In a unique display of faith and cultural devotion, female traditional worshippers from throughout Egbaland gathered on Friday to parade through key streets and sacred sites in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Their mission: to call upon divine powers for the safe return of those taken during the Oyo abduction incident.
Dressed in flowing white garments associated with their spiritual practice and bearing ritual objects, the women traversed prominent cultural and religious landmarks across the city. They chanted invocations and offered prayers to ancestral spirits and deities, appealing for an end to the escalating security crisis.
The ceremony was guided by Dr Omolara Fashola-MacGregor, who holds the titles Yeye Olokun Agbaye and Olori of Orile-Ilawo Kingdom. She emphasized that the procession was a solemn act of supplication and atonement, aimed at securing the protection of Yorubaland and the entire nation through the intercession of revered spirits and deities.
The worshippers made stops at several venerated shrines, including those at Olumo Rock, Lisabi Agbongbo-Akala, and the shrine honoring the legendary Egba warrior Sodeke. Their journey concluded at the Itoku shrine located at Orita Aje Junction in Abeokuta, where final rites were performed.
At each sacred site, participants engaged in prayers and traditional rituals consistent with age-old customs, seeking mercy and intervention.
Speaking to journalists during the event, Fashola-MacGregor explained that the spiritual exercise stemmed from profound worry over the safety of innocent schoolchildren, their educators, and other Nigerians currently in the hands of abductors. “We have come to implore the deities of our ancestors and the spirits of our heroes to step into this distressing situation. Our collective prayers are aimed at the safe return of all who have been kidnapped. We trust that when people unite with genuine faith and purpose, supernatural intervention can occur,” she stated.