By Kehinde Adejumo
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The birth of a set of twins was regarded as an abomination (Abami) in the olden days in many African communities, Isua-Akoko, in Akoko South East Local Government area of Ondo State inclusive, but the reverse is now the case.

  During the dark days of killing twin babies in the area, so many of them were killed and their mothers discriminated against. They were regarded as witches.

Nobody in the town relates with them, in fact the brothers and the sisters in- law  would drive the woman away from her husband’s house because they believe she is a witch, and that she has brought bad omen to the family.

  One of the victims of this inhuman act, Mrs Mosunmola Agbedemogun narrated her experience to Community Hope,” immediately I gave birth to a set of twins, the babies were taken to evil forest, where they were put inside local pot (Ikoko) and the pot was turned upside down and the children  were suffocated to death”, she lamented.

 The octogenarian added further that she was left alone in the house, “even my husband  did not come near me, not because he did not love me but for the fear of being disowned by his family.

 “The following day my father-in-law sent me back to my father’s house, highly dejected. I remained in my father’s house for a period of ten years  before I remarried to another man in a distant town.

” Anytime I got pregnant I always prayed that the pregnancy should not be twins because of the terrible experience I went through”.

One of the survivors, Mr Peter Ajibade also known as (Oba Ibeji). The king of the twins, said his mother gave birth to them while working in the farm.

“When my father saw that we were twins, he did not take our mother home, and he did not tell anybody. He was in the farm with my mother and took care of us for two years.

 “When one of his friends knew, he quickly separated us (the twins)”.

The intervention of Onisua of Isua, Oba Oyolola 1, stopped the killing of twins and the discrimination against their mother .

Today, according to Ajibade, twins are now regarded as (Oba Omo) king among children. In fact every last Friday of November  is set aside for the celebration of twins known as Odun Ibeji.

 During this festival anyone who gave birth to twins will invite people around them, all manner of food will be provided such as beans, pounded yam and rice among others.

   Ajibade said the people of the town looks forward to the festival, every year,  because its a period of wining and dining. “Those who are childless use the occasion to pray to God for the fruit of the womb”.

  He said he was crowned the king of the twins apart from the fact that he was the oldest among the twins in the town, his wife is also a twin and he has two sets of twins and  a triplet.

  “Anybody who gave birth to twins in the  area always come to me to seek advice on what to do so as not to  incur their wrath, anytime I fail to observe the festival, my farm will not yield  increase.

 “My children and my wife will be sick, so I cannot do without observing it” Ajibade said.

The king of twins, who is a successful farmer attributed his success to Orisa Ibeji, who he said  always provide for him, “whenever other people’s cocoa did not produce due to one thing or the other my own cocoa will bring  forth pods from top to the root  I always get the best farmer of the year awards.

“My children always perform well in their studies but failure to observe the annual festival

results in the opposite. So, whatever I’m today, I attribute it to Orisa Ibeji.”