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AGEMO MASQUERADE

Agemo

I am opportuned by virtue of my origin to have witnessed and experienced  a lot of rich cultural & traditional festivals. In the Remo (formerly Ijebu remo) area which I hail from, I have been left captivated, enchanted and mesmerized by many of such festivals amongst which is the Agemo festival.

I can remember vividly as a child seeing half-naked fierce looking men, who accompied the Agemo masquerades, taking turns to willingly  whip each other with the long whips they were holding. I am not sure which was more terrifying, ths sight of the men whipping each other or the 'moving' mats which danced hapharzardly around the arena. The arena was often open streets or in a king's palace,

The Agemo masquerade belongs to  the yoruba speaking people of Ijebuland. It is an enigmatic  phenomenon which is meant to be invincible. It is one of the most powerful deities in  Ijebuland believed to be a protector of children and also ensures blessings of Ijebu people. Agemo is believed to have been introduced by the mythical Obanta clans.

Festival

The festival usually takes place between the Months of June & August As a deity and unseen god, it dishes out instruction to custodian (The Oloja) and the like OLUGBON ASE (TAMI) to be carried out. The festival is usually preceded by "Ireku" which marks the opening of the gate for the Agemos to come into Imosan. The coming of the  Agemos into Imosan through Ijebu Ode is called "Iworo."

The festival lasts seven days and takes place after consultation between the Awujale (paramount ruler) of Ijebu land & the heads of sixteen recognized or titled agemos also called Olofas.

Agemo festival historically commenced after seven days of chanting by the Oro cult beating their gbedu drums after which the sixteen  Agemo masquerades from sixteen different villages gather at Imosan  via Ijebu-Ode to spend three days at the Agemo shrine where they receive gifts from the Awujale. It is a taboo for women to see the Agemos on their way to Imosan.

The Agemo masquerades perform several traditional rites and appease the Agemo deity. On the last day of the festival where a traditional ritual dance is performed, it can be witnessed by women. The masquerades then make their way to Ijebu Ode where the  festival ends with the dance by the leader of the agemo, 'Tami Onire' before the Awujale and further public dances by the other agemos.

Masquerades

There are 16 different types of Agemo masquerades and 15 are covered from head to toe in Raffia and wearing head masks. The 16th type, Agemo Eleni  (translates to Agemo with the Mat) which is about half the height of the other Agemo masquerades  is covered with a Mat.

Agemo Eleni during Sagamu Day Festival 2018 at Akarigbo Palace Sagamu, Remo, Ogun State

HushPuppi Was Married To A St Kitts Woman For St Kitts Citizenship

The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis have assured that Ramon Olorunwa Abbas alias ‘Ray Hushpuppi’ is not a citizen of the Federation through Citizenship By Investment but admitted he was a citizen through Marriage.

Ramon Olorunwa Abbas faces money laundering conspiracy charges in the United States, according to the Department of Justice. He appeared in a federal court in Chicago on Friday accused of conspiring to launder hundreds of millions of dollars through cybercrime schemes.

In a statement Monday the government of St. Kitts and Nevis said it has become aware of reports and rumors concerning the Federation’s citizenship of Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, allegedly a person of interest to the United States FBI.

“We note that the Nigeria-born Mr. Abbas, 37, was granted a St. Kitts and Nevis passport in February 2020 by virtue of his marriage to Shawana Nakesia Chapman, 32, a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis by birth and the United States of America. Ms. Chapman, a resident of North Carolina, USA, married Mr. Abbas in Nigeria in October 2018, thereby conferring him with the right to St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship.”

The statement noted that reports stating he was a Citizenship by Investment were false.

“Any suggestion that citizenship was obtained through means other than marriage– such as the country’s Citizenship by Investment program, which includes rigorous background checks – is therefore utterly false and willfully misleading.”

Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, according to reports claims to run a real estate business. He is purported to have conspired to launder millions of dollars through business email compromise (BEC) frauds and other scams, the US Department of Justice said.

He was arrested last month by authorities in the United Arab Emirates, where he was a resident
Source: https://www.thestkittsnevisobserver.com/govt-assures-hushpuppi-a-citizen-through-marriage/