A man, Isaac Oluwagbenga Omilani has raised the alarm over an alleged attempt by his family to force him to step into the shoes of his father as the leader of an Egungun deity.



Omilani expressed concern that despite resistance, his family led by one of his uncles identified as Chief Apena has allegedly continued to harass, molest and threaten him.



He also insisted that the family was allegedly responsible for the death of his elder brother who reportedly died mysteriously after he refused to join the worship of the deity.



Egungun is a deity with a colourful dress, it is one of the greatest divinities in the land of Yoruba. Egungun in the broadest sense is any Yoruba masquerade or masked, costumed figure.



It is one of the deities with the largest followers in Yorubaland and Africa at large.



Omilani who claimed his father was one of the foremost leaders of deity in Africa before his death, added that his uncle alongside some other family members allegedly attacked him with charms and thugs.



He complained that he and his family now live in panic and anxiety as they fear they could be attacked spiritually by the Egungun adherents.



Omilani added that he had to go into hiding with his wife when nothing could be done to stop the Egungun adherents from disturbing them.



He also said his house was ransacked, and his properties were destroyed.



He also lamented that even after running to hide at his mother-in-law's residence, the Egungun adherents invaded the house and he had to join through the fence which led to him having a fracture on his left leg.



He further explained, "Isaac Oluwagbenga Omilani of 73 Ajo Unit 1, Oluyole Local government area of Oyo State, I was born into a family where the religion's belief is firmly established in the African Traditional religious worship, to be precise worship of the Egungun deity.



"During my father's lifetime, he was an ardent worshiper and he ensured all his children worship this Egungun deity.



"My father tied our rights such as Education, Clothing, Feeding and general necessities of life to our commitment to the worship of this Egungun deity, the prominence of my father as a religious head i.e The Chief Oje Priest was well pronounced in Sango where we are domiciled and in Africa as a continent.



"This status made him relentless in getting a successor to step into his shoes on his demise.



"However, I did approach my father sometime in the year 1990 that I could no longer worship the Egungun deity and that my religious conviction is towards the Christian faith, this statement made my father get angry with me, he said shouted at me and order me to leave his presence.



"When I was in secondary school, I was then a homosexual and Chief Apena my uncle who is the head of our tradition told my father it's a taboo, that I have committed an abomination and we will need to appease the gods with sacrifice.



"He said the vengeance of the gods will affect me and my generations. My father asked Chief Apena to let him know the components of sacrifice and my father bought everything needed for the sacrifice. The sacrifice was made while I was naked and my palm front was tied to my waist as I was asked to make some incantation before the deity."





On how his brother was killed, Omilani explained, “My elder brother stopped following us to worship Egungun because he has given his life to Jesus Christ.



"A year after my elder brother gave his life to Christ. I met a lady in my secondary school days who was my girlfriend and first love and introduced me to Christianity.



"When my father died, a couple of months later, Chief Apena called us and told my elder brother to step into my father's position at the Egungun deity.



"Instantly, my brother told him he is a Christian. The Bible never taught him to believe in another god except Almighty God. He also said there is a clear difference between light and darkness. He should count him out.



"Chief Apena was angry, and he said he gave him seven days to think about it. My brother never went back to him. My brother fell sick and his legs were swollen, we ended up taking him to the hospital where we realized he couldn't walk again.



"He was diagnosed and nothing was discovered as both legs kept swollen like elephantiasis. Eventually, he died as blood came out of his nose, ear, and mouth at the hospital and he was buried."



Speaking on several attacks on him over refusal to join the worshipping of Egungun, Omilani said, "On the 13th November 2023, I was confronted by some leadership of the Egungun deity who is titled Chief Oluwo Ifa, The Apena, The Ilado and Asipa Awo on this encounter they all told me they had a message for me and the message was I should trace my steps back into my family religion, which is the worship of Egungun deity or else I will face serious repercussions.



"I told them that I had made up my mind and that I am now a Christian and my religious conviction is towards the Christian religion. They were all disappointed by my response, but they vowed that they will teach me a lesson.



"On the 14th of November, 2023, I was accosted by four hefty men with charms around their necks and wrists. They made incantations and asked me to follow them to Egungun Shrine, I refused and told them that I am now a Christian and I will not step into a shrine of any deity.



"At this point, I was equally overwhelmed and devastated by this atrocity and I thought of relocating to other African countries, but it was obvious that Egungun deity is widely an African deity and that there was no way I could escape the repercussions of these priests.



"On the 15th day of November, 2023, I had an attack in my residence, at Ibadan; my properties were destroyed and a lot of my belongings were stolen while I did sustain numerous injuries. After this incident, I ran for my dear life to hide myself in my mother-in-law's place at Ibara, Abeokuta, Ogun State.



"On the 16th of November, 2023, I encountered another set of adherents of the Egungun religion who accosted me at my mother-in-law's house in Ibara Housing Estate Abeokuta and again asked me if I had renounced my adherence to the Christian religion, I told them I still hold on to my belief firmly and I have no reason to renounce it.



"They struck me severally with hard objects and told me that the next time they came, they would take my life having failed to yield to their demands, as God will have it, I was able to escape from their midst as I jumped through my mother inlaw neighbour's fence and ran into a ditch I had a fracture on my left leg. I was subsequently rushed to the General Hospital at Sokenu Abeokuta where I received Emergency treatment."



A copy of the Police report signed by the Divisional Police Officer of Ibara police station, CSP Habib Dada and obtained by our correspondent confirmed an attack on Omilani by the Egungun adherents.



The DPO noted in the letter dated 4 December 2023 that efforts are ongoing to ensure the arrest of the Egungun adherents and subsequent charges to court.

It was however gathered that the adherents were yet to be arrested as at the time this report was filed.



Our correspondent also obtained an affidavit disposed of by the Chairman of Aderukpo Drive Community Development Association, Bankole Kesi where he confirmed an attack on Omilani and his family.



Kesi in the affidavit said the hoodlums that invaded Oladosu's mother-in-law's home were armed with guns, cutlasses and other dangerous objects.



"I am the chairman of Aderupoko Drive Community Development Association.



"My duties are to oversee the activities and the progress of my community and to ensure that every land owner is given equal opportunities



"On the 16th November 2023 at about 10:25 pm some hoodlums came to our community with guns, cutlasses and other suspected dangerous objects. These people held straight to Mrs Adegbenro Olufunke and attacked her and her son-in-law.



"They (Omilani and his mother-in-law) both sustained injuries and were rushed to General Hospital, Sokenu Abeokuta for treatment.”

This is probably poison

"He was diagnosed and nothing was discovered as both legs kept swollen like elephantiasis. Eventually, he died as blood came out of his nose, ear, and mouth at the hospital and he was buried."

Nawa oh!

But why the picture of people kissing?

Dem use egungun money bring u up. U wan come japa when your turn reach to carry egungun. I laugh in egungun

Na that one we dey call "Egungun be careful, na express you dey go o" 😂😂😂

You don't fight spiritual battles with physical and emotional weapons


The bible says our weapons of warfare are not carnal (physical) but mighty through the pulling down of strong holds

Primitive people of the waste

I can bet its a ploy to get asylum.

Southern Nigerians are at times embarrassingly desperate to japa.

Female Genital Mutilation, domestic violence, homosexuality are the most common ones.

Some fools will get siblings to use death threats in WhatsApp messages or parents to publicly disown them in newspapers over homosexuality.

Desperadoes