother said” You don’t need to bring unidentical  things for them as they will not receive them, they did everything together . 

Asked to tell which one is his mother but he said ” the two are my mother, I can’t describe them , they are over 100 years of age .The sleep together.  Share same bed, don’t want anybody to separate them even their children , no politics in the family.

MECCA

In 1982 when they were going for Hajj in Mecca, they caused a stir at the Murtala Mohammed Airport when their names were alphabetically called and Kehinde was called to go into the aircraft but refused and said she must sit by her twin sister, Taiwo  ; after much hassles they bowed to their wishes.Again at the Addis ababa  airport in Ethiopia they refused to sleep in different rooms they gave them and they insisted in  sleeping  in the same room and on same bed!

LEGACY

We pray our children should follow our footsteps where  we have no secret and we love ourselves .We have seen our four generational children 

How we were robbed 

The twins are not happy as they claimed some robbers came to their rooms at night to rob them, ” it was around 3 am as we both went out to ease ourselves when we sighted  two  young boys who entered into our room and asked us to keep quiet , they demanded for the money in our possession, we begged them to spare our lives as we were old  .They carted away with the mosque’s collection , they also went away with some ?????Owo ajo??

Asked whether the roughnecks tried to rape them, the twins laughed and said ‘ no’, we were chanting ” Laila ilalau, Laila ilalau, Laila ilalau, while they instructed us to keep quiet 

‘He controls me with ‘juju’

For Madam Yinka Olawande , 50, it is a cry of freedom as she says  she is now free from her man ( names withheld) who she  alleged has been under his   ‘spell’  for sometime .

In full rage the palm wine seller , Madam Yinka Olawande , 50, unwrapped the dark – colored  object that   looks like  animal horn, displayed it for all to see and with voice raised screamed   “I am now free from his bondage”. She was bitter as she was  sweating profusely while speaking with this reporter.

How  we met 

Asked how he met  the man in question , the woman said “the man is my man friend. He  toasted me some years ago before  I got married  but I didn’t accept his proposal . We  met again when I lost my husband few  years ago and since I did not want to stay / live alone I therefore accepted and had him as my ‘Man friend’  living with him as husband and wife. In fact when my son had problem with the National Drug  and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA ) and I needed financial assistance was when I met him”.

Living in Confusion 

Madam Yinka said she has not been enjoying living with her lover  as he has been unfair and not treating  her well not knowing she was under a spell, juju . On how she knew he has been controlling her  with juju , she said  “I would  just wake up and go to his doorstep to wait for him no matter the hour he  comes back  and  I will be guarding  his house like a dog   waiting for him, I could  not eat without seeing him and even when he beats me I would still go there , it was not ordinary “.

She continued  “He will lock me outside till about 11pm  and he’ll be out there chasing women , he was once married to a police officer who  left him seven years ago. I thought his old age will make him to be responsible and a better person but I was wrong, he  is around 65 years of age.

“Whenever he mentions my name I’ll become restless , following him like a dog but since I have retrieved  this object  from him my eyes have  cleared .Our relationship  is  about two years old now”.

How  the bubble burst 

According to Yinka  , it all happened  when   he  locked her outside  last year and when she discovered  this strange object suspected to be  juju in his car where he kept it ,she said ” it is called  ‘afose’, and immediately I saw it I seized it, then my  eyes became cleared . I saw this object wrapped and hidden in his car and seized it. When I told him I have discovered his secret,he became jittery .Now , I no longer stay at his doorstep .I am relieved ” , she cried out.

Power of dream

According to Yinka ,  she dreamt about the strange object which was revealed to him by God, she said ” God gave me power of  dream and it always come to pass. I dreamt that I saw this  object in my dream. God showed it to  me in my dream, I don’t do juju. My dream always come to pass. That was  why   I abandoned my lucrative transport business I was doing from Owo/ Kaduna/ Kano, when I dreamt that I was involved in a motor accident and my limbs were  amputated, I then stopped the business  and now selling palm wine. My dreams always come to pass.”, she declared.

