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Ooni unveiles launch of Olojo Festival, reveals ancestral significance
By Mario Deepromoter
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on Thursday, announced the commencement of the 2024 Olojo Festival, revealing the event’s ancestral and spiritual significance.
Ogunwusi spoke at his palace during a news conference on the 2024 Olojo Festival with the theme “Evolving Transformationaly Domestic Tourism With Community Festivals.”
According to him, the festival is significant because of the spiritual exercises that characterise it and the testimonies it attracts.
He said the celebration of the revered cultural event was held annually in the ancient city to celebrate the day of the first dawn.
The Ooni said the festival was in remembrance of “Ogun,” god of iron, who is believed to be the first son of Oduduwa, progenitor of the Yoruba people.
He added that the festival marked the birth of the “Aare Crown”.
Ooni said that several prayers rendered to Olodumare through the iconic “Aare crown” during the Olojo festival had been answered with so many testimonies.
He stated, “Olojo is the festival of dawn and the birth of the crown, “Ade Aare”, the crown of all crowns. The crown that gave birth to all crowns all over the world with all the colours of the rainbow. It is called the spectrum of rainbow crowns.
“The crown does everything humans do, it is a very spiritual crown, very sacred. I am a living example and witness. I have actually charged the crown, I have prayed with it, that I want this done, this particular time.
“This is my ninth year on the throne, going to my tenth year by the grace of God, I have seen a lot of testimonies.
“I will pray with the crown worn on my head, I pray to the almighty God, Olodumare through the crown. I have never seen any failure in it. It is our strong heritage, our strong culture and tradition and we will continue to uphold it forever.
He added that they were not idol worshipers, but rather custodians of their ancestors’ legacy, which continued to benefit them.
“These are things we should not joke about, It is our heritage, we should not compromise it with anything. It is created by nature, by God Almighty who is the supreme being,” he said.
Explaining the nature of the “Ade Aare”, Ooni described the crown as a sacred, mysterious being which bears the nature of humans.
According to him, the crown functions like humans.
He said, “Olojo is the time when the crown comes out for blessings. This is a crown that has life in it till date, right from time immemorial.
“The crown changes the weather, it does not see the atmosphere except once in a year, during Olojo festival.
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“In the crown, we see everything complete, we see the day, night, four corners of the world, the northern, southern, eastern and western poles.
“The birth of the crown is actually the first dawn pathfinded by Ogun, which is linked to our celebration.”
The Ooni added, “Olojo is the main new year celebration and this dovetails to everybody’s new yam festival all over because what is used to bring out yams are cutlasses and hoes made with iron.
“This is the time we get beautiful harvests, the time we get wallnuts, bitter kola. For us in Ile-Ife, we still uphold our heritage and that is why we celebrate the first dawn.”
Ogunwusi appreciated the sponsors for the festival.
“I want to appreciate you all, our sponsors, for everything you have been doing. For always responding to my calls. May God bless you and may our ancestors guide you all. I appreciate the state government as well,” he added.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Osun, Abiodun Bankole-Ojo, appealed to sponsors of the Olojo festival to look into the possibility of developing some tourism sites within the state, like the Oranmiyan Groove.
“Please corporate bodies, stop giving us monetary and material gifts, come and develop the Oranmiyan site as a tourist site. Government will not be able to do it all,” he said.
The Olojo Festival Chief Consultant, Ayo Olumoko, urged Nigerians and international tourists to grace the festival.
NAN reports that the Grand Finale for the 2024 edition of the annual Olojo Festival in Ile-Ife, will be held between September 26 and September 30.
On September 26, there will be Ayo Olopon Traditional Game, Festival Cultural Talent Hunt (Audition) and Olojo Festival Colloquium.
On September 27, there will be Ojo Ilagun, Iwode Ile-Ife (Community cleansing) and Oonirisa’s terrestrial message to the world.
September 28 is the festival’s grand finale official ceremony, Ojo Okemogun, and the Aare cultural procession.
September 29 is Ojo Ajoyo (Asekagba), Grand Royal Reception – Invitational, Adire Oodua Cultural Exchange Exhibition and Oonirisa’s Ife Award for Community Service, 2024.
September 30 would be for the Ojo Ibile (Oonirisa’s ancestral traditional propitiation) and cultural talents hunt.
No fewer than six inmates have died within one week following a suspected cholera outbreak at the Kurmawa Maximum Prison in Kano State.
Amnesty International raised the alarm in a post on its official Facebook page, calling on authorities to immediately declare an emergency at the correctional facility.
