A suspected thief, allegedly identified as Jeremiah Kosesochi Nwoke has reportedly died while attempting to cart away the Agemo statue located at the Itoro Roundabout in Ijebu Ode.
The incident, which occurred overnight, has thrown residents into shock as the statue stands near the roundabout leading to the ultramodern palace of the Awujale of Ijebuland.
It was gathered that the deceased allegedly made several futile efforts under the cover of darkness to uproot and steal the symbolic statue.
However, the deceased allegedly uprooted the heavily-padded statue, but he fell down and died in the process of carting it away.
Agemo is the main deity of the Ijebu people of Ogun State.
Agemo’s cult spread primarily through the conversion of infertile women, many of whom went to the deity to cure their infertility.
When they were cured, they dedicated themselves and their children to worshipping Agemo.
In Yoruba culture, “Agemo” can refer to a chameleon-like deity associated with Olorun, the head of the Yoruba pantheon.
It can also refer to the Agemo Festival, a significant cultural and religious event for the Ijebu people of Ogun State, Nigeria.
The festival involves elaborate rituals, masked processions, and is believed to be a protector of children and the Ijebu community.