” I had wanted to report him at the King’s palace but refrained by people. Now he is sending people to come and beg me to return it but  I will not.I want the whole world to see and know it , since he has vowed to destroy me”, she said.

Defense 

When this reporter   contacted the man ( names withheld )  in question to tell his own side of the story , he was furious, stammering ,  as he showed this reporter the scar inflicted on his head by the woman , and also marks on the doorpost on how the woman vandalized his door, 

He said ” this woman is stubborn, very stubborn. She used iron rod to hit me on my head( he showed his head to this reporter) . Let her continue telling everybody .I didn’t steal, I am a boxer but  ……She is not the only one I have , I am married to a soldier, Police officer and a senior typist at FMC  but this woman has been stubborn.  I didn’t know that is how she is when  I married her. I thought she  would be able to take care of me , those who are not as rich as I am have many wives , I have a house in Ibadan, Owo ..let her go to court I am ready for her ” .

On the object she claimed she saw in his car, the man said  she is the  one who knows where she saw it and it is not compulsory to marry her, he said .

What is Ase? 

TaIwo Abiodun went to town to research on what ‘Ase ‘ is 

A young boy  met a septuagenarian  man in rags with foul odour in the bus ,  and made jest of  him of the  odour but the  old man kept mute but kept on shaking his head .Later he brought out an object suspected to be animal horn filled with some substances and chanted incantations on it.  After this, the old man quickly alighted at the next bus stop. Immediately he left, the young man started laughing like hyena .He came down from the bus and started  jabbing  the air with his fists  and at the same time  kicking the empty air with his legs until he reduced his clothes into shreds. The rest , as they say, is history .

Another episode happened  years ago as a Police woman  popularly  known as   ‘Iya Toyin ‘  living at Lawanson went insane  in Lagos . Her story was widely circulated .She was  said to be  very strict  arresting traffic offenders , she  was unpardonable  and whenever  they  prostrate to beg her she would accuse the  driver of trying to peep at her private part . She was said to have been cursed and in the end went gaga. It all happened in the early 80s.

” Iya Toyin went to Abeokuta to arrest young girls wearing ‘bikini’ wears , that was where she was cursed. I remember her vividly”, a woman who lives in Ogun state declared and a man who lives in Akure corroborated the story , both the interviewees  are in their late 70s .

A woman ( names withheld ) woke up one morning and chanted incantations asking her son to return home after 25 years of sojourn in the USA. The son eventually returned home but with unsound mind .

 Another episode  is   that of  a Police   officer  who after collecting bribe from a driver  somersaulted  several times then climbed the NEPA pole and capped it all as he went ahead to hold  on to the high tension wire .That was how he ended his life. Another police officer who was   cursed  was saluting all NEPA poles he saw till he died few years ago”.

About two years ago , this writer witnessed a  handsome young man at Lagos/ Abeokuta toll gate , the man  in question was at a petrol station  jumping from one top of a car bonnet to another , later he started  hitting his head against the wall. The on-lookers claimed   he must have been cursed .

Professor Rowland Abiodun in his book” Yoruba Art and Language , Seeking The African in African Art  , he wrote Ase : The Empowered Word Must come to Pass ” …Both Ase and epe operate by identifying the targeted subjects by their original  or primordial name(s) and calling ( pe) them The Yoruba believe that they must answer or respond ( Je or dahun) that is they must obey the caller. Thus Ase and epe can be likened to ” potent and effective traditional medicinal preparations which respond like flint -ignited -fire ” that is commonly known as a- jé- bí iná.”

According to Abiodun ” Ase is effective ; it triggers a powerful response even when its workings may not be fully and immediately comprehended.”

Akoje Olayemi Omolaja  the Oluwo of Aborigine Ogboni Fraternity and Babalawo said ‘Ase’ is ayajo  , which is sent to whoever is to be attacked and acts  fast , it is because of its fastness  act that it is being used .It  is also involuntarily used as epe ( curse) .And it is difficult to recall, he said some of the items used are horns of antelope , cow, ram , goat.

