Lagos – Residents of Ikorodu, Lagos State, on Tuesday called on the state government to stop the Oro festival in the area.

The residents in Lagos, said that the celebration hindered their movement and that it was a disincentive to the economy of the area.

The residents were reacting to the restriction of movement because of Oro celebration on Sept. 26 at Igbogbo, a town near Ikorodu.

A businesswoman, Mrs Olayemi Bamgbade, said  that she had experienced the restrictions for 15 years.

“We urge the government to put a stop to this Oro tradition. If government does not cancel it, they should restrict the event to midnight.

“We residents are at the receiving end of this saga.”

She said that the tradition was a violation of the fundamental human right of the residents.

An accountant, Mr Tony Iruah, said that the tradition was frustrating his family.

“Whenever Oro Day comes, I, my children and wife are forced to stay at home.

“Schools and business activities in the area remain suspended and paralysed,” he said.

Mrs Iyabo Olofin, the proprietor of a hair salon in Ikorodu, said that the tradition had become a source of worry for the residents and that it was unfair for the government to allow it to go on.

She said that the continued observance of the tradition by its adherents gave the impression that the country was tilting towards barbarism.

“It is so sad that in spite of the level of civilisation globally, we, in Nigeria, still condone some archaic and barbaric tradition that ought to be extinct,” she said.

A clergyman, Mr Emmanuel Obasa, said that any religious or traditional festival that infringed on people’s freedom of movement was bad and unlawful.

He said that the beliefs of people in the country should not violate the laws of the land.

“The constitution should supersede every tradition or religious activity of any town,” he said.

A banker, Mr Tunde Amodu, who resides in Ikorodu, said that some miscreants took advantage of the celebration to harass and rob innocent people.

He said that there was usually “a sense of insecurity among the people“ anytime the Oro festival was to be celebrated.

“The fact that I am a man does not even exempt me from the restriction during the festival despite the long-held belief that men can see the masquerade.

“I had to rush home before 7 p.m. to avoid being harassed and assaulted,” he said.

NAN reports that the different towns that make up Ikorodu usually hold the Oro festival on different days.

Towns such as Igbogbo, Imota and Agbowa in Ikorodu are noted for celebrating the Oro festival. (NAN)