The President General of the Worldwide Isese Agbaye Community Society of Nigeria and Légùşęn of Odè Ulé Kingdom of Legusenland, Oba Adedayo Adekoya has demanded the unconditional release of all detained traditional religion practitioners in Nigeria.
The monarch made this known in his speech during the celebration of the World Èrò Day festival on Wednesday.
The World Èrò Day festival is celebrated annually on September 6, using the 13-month lunar calendar.
He expressed his displeasure with the detention and intimidation of traditional religion practitioners in Nigeria because of their faith.
“After 21 days of prayers, the ancient indigenous sesefun crown of primordial times comes out to bless the world with Ero at the beginning of the Ìṣẹ̀sé Àgbáyé new year.
“This year’s festival is dedicated to fundamental human rights and freedom in support of all Ìṣẹ̀sé Àgbáyé activists in all parts of the world, particularly those currently facing persecution for their faith, religion, spirituality and extra-physical consciousness such as Talolorun and others,” he said.
SaharaReporters had reported how a popular Isese practitioner, Adegbola Abdulazeez, also known as Tani Olorun was remanded in prison for allegedly planning to start a war in Ilorin city, the Kwara State capital, by "inviting other traditional and idol worshippers to assemble in Ilorin on the 20th of August, 2023”.
He was also accused of burning the Quran and insulting some Islamic clerics.
It was also reported how some Muslim clerics in Ilorin threatened to stone some Isese worshippers performing rites at a river in the Oko Lowo area of the state.
The Muslim clerics were caught on camera threatening to stone the traditional religion practitioners including their priestess, who was there.
In the video, a Muslim cleric who spoke in Yoruba is heard saying, "We have warned you. You putting on hijab, we also see you. Don't put the calabash down. You know Ilorin doesn't belong to you; you understand."
Commenting on these developments, the monarch lamented the plight of their people in some parts of the country.
Dedicating this year’s World Èrò Day to Tani Olorun and other Isese practitioners facing similar treatment worldwide due to their faith, the monarch said, “All areas of frictions, whereby there are issues that could easily be resolved within ourselves without any problems are being made to look bigger than the hell-like freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of movement.
“Everything should come to an end. We have actually dedicated this year to our members who are held captive in prison for their religious belief and faith.
“We pray that all those who are involved should see the light of the day. All those that are involved should be released unconditionally.
“All those that are making them to be held should think otherwise and know that we are all brothers and sisters and we are living in our lands.
“Since we are living on our land, it is obvious that everybody has a right to participate in whatever religion they want to participate in. We should be moderate. Let everybody keep their faith, their religion, their spirituality to themselves.”