By Peter Dansu A fresh cultural debate has been reignited in Badagry following a viral video shared by Badagry Today , where a chanter, Ade...
By Peter Dansu
A fresh cultural debate has been reignited in Badagry following a viral video shared by Badagry Today, where a chanter, Adeshola Akewi, while delivering a poetic eulogy of the ancient town, attributed the Oro deity to the traditions of the Ogu people. What began as a celebratory chant soon spiralled into a heated online argument, drawing sharp reactions from historians, culture enthusiasts, and indigenes of Badagry.
While some netizens insisted that Oro has long been practised in parts of Badagry and therefore must be Ogu in origin, others pushed back, arguing that the deity does not belong to the indigenous Ogu cultural system. The disagreement lingered for months, resurfacing periodically whenever discussions about Badagry’s identity and heritage came up.
However, the controversy appears to have met a decisive intervention with a detailed clarification by Comrade Awhanbe Sehomi Esther, Vice President of the Students’ Union of the Lagos State College of Health Technology and a proud Badagrian.
Responding to the video and the arguments it generated, Awhanbe praised the creative effort behind the eulogy but firmly corrected what she described as a historical and cultural misrepresentation. According to her, Oro is not, and has never been, part of Ogu traditional practices.
She explained that the presence of Oro in some Badagry communities today is a result of historical accommodation. The Ogu people, she noted, graciously hosted Yoruba settlers in the past, and it was through this interaction that the Oro practice found its way into Badagry. Over time, traces of that cultural influence remained, leading to the mistaken assumption that Oro is indigenous to the Ogu people.
Setting the record straight, Awhanbe outlined core Ogu spiritual institutions and deities, stressing that the Ogu have a rich and well-defined traditional system of their own. Among them are Zangbeto and Klegbeto, widely recognised masquerade institutions, now commonly referred to collectively as Zangbeto. She also mentioned Yohomeh, which is mostly associated with Tayinoh or family shrines, and Zinto, spiritual symbols typically placed at the entrances of compounds and communities across Badagry.
She further explained the concept of Vothun, a broad spiritual category encompassing various deities and shrines such as Shinarh, Osarh, Ogun, Elegbe, Evioso, Thuthua, and others. These practices, she said, are carried out by recognised spiritual custodians including the Huno, Hunsi, Tanyinor, Avose, and Emenhentor. Within Vothun itself exist numerous forms linked to distinct shrines like Megbeyango, Athithigoh, Eviosogoh, and Lokomegbeyangoh, with shared rituals observed by adherents.
Her conclusion was clear and unequivocal: Oro is not an Ogu deity and does not belong to Ogu tradition.
Despite the firmness of her position, Awhanbe maintained a conciliatory tone, applauding the chanter’s effort and emphasising that her intervention was not an attack but a necessary clarification. She signed off proudly as a Badagrian, representing Ajara Vetho and Posukoh, and reaffirmed her commitment to peace and cultural truth.
Her comment has since been widely shared, with many describing it as the most comprehensive and respectful explanation yet on the subject. While debates over culture and identity in Badagry are unlikely to disappear anytime soon, Awhanbe Sehomi’s clarification has, for many observers, drawn a clear line between historical influence and indigenous tradition, reopening a broader conversation about preserving accuracy in the telling of Badagry’s story.
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