Oro Festival: Lagos Community Warns Women To Stay Indoors

The Ayangburen Palace in the Ikorodu community has cautioned ladies to stay indoors during its annual traditional ‘Oro’ event, which is slated for May 16, 2024, both day and night.

According to Punch, the Ayangburen Palace issued a letter to the Medical Director of the Ikorodu General Hospital, written by the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, warning females in the town to stay indoors during the celebration.

The letter, titled ‘Notification of Magbo (Oro) Festival 2024,’ read; “This is to notify you of the above festival, which is slated for Thursday, May 16, 2024. According to tradition, all females are advised to remain in their respective homes and avoid moving around the town during the Oro festival.

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“Please note that your organization is affected by falling within the Oro traditional jurisdictions. You are hereby advised to adhere to the traditions of the town.”

The Oro festival, among others, is an important festival in Yoruba culture. It is celebrated by male descendants and is typically marked with a daytime parade and high-pitched sounds in specific places or throughout the community, as the case may be. Females are supposed to be prohibited from participating in the festival’s religious rites.

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