High Chief Mukaila Awodumila the Ogwabumara of Owo Kingdom described Ase as a spiritual command that whatever you commanded  the victim to do he will do it through incantations and can be used on a tree to dry up  such is called ‘ abojowo’ ( goes with  sunset) , some are time- related , another is generational or  a family curse”.

Awodumila added ” Ase could be placed on tongue or lips .In most cases it is used when one is offended .Ase is never used for any good thing. It has repercussion on the sender”. 

Another Babalawo , Nuru Yisa Momoh  said “there are two types of Ase viz: the wicked and the good prayerful one . He distinguished ” the wicked one acts fast which  is the one that we curse with and it works faster while the other one is for prayer which can take seven or 14 days  or three or seven  months  to work and  in this case you have to exercise patience “.

 Chief Christianah  Famulagun said “Afose,  Ase  and epe are  the same thing but they  are different from ape ( compulsory home call) for Afose or Ase or epe  you will stand at a place and lace it upon the person but  for ape  the sender  will be walking up and down calling the name of the victim be forced home  , commanding him to do whatever he is instructed to do  and that is what the man in the story above used”.

She explained  further ” ape is a compulsory call  or  forced home call, this is used to recall those who travelled abroad  for many years and don’t want to come back home again or have forgotten home . When ape is used , the user will be walking up and down calling the name of the victim while the targeted victim  become  restless  .He would without caution and without any luggage return  home ” Famolagun added  “but many of those recalled like this will never  be normal again because he was spiritually recalled ,so he would come back home empty – handed and whenever he remembers that he left somewhere he would be yearning to go back to  retrieve  his belongings  , but   will never be a normal person again, for he was under supernatural control . 

The Olunaun of Unaun , Oba Olanrewaju Abegunde described Ase as a potent and irreversible curse, he said ” it is better not to be cursed than to be cursed. Curse is epe in Yoruba land , and that is why anointed men of God like Pastors, prophets, Babalawos and monarchs  always exercise patience and must not get angry anyhow for their curse is highly potent”. 

Olanipekun Adebeye said he is a Christian , he argued that curse is also in the Bible, used by Christians , he said ” the psalms in the Bible are full of prayers for loved ones and curses meant for enemies .Yes, I can tell you that the Holy Bible has portions for blessings and curses. Jesus used ‘ Ase ‘ when he cursed the fig tree.He also use Ase known as power of the word when he told Simon Peter to throw his net into the river and he caught fishes  .He also told Peter that he would deny him three times before the cock crows. What of Judas Iscariot whom Jesus said ‘ Curse be to that  man that will betray son of man, in the end Judas committed suicide”.

A Muslim Cleric, Ahmed  Musliu Soibu Libayan claims there are some verses like Ase in the Holy Koran,he  said ” All the verses of Koran have Ase , if  you go to Suratu Yashin , Suratu Kaf and many other verses . Ase is from Allah  and it is used to appeal to Allah for anything .The bad Ase is what does not go along with Allah’s  wishes like curses , demands  from Esu. Ase  is used for  curse which is worse than juju, because it was appeal to Allah  we have two Ase, one is an   appeal  to  Allah  and the other is for our  enemies .We should stay with God and not curse with it , because it is a generational curse on families”, he advised. 

Can it be revoked ?

When one is cursed it can be revoked depending on the type of Ase for we have strong and weak Ase said   Famulagun. “Ase will not affect the  person invoked it upon if he is not guilty of what he is  accused of that is why we said it has a target, it can also be reversed if there is a powerful Babalawo or a Man of God that will revoke it ,that is why we say we use curse to fight curse( epe la fi nwe epe danu) “.

Chief Mayomi Awoniyi    Obabiire, the village head of Ago Påànù said Ase , Afose,  epeand ape  are the same and it depends on their usage .He adds that Ase does not  fight an innocent person  , “it has target, and it goes to its target, it does not fight anyhow”.

Some Pastors, Muslim Clerics  and Babalawos  contacted agreed that  its only through prayer and fasting  , rituals as and sacrifices that Àse   can be   revoked.