New Telegraph 
It is not a festival joked with within Lagos or among Diaspora Lagosians. It is mostly adored and revered in Lagos and world over. It’s a festival in a class of its own that attracts world leaders and celebrated with much glamour. Perhaps, that is the reason it is not an annual event because it requires much energy and lot of efforts to stage it. OLUWATOSIN OMONIYI-SOLANKE reports on the return of the Eyo Festival almost a decade after its last appearance
Nine years after Eyo was last celebrated in Lagos State, the state came alive again with assorted activities associated with the festival.
There is no area of Lagos that did not catch the Eyo fever, thick in the air, but thicker in Isale Eko, the original home, with common slang: Moyọ fun è (I am happy for you ), Moyọ funra mi (I am happy for myself ) It’s actually a festival celebrated worldwide but mostly hyped by Lagos State, the home of Eyo. The first procession of Eyo in Lagos was on February 20, 1854, to commemorate the life of the Oba Akitoye. Eyos (the masquerades) celebrate an Oba’s (king) life.
Eyo Festival is a homage to his death. Sunday Telegraph spent a whole day in Isale Eko, at the Bajulaiye Palace precisely, where preparations for the festivals and trainings by the Eyo boys and their leaders took place. It ranged from the carving of the Eyo Stick called-Opambata to the accessories weavers on the Opambata, also to the Eyo face cover cloth weaver.
The whole street was simply full of activities of sorts. Night was like day, day glowed! The trainings took place in age grades, from the experienced adults to young adults and to young ones known as Abeyo, initiated through age grade grouping.
Bajulaiye Ayinla, the chief crafter of the Opambata, told Sunday Telegraph that each stick cost N10,000 without accessories but with accessories, it cost N13,000. He explained further that about two days and on the actual day of Eyo, the Opambata cost not less than, between N25,000 and N30,000.
“Eyo festival in Lagos brings good fortunes for everyone but mostly to those of us who are one way or the other associated to it directly. It brings business to us all round,” he said.
Bajulaye Palace
A visit to Bajulaye Palace opposite the Palace of Oba Akiolu of Lagos, was filled with people and activities in readiness for the Eyo. Sunday Telegraph had a chi-chat with Prince Ayodele Oyekan, the Bajulaiye of Lagos. He narrated that, “Eyo isn’t an annual festival, not meant to be performed too often because it is meant to be performed to honour the deceased, especially the Obas and also for those who have performed tremendously for Lagos State.
“For this year, we are performing for three distinguished Lagosians namely former Governors Lateef Jakande, Michael Otedola and our mother, Iya Abibatu Mogaji, former first general Iyaloja of Nigeria and who is the mother of our sitting president- President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
Why did it take this long before honouring them? He responded that Eyo is a procedural festival that takes lots of due consultation and many other things that he wouldn’t be able to tell because tradition didn’t permit him to tell.
“That is why Eyo is very unique and not done on yearly basis. For any Lagosian who wants Eyo to be performed for his deceased, he must write a letter of permission to Oba Rilwan Akiolu of Lagos, who is the supreme custodian of Eyo.
Then, the Oba of Lagos will write to the Governor, also seeking permission for the individual, who wants to perform Eyo for his\her deceased. With response from the governor, then the Oba will call on the Awe Adimu, who is the number one to give date-month and time. After that, an Ifa oracle will give a-3 Saturday for them to pick the most convenient Saturday to perform the Eyo.
Prince Oyekan also told Sunday Telegraph that the Eyo festival was to honour the president’s late mother, Abibatu Mogaji, former and late Lagos governors, Michael Otedola and Lateef Jakande. And before this year’s festival was determined to be performed, the supreme Head of Awe Adimu-Eyo, Chief Adebola Dosunmu, popularly known as Akinshiku, performed and consulted the necessary Ifa oracle. Prince Oyekan explained that there are five categories of Eyo ORISAS in hierarchy, namely, Eyo Adimu, Eyo Okanlaba Ekun otherwise known as Eyo Oba, Eyo Oniko, Eyo Ologede, which is regarded Iya Oba, and the fifth is Agere.
