Replacement of member: Cultists cause tension in community
Lantoro Community of Abeokuta, Ogun state was midweek thrown into pandemonium when some people believed to be members of the Ogboni fraternity, a cult group stormed the area.
Sources informed that the cultists who were in their full regalia and numbering about ten, were sighted at 1b Lantoro road, around 10pm on Wednesday, asking for the whereabouts of one, Olaleye Ogunmokun, who they said, they wanted by all means
It would be recalled that, Olaleye’s grandfather, Chief Ayoola Ogunmokun died, an active member of the fraternity in 2010 and since then no solid arrangement had been put in place for his replacement in the group.
The Ogboni fraternity is an age-long group whose activities are alleged to be shrouded in secrecy while its members sometimes declare that their offsprings replace them in the group when they die.
One of the reasons why people join the group is to immune themselves from the vicissitudes of life and that immunity is usually transferred to their offsprings, but many, in the society have detested being members of the group with the advent of Christianity and Islam.
Residents of Lantoro community were shocked with the presence of the cultists, who sang strange songs, believed to be their anthems, while most neighbours were gripped by fear and anxiety, because of the alleged nefarious activities some members of group have been associated with in the society in the past.
It was learnt that the cultists resorted to travelling from their base in Lagos to Abeokuta after their frantic, but fruitless efforts to get Olaleye, at his house on 42b, Taiwo Ogunjobi crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Head of the Ogunmokun family, Pa Olagoke who confirmed the incident to journalists in Abeokuta expressed outrage at the hehaviour of members of the Ogboni fraternity, explaining that Olaleye has the right to chose, whether or not, to belong to the group, as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.
“It is even more disgusting to hear that these Ogboni fraternity members traced the boy to his work place at Euracare Multispecialist Hospital, Lagos where he, works as a dietitian,more than twice,” Pa Ogunmokun said.
He added that nobody knew that his brother, Olaleye’s grandfather, was a member of the cult group, not until his demise, when events began to unfold, saying “with the increasing acceptance of Christianity and Islam, the Ogboni Fraternity membership appears to have shrunk over the years.”
Pa Olagoke explained further that Olaleye was given breathing space, thinking he would accept to replace his grandpa, noting “but in 2022 the group came back to renew their demand for his membership. He insisted he was not going to yield. His stubbornness then set the stage for what became an epic battle to force the Ogboni membership on him.
“To save his life, Olaleye has relocated from Lagos where he was based, to an unknown place to live with one of his siblings.
“But unknown to him, the membership of the group cuts across age, religion, tribe, state, country and profession such that you have no hiding place if the Ogbonis are after you.”
He said that the group located in Lagos, had through anonymous telephone calls asked Olaleye to return to Lagos to formalise his membership or face the likely nagative consequences.
“Since he left Lagos, there have been series of calls to his acquaintances to produce him. Our religion forbids such kind of membership. We have never been interested in anything that is outside of Christianity. We are not against them. All we are saying, is we are not interested in the Ogbonis fraternity,” he concluded.
