Respect Or Is It Fear For Our Traditional Practices?

By: Kayode OLAGUNJU, mni

It was sometime in February 2003 when the “idumagbo bomb blast” occurred in Lagos. A multiple-layer building in the densely populated Idumagbo area of Lagos was flattened, with many people reportedly involved. There were many fatalities as well as survivors. Some other surrounding houses were also touched. That was a black Sunday. I was the Sector Commander of the FRSC in Lagos then and among the first group of security and rescue officials to be at the ground zero. Being the most senior officer at the scene, I had to coordinate all efforts of the Police, FRSC, NEMA, Lagos State teams of SEMA, Fire Service, Hospitals, LASTMA among others.

Initially, the story everywhere was that it was a bomb blast coming after the 27 January anniversary of the Ikeja Military Cantonement explosions that resulted in several fear-induced fatalities particularly at Oke Afa, in the Oshodi-Isolo axis, where several persons were drowned while trying to cross the deep canal. The loud explosions at the Military Cantonment shook the entire Lagos. People heard the loud explosions in many places. Many thought it was either a military coup or an invasion. The canal was several kilometers away from the military base. So, it was easy for people, especially the residents of Lagos, to think it was another bomb, about a year later. Hundreds of people, about 700 people in the official reports, and over a thousand unofficial accounts said to have lost their lives in the unfortunate Ikeja explosion incident.

Was it really a bomb blast at Idumagbo? No, investigation revealed that the heavy blasts came from the explosions of some badly stored fireworks for sale, in one of the apartments of the building. As you know the tradition of our people, rather than stay away from such dangerous scenes, our people actually gravitate towards the epic centre, not minding there could be secondary and more subsequent explosions that could inflict more damage. Everybody wanted to see, so human traffic was heavy and control was hectic. The scene also became a mecca of sorts as many government officials, at all levels, popular politicians, and leaders at community and national levels visited daily as the rescue operations took some days.

On the day popular politicians visited, traffic, both human and vehicular, was massive around the area, and the whole environment was messed up. I vividly remember the arrival of the convoy of the then Lagos State Governor, now our President, His Excellency Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu. The crowd was ecstatic and everyone wanted to come close to him. Even, some of our boys, the security operatives stylishly abandoned their duties and came close to him. It was a good day for them too as Asiwaju doled out a lot of cash to appreciate and encourage those involved in the rescue and security assignments. Many of them smiled. That day also created a serious challenge for me. Asiwaju gave a lot of money to the Police and some other operatives in groups and none to the FRSC officials as he just told me to follow him to the office to sort out the guys. I even had the privilege of riding in the same vehicle with him to the Governor’s Office at Alausa in Ikeja. What a privilege! Laughs. We arrived at his office at Alausa, I think around 8 pm. He called one of his senior staff, whose name I won’t disclose now, to sort out the issue. After waiting for some time and the person went into a marathon meeting, and I left. You can imagine the expectation of the boys and their disappointment when I told them that I did not leave the Governor’s office with any money. Only my integrity saved the situation and the few doubting Thomases learnt of the memo I wrote to the HE later on the matter and that cleared the doubts. I remember the then CSO, CSP Kayode Egbetokun, the immediate past IGP had to step in at some point. What finally happened? I will also keep the story to myself for now. Anyway, this is a diversion.

Back to the activities at Idumagbo. We got information from the Palace of the Oba of Lagos that the White-cap Chiefs were visiting the scene. Vehicular movements in the area had been cut off, except for movements of ambulances and security vehicles, but the human traffic on all the nearby streets was much. We could not restrict human movements because people were living around and businesses were still going on. So, we believed traffic control was going to be tough. However, the Palace told us, we should not worry ourselves too much. So, we mapped out our strategies and awaited the Chiefs.

At the appointed time, the Chiefs came in a bus, if I could remember very well, all in whites, some with only wrappers and white caps. But that is not the gist. They came down from the vehicle and a man not so tall had a white wrapper around the waist with the body completely covered in white powders, some marks on the face, and holding a particular kind of stick like you see priests carrying a big cross. He had something in his mouth, held tightly with his lips. No communication with anybody. I could not confirm if his eyeballs were reddish. He gave the Chiefs about 30 meters of gap, while the Chiefs followed in a column of two. So orderly like in a military parade. There was occasional chanting.  Come and see running, everywhere. People of all ages were moving away from them. The road was cleared. It was like putting a knife through butter. Nobody was ready to meet the man. He was just going straight as if possessed or probably a spirit. His short height also created fear, I think. After briefing the Chiefs, they went around the streets to have a good assessment of the damage scattered around the area. It was a peaceful and orderly movement.

Nobody was ready to test whether it was a show or drama.

That is a clear case of “tanfeku”, who wan die as we say in local parlance. Everybody maintained. Not even the boastful and boisterous area boys could wait. They all gave a distance and watched from afar. Surprisingly too, there was no noise from people watching, the chanting could be heard several metres away. After the tour, the Chiefs went back to their bus and left. The story was on the streets for days. Is it a matter of belief or fear? No wonder some people are suggesting that government officials and elected politicians should take their oaths traditionally using native gods and deities. Haaa, I saw something ….

Dr. Kayode Olagunju is a retired Deputy Corps Marshal