By our reporter
It was a tense day in the Ijuku community, Ilawe-Ekiti, the headquarters of Ekiti South-West Local Government Area of Ekiti State, as an angry mob stormed the family house of Lekan Asubiojo on Wednesday, 13th July, 2022 following his refusal to accept a family title and perform traditional rites.
Report has it that according to the traditions of the community, Lekan, being the first son of Asubiojo family, was supposed to be installed as the new Asamo of Ijuku after the demise of his father, Giwa Asubiojo.
This title carries the responsibility of performing rituals in the evil forest for seven days during Ikereje Festival, leading up to the annual Burn-Fire Day known as Ojuna Ikereje, and also worshiping deities like Orisa-Alaaye, Esu-Ijelu among other scary ones, being the Spiritual Head (Head Priest).
However, due to his Christian faith, Lekan Asubiojo refused to take the title. The community has since linked various negative occurrences in the community to his refusal to heed the oracle’s command.
When contacted on the phone, Lekan Asubiojo explained that the community’s Elders, traditionally referred to as (Iwaramefa) Kingmaker; Chief Rotimi Ojo, the Elewere of Ijuku, Chief Dare Ogundina, the Apelua of Ijuku, Chief Ojo Afowowe, the Elesaode of Ijuku, had previously appointed his aunt, Regent Florence Aduloju (née Asubiojo), as Arole-Asamo of Ijuku, the Chief Priest of Ikereje deity.
She had been performing the ceremonial duties of Asamo but could not carry out the required sacrifices due to her gender as a female which could only be done by a male child. As a result, the community clamoured for a legitimate male head, and in January 2018, the Kingmakers consulted the oracle, which declared that Lekan Asubiojo should be installed as the Asamo of Ijuku.
Lekan further revealed that his younger brother, Olawale Asubiojo, opposed the oracle’s decision, but the community threatened to kill him and eventually died of an unknown illness sometime around May 2018.
His words, “They are accusing me of being the cause of the calamities in the community because I refused to take on the title of my late father and perform rituals.
“That goes against my Christian beliefs. I am a devout Christian. I cannot worship deities and perform rituals and still call myself a Christian.
“My brother tried to intervene, but they threatened him. In the end, he died in the hospital of an unknown ailment.
“The community is after my life. It isn’t by force to accept the title. I have informed the Police, but could not proffer any solution other than to refer me back home to resolve it traditionally,” Lekan recounted.