Odo Masquerade
The ‘Ijele’ is a metaphor for the size and beauty of the masquerade as an Igbo cultural symbol. The intricate craftsmanship that goes into its design and eventual midwifing into the Igbo nation’s giant visitor from the land of the spirits, is a testament to the size of Igbo worldview and the beautiful angle of shared, universal humanity from which the Igbo see the world.
It means that there are probably as many masquerades as there are sub-cultural details in Igbo land, especially in their names.
The masquerade in this report is Odo masquerade.
IKECHUKWU NNADI reports
Destination: Aku, Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area, Enugu State.
Before the gist about Aku and the Odo masquerade, a little about Aku as a town . One of the big towns in the Old Nsukka Division, now Enugu North Senatorial District, Aku is reputed as one of the towns in Igboland with the most educated indigenes. In fact, a yet-to-be-confirmed report has it that it is second only to Nanka in Anambra Anambra State as the town with the highest number of professors per capita in Igboland – about 45 – and counting.
It sounds strange Akua, such an enlightened community, would harbour such a cultural taboo as men being not allowed to watch masquerades, doesn’t it?
Well, call it cultural absurdity, if you will. But in Aku, the unthinkable is being experienced in its culture.
It is an open secret or a known fact that in most Igbo communities, the female folks are not allowed to have direct contact or see some masquerades both in day time and in the night. But in the Aku community, the reverse seems to be the case.
Located within the sprawling escarpment of the lolling Udi hills, away from Ogbede town, Igbo-Etiti Local Government headquarters, Aku Diewa community seems to be living a different life
from the rest of many Igbo communities.
The biennial Odo Aku masquerade festival
The Odo Aku masquerade festival is a biennial event. Though the festival lasts a period of six months, every day of the festival produces a different phase culminating in different villages
celebrating their own masquerades’ outing.
So, every year, thousands of indigenes of the ancient, land-locked community, from different parts of the globe make their way home to celebrate the festival.
Daily Query gathered that the last festival was held in 2023 with a lot of huge controversies leading to many non-indigenes calling for the outright ban on the festival.
When our reporter visited the community to ascertain the level of preparedness for this year’s festival, many residents were in high spirits, waiting for the D-Day.
One of the residents who gave his name as Ogbobe John told our reporter that every Aku indigene is expecting a memorable Odo festival this year.
“In February, the Odo festival will kick off. It is exactly two weeks now that the Odo masquerades will come down from the hill where they stay. ”
Though Mr. Ogbobe didn’t want to take a deep dive into the occultic aspects of the festival, he told our reporter that “this festival is like the life of the indigenous people of this community. Everybody is involved, irrespective of your religion.”
Another indigene of the community, Mr. Emmanuel Ezikanyi, enthusing about the festival, explained that “there are so many benefits we derive from celebration of this festival.”
“One of them is the entertainment aspect. The festival period is an entertainment period. In a world where tragic events take place every moment, we cannot do without the Odo festival.”
A graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, who invented the Igbo calendar, Ezikanyi said: “It is a mark of identity. It shows who we are. Let me tell you that without Odo, there wouldn’t be Aku. Odo is our identity as Aku Diewa people. That is why everybody, man, woman, children, traditionalist, priests and even atheists believe that Odo is a mark of our identity.
“Again, it also serves as a mark of protection against any evil attack by enemies. Odo masquerades whether you believe it or not to protect Aku people from the hands of their enemies. This doesn’t depend on whether the people believe it or not. It exists in the spiritual realm.
“Finally, it is a tourism hub yet to be harnessed. Odo masquerades festival should be seen and treated as Eyo festival in Yoruba land. If properly harnessed, it will be generating a lot of revenue for the state and the community at large.”
Masquerades and their villages
Another indigene who gave his name as Odo Emeka Odo told Daily Query that many villages have masquerades that prohibit both men and women from seeing them during the festival.
These villages are: Nua Lelegu with anu mpi masquerades; Nuaelu with mgbugbara masquerades; Amaezi ugwunani with ọchọkụ; Amauwani ugwunani with odo oji; Ọda with imodiọda; Ọda with okoronweri and Amabukwu with ebi masquerades. These masquerades are not seen by any human being, both men and women in the night or day time.
Asked what could likely be the consequences of the disobedience. Emeka told our reporter that “the consequences are incurable sickness, bad luck and many a time, immediate death. It has happened many times and so, none of the indigenes of this community will ever want to experiment as to the veracity of the claim. It is beyond human comprehension.”
Our reporter equally gathered that some decades ago, following the death of many indigenes as a result of the violation of the masquerades rules, six well-meaning indigenes of the community had a meeting and decided to find a solution through annihilation of the alleged killer masquerades. Of the six persons that converged to get rid of the masquerades, one said he wouldn’t be part of the annihilation process. Two months after the meeting, five out of the six persons died mysteriously.
Since that incident, nobody wants to say anything against these masquerades any more.
Nevertheless, investigation showed that the Odo Aku Masquerade is adjoined as one of the most friendly masquerades in Enugu state.
Unlike Oriokpa Nsukka, Akatakpa Obollo and Akatakpa Ibagwa, Odo Aku masquerade does not foment trouble. The masquerade does not run after females or strangers. They don’t carry canes of violence. Before now, women were not allowed to put on trousers on masquerading days of Odo masquerades such as Nkwo and Eke market days during festival months.
But after the 2021 reform of Odo masquerades, such practice was abolished.
The Odo masquerade, unlike their counterparts in other communities, are also not allowed to carry phones, cutlasses, guns and other weapons. They can only wield cane for detente. They are also not allowed to enter government establishments like schools or any hospital.
However, despite those huge reforms in the system, till today, both male and female are still prohibited from seeing some Odo masquerades and there is no end in sight to this seemingly awkward and controversial ancient culture in a community with more than forty Professors in different walks of life and with international repute.
When this Odo culture or tradition will be abolished is open to conjecture.
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