Shrines compete with churches and mosques in Lagos

He moved the wooden bench in front
of the shop to another location where
he could have a better view of the
vicinity .
It was his first time in Lagos , and based
on the many things he had heard about
Lagos , Nigeria ’s commercial city,
Adebayo Abayomi , 19, savoured every
moment since his arrival in the country
few days earlier .
To satisfy his curiosity and numerous
expectations, he made sure he followed
his aunt to her shop inside the popular
Ipodo market , located at the heart of
Ikeja, the capital city of Lagos State.

Time was 10:09 am that Thursday when
the weekly environmental sanitation
had just ended . From where he sat in
front of the shop, he kept admiring the
way business activities were gradually
coming to life ; the exchange of banter;
the noise from nowhere increasing very
rapidly; conductors in commercial
buses few metres away calling
passengers and both young and old
struggling for space on the busy street .
All these fascinated him .
That was one part of Lagos he had
heard so much about . He told his aunt,
who later told our correspondent, that
while coming from home at Isale Eko,
around Idumota , the tall buildings, the
flashy cars on the road, the many
churches that line the roads, the busy
nature of the city , the crowd and the
experience – different from what he
had been used to all his life – amazed
him .
While Abayomi kept observing
everything around him from where he
sat, he suddenly saw a very small
(about 1. 5 metres above ground level )
block work , with semblance of a small
house – at a junction in the market ,
where ‘ Ojubo Esu’ (the shrine of a deity
called Esu) was boldly written . He soon
realised it was a shrine. On the small
‘house ’ were different inscriptions ,
including the drawings of masquerades
on it . It was a stone ’s throw from his
aunt’s shop, while there were people
around it carrying out their business
activities .
Apparently shocked by what he saw,
his sudden exclamation and the way he
made a dash for the door of the shop
attracted everyone around there. It was
obvious to anyone looking at his
direction that something just scared
him .

Abayomi would later explain that he
was shocked to see a shrine not just in
Lagos , “ with all its civilisation ” , but at
the heart of Ikeja , which is one of the
topmost commercial locations in the
state .
He said, “ I was shocked and even
scared to see a shrine in Lagos . Lagos !
Ha - ha !! How did it get there, with the
level of civilisation ? Lagos is about the
centre of civilisation in Nigeria . I
thought such things would only be
found in remote villages or rural
hinterlands , and anyone like me would
think that once you enter Lagos , its
goodbye to traditional religion .”
But unknown to Abayomi , in spite of its
enviable commercial nature,
technological advancement , civilisation
and urbanisation , Lagos remains a
typical Yoruba state , where indigenous
religion is still being practised .
Also, unknown to him , around the
place where he lived with his aunt,
there are shrines scattered across
where people still go regularly to
worship . “ I was shocked to know that
these things also happen in Lagos , ” he
added .
Metropolitan Lagos , a shining example
True to Abayomi ’s thoughts , the
urbanisation of Lagos could make it
easy to assume that the coming of
Christianity and Islam had pushed
traditional religion into oblivion. Such
assumption could even be fuelled by
the fact that Lagos is said to have the
highest number of churches and
denominations , and a sizeable number
of mosques, spread across the city.
Beyond these, many of the big churches
in Nigeria have their headquarters and
campgrounds in Lagos and its environs .
Thus, people could assume that with all
these – urbanisation and huge presence
of the two main religions – things like
shrines would no longer exist in Lagos .

But that is not the case .
Our correspondent found that in almost
all parts of Lagos , including Lagos
Island which is the headquarters of
many corporate organisations,
traditional religion is still as present
and being practised as can be imagined,
as there were shrines for the worship
of Ogun (god of iron), Sango (god of
thunder), Esu (a god known as Elegba )
and all kinds of masquerades .
When our correspondent visited Ipodo
Street in Ikeja, the Ojubo Esu shrine
was a centre of attraction , more so that
it is located at a junction. But that
shrine was just a tip of the iceberg.

