Lifestyle
Oloolu: The Most Feared Masquerade in Ibadan and Yorubaland (PHOTOS)
The Oloolu masquerade occupies a place of singular reverence in Yoruba cultural life, and nowhere is this more pronounced than in the city of Ibadan, where it is hailed as the father of all masquerades. Its origins, however, lie not in Ibadan itself but in the rugged hill town of Ogbagi-Akoko, present-day Ondo State. In the nineteenth century, when Ibadan stood as a formidable military power in Yorubaland, its warriors waged campaigns across vast territories, and among those who marched to battle was the famed Ayorinde Aje, a fearless fighter who fought alongside legendary Ibadan warlords such as Oderinlo, Ogunmola, Ogbori-Efon, and Ibikunle.
During one of these campaigns, the Ibadan forces came against Ogbagi-Akoko, whose most feared protector was not merely a man but a sacred war masquerade known as Oloolu. This figure was no ordinary festival spirit; in Ogbagi, Oloolu was regarded as a living force of war, feared for its supernatural might and invincibility in battle. Warrior after warrior shrank from confronting it, for none could match its power, until Ayorinde Aje stepped forward. In the clash that followed, Ayorinde subdued the bearer of Oloolu, stripped the masquerade of its sacred regalia, and took the custodian prisoner, a victory that would mark the beginning of Oloolu’s journey into Ibadan’s history.
With the war won, Ayorinde ordered that the sacred costume be carried back to Ibadan. The captured custodian was instructed to accompany it, and his wife was commanded to follow. The woman refused outright, and her defiance enraged Ayorinde, who in a moment of wrath beheaded her. He then ordered that her skull be fixed permanently upon the crown of Oloolu’s attire, a grim act that would seal the masquerade’s most enduring taboo. From that moment, women were forbidden to behold Oloolu in person, for the belief took root that any woman who gazed upon it would suffer grave spiritual consequences, her menstrual cycle disrupted, her health broken, or her life cut short. This prohibition has endured to the present day.
The name Oloolu itself, as preserved in the oral accounts of the Aje family (the hereditary custodians of the masquerade) derives from a warning uttered by the captured custodian when Ayorinde approached the shrine in Ogbagi where the regalia was kept. He cautioned the warrior that “o lu nkan,” meaning “you will put your life in peril,” if he came too close. Ayorinde heeded the warning but nevertheless ordered the regalia taken to Ibadan, along with its bearer and the skull of the executed woman.
When Oloolu first appeared in Ibadan, the city was in the grip of famine, sickness, and unrest. The chiefs and elders sought remedies without success until Ayorinde proposed that Oloolu be used in a ritual to appease the gods. The masquerade was brought out with offerings and sacrifices, and according to tradition, rain fell soon after, the famine eased, and peace returned. From that day, Oloolu was no longer merely a war trophy but a sacred presence in Ibadan’s spiritual life, invoked in times of need and celebrated as a bringer of blessings, fertility, and protection.
The Oloolu festival, held once each year in the month of July, is the single moment when this fearsome figure moves openly through the streets. Its appearance is shrouded in awe and strict ritual law. It is believed that the first person Oloolu sees on his initial outing each year will fall fatally ill unless swift and costly rites are performed. No other masquerade dares to share the streets with him; as preserved in oral accounts, in the reign of Olubadan Dada, an egungun known as Iponri-Iku attempted it and paid with his life after Oloolu challenged him to pick up a cowry imbued with mystical force. The challenger’s backbone snapped instantly, and he died before the day was done. Communities that have confronted Oloolu in defiance, such as the Opopo Yeosa district, are said to have suffered repeated bloodshed thereafter.
Physically, Oloolu’s appearance is unlike any other egungun. The costume forms a towering, elongated pyramid stitched from multicoloured cloth and netting, crowned with the bleached skull of the beheaded woman. The bearer never wears shoes, must abstain from marital relations for a full month before the festival, and, in the days before Oloolu emerges, all women must leave his household. He must not carry a child upon his shoulders during the festival period, nor bear any load upon his head.
As he moves through Ibadan accompanied by the deep, hypnotic rhythm of his drummers, the skull atop his crown sways with every step, a constant reminder of the story that gave birth to the most feared masquerade in the city’s history.
Though dreaded for his power to kill or curse, Oloolu is also revered as a source of good fortune. Those who serve him faithfully speak of children granted to the barren, businesses made prosperous, and lives protected from harm. Yet the respect he commands is inseparable from the fear he inspires, for in Ibadan’s cultural memory, Oloolu is both a divine benefactor and a reminder of the city’s warrior past, a living link to the time when Ibadan’s might was measured not only in the strength of its armies but in the sacred power it could command.
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Fuji music legend, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate, has apologised over the incident involving him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on August 5, 2025.
