Culture
The African Bulletproof (Yoruba Ayeta) Is Ak47 An Exception
Regalia Abomination walked naked in Elegbeka community of Ose Local Government Area in Ondo State on November 26, 2020 when some sons of darkness, brandishing guns, killed a god.
First, they cocked their guns and kidnapped the god. Moments later, they shot the god, shedding the blue blood of a first-class Ondo traditional ruler, the Olufon of Ifon, Oba Adegoke Adeusi.
It wasn’t the first time traditional rulers would be felled by heinous bullets across Nigeria. But it was the first time a first-class Yoruba king, bedecked in his regalia, crown and sceptre, would be untimely dispatched to the land of his ancestors.
Historically, the Yoruba have a strong kingship institution that dates back to the 8th Century. Revered as the ‘Igba ’Keji Orisa’, that is, second-in-command to the gods, the reward for looking a king in the eye was death by the sword.
In the days of yore, when a king took your wife, you fell flat in obeisance, thanking him for considering your wife’s farmland worthy to sow his wild oats. That was how powerful the king was; his word was law and order. He was the unquestionable, the ka-bi-e-o-s-i.
The whittling of the kingship authority in Nigeria by modern political power, notwithstanding, kings are today still revered as the custodians of culture and tradition.
But the assassination of Oba Adeusi asterisked the efficacy of African traditional power, setting tongues wagging and questions tumbling, “How can an oba be killed by bullets just like that? Did he not ‘insure’ himself with African bulletproof called ‘ayeta’? Why did ‘odeshi’ fail the king?”
When the sons of homicide snuffed life out of the Olufon, many questions popped up in my mind like pimples on an adolescent face.
When I couldn’t find answers to the distressing questions, I stepped out of my ignorance and travelled the highway of knowledge to Ile-Ife, Yoruba’s believed source of civilization. At Ife, I headed straight to the palace of the Ooni, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
After paying obeisance to the kabiyesi resplendent in flowing white robes, white crown, white scepter, white shoes, I asked: “Is ‘ayeta/odeshi’ fact or fiction?”
Hardly had I uttered the last syllable of my question than the highest Yoruba monarch hit me with his own question, “What is ota?” “Bullet,” I answered. The Ooni expounded “Everything has a name. If you call ota by its real name, it’ll deflect bullets from you. Even when the bullet hits its target, it won’t have any effect. This is why it’s called ‘ayeta’. But it has its taboos.
“The white man has his own ‘ayeta’ in the form of a bulletproof vest. ‘Ayeta’ can also be put in the tyres or glass or body of a car. If someone calls you Moses, will you answer? No. But if you’re called Tunde, you will answer. ‘Ayeta’ will deflect any caliber of gun, be it a dane gun or AK-47.
“During the Ife-Modakeke war, ‘ayeta’ was used. Even some people who survived gunshots were taken to medicine men who called out the bullets from the bodies of the victims. We, the Yoruba, need to develop our traditional arts and science.”
From Ife, I went straight to the shrine of the Araba of Osogbo, Chief Ifayemi Elebuibon, who said, “African bulletproof exists in reality.”
Elebuibon, however, said there was no African medicine that could deflect bullets from AK-47. He explained, “An African-American came to me from Atlanta, he said he needed preservation called ‘owo’ in Yoruba. I did something for him. He wore it on a cock shot it, the cock didn’t die. He wore it on a goat and shot, the goat didn’t die. Anytime he calls me, he shouts: Osogbo Power! His name is Lucas, but the medicine is for police guns, not military.”
When I pointed out that armed robbers like Ishola Folorunso and Mighty Joe who boasted of being invincible to bullets later succumbed at the stakes, Elebuibon said, “You would notice that they didn’t die when the bullets were first fired at them. That was the time they would have utilised in escaping if they were not tied to the stakes.
“Many People can’t obey the taboos of the charms. They can’t abstain from women and they engage in ridiculous sex styles. It’s true that military ammunition is different from hunters’ guns of those days. But ‘ayeta’ will make it jam and prevent it from shooting, not that it will deflect the bullet. Then, there’s ‘owo’, aka preservation medicine that would make you escape attacks. You would’ve been gone by the time a bad occurrence would happen.”
One of the warriors of the Ife-Modakeke war, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho, said: “I have authentic ‘ayeta’ that can withstand any type of gun, including AK-47. I fought in the Ife-Modakeke war. I can also lock an AK-47 from shooting. I challenge anyone to come to the public and test my ‘ayeta’.”
But a retired Nigerian Brigadier General, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, said there was no charm that could withstand the firepower of military assault rifles. A prince steeped in the socio-cultural mores of the Yoruba, Oyinlola, who fought in the Chadian crisis of the 1980s and also commanded Nigeria’s contingent to the United Nations’ peacekeeping mission during the Somali crisis in the early 1990s, said, “I was a renowned marksman in the army for 30 years. I can knock off kites in flight easily, I won so many laurels for shooting. Don’t come to my sight with your ‘ayeta’ o, because if you do and I press my trigger, you’re gone. Nothing will stop an assault rifle.
