Youths killed in Ondo by the gods of the land

Twenty Ondo youths have been killed in Ode Irele, Ondo State for allegedly committing sacrilege against Molokun, god of the land.

 High Chief Moses Enimade, the Oyewoga of Ode Irele, who is next in command to Oba Cornelius Olanrewaju-Lebi, stated this during interview in Irele on Saturday. He debunked rumours that the deaths were caused by a strange disease or Ebola virus.

 The youths had reportedly died of severe headaches and blindness in the town recently provoking several investigations and rumours as no one could say precisely what caused their deaths.

 But Enimade said that some stubborn youths broke into the inner room of Molokun Shrine on April 15.

 Molokun is a deity of the land, only the Chief Priest and High Chief Gboguron are qualified to enter the shrine.

 He revealed that the youths entered the shrine and made away with traditional items in a bid to acquire extra-ordinary powers and engage in money ritual.

 They were not qualified to enter the room (shrine). They had to face death penalty, he emphasised.

 He stressed that there is no community without its own culture and it was very wrong for the youths to desecrate the shrine. What happened, he claimed, was the judgement of the gods on stubborn youths.

 Even the Kabiesi himself is not permitted to enter the Molokun Shrines inner room except the Chief Priest and High Chief Gboguron. Sacrifice must be performed before they can enter.

 Because these youths want to be rich at all costs, they entered the sacred place and made away with traditional items and 20 of them have died as a result of their desperate acts.

 We have to appease the gods or else many will still die and we have to bury them according to tradition. Their corpses belong to the gods and will be exhumed if buried by their families.

 The death caused by Molokun is characterised by severe headache and blindness.

 Proverbs 29:1 in the Bible say: `he that had been reproved and hardened his neck shall suddenly be destroyed without remedy; so youths of nowadays must be careful, Enimade said.