Nigeria, the land of plenty

treacherous waters Opeyemi has driven his blue AX-100 okada (motorcycle) all the way from a nearby village to take part in the festivities dedicated to Oba, the spirit of the river, in the village of Ile Oba Alaafin . Oba was the wife of Sango, the Yoruba god of thunder, who was also married to Osun. A dispute between Osun and Oba led to the transformation of Oba into a river that was named after her and still flows next to the village of Ile Oba Alaafin. Since that tragic event, local residents of Ile Oba and their lineage are paying their homage every year to Oba by performing rituals during a particular night and, the next day, a procession to the river to bring food offerings and then proceed with dances. All the while, the children of the Oba clan will play in the water. Ile-Oba's children are familiar with the changing nature of the river and are good swimmers. First as babies, they have to stand the tes...

too many people can cause a boat to sink About half an hour drive away from Oyo town, there is a small settlement, called Ile-Oba Alaafin, that is dedicated to Oba the river Spirit. Nowadays, five families are living there. About a hundred people. The name of all inhabitants starts with Oba to mark their origin. The legend says that Oba and Osun were both married to Sango, the god of thunder and they had a dispute. Osun cut one ear to Oba in the process and Oba turned into a river, hence became the river Spirit. The village is set in a peaceful location away from the main road linking Oyo to Ogbomoso and Ilorin, a dreadful stretch full of lorries humming their way at variable speeds. Overtaking certainly kills on that road whose sides are littered with skeletons of burnt-down vehicles. The Champs Elysées of Ile Oba Alaafin It takes ten to fifteen minute over a sandy track, that traverses large fields punctuated by lonely trees, to reach the village by c...