Nigeria’s history of inter-religious conflict can be traced back to the colonial era when christianity was first introduced and came into contact with the traditional religions in the region. Now, this conflict has manifested between muslims and christians, reflecting the changing religious demographics of the country and the ongoing challenges of fostering peaceful coexistence among diverse faith groups.
In the town of Iseyin, located in Oyo, a state in southwest Nigeria, a unique triad of religious conflicts has unfolded over the years with muslims, christians, and traditionalists getting involved in violent clashes.
The town’s name found its roots in the annual traditional rite of Orò, which holds great significance for the traditionalists in the town. Orò is a rite conducted yearly to purify the town from any adversities and to shield it from potential catastrophes. According to the worshippers, this ritual plays an integral role in the community’s cultural and spiritual life.. “If there is drought, Orò can be used to solve it. Also to ensure the smooth running of the administration of the king.”
The Orò Festival is an annual tradition celebrated by male descendants of Yoruba origin in towns across Nigeria’s southwest . It honours Orò, the Yoruba deity of bullroarers and justice. Women are not allowed to participate in this celebration and are forced to stay indoors as they believe Orò should not be seen by those not participating.
Over time, christians voiced concerns over the practice due to its limitations on women’s freedom of movement and economic opportunities and efforts to change this part of the festival has sparked violent clashes. Subsequently, muslims also joined in opposing these practices, escalating the tension which led to clashes in 1998, 2016, and most recently in 2018. This resulted in fatalities and severe injuries, worsening the deep-seated division among varying religious perspectives.
Before 2022, when a three-way agreement successfully brought an end to the long-standing disputes, numerous attempts by law enforcement and the judicial system failed to resolve the persistent conflicts in the community.
Before the agreement.
In the period leading up to the agreement in 2022, a notable incident in Iseyin involved a violent altercation that erupted on July 31, 2016, leading to the death of Idowu Ayede.
Ayede, 30, was well-known as an easy-going and hardworking fellow from a family known to dress up as Egungun, –Yoruba word for masquerades– during the Iseyin Masquerade Festival. The celebration, which lasts 17 days, from sunrise to sunset each day, is filled with rituals and the coming together of all masquerades, dressed in their colourful garments known as Eku. For this event, Ayede was dressed as a masquerade called Èyé (Bird) when violent confrontations broke out between those dressed as masquerades and muslims, particularly those in the Jama’at Tabligh sect.
“The Tablighs argued that the masquerades were mocking them,” Babawo Ipadeola, a traditionalist, told The SolutionsPaper.
A month before the festival, tensions between both groups arose in Olokoyo, a neighbourhood in Iseyin, the conflict arose from the scheduling of simultaneous events: a muslim naming ceremony taking place at a local mosque and a traditional funeral procession involving masquerades. This clash, although eventually settled, led to muslims requesting that masquerades avoid the area.
As the Egugun festival approached, both parties prepared for potential violence. Cameras were positioned to collect evidence of the incident, and stones and other harmful projectiles were gathered by both sides. Ultimately, these arrangements led to the fatal clash that took Ayede’s life.
When the chaos started, Ayede attempted to run home. Unfortunately, he was struck on the head by stones and glass. He was bleeding profusely and was rushed to Alebiosu Hospital, a private clinic in Iseyin. Ayede succumbed to his injuries after spending three weeks in the clinic. His death greatly impacted his family as he was the primary caregiver for his elderly mother and sister who suffer from mental illness. Since his passing, his sister’s condition has worsened, leaving her to struggle with her condition.
Tit-for-tat
Following Ayede’s death, convictions were made on both sides, with the muslims filing a report against the traditionalists. Due to the complexity of the case, it was transferred from the Iseyin police department to a police post in Ibadan, Oyo state QQ 1 capital city. Several muslims and traditionalists were arrested five days after the incident but were released on bail. Although numerous casualties were reported, with 56 reportedly injured and one dead, the court did not award damages to the muslims, resulting in a reprisal attack which happened on Sept. 18, 2018.
This time, Abdulwaheed Abdulwasiu, a local tailor was caught in the brawl. “The day’s procession was about to commence around 5 p.m, I quickly collected my wife from her stand at the market, ensuring her safety before the curfew for women took effect. I then returned to work, to continue my sewing for the day,” Abdulwasiu told The SolutionsPaper.
After a while, Abdulrazak, his friend, arrived at the shop where Abdulwasiu was working, and they went to the market to buy clothes. As they reached Bode-Isalu, an area connecting Isalu and Olokoyo, they encountered a blocked road. They turned back to where they came from but a mob was approaching them, causing Abdulwasiu to become frightened. In his attempt to escape, the mob quickly surrounded him, while his friend fled.
“They [the mob] started cutting me, targeting my head. It was the hand that I used to guard my head that was badly cut. They cut me so deeply that my hand almost got cut off completely,” Abdulwasiu told The SolutionsPaper. “It was then I lost my breath and fainted. They left immediately after I fell. Maybe they thought I had died.”