“In the dane guns masqueraders use in deceiving people, it’s the gunpowder in them that explodes, they’ve removed the balls in the guns.”
“As for soldiers missing their target when shooting at armed robbers tied to stakes, you must realise that it’s not easy to kill a fellow human being. Some of the soldiers are newly recruited. Some shut their eyes and shoot up. There was a time that the officer commanding the shooting had to kick out one of the soldiers because he was closing his eyes and shooting up.
“If it was ‘ayeta’ that made bullets not penetrate the robbers’ bodies initially, why did they die eventually? ”
A retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, Mr Tunde Ogunsakin, said: “I was involved in many encounters with the bad boys. After they were subdued, you would find on their dead bodies various amulets, why did they die with their ‘ayeta’? If you give me an AK-47 and you wear an ‘ayeta’, it will kill o. Maybe ‘ayeta’ worked during the Kiriji War in Igbajo. But I don’t think it does nowadays.”
The Chief Imam, Ataoja Estate mosque, Osogbo, Sheik Adegbite Obe, said, “Basically, it’s wrong for anyone to dare bullets because they have ‘ayeta’, that’s akin to daring God, it will fail. Someone who’s a devout Muslim could have the grace of Allah not to die if hit by a bullet.” Obe added, “Nobody should face the bullet, no matter the ‘ayeta’ they have. Most of the shootings people do in public are fake, it’s only the gunpowder that’s fired, there are no bullets in the gun.”
Pastor, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Jesus House parish, Huntsville, Alabama, USA, Peter Oyediran, said Jesus was the only bulletproof of Christians. “Nobody should dare the gun. But, the power of Jesus is greater than any armament. God created all things, even the gun.”
In the 1980s when General Olusegun Obasanjo, at the height of apartheid rule in South Africa, called on African countries to deploy juju in the fight to emancipate blacks from colonial rule, he probably had ‘ayeta’ in mind.
But, does ‘ayeta’ really work? I walk away.
Email: tundeodes2003@yahoo.com
Facebook: @tunde odesola
Twitter: @tunde_odesola
Culture
Oluwo of Oyo files petition against Basorun over alleged criminal conspiracy, threat to life
The Oluwo Alaafin of Oyo, Chief Ikusaanu lfaleye lyanda, has filed a petition against the Basorun of Oyo, High Chief Akinade Ayoola, over alleged criminal conspiracy, threat to life and conduct likely to cause the breach of peace in oyo town, Oyo State.
The petition, signed by the lawyer to Oluwo, M.R. Idowu Esq, was addressed to Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Adebola Hamzat.
“We act as Solicitors to Chief Ikusaanu lfaleye lyanda (Oluwo Alaafin of Oyo Town) (Hereinafter referred to as our Client) and pursuant to whose instructions we write this petition.
“It is the instructions of our client that on the April 8, 2024, Chief Yussuf Akinade Ayoola (Bashorun of Oyo Town) invited the Oluwo lsheke of Oyo Town in person of Chief Ifaniyi Omoyeni Ayinla to his home. He subsequently told Chief Ifaniyi Omoyeni Ayinla to go and warn our client that failure to support his choice to ascend the throne of Alaafin would subject our client to facing his wrath as the Prime Minister of Oyo kingdom.
“Furthermore, Chief Yussuf Akinade Ayoola (Bashorun of Oyo Town) boasted openly that he would harm various unknown individuals with various kinds of dangerous weapons to maliciously and intentionally attack our client, if our client fails to succumb to his threatening demands and command.
“Sir, as if that was not enough, Chief Yussuf Akinade Ayoola (Bashorun of Oyo Town) has now resorted to threatening fire and brimstones and warned our client not to move freely within Oyo Town and its environs. He boasted in strong words to get rid of our client and also terminate our client’s chieftaincy title.
“Sir, it is our fear that if these reckless criminal activities and threats are allowed to continue unabated, the situation might snowball into intractable civil unrest in the entire community and its neighbouring areas.
“This development has brought untold hardship and discomfort to our client.
“We, therefore, humbly request that our complaint be investigated by your good office and if found culpable, the said guilty individual be prosecuted for criminal conspiracy, threat to life and conduct likely to cause the breach of public peace,” the petition read.
An Oyo High Court sitting in Awe, Afijio Local Council of Oyo State, has struck out a case filed by kingmakers in Oyo (Oyo Mesi) against Governor Seyi Makinde, the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General and the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters on the vacant stool of Alaafin of Oyo over administrative defect.
It would be recalled that the Alaafin stool became vacant following the death of Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III at 82. Selecting the next Alaafin has since then become a subject of litigation.
The claimants in the suit no HOY/14/2023 are the Bashorun of Oyo, Chief Yusuf Layinka; Lagunna of Oyo, Chief Wakeel Oyedepo; Akinniku of Oyo, Chief Amusa Yusuf; Areago Bashorun, Chief Wahab Oyetunji and the Alapo of Oyo, Chief Gbadebo Mufutau.
