Did you know that in Iwoye-Ketu, it is forbidden to use umbrella. Iwoye-Ketu is a community that seats between Nigeria and The Republic of Benin, it’s about 98km away from Abeokuta, Ogun State and sharing the border with Oyo state to the North.
Around the world almost everybody owns or rents an umbrella and use them as a canopy to cover themselves under the rain or hot sun.
But this is not the case in Iwoye-Ketu area of Ogun State, Nigeria.
The villager prefer to get soaked in the rain than use an umbrella.
History: The custom goes back to the 1700s when the first settlers discovered this community.
From that period to date, even with the coming of Christianity and Islam to this community, they still practice this strange tradition.
“In those days, our forefathers used to hunt elephants in the forests. Since elephants have big ears that are wide like an umbrella, they felt threatened by the sight of umbrellas anytime they saw hunters with them. Most times, the elephants would chase after them and caused many vicious attacks”. – JOEL AREMU (monarch) he told the Punch.
The youths of this community do not really agree with this tradition but they don’t disobey the rule.
The population of Iwoye-Ketu, Ogun State is about 75,000 people and the majority of them are farmers, hunters and their ancestors hail from Ile-Ife, Osun State.
History says that one of the first settlers Olumu(from Ile-Ife) came with three items namely; a crown, a staff which is called Opa Ogbo and his deity known as Orisa Oluwa.
Surprisingly, It is the Orisa Oluwa deity that forbids they use of umbrellas, and also forbids the rearing of pigs because they are seen as dirty animals.
Many residents of the community have umbrellas bu only make use of it when they are outside the community.
While within in the community, they use hoods, raincoats, traditional woven hats, and polythene to protect themselves from the rain.