Amnesty said several other inmates were currently receiving treatment, warning that the death toll could be higher as the suspected disease continues to spread among prisoners.
It urged the authorities to immediately transfer critically ill inmates to hospitals for proper medical attention to prevent further deaths.
The organisation warned that failure to urgently intervene could amount to arbitrary deprivation of life, which it described as a serious human rights violation under international law.
Amnesty also expressed concern over the broader conditions in Nigerian correctional facilities, particularly the prolonged detention of inmates awaiting trial.
According to the organisation, detainees without financial means face greater difficulty having their rights protected, with some spending years in custody without being convicted of any crime.
It further said many inmates were being held in overcrowded and unhygienic cells without adequate food and healthcare.
Amnesty called for urgent reforms to improve conditions in Nigerian correctional facilities and ensure compliance with international best practices.
Popular media personality and self-acclaimed relationship expert, Blessing Okoro, popularly known as Blessing CEO, has reportedly lost her second son while remanded in custody.
The development was confirmed in an online appeal by Amira Agiye, head of the Isaamira Love Foundation, who spoke on Okoro’s behalf to request public financial assistance.
She said, “It is sad to announce to you all that Blessing CEO just lost her second son. My name is Amira Agiye.
“I’m here to appeal on behalf of Blessing CEO, who is currently in custody. I understand that people might have different opinions about her and the circumstances surrounding her case.
“And like every one of us, she deserves compassion and an opportunity for redemption.
She needs N20 million to meet the bail requirements. She also needs N36 million to pay the people she owes who brought the case against her.
“Please, Nigerians, let’s forgive her for the sake of that boy who is still in the mortuary. With Blessing’s full consent and authorisation, I’m appealing to all Nigerians to help donate so we can help her out of this situation.”
Also speaking in a voice conversation played by Amira, Blessing, CEO, said, “My second son, Bryan, was full of life. While in custody, I lost Bryan.
I pray this turns out positive so I can leave this place, pick up the pieces of my life and pay my respects to him.”
Recall that the self-acclaimed relationship expert was remanded in Kirikiri Prison over an N69.15 million property fraud trial.
She was granted N20 million bail in July 2026, with two sureties in like sum, and each surety was required to provide three years’ proof of deposits valued at N20 million.
Following her inability to meet the bail conditions, Blessing CEO, remains in prison facility two months after she was granted bail.
Deaconess Angel Oyakhilome, mother of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy LoveWorld Nation fame, is dead.
Reports from Edo State say that she died at the age of 88 yesterday, Friday, September 25, 2026.
A local publication, Esan News Magazine, reported thus:
“An Iroko has fallen. A mother of nations is gone. Heaven has gained a saint.
According to information made available to Esan News Magazine by a prominent member of the Ekagholo Family of Idunwele, Ewu, Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State, the matriarch of the great Oyakhilome Clan, the beloved mother of our son Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, Deaconess Angel Oyakhilome, fondly called Big Mummy, has transited to glory.
September, 2026, leaving behind a legacy of faith, love, humility and motherhood that touched generations across the world.
“Big Mummy was not just the mother of Pastor Chris. She was the mother of all. A virtuous woman, a prayer warrior, a woman of uncommon grace who raised children that have become global blessings and pride to Esan land.
“Idunwele Ewu is mourning. Ekagholo Family is mourning. Ewu Kingdom is mourning. Esanland is mourning. For we have lost an Okpokhuo, a true jewel of Esan motherhood.
“Her life was a testimony. She lived for God, she lived for family, she lived for humanity. Her laughter brought joy. Her prayers brought strength. Her counsel brought wisdom.
“On behalf of the management and staff of Esan News Magazine and the entire Esan Nation home and abroad, we extend our deepest and heartfelt condolences to our dear elder brother, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, the entire Oyakhilome Clan, the Ekagholo Family of Idunwele Ewu, and the Christ Embassy family worldwide.
“We mourn with you in this time of grief. We stand with you. We pray that the good Lord who called Mama home will grant you all the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss.
“May her gentle, beautiful and faithful soul rest in perfect peace. Rest on, Big Mummy. Rest on, beloved mother of Pastor Chris. Rest on, Iroko of Ewu.
“Adieu Mama!”
Meanwhile, a senior official of Christ Embassy who was contacted by News Express this Saturday afternoon neither confirmed nor denied the report.
He said: “I have heard the news, too, but it is not for me to confirm her death. I mean, she was aged 88.”
The official promised to make relevant contacts, adding: “I am sure that a statement would be issued if the news is true.”
Six inmates die in one week amid suspected cholera outbreak in Kano prison
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