Abdulwasiu endured a gruelling three-month hospital stay during which he underwent three surgeries on his hand. He recalled how some flesh from his body was used to fill the gaps in the wound.
The violence resulted in injuries to 50 others and the muslims claimed they spent approximately 5 million naira on medical treatment for Abdulwasiu’s hand and other injured individuals and filed two lawsuits: one seeking compensation for Abdulwasiu’s injury that left him unable to work as a tailor, and another on behalf of the muslim community to halt the traditional festival, citing its detrimental effects on their well-being.
Muhyideen Yusuf, an imam, represented the muslims, with Oba Abdulganiyu Adekunle the then-king of Iseyin and all traditionalist leaders as defendants. After four years of court proceedings seeking compensation and cessation of the processions, a judge brought both parties together in his office, emphasising the need for peaceful coexistence in their shared hometown. He advised them to settle the matter amicably, leading to the eventual resolution of the conflict.
The truce and how it worked.
Following the judge’s suggestion, Chief Ismail Tikalosoro, acting as the king at the time, convened a meeting at the local government secretariat. Representatives from the League of Imams and Alfas, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Iseyin Development Union (IDU), the Iseyin Council of Society (ICS), and security agencies were invited to partake.
During the meeting, the representatives shared their concerns and suggestions for addressing the conflict surrounding the Orò cultural rite. The muslims requested a stop to the curfews and the use of weapons during processions. The traditionalists disagreed at first but after a 3-hour deliberation, the following agreements were reached:
- Orò would take place between 10 p.m and 5 a.m, with no weapons allowed.
- For the 2022 Egungun festival which would stretch through Eid-Kabir, a muslim holiday, all parties signed an undertaking prohibiting masquerades from rallying during the two-day holiday.
- Masquerades and their handlers were forbidden from extorting moving vehicles.
These terms were documented, signed, and submitted to the court. On June 29, 2022 Justice A.L. Akintola approved the settlement, according to a court document provided to The SolutionsPaper.
Fatai Olalere, the secretary of the League of Imams and Alfas in Iseyin revealed that, following the initial roundtable meeting at the secretariat, monthly meetings are held to discuss the community’s security. Representatives from the three faiths, including youth leaders, participate in these meetings to foster peaceful coexistence and strengthen community development.
During these gatherings, all representatives sign agreements and engage in discussions about upcoming festivals to remind themselves of their shared commitments. Since 2022, both Orò and Egungun festivals have been celebrated without any incidents of violence, demonstrating the effectiveness of these collaborative efforts.
“We don’t have a problem with ourselves. I will call the CAN Chairman whenever I get to the meeting before him and Mr Taiwo is also like a brother to me. I will phone him if he doesn’t appear in the meetings too,” Olalere said.
These monthly meet ups also include a representative from the Iseyin police department, ensuring a comprehensive approach to maintaining peace and security within the community.
Can agreements effectively prevent Nigeria’s religious conflicts?
Dr Oyebanjo Olusegun Olatunji, a lecturer from the department of Religious Studies at Tai Solarin University of Education in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, views the Iseyin roundtable approach to addressing religious conflict in the community as a provisional solution. He emphasises that the long-term effectiveness of the established peace is yet to be determined.
“Because 2022 is just two years back. Although it is quite impressive that the religious leaders can come together to solve the issue at hand,” Dr Oyebanji said.
In his opinion, the key to a lasting solution lies in continuous tolerance with or without an agreement. By embracing this, conflicts leading to casualties and property destruction can be eliminated. He emphasises the importance of recognizing that traditions, particularly in southwest Nigeria, are deeply ingrained and cannot be eradicated.
He explains that to his understanding the Orò tradition serves as a means to address issues with negative implications or consequences. In these instances, putting a time frame to when processions begin and end may be necessary to facilitate such traditions effectively.
“So will you tell a muslim who needs to go out and pray at the mosque to stay at home because of the cleansing that the traditionalist wants to carry out? No way! That is an infringement on freedom of movement. But a way around it is continuous tolerance.”
Sulaiman Akejeje, chairman of the Muslim Youth Association in Iseyin, also expressed concerns about the truce lasting, given the traditionalists’ resistance to past court rulings. While the agreement may provide a temporary resolution, Akejeje fears that it might not hold up over time.
“Why I think they adhered to the agreement was that Iseyin had lost its king at the time of the resolution and they said that since there was no king the processions wouldn’t be taken to the palace. But with the installation of a new king, let’s see what they will do in the upcoming Orò in September. If they comply with the agreed rules, fine. But if they don’t I fear there might be another clash.”
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This story is cross-published with the SolutionsPaper in partnership with Nigeria Health Watch through the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rigorous and compelling reporting about responses to social problems.
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