Kogi State is reputed as the state in
Nigeria where the ‘Iron of Liberty’ is found .The Iron of Liberty is a
spot where slaves were freed at the end of the slave trade in 1860.
The state is reported to have three main
ethnic groups and languages. They are the Igala, Ebira, and Okun (a
Yoruba group). It is also said to have other minorities like the Ogugu
subgroup of the Kakanda, Igala, Gwari and Oworo people, Bassa, a small
fraction of Nupe mainly in Lokoja, the Eggan community under Lokoja
Local Government and the Ogori Magongo.
The abolition of slave trade by the
British government in the 19th Century led to the enforcement of the
Slave Trade Abolition Act. The West African Frontier Force had after the
abolition of slave trade mounted surveillance squads on Rivers Niger
and Benue to secure the routes against any possible violation of the
Act.
The squad reportedly captured many barges
with slaves on board and forced the vessels to berth at the dockyard
while the slaves were rescued from the slave merchants.
The seized slaves were then led to the
Iron of Liberty where two iron poles were erected. The slaves were then
instructed to touch them to regain their freedom. Any slave who escaped
from his master and touched the Iron of Liberty in the now Kogi State
automatically regained his freedom.
It is therefore quite surprising that a
state that played host to freed slaves could in the present modern world
still harbour in some of its communities people who are regarded as
slaves or euphemistically put, second class citizens.
A major challenge our correspondent
encountered in the course of investigating this happenstance is that
though those so labelled are aggrieved, many of them shy away from
discussing the topic or even accepting its practice.
One of the people who would not want to
acknowledge the existence of such practice is President, Ogidi
Development Association, Mr. Tunde Ipinmisho. In a telephone interview
with our correspondent, he vehemently denied the practice of second
class citizen in his area even though the Ologidi of Ogidiland in Ijumu
Local Government Area, Oba Rabiu Sule, confirmed the existence of such
practice in his domain and other neighbouring communities. He however
noted that it was no longer pronounced.
To get the Obaro of Kabba, Oba Michael Folorunso to talk on such a practice was a herculean task.
The palace secretary, Mr. Raphael
Tobasie, told our correspondent who visited the palace that the monarch
would not want to talk with journalists till July. When reminded of the
importance of the story and the need for the royal father to respond, he
asked our correspondent to call back two days after. When our
correspondent called back, he said he would deliver the message to the
monarch.
But a prominent member of Kabba community
who pleaded anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter
confirmed the existence of second class citizens in the area.
According to him, in Ibiraland, they are called anihere as
they are believed to be settlers who came from the blacksmith people in
the now Edo State. He added that the indigenes do not regard them as
real citizens.
He said the matter had generated a lot of
crises such that one of the chiefs in Okene took the matter to the
Federal High Court. He claimed that the matter had been decided.
He also noted that the case was so serious in Kabba that there had been about two or three riots linked to such classification.
“It is a subtle crisis. It caused a lot
of problems but people outside will not know. But within Kabba, the
indigenes know. They do not intermarry. They call them Idi-amori (in Yoruba meaning the source we do not know). But they prefer to be called omo-odo, that is, people from downside.
“There should have been 14 clans in Kabba but there are 13. The 14th clan would have been the Idiamori but they do not regard them as a clan because they see them as slaves from other clans,” he said.
According to him, in Kabba especially,
the ruling class is referred to as people of royal blood as the Obaro
Kabba is from Ilajo royal family. He added that the Ilajo royal family
had produced between 15 and 20 monarchs called Obaro since about 1691.
He stated that residents were segmented in their own clans.
According to him, the people referred to as slaves or second class citizens, who he said are called Idi-amori, normally
fight along with the Ilajo, the royal people, because they believe that
they are the ones that brought them into the town.
The source said that anytime there was a
crisis, the people termed as second class citizens always teamed up with
the royal family to fight against the other people. He added that the
so-called second class citizens were reputed to be fetish, such that
other people fear them.
“But they are not accepted in the family.
