The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, has suspended the celebration of Egungun festival forthwith following reported cases of violence, arson and looting of shops by some yet to be identified hoodlums hiding under the cover of the ongoing festival in Ibadan.
This was contained in a press release made available to journalists in Ibadan on behalf of the monarch by his Personal Assistant (Media), Oladele Ogunsola.
The monarch equally summoned all the leaders of masquerades known as Alaagbaa in Ibadanland to an emergency meeting on Monday afternoon at the ancient Aliiwo Palace, Agodi in Ibadan.
Expresssing sadness over the reported cases of violence during the annual festival which was seenn in a viral