In a statement he personally signed on Friday, the singer expressed regret over the controversy but maintained that the flask he carried on the day contained only water, not alcohol as alleged in some reports.
“The incident that occurred at the local wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport was, to say the least, unfortunate.
“Unknown to many, I suffer from chronic dehydration, and my doctor strongly advised that I remain constantly hydrated. This is why I always carry a water flask with me.
“Contrary to the negative narrative being circulated in some quarters, the flask contained only water — not alcohol,” he said.
K1 explained that the flask was empty during two separate security checks and was only filled with water at the airport lounge before he proceeded to the tarmac.
He stressed that he had not yet boarded the aircraft, “let alone being deboarded,” and said his account could be verified through CCTV footage.
The Fuji star apologised to the Presidency, the Ministry of Aviation, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, ValueJet, and Nigerians at large.
“I acknowledge and deeply regret the concerns that arose from the incident.
“It was never my intention to cause any disruption or violate aviation protocols.
“My unwavering patriotism and loyalty to the Federal Republic of Nigeria have never been in doubt.
“I would never do anything to tarnish the image I’ve built over the past five decades,” he said.
K1 added that he remained committed to his role as a cultural ambassador for Nigerian music and thanked his fans for their support.
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The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, has restated his vision of how he believes he will pass away, peacefully, on a Sunday, after attending church service and eating his favourite meal, pounded yam.
Speaking on the fourth day of the church’s ongoing International Convention themed “The Overcomers”, Adeboye said death does not always come through prolonged illness and that his departure would be sudden and painless.
“I will die on a Sunday after attending service, eat my beloved pounded yam, and then pass on without any sickness,” he declared.
The cleric noted that he first shared this vision two years ago and was repeating it to reassure believers that death can be peaceful for those in Christ.
Delivering a sermon titled “Possess Your Possessions”, Adeboye urged Christians to actively claim what is rightfully theirs in Christ, warning that spiritual blessings often have to be fought for.
Drawing from the biblical story of the Israelites taking the Promised Land, he said:
“In many cases, you may have to fight for things that are already yours.”
He listed healing, prosperity, fruitfulness, and long life as areas where believers must resist spiritual opposition.
“Your greatest friend, Jesus Christ, paid a great price to purchase your healing. Yet there is a thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy,” he said, citing John 10:10. “Long life is yours, but the devil wants to kill you with all he has. You must fight to live.”
On prosperity, Adeboye declared:
“The One who owns the earth and its fullness, and owns all the silver and gold, paid a terrible price so that you wouldn’t be poor. As long as you want to remain poor, you will remain poor.”
He criticised the double standard faced by successful Christians:
“If you make it as a Christian, they criticise you. If you die poor, they say, ‘Where’s your God?’”
Referencing biblical figures like Rachel and Hannah, who overcame barrenness through persistent prayer, he urged believers to reject all forms of spiritual oppression.
Concluding his message, Adeboye used the story of Jacob wrestling with an angel as a call to spiritual perseverance:
“It is what we tolerate that disturbs us. Stop tolerating sickness, poverty, barrenness, or premature death. Fight to possess your possessions, it’s your spiritual duty, made possible by Christ’s sacrifice.”
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Lifestyle
Freedom fighter Major Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro (Sept 10, 1938 – May 9, 1968) was a man ahead of his time.
Before Ojukwu, there was Boro. Before Biafra, there was the Niger Delta Republic.
A chemistry undergraduate and student union president at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Boro abandoned his studies to lead an armed protest against the exploitation of oil and gas in the Niger Delta — wealth that mainly benefited the Federal Government and Eastern Region, while his people got nothing.
He formed the Niger Delta Volunteer Force and, on Feb 23, 1966, declared the Niger Delta Republic. For 12 days, his militia — mostly fellow Ijaws — fought federal forces before being defeated. He and his men were jailed for treason by Gen. Aguiyi-Ironsi’s government.
Even when his father, a respected educationist, offered to sponsor him abroad rather than see him take up arms, Boro refused, saying:
“The Ijaws were going into perpetual bondage; if we do not strike now, not only our families but also the entire Ijaws would be infernally chained.”
On the day of his declaration, he told his comrades:
“Today is a great day… Remember your 70-year-old grandmother who still farms before she eats; remember your poverty-stricken people; remember your petroleum pumped daily from your veins — and fight for your freedom. Before today, we were branded robbers, terrorists, gangsters… but after today, we shall be heroes of our land.”
Ironically, Boro later fought on the Nigerian side during the Civil War against Biafra. He died in active service on May 9, 1968, at Ogu, Rivers State, under mysterious circumstances — aged just 29.
A revolutionary spirit forever etched in Niger Delta history. ✊🏾
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