Tucked somewhere inside the street
was a collection of shrines . One of
them , a pure white hut , was labelled
Ojubo Aje (meaning shrine for the god
of huge trade), while there are several
others in another location , where they
are all being manned by a man , called
Olori (the head ).
The location was like an enclave,
comprising many shrines and the
numerous masquerades , all of whose
images were neatly engraved on the
walls of the premises.
Even though Olori declined talking to
Saturday PUNCH about the shrines , as
he politely referred our correspondent
to the Regent of Ikeja whose permission
he would need before he could talk or
before our correspondent could be
allowed to take photographs, our
correspondent made some interesting
discoveries from some elders in the
community.
Our correspondent gathered that in
Ikeja, the capital city of Lagos , there are
three festivals , namely Eegun
(masquerade), Oro (a patriarchal
traditional festival ) and Ogboni (an
indigenous fraternal institution in
Yoruba land ) and they have their
shrines , images and elements
conspicuously displayed at the enclave .
This implies that while the churches
and mosques dot almost every street in
the state , coupled with the corporate
organisations, the high rise buildings
and high level commercial activities ,
the traditional religion remains vibrant
and alive in the heart of the city. And
according to findings, each of the
festivals , when the time comes, costs
millions of naira to celebrate because
of the preparations and celebrations
that go into it .
It seems interesting that in a population
of over 20 million people, most of
whom believe in Christianity and Islam ,
coupled with the (prominence) war
waged against the indigenous belief by
the two dominant religions , it is still
very much around and still standing.
Suffice it to say that the traditional
religion has been very resilient and has
been able to survive the
industrialisation, technological
advancement , civilisation and
urbanisation that have all made Lagos a
cosmopolitan and metropolitan city.

And as much as religion has been
known to unite people, the traditional
religion is also performing this function
as the worshippers of these deities
always come together to celebrate or
worship at the appropriate time.
Interestingly, Ikeja is not alone . Other
areas of Lagos , including Ojuelegba ,
Ojota, Egbeda , Idimu, Lagos Island,
Agege, Iyana Ipaja , Ikotun and many
other parts of Lagos have shrines in
their communities .
In other states of the federation, there
are very many shrines – some located
in the forest and some in open places –
where traditional believers still
worship , but in Lagos , the shrines are
located in open spaces where people
could see them freely .
For example, at Ikotun, a very busy ,
commercial town in Alimosho Local
Government Area , the roundabout at
the centre of the town is as popular as
the town itself . But right in the middle
of the roundabout is a shrine. It’s a
small red brick work with a semblance
of the deity , covered in black, shooting
out of it .
The shrine, which is said to belong to
the community, is always locked with a
padlock unless the worshippers come
there to worship it . As our
correspondent gathered, people,
including the priests , come there to
worship the deity from time to time,
even at daytime .
Their coming often aggravates traffic on
the ever busy road , which would also
show all who care to look that it is
indeed a shrine. “ It used to be in a mud
house until they refurbished it
sometime ago , ” a shop owner , who had
been in the area for about seven years,
said.
The shrine is opposite the Area
headquarters of the Christ Apostolic
Church , and some metres away from
the Synagogue Church of All Nations,
among other churches around . This
shows that the traditional religion has
been able to survive civilisation and
modernisation.
Also at Ojuelegba , a busy commercial
community that connects Lagos
Mainland to the Island, one could easily
be carried away with the numerous
business activities , but close to the
junction that leads to the Lagos
University Teaching Hospital (on Itire
Road ) from under the bridge , there is
another shrine . The small, white block
work (about 1 .5 metres high ), is located
just by the road with Ojubo Esu written
on it and different masquerades drawn
on it .

Interestingly, people around it ,
including a restaurant , carried on with
their trading activities as if there was
nothing to worry about .
The community had yet to have a Baale
(community head ) but one of the titled
chiefs, the Basorun of Surulere, Alhaji
Raheem Durowoju , who spoke to our
correspondent, explained that the
shrine was for Esu and that no matter
the civilisation , the shrine would always
be there.
He said apart from the fact that the Esu
protects them from harm , it is their
benefactor and that is why August 20 of
every year has been set aside as the
Isese Day to go there to worship it and
celebrate .
Durowoju , who appeared to be in his
80s , said, “ Yes , civilisation has swept off
many cultural and traditional practices ,
especially in a place like Lagos , but
there are things that can ’t be swept off.

As civilised as Lagos is , there are people
– across the social class ; rich , average
and the poor – who would never
abandon the religion , and that explains
the reason why our traditional religion
has not faded out, in spite of the
massive attack against it by the other
two religions .
“ As Christians focus on Jesus Christ ,
Muslims on Mohammed, traditional
worshippers also focus on any of Esu,
Orunmila , Sango or Ogun, and we won’ t
trade our religion for anything . That is
why the religion is still alive. So,
regardless of civilisation , everybody has
their own belief . Esu is our benefactor
and that is why people still use it to
name their children, like Esubiyi,
Olonade, Dosumu, etc . ”
In spite of their efforts to keep the
religion alive, he , however , admitted
that civilisation had affected their
population and their activities .
Durowoju , accompanied by his son ,
Fatai, said, “ In the past , we used to go
there to worship Esu regularly, like
every month , but due to civilisation and
the boom in the other religions that has
absorbed some of our members, unless
there is an emergency , August 20 is the
day set aside to go there. The new
religion has affected us. Those who
should be doing it have accepted new
religion . Those who were devoted to it
at that time, when they died and their
children were supposed to take over,
they had rather accepted the new
religion . Some have even become
Imams or Pastors. So, we have fewer
members unlike before .
“ And the essence was mainly for
protection. That is why it is always at
the border (entrance ) of the
community, so that any evil coming
into the town would be repelled by the
Esu. But now, things have changed.
“ Surulere used to be known as Abule
Elegba (Elegba means Esu), but due to
civilisation and to avoid calling it Abule
Esu, it was named Surulere. Just as
Ojota is oju ota . Ota is Esu , so Ojota is
Oju ota; where Esu is being
worshipped .