For example, if you are from the royal family, you cannot marry them.
If you marry them, it means when your turn comes to become a king, you
cannot become a king.
“In Kabba, those people regarded as second class citizens do not have land unlike every other family. The Idiamori
do not have family land. They cannot lay claim to any family land. If
they want to have land, they have to buy, just as strangers buy. The
real citizens do not marry them.
“In those days, when you married them,
you were termed as part of them. But now, if you marry them, socially
they are integrated to some level but not as much. In the olden days,
one could not marry them at all or even befriend them,” he said.
According to him, in Kabba, there are two deities: the Oro (ebora
deity) and the masquerade. He stated that the Oro deity is the one
being worshipped by the ‘real indigenes,’ adding that history has it
that the masquerade was given to the Idiamori.
He added that those who worship masquerade belong to Idamori
and in the olden days, were not entitled to wear the crown. He said
they had chiefs that were called olu while that of the indigenes are
called Oba. The source noted that by that, people would know that they
were not indigenes.
The second class citizens are common in Odo-Akate, Bolorunduro Street and Yara, all in Kabba.
“In Kabba we have some neighbouring
villages that are about 22 or thereabout. They are scattered in all
those places but they are more pronounced in Kabba. Their titular head
is called Elesho or Otu,” he said.
Our correspondent learnt that modern day
slavery and discrimination thrive in these communities as they are not
allowed to marry the ‘real’ indigenes of the sate, cannot participate in
traditional ceremonies and are not allowed to contest for political
positions.
According to him, when a king was chosen
in the olden days, the second class citizens would go to a certain
mountain and announce that a king had been appointed because they
regarded them as slaves or messengers. He added that the practice is
still on till date.
He said that any king these so called slaves do not announce will not be termed a proper king.
“We have cognomen which we call Oriki. They also use the cognomen of those who brought them as slaves so to speak. For instance, the royal family in Ilajo, their Oriki is called Omoehi. In other two clans, we have for instance the omo-aro etc.
“So they too, wherever they find
themselves, they put such cognomen to their names but when it comes to
real Kabba issues, they have no say. They are even discriminated against
and marginalised politically. A prominent son of the Idi-amori clan who
wanted to contest a particular office in 2007 was denied such an
opportunity. It was alleged that the now late political leader of the
area told him pointedly that he was acceptable to him but he could not
present him to the community because of his ancestral background,” he
said.
The source said that another way of discriminating against them is the observance of traditional festivals.
According to him, there is the Oro
festival in which people do not go out. He noted that, however,
initiated male children who are indigenes of Kabba are entitled to come
out.
He also said that the second class
citizens are not permitted to come out and would not be initiated into
the group as they are regarded as not belonging to that area.
He stated that this issue had generated crisis in the area.
According to him, some of the second class citizens who insisted on coming out to observe the Oro had attracted calamities to themselves. He said they either died or ran mad within seven days.
The source added, “Each time there is an
Oro festival, some of their boys will want to come out. In the olden
days, elders did not fight them but madness or other terrible things
would happen to them if they came out.
“Two years ago, they came out and insisted by force they must see the Oro because
they believed that they were part of Kabba. It generated a lot of
crisis. Because of that, the state government banned the Oro
festival and their own festival called Abo or masquerade, which normally
comes up every December 27 or 28. It is a kind of entertainment feast.
People will come; even the Obaro will be there. He will give them cows
and they will dance and entertain themselves and the audience.
“During the Oro which belongs to
indigenes, people will ascend to the mountains. Kabba is full of hills
or mountains. It is a seven-day event but in the first and second days,
they will come down. While coming down, it is normally announced that
the Oro festival wants to pass through the town. So people will stay
indoors maybe from 8am to noon and from 1pm to 5pm, the Oro will pass.”
He pointed out because the Idi-amori
boys now want to observe the Oro festival by force, government had
directed people to restrict the observance of their festivals to their
area of abode.