The claimants were seeking a court injunction restraining Makinde and his agents from overruling their choice on the selected candidate for the vacant stool.
According to them, “due diligence was followed in the selection/appointment of the candidate for filling the vacant stool of Alaafin of Oyo duly conducted by the kingmakers of Alaafin of Oyo Chieftaincy.”
While ruling on the notice of preliminary objection as filed by the defendants, Justice Ladiran Akintola said there was no proof of service to notify the governor of the outcome of the selection process as carried out by the kingmakers.
The failure to serve the notice of the outcome on the governor made the court strike out the case.
The court ruled: “This court found merit in the Notice of Preliminary Objection filed by the defendants/applicants against the claimants/respondents in this case.
“The same succeeds; accordingly all the issues raised for determination of this court by learned counsels on both sides are thereby resolved in favour of the defendants/applicants but against the claimants/respondents.
“Consequently, the suit initiated by the claimants/respondents in this case against the defendants/applicants is thereby struck out.”
The lead counsel for the claimants, Kunle Sobaloju (SAN), yesterday said a notice of appeal and motion for injunction pending an appeal have been filed at the Court of Appeal and Oyo High Court respectively.
Sobaloju said the judgment was based on a preliminary objection filed by the defendants.
He said: “We have filed a notice of appeal and motion for injunction pending an appeal. What was considered on Tuesday was the notice for preliminary objection. The merit of the case is yet to be considered.”
Oyo High Court sitting in Awe has struck out a case filed by Oyo kingmakers against Governor Seyi Makinde, State Attorney General and Commissioner for Local government and Chieftaincy matters on the vacant Alaafin of Oyo stool over administrative defect.
The claimants in suit no HOY/14/2023 are; the Bashorun of Oyo, High Chief Yusuf Layinka; Lagunna of Oyo, High Chief Wakeel Oyedepo; Akinniku of Oyo, High Chief Amusa Yusuf; Areago Bashorun, Chief Wahab Oyetunji; and the Alapo of Oyo, Chief Gbadebo Mufutau.
They are seeking a court injunction restraining the state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde and his agents from overruling their selected candidate for the vacant throne of the Alaafin of Oyo.
They argued that due diligence was followed in the selection/appointment of the candidate for filling the vacant stool of Alaafin of Oyo duly conducted by the kingmakers of Alaafin of Oyo Chieftaincy.”
But Justice Ladiran Akintola, while ruling on the Notice of Preliminary objection filed by the defendants, said there is no proof of service to notify the governor of the outcome of the kingmakers’ selection process.
The failure to serve the notice of their on the governor thereby affects the substantive case and as such the case was struck out.
It was stated in the ruling that, “This Court found merit in the Notice of Preliminary Objection filed by the Defendants/Applicants against the Claimants/Respondents in this case.
“The same succeeds; accordingly all the issues raised for determination of this Court by the learned counsel on both sides are thereby resolved in favour of the Defendants/ Applicants but against the Claimants/ Respondents.
“Consequently the suit initiated by the Claimants/Respondents in this case against the Defendants/ Applicants are thereby struck out”
Meanwhile, the lead counsel to the claimants Kunle Sobaloju (SAN) in a telephone interview with the Saturday Tribune disclosed that a Notice of Appeal and motion for injunction pending an appeal have been filed at the Court of Appeal and Oyo High Court respectively.
Commenting on the judgement, Sobaloju (SAN) said, the judgement that was passed on Tuesday was on a preliminary objection filed by the defendant which is the Governor of Oyo State, Attorney General of Oyo State and Commissioner for Local government and Chieftancy Affairs.
“By that preliminary objection after we filed our case which they challenged against on the ground that we did not comply with the condition precedence of filing an action of that nature.
“According to them, what was the condition precedence, they said the Secretary of the local government, Atiba local government did not notify the governor of the Oyomesi on the selection of Prince Lukman Gbadegesin as the candidate to fill the stool of Alaafin of Oyo.
“Our response to that objection is to the effect that that duty is imposed on by the law that is section 19 of the Chieftaincy law on the Secretary to the Local government and not on the kingmakers and we exhibited evidence that the kingmakers forwarded their decision to the Secretary of Atiba local government.
“We also exhibited a letter from the Secretary of Atiba local government acknowledged by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. That is the only means by which the governor can be involved. You can not go to the governor and serve him directly.
“We also argued that even if the issue is an issue of evidence the governor can only prove whether he was served or not with proof of evidence.
“It is not the issue that the Court can determine by way of preliminary objection.
” However, it is the failure to serve the notice of the decision of the kingmakers on the governor that affects our case and as such it was struck out.
“We have filed a Notice of Appeal and motion for injunction pending an appeal.
“What was considered on Tuesday was the Notice for Preliminary objection. The merit of the case is yet to be considered”
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