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The Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso I at the weekend announced that the 2018 egungun festival will be without the usual masquerade dance for for High Chiefs.
The egungun festival begins on Monday June 18, 2018.
Since the time of the late Oba Gbadamosi Adebimpe in 1976, masquerades used to pay homage to selected High Chiefs in their family compounds with the permission of the Olubadan.
But a statement issued on Sunday by Adeola Oloko, the Olubadan’s spokesman, said the monarch suspend the masquerade dance “in the overall public interest.”
Oloko, who stated that the Olubadan made the announcement after a two-hour security meeting with stakeholders at his Popoyemoja, Ibadan place over the weekend, said the suspension might not be unconnected with security reason arising from the controversial chieftaincy review that confers kingship without domain on high chiefs.
He quoted the Olubadan as saying: “As the chief custodian of our culture and tradition, I also owed it a duty to work in tandem with the law enforcement agents not to turn the celebration of our custom and tradition into a theatre of war.” The Olubadan who commended the security operatives for smooth-free Oke’Badan festival last March urged them to raise the bar of egungun festival this year. He also appealed to other stakeholders to cooperate with law enforcement agents by operating within the armbit of law.
In attendance at the security meeting are ACP A. O Abimbola who represented Oyo Police Commissioner; ACP Dan Miller, CIID, Iyaganku; Mrs. B. T Agboola who represented the State Director of SSS and five Divisional Police Officers of Mokola, Yemetu, Mapo, Idi Aro and Agugu. All the leaders of masquerades association in Ibadan land to include the Alagbaa, Baale Labala and others are also present at the meeting.