He claimed that in the olden days, the
masquerade could not go to the palace of the Obaro and anyone that
defied that would die there. He said that the masquerade still does not
enter the Obaro palace.
The prominent member of Kabba community also said that there is currently the issue of grading of their traditional rulers.
According to him, the traditional rulers
of the Idi-amori are yet to be graded, stating that the state government
had set up a committee to look into the issue.
But he said that Kabba people will always
rise and kick against such grading because of the notion that they are
not real chiefs.
The Ologidi of Ogidi-land, Oba Rabiu Sule
gave credence to the existence of segregation against those who are
regarded as second class citizens in some areas in Kogi State.
The Oba said the Ogidi community had been in existence for over 200 years.
According to him, historically, members of the community are Yorubas and migrated to the community from Ile-Ife.
He said there are two ruling houses in the community: the Ilaare Ruling House which he belongs to and Itaji Ruling House.
“From Ilaare Ruling House, we have had
about six oba and Itaji Ruling House about seven consecutively. There
has not been any problem. Those who are agitating thought they could
become an oba which is not in our history,” Sule said.
The oba confirmed existence of real
segregation of indigenes and the slaves or second class citizens in the
community and in some other neighbouring places in the state.
“It is true, there is segregation in some
communities where natives are still regarded as slaves but I have
cancelled it entirely from my kingdom. It is no longer in my community.
We are all human beings. We met ourselves here.
“In those days, the Nupe war that we
fought around this area ended in this community because we are warriors.
When the Nupe war came, there were still people that were left behind.
So people were thinking that those people were slaves but they are not
slaves. I have cancelled that.
“The war started in 1887 and ended in
1894. It was a serious war. Everybody knows about this war in this area.
The Nupe came to fight us. We won the war and we drove them away.
“The practice was that those who they
called slaves could not take up higher chieftaincy titles. They could
not marry from those who called themselves indigenes. But now, they can
intermarry. We now do things together. They can take up chieftaincy
titles and so on.
“There are other areas with such
practice. It is all over this area. It is rampant in this area. We have
it in Kabba; we have it in Yara and another community very close to us.
It is all over,” the monarch said.
Oba Sule stated that though he had
abolished the practice in his domain, there were people who were still
insisting on such obnoxious practice.
He, however, claimed that such people were in the minority.
He stated that he was able to reduce the
prevalence of such practice in his domain by preaching and enlightening
his subjects that they are all human beings.
He added that he normally quoted the
Bible and the Quoran to convince his subjects that all human beings are
created by God and so are equal and should be regarded as such.
He admonished people in areas where such
dehumanising practice is still being observed to stop it and embrace the
equality status of all mankind.
“I will still continue to preach to them
that we are all human beings; that God created Adam and Eve and that was
the beginning of this world. That means we are one.
“For other communities that are still
engaging in such obnoxious practice, my advice is that they should erase
it and preach peace and development.
“When you classify some as freeborns and
slaves in a community, those who are regarded as slaves will feel bad
and they would not contribute much to the development of that community.
But if you come together and preach to them to become one, there will
be development,” Sule said.
The Kogi State Deputy Governor, Mr. Yomi
Awoniyi said the state government does not recognise labelling some
residents as slaves or second class citizens.
According to him, all the citizens are equal and have equal access to government programmes and public amenities.
He said that in some, “communities maybe by genealogy or cultural acceptance, there may be some caste systems in some places.”
He, however stated that the government by policy does not recognise caste system.
Awoniyi said, “Honestly for me, you need
to educate me more because I am hearing this for the first time and I am
not new to the wiles or nuisances of our communities.
“For you to declare that there are second
class citizens or slaves that are institutionally labelled as such,
believe me, I am not aware. I do not know what obtains in the inner
recesses of some communities.
“Maybe by genealogy or cultural
acceptance, there may be some caste systems in some places but that is
not a policy of government to recognise that. Everybody has equal access
to government amenities and provisions. Government policies do not
recognise second class citizens or slaves. I can assure you of that.”
No comments:
Post a Comment