By Babatunde Ayedoju

I f there are institutions that have defied time and have been with man for as long as one can imagine, religion is surely one of them. As far back as one can remember, human beings across races have had a system of beliefs centered around an invisible supreme being. In some cases, the supreme being, though invisible, has a physical representative in form of statues or images.

In this part of the world, a key aspect of communication between the deities of various religions and their worshippers is offering sacrifices. Such sacrifices can be seen in strategic places such as markets, junctions and village or city squares. This is despite the impact of modernisation and the advent of some religions brought by people of other races.

However, though a traditional religious practice like placing sacrifices in public places has continued to find its way into the lives of people, it seems to be becoming unpopular gradually.

For example, the Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo, recently warned indigenes and residents of the state against placing sacrifices and other fetish items in the public, especially intersections, threatening to arrest defaulters.

The governor who urged traditional worshippers in Anambra State to be mindful of public spaces when practising their faith, gave the warning while reacting to the arrests of some native doctors in the state.

Governor Soludo, while acknowledging the importance of cultural and religious beliefs, emphasized that such practices should be done in private spaces if they are so important to the adherents, to avoid interfering with the lives of others.

The governor clarified that his administration is not against the traditional religion popularly known in Igbo land as “Omenala,” but said that he recognised that true adherents of Omenala follow principles of integrity and justice, which are different from those who engage in harmful rituals.

He said: “I remember the elders who practised Omenala when I was a child. In their compounds, they had a small mound or an Ogirisi tree where they poured libations to their chi, they were known for their honesty and strong moral values. They feared Ala (the Earth deity) and believed that telling a lie would bring its wrath upon them. They upheld the principles of Ome ife jide for and Oji for ga ala”

The governor condemned the use of dangerous charms like Oke Ite, Awale, and Ibubu, stating that anyone found engaging in such unwholesome practices would be arrested. On the other hand, he reaffirmed his commitment to preserving Igbo traditions while ensuring that Anambra remains a clean, safe and organised state for everyone.

Coming closer home, it would be recalled that the Oluwo of Iwo in Osun State, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, had earlier banned the placement of sacrifices on public roads in the town, saying that such a practice could damage the roads or lead to blockage of water channels, thereby causing flooding.

He said, “Most sacrificial offerings are placed on the road in junctions. You will see palm oil and other dirty items as offerings on the road financed by our taxpayers’ money, a road that should be maintained through collective efforts and patriotic dedication.”

The monarch’s statement had elicited a reaction from the leadership of the Traditional Religion Worshippers Association in the state who insisted that restriction of their activities would not stop adherents from enjoying their rights to associate or express their faith.

A native doctor Chief Adeniyi Afe, explained that sacrifice has always been an important part of the society. He disclosed that there are different types of sacrifices, adding that any sacrifice that is intended to bring peace and tranquility to the community is placed at a junction in the middle of the village, or even in the market, while anyone that can be harmful or is intended to ward off evil is placed outside the village.

Chief Afe stated that in an ideal situation, a king should have native doctors who assist and guide him in offering sacrifices, but because of modernisation and the emergence of fake native doctors who are just looking for how to exploit unsuspecting members of the public, people no longer follow due process.

“For me, I have certain sacred spots for sacrifices and I make adequate consultations on where to place a sacrifice. Some native doctors  don’t do this. They just put it anywhere and such may cause harm to people around,” he said.

Mr Jimoh Omole, another traditionalist, opined that offering sacrifices is very important in every community, especially when done according to the instruction of Ifa, adding that such a practice is needed to avoid calamities in the land. He stressed that a sacrifice does not have to be something big, saying.

He said: An egg can be a sacrifice. One can use just an egg or kolanut to redeem one’s life. Such little sacrifices can save lives.

“In the past, before giving a chieftaincy title to someone, a sacrifice would have to be made. A sick person could also be asked to offer a sacrifice to redeem his/her life. That could be done using a goat or a pigeon or a kolanut.”

Mr Omole insisted that offering sacrifices is helpful but modernisation has changed it, saying that failure to keep a traditional practice like this is the reason why a lot of calamities now happen in the society.

“In the past, communities consulted Ifa to choose their kings, and sacrifices would have to be made. Now, people ignore such processes because of civilisation. Meanwhile, these are things that we should always do, in keeping with tradition, because they help to avert evil if done according to instruction,” he added.

A Yoruba language teacher, Mrs. Nafisat Moshood,  described offering of sacrifice as one of the ways our forefathers gave to the idols in the land what was necessary. She said that such sacrifices were used mostly for supplication because the people knew that those idols were intermediaries between them and God.

Mrs. Moshood further likened sacrifice to a ransom paid to seek the good of another person.

She said, “For example, as a child, if you want to get anything from your parents, you will make some sacrifices, so to say. Each town in Yoruba land has such sacrifices that are performed. Making sacrifice, therefore, simply means they are seeking the favour of the gods who will, in turn, deliver their message to Olodumare, both in the past and in the present.”

The Yoruba language teacher explained that there are many idols that sacrifices must be offered to, otherwise calamities would befall the land. While insisting that sacrifices were effective in the past and are still effective, she said that objects used for sacrifice do not contribute to environmental pollution because dirty or rotten objects are not used for the ritual.

She said, “Sacrifice does not pollute the environment because it is not always something big. Neither do they use anything dirty or rotten. Some sacrifices are made with ordinary water or palm oil. Therefore, there is no way such can pollute the environment.”