“ We have our own version of names
too . Christians say Michael, Muslims
call it Mukalia , while we call it Sango .
Esu has many names and people
celebrate it every year , because they
believe it helps them . So, the religion
will always be there.”
In other parts of Lagos visited by our
correspondent, the story is the same .
Descending the Iyana Ipaja Bridge
towards Agege, there is another Ojubo
Esu, and on Karimu Street in the
neighbourhood, there is a shrine where
Ogun is being worshipped .
The worshippers , who gathered that
Tuesday evening , revelling in some
shindig, told our correspondent that
worshiping Esu and Ogun was their own
way and no level of urbanisation could
make them throw away their native
religion .
One of them said, “ We have Ogun here
(pointing at the shrine) while the one
beside the bridge is Esu. Ogun and Esu
are friends and they don’ t stay far away
from each other. Few days earlier, we
still celebrated here and many people
witnessed it .

“ While you Christians and Muslims
keep to your own belief , we keep to our
own. Some of those who should be
among us have accepted the religion
brought to us by foreigners , making our
own indigenous religion to be like a
wicked one , but it is ours and we will
continue to promote it .”
Daring the odds to survive
Also at Orile Agege, there are many
shrines spread across the community.
From the popular Agbotikuyo junction
to Old Ota Road , to Aiyepe Street and
Olabua area, different shrines dot the
entire area, and findings showed that
there are more in different homes.
At Okunola Road in Egbeda , Alimosho
Local Government Area , there is also a
shrine for Ogun on one of the streets off
the main road.

On entering the street , one would see a
tree on the left, with palm leaves tied
round it . It stood like an ordinary tree ,
but it is beyond being ordinary . The
tree symbolises the Ogun that is being
worshipped , and according to the Baale
of Okunola, High Chief Tajudeen
Adeyemi Fasinro , people come from far
and near to worship the deity .
“ The deities are like channels through
which worshippers talk to their god ,”
he added , noting that the items used to
worship the deity could include goat ,
dog , ram, etc ., as specified by the Ifa
divination .
He added , “ We do Ogun, Eegun and Osu
festivals on August 20 of every year.

People come from far and near. We
invite musicians . If you ever witnessed
it , you would understand that our
native religion is still as popular as
before . People come from outside the
country to witness it . Those who
couldn’ t come, including pastors , could
send money. Everywhere would be
filled up . It’s usually a memorable
moment. ”
He admitted that they had lost some of
their members to Christianity and
Islam , but that it would not be
sufficient to send the religion into
extinction.
He added , “ Ogun (the deity ) helps us to
prevent evil occurrences – like
kidnapping and illnesses – and protect
the community against danger . In the
past, our forefathers used this same
religion to deliver women of their
babies with ease. There was nothing
like Caesarean Section .

“ But these days, people no longer eat
concoction, yet it works. By consulting
the oracle , our forefathers could tell the
gender of a baby in the womb. Yoruba
has a rich culture but we have thrown
them away because of imported
religion . The President (Muhammadu
Buhari ) has been urging us as a nation
to embrace things made in Nigeria . Our
traditional religion is also made in
Nigeria and we should embrace it .”
Fasinro , who said he is an Alhaji who
had been to Mecca, stressed that if Oro
(a traditional festival ) was still being
celebrated till date, many societal ills
would be non - existent . He said Islam ,
his religion , only forbids that a faithful
bows to an idol , which he said he
would not do.

He said there are people who have
become pastors or imams who still
recognise the role of traditional
religion , and during the festivals , they
send money to them as their
contributions .
He added , “ China and India are big
economies but they have their
traditional beliefs and they promote
them . Are they not successful?
Civilisation and local culture
development should be at par . We
won’t throw away our own religion
because of civilisation . I’ m proud of
Ogun and my root . It is true that there
is God but it is the deity that we send
to God because we can ’t see God
himself