“Then we have all the Eyo Igas, who belong to the white Cap Chiefs of Lagos. There are over 40 Eyo Igas. Each of this Eyo Orisha have their different Spiritual oversight functions.”
He explained that the Eyo Igas cannot come out before Eyo Adimu or any of the remaining four Eyos in order of their seniority! It is a tradition. Again, I am not in position to explain to you,” he said. Actually, Eyo starts from the night before the actual date, according to Prince Oyekan.
Myth Violence usually attached to Eyo!
Any woman caned by the Opambata, (Eyo stick) will become permanently barren!
Response
Prince Oyekan cleared the air and said that they were mere false speculations. “Nothing of such,” he said. He explained “when we too were growing up, we heard many superstitions that whenever Adimu is coming out, we would have to start throwing our fingers backward to reject evil.
We were simply ignorant! Meanwhile, the moment Adimu comes, he starts praying for the peace and tranquillity of Lagos and Nigeria in general. The violence you see during the Eyo festival usually starts from the people that come to watch Eyo-the pushing and shoving to be at a vintage position to watch the Eyo. It is also hijacked by the thugs, who get hyper active at the peak of the event.
The dos and don’ts
He highlighted that it is forbidden for ladies to plait their hairs in certain ways, especially Shuku hair style. Also, there are no facial makeup, no beauty accessories. Otherwise, it would be seen as competing with Iya Oba (the king’s mother) whose primary duty is to protect and bless all her children and everyone. He explained that the ancestral mother, who is Ologede had hairstyle called Adimole Shuku Ologede.
Hence, no one must have that hairstyle, so as not to be seen to be competing with her on that day-it must be exclusive respect for her. He added that there must be no head tie apart from Muslims Sabaka cap-white short cap, no hijab, no shoes, no smoking in front of Eyo. That would be like evoking the spirit of the dead that they are appeasing.
According to Prince Oyekan, all the Eyo Orishas actually pray for their lineage, for peace of the state and wellness of the country. They pray while reciting the Aro that is about praising their gods, ancestors. For this year, he said the Bajulaiye is actually praying for the Orisha Kefa, the logo and nickname for Bajulaye is Orisha Kefa. The Bajulaiye theme for this year is purely peace and tranquillity for Eko and Nigeria at large.
However, Price Oyekan has assured participants that this year’s Eyo would be peaceful and devoid of violence. He said luckily, that Oba Akiolu has assured of security and ordered that anyone caught violating the peace of the festival should be arrested and dealt with appropriately. In a note the Adimu, sent, he explained that the Adamu/Adimu Orisha Play (Eyo Festival) always holds on a Saturday. Seven days before the grand finale, on a Sunday, a vital ritual will be observed.
This is when members of the most senior Eyo group, the Eyo Orisha Adimu, holding the Opambata (the staff) and wearing white wrappers, go on a procession; first to pay homage to the Oba of Lagos at his palace, the Iga Idunganran. The king offers his blessings, along with a gift, and also shares a word of caution.
Afterwards, the groups pay courtesy visits to the other four Eyo Orisas – the Laba, the Oniko, the Ologede and Angere – at their respective enclaves before setting out to visit select dignitaries in Ikoyi and Victoria Island neighbourhoods. When this happens, it is the ultimate proof that indeed the festival will take place the exact date set for it -Saturday.
With the Eyo Adimu having ‘watered the ground’, it paves the way for the four other senior Eyo groups to repeat the procession in this order: Eyo Laba Ekun (Monday), Eyo Oniko (Tuesday),Eyo Ologede (Wednesday),Eyo Angere (Thursday).
These processions are mini-festivals in themselves, animated with singing, drumming, dancing and a bit of machismo, while the residents look on excitedly. Indeed, to watch the procession break out in dance with the Opambata is a thrill in itself. The eve to the Eyo D-day known as Aisun Eyo is when the Lagos Island boys also known as awon Omo Isale-Eko pour into the community in their hundreds.
