THE
deaths in a remote community of Irele in Irele local government area of
Ondo State were attributed to the action of six boys who broke into
the shrine of Molokun, the deity of the people and desecrated it by
stealing artifacts and sacred objects.
Sunday Vanguard learnt that the potency of the god of the community was tested when the thieves unveiled the “ Agogo Ide”, one of the sacred objects in the shrine covered with white apron.
A source said even the worshipers and traditionalists in charge of the shrine do not look at the sacred object with naked eyes.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/04/mysterious-deaths-in-ondo-the-god-is-not-to-blame/#sthash.fHZ76JGY.dpuf
Sunday Vanguard learnt that the potency of the god of the community was tested when the thieves unveiled the “ Agogo Ide”, one of the sacred objects in the shrine covered with white apron.
A source said even the worshipers and traditionalists in charge of the shrine do not look at the sacred object with naked eyes.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/04/mysterious-deaths-in-ondo-the-god-is-not-to-blame/#sthash.fHZ76JGY.dpuf
THE deaths in a
remote community of Irele in Irele local government area of Ondo
State were attributed to the action of six boys who broke into the shrine
of Molokun, the deity of the people and desecrated it by stealing
artifacts and sacred objects.
Sunday Vanguard learnt that the
potency of the god of the community was tested when the
thieves unveiled the “ Agogo Ide”, one of the sacred objects in the
shrine covered with white apron.
A source said even the worshipers
and traditionalists in charge of the shrine do not look at the sacred object
with naked eyes.
“The Agogo Ide is never seen by
anybody . But those who broke into the shrine unveiled the sacred object and
this is an abomination hence the deaths in the community,” the source
said.
“Until the god is appeased, the
deaths will continue. But the chief priest and traditionalists have consulted
and asked women to appease the Malokun by pouring buckets of water in front of
the shrine.”
Sunday Vanguard learnt that the boys
underrated the god of the land and, like lightening, it struck, leaving many
persons dead.
The thieves reportedly moved
the sacred objects from the shrine and sold them to a man who resold it
to some foreigners.
Reports had it that those who shared
from the proceeds of the sales and who they gave the money to in exchange for
goods and services died in turns.
Sunday Vanguard gathered that the
Malokun shrine was broken into by the boys after they had protected
themselves through the help of a herbalist outside the
community.
At the last count, about 30 persons,
between ages 25 and 40, died horrible deaths because of their
alleged connection to the abomination.
Those who died as a result of the
alleged abomination were said to have been initially afflicted with
blindness, elongation of tongues and unconsciousness.
The perpetrators, it was learnt,
shared N100,000 each from the proceeds after which they reportedly went
on spending spree in the community.
The news of the desecration of the
shrine was said to have been relayed to the traditional ruler of the town who
invited the chief priest and other traditionalists to conduct a fact-finding
visit to the shrine.
The breakage into the shrine
was said to have been the first of its kind in the history of the
community.
But Ondo State government
linked the deaths to an outbreak of a strange disease.
Already, the state government
and the World Health Organization have sent representatives to the community.
The Ondo government deployed
the Personnel Protective Equipment purchased during recent Ebola scare in the
country to the area with their handlers.
The state Health Commissioner, Dr
Dayo Adeyanju, who led government delegation to Irele, said the
reason given by the natives that the deaths resulted from the desecration
of a shrine in the town could not be scientifically proved.
Adeyanju confirmed that 12 persons
died on the day the incident happened.
According to the Commissioner, the
“presentation from the investigations carried out on the victims did not reveal
symptoms of the dreaded Ebola disease.”
He said the state government had
moved into the area to curtail the spread of the strange disease.
The preliminary report, Adeyanju
said, showed that the victims complained of headache and later lost their sight
before they finally gave up.
The commissioner, who assured
that government would do everything possible to control the ailment, said
the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other partners were already involved in
the matter.
“Samples taken from the victims had
been sent to Lagos for proper investigation while government had been engaging
in advocacy to ensure that new cases are reported,”he stated, adding that
concealment could be devastating.
Adeyanju asked relations of the
victims not to bury the corpses of affected people at home.
He said that they should take those
that are dead to the cemetery and to take precautions during burials.Meanwhile,
residents are said to be moving out of the area for fear of the strange
sickness to Okitipupa and Ore.
The chief priest of Malokun shrine,
High Chief Lemo, in an interview with Sunday Vanguard, said the breaking into
the shrine by unknown persons was a sacrilege hence the deaths recorded in the
community.
Also, one of the traditionalists in
the town, High Chief Akingboye, confirmed that some persons had the effrontery
to break into the sacred shrine and carted away sacred objects.
Akingboye said over 20 persons had
died as a result of the sacrilege.
He pointed out that he is satisfied
with the intervention of the state government.
Another community leader, Ayodele
Omole, said the deaths in the community had created panic, forcing many to
relocate to neighboring communities.
He pointed out that the solution to
the problem was beyond the state Ministry of Health, adding that
the appeasement of the god is the lasting solution.
A doctor at the General Hospital,
Irele, Dr Segun Ayodele, said that what happened in the town was an outbreak
of a disease which killed people mysteriously.
Ayodele said the state government
had deployed over 20 medical personnel to the community.
According to him, Ayade and
Irele communities were worst hit by the deaths.
The NEMA South -West Information
Officer, Ibrahim Farinloye, said all relevant agencies had been mobilized to
unravel the mystery behind the deaths in the community.
Meanwhile, Governor Olusegun Mimiko,
in a broadcast, said the state had witnessed a major health challenge.
“A yet to be named ailment whose
causative agents, diagnosis and cure are also yet to be determined struck in
locations in Irele Local Government Area of our state, killing 17 people and
stoking panic and fear,”Mimiko said.
“In all, 17 deaths have been
confirmed in Ayadi community and Ode Irele township and all the deaths were
preceded by symptoms of sudden blurred vision, headache and loss of consciousness.
“It must be said that the team was
despatched to the communities affected and the General Hospital as well as
other health facilities, to gather needed information about the nature, scope
and circumstances of the outbreak. Key informants interview, hospital
record search and patient interview were used to obtain information.
“I must state that the symptoms in
this situation are not peculiar to any known epidemic and so have remained
largely confounding.
“Specifically, it must be stressed,
the symptoms observed in the two communities of Ayadi and Ode Irele bear no
resemblance to those associated with the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).”
THE
deaths in a remote community of Irele in Irele local government area of
Ondo State were attributed to the action of six boys who broke into
the shrine of Molokun, the deity of the people and desecrated it by
stealing artifacts and sacred objects.
Sunday Vanguard learnt that the potency of the god of the community was tested when the thieves unveiled the “ Agogo Ide”, one of the sacred objects in the shrine covered with white apron.
A source said even the worshipers and traditionalists in charge of the shrine do not look at the sacred object with naked eyes.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/04/mysterious-deaths-in-ondo-the-god-is-not-to-blame/#sthash.fHZ76JGY.dpuf
Sunday Vanguard learnt that the potency of the god of the community was tested when the thieves unveiled the “ Agogo Ide”, one of the sacred objects in the shrine covered with white apron.
A source said even the worshipers and traditionalists in charge of the shrine do not look at the sacred object with naked eyes.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/04/mysterious-deaths-in-ondo-the-god-is-not-to-blame/#sthash.fHZ76JGY.dpuf
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