By Demola Akinyemi

In order to avert possible security threats in the state over planned celebration of Isese Festival at Yemoja River, in Oko Olowo area of Ilorin in Ilorin South local government area of the state on Sunday, Security men drawn from the Police, Civil Defense, State Service and Military formations in  the state were on guard at  the river side.

However, the Isese festival celebration was held at Shao, one of the traditional towns in Moro local government area of Kwara state by Chief Mobolaji Ajakitipa, Oba Etutu of Shao who celebrated it in his private home.

Meanwhile Vanguard reliably gathered that the security men were deployed to the river to prevent a possible clash between the traditional religion adherents otherwise known as Isese and the Islamic preachers who had vowed to prevent the traditional Worshipers from celebrating Isese day at the river side.

Though the security men were on alert at the premises of the river, neither the traditional Worshipers nor the Islam adherents were sighted by Vanguard  Correspondent for the celebration of the festival.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mrs Ebbunoluwarotimi Adelesi who led the operations told  Journalists at the Yemoja river site,  that the heavy presence of security operatives was to keep peace and protect the lives of the people and their properties

“The Security men are here to maintain peace, we are not here to deprive anyone of his or her fundamental Human rights. They have been drafted to this place since yesterday to protect the people of the state.

“The security personnel are here to maintain peace. We have to be at alert as a result of what the two sides are saying. We cannot allow the security and peace of the state to be breached. Kwara state is a state of harmony”, she said.

Chief Mobolaji Ajakitipa, Oba Etutu of Shao who said that he celebrated the festival as an annual event in his home said that he is an adherent of traditional religion.

“We practice traditional religion in Shao. It is a Yoruba traditional town from Oyo Ile which had existed before Ilorin was founded. We have to celebrate our own Isese festival.

Oba Etutu who commended the Police Commissioner for the security and action she took in preventing worshipers from other places to come to celebrate in the state this year however appealed to the Kwara state government to grant recognition to traditional religion worshipers and declare holiday for the annual Isese festival as being done in some Yoruba speaking states.

Recall that the state Police Command had earlier advised the traditional religion worshipers not to hold the celebration as planned for Sunday August 20 in the state saying that the security report did not favour holding the Isese festival while the International Council of Ifa/Orisa Religions (ICIR) announced the postponement of Isese festival celebration in Ilorin, Kwara state capital.

Also recall that traditional religion worshipers had in the last one month said that they were coming to celebrate the Isese usually fixed for August 20 in Yemoja river in Ilorin while some Muslim groups insisted that they would not allow the festival celebration in Ilorin which they said remained an Islamic city.