By Ayilegbe Dupe Elizabeth
Ekinrin-Adde is a town located in Ijumu L.G.A. of Kogi State, in the Western Senatorial District of Nigeria on latitude 7° 50’N and longitude 5° 50’E at an altitude of 523 metres above sea level. The town is a conglomerate of contiguous villages that amalgamated into one. The people trace their ancestry to Ile-Ife, the cradle of Yoruba civilization. The people are a sub-ethnic group within the Yoruba nationality, who speak a dialect generally referred to as Okun, widely spoken by the five local Government that make up the Kogi West Senatorial District, although with slight variation from community to community. The Okun dialect is a sub-dialect of the Yoruba language.
Ekinrin-Adde was separated from the present-day Ondo state by a very big mountain known as “Oluko”. Ekinrin people are the first settlers in the community, later “Adde”. People began to move from their settlement such as Ilafe, Ilaga, Abudo, Okedagba and so on to live with Ekinrin people and they all became one community and hence the name Ekinrin-Adde. The name ‘adde’ which is gotten from the Yoruba phrase ‘a ti de’, literally translates to ‘we have arrived’. It was coined to represent the conglomerate of other communities that later joined Ekinrin. Ekinrin-Adde was very important in the economic activities of Okun land during the pre-colonial era. There existed some economic activities such as hunting, fishing, agriculture, trade and commerce.
Statue next to community well
The Ekinrin-Adde people are united by several practices such as Egungun (masquerade) festival. Masquerades usually parade during a particular season and also when an eminent person who holds or who is in a position of authority dies. Notable masquerades includes the Olori Owo (women are forbidden from seeing them), Oyoyo (comes out during the Emindin festival) and the Ajibele masquerade. Another cultural festival usually carried out on the 20th day of June every year is the Emidin festival. The “Emindin” festival is usually called out by the omo agba people from Ona the royal clan.
Chief at new yam festival
The procession starts with the new yam masquerade dancing around in town with a huge crowd carrying the yams; the yam is roasted and eaten by the King and top chiefs before it is declared okay for everyone to eat.
According to tradition, it is unacceptable for the community member to eat new yam before the celebration. This festival also serves as a period to thank the gods for a bountiful harvest and also ask for abundant rains for the next planting season. It is a common practice for indigenes of the town to return home to celebrate, meet their family members and also an opportunity to meet their age group.
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