Reflections Without Mirror. Niyi Aborisade
The madness of the invasion of the Oyo State House of Assembly.
The modern Oyo State House of Assembly members were first inaugurated in 1979 by late Chief Bola Ige, the first civilian governor of Oyo State. Of course, Oyo State House of Assembly itself has its origin in the Old Western Regional House of Assembly as the Capital of Western Region. The official opening was conducted by the late Queen of England on 15 February 1956 after Sir John Rankin laid the foundation in March 1955.
The current occupiers of the State Assembly were democratically elected in 2023. They were elected by the people of Oyo State. It is a democratic institution. Any attack on the institution is therefore an attack against the people of Oyo State
It therefore came as a surprise to read in the news that some misguided people made an attempt to take over the building in a military style commado raid on 13.04.2024. I read different news on the matter, and I therefore set out to find the rationale behind it and the brain behind this reckless and suicide mission. ‘ The invaders styled themselves Yoruba Nation Agitators, and they chose the peaceful Oyo State as a testing ground for the invasion.
My little investigation as to the brain behind it just yielded one female name as the arrow head of this decadence resistance, but how she succeded in pushing young men to their perils remains a mystery to me. It shows the power of manipulation that the bible described as witchcraft . Whosoever planned the invasion is reckless and lacks vision. Yoruba dont fight like this, and why would they attack their own. This is Oyo State. Is Oyo State the enemy of Yorubas or what. It clearly shows that they have no clear vision or mission as their enemy has not been identified. They are just rag-tag army of irresponsible youths, the anarchists of the community.
I believe one of the reasons for their confidence to take on this reckess mission without due consideration for their lives and life of others was their belief in juju and their immunity to bullets. They failed to remember that the herbalist that provided a concotion of invisible charm ( Afeeri) for the cockroach did ‘timeliness’ (Arinnako)for the chicken
According to Yoruba folktales, the cockroach consulted the herbalist to help her out of the frustration of the chicken who always looked for her for a meal. The herbalist provided a good charm that will render her invisible anytime she put it on. It works like magic, and she distributed it to all her offspring. The chicken started feeling the heat of hunger and starvation her delicious meal is now evasive. She consulted the same herbalist of her predicament. Due to the nature of his business and the duty of confidentiality imposed on all herbalists, just like the Hippocratic oath of the modern-day doctors, he did not reveal what he did for the mother cockroach. However, he provided another concotion for the chicken, which is ‘timeliness’ that the chicken will be at the place to find her meal at the right time. It now happened that the chicken will walk at the unguarded time of the cockroach and when the invisible spell was not on cockroach body.
What I am I saying, even all or majority of the Amotekuns, Police , the military have charms as well to defend themselves and in possession of modern weapons, they also have advantage of huge numbers and so they are able to subdue the invaders and humiliated them publicly. Let everyone know that there is no monopoly of charms anymore and think twice before putting your whole trust in it.
I have told people that the efficacy of our juju or charms are limited in fighting modern warfare, may be effective in motor garages attack and gun duel or against individual to individual attack but certainly not in the modern day warfare.
The Agbekoyas of the late 60s to 70s managed to defeat the police because the soldiers were not involved, and they were many in numbers with adequate planning. Even then, their leader ‘ Tafa Adeoye, was later arrested by the government, and the juju died with the man.
One should ask also, why the Oyo State Assembly, where will that carry them, or did they plan to attack all Yorubas states assembly? It just doesn’t make sense at all. It is total madness of the highest order.
These were young men in the prime of their lives who have allowed someone to misguide them into committing an act that will destroy their lives forever. What a waste of lives!!!
To prevent this in the future, the government must spend money on gathering intelligence so as to pre-empt this kind of situation that may have degenerated into civil war if not for the adequate intervention of the police, the military and the amotekun. The intervention was quick and made easy by the small numbers of the conspirators. We therefore need adequate intelligence gatherings in all yoruba land and Nigeria entirely.
Niyi Aborisade is a lawyer, a human rights activist, and a historian.