History of Eyo
According to Wikipedia and a one of the chiefs, who prefer to be anonymous, the Eyo Festival, otherwise known as the Adamu/Adimu Orisha is a Yoruba festival unique to Lagos, Nigeria. In modern times, it is presented by the people of Lagos as a tourist event.
It is traditionally performed and celebrated by the indigenes on Lagos Island, known as, Isale Eko. It is these indigenes, a cultural and traditional masquerade display, which emerges from the Iga (palace) of the Oba or any of his cabinet members.
The Eyo is the masquerade that comes out only in Lagos Island. It is believed to represent the spirits of the ancestors. The festival may be held in honour of a chief or an elder of a ruling family or an Oba, who had died. It may also be held when a new head of an Iga (palace) or a new Oba is installed. With the advent of westernization and modernisation, a governor or a political leader may also request that the festival be organised to add colour to an occasion for a fee.
Eyo is usually held on a Saturday. Each Eyo comes out of an Iga (palace) of a ruling family in the morning and heads for the shrine (Agodo). It is robed from head to toe in white flowing cloth. The white flowing costume consists of an ‘agbada’ (the top robe), and the ‘aropale’ (the bottom wrap around). No part of the person carrying the Eyo is expected to be seen. The Eyo also wears an ‘Akete’ a hat that bears the colours and shield of the Iga from which he comes.
An Eyo may tie ribbons in his Iga’s colours to the Opambata (palm branch) that he carries. An Iga’s Eyo may have up to 50 to 100 or more members. Each person carrying a robe as Eyo must pay a fee for the privilege. This fee is paid to the Iga – ruling house, whose colours and Akete the Eyo wears.
Only adult males may robe as Eyo; but sometimes, there may be a child Eyo in a group. The sons and daughters and wives, as well as friends and neighbours of the Iga follow the Eyo on a parade from one end of Lagos Island to the other.
The route of each Eyo goes from the Iga, where the Iga’s Eyo leave en masse, and then on to the Agodo – the shrine of the Orisa Eyo. After this, the Eyo may go anywhere on Lagos Island their feet can carry them, all the way from Ebute Ero to Obalende, via Oke Popo, Campus, Lafiaji and all neighbourhoods the Eyo’s whims may carry him.
In fact, an Eyo may easily cover 20 to 30 kilometres on that day. The crowd of supporters following the Eyo do not wear white robes. Imagine the spectacle of thousands of white robed figures in colourful hats, flowing ribbons, men women and children milling about the streets singing and dancing.
The Lagos Eyo gives good meaning to the words, festival and spectacle. The only Eyo that is not part of a group is the most senior Eyo-Adimu Orisa. This Eyo’s nose is forever running, hence, the name Adimu. Only a very old and spiritually advanced male can robe as the Adimu. It is the last Eyo to leave the “agodo.”
The Eyo, when it encounters people, greets them with the phrase, “E sunrunkunrun, we ma jagbon die!” meaning, “Don’t fear anything, have a taste of the palm tree,” and taps the individual on the shoulders with the “Opambata.”
When he is given money, he will pray for the person and recite the praise song of his Iga. The phrase, “e sunrunkunrun, we ma jagbon die!” is in the Ijebu dialect of Yoruba.
It was rendered as a wedding present when the Oba of Lagos married an Ijebu princess. It is however, a taboo to either wear the Eyo costume overnight or cross any body of water, such as the Lagoon, Rivers, and so on.
Relevance
The Eyo festival is organised under the auspices of the Yoruba tradition, as well as social organisations or clubs. It is an outlet used to showcase the culture of the Isale Eko people, since it can be organised for special occasions apart from the death of prominent chiefs, elders, or installation of a new Oba.
It can be used to entertain at special state functions or occasions. The ritual is also organised to commemorate the election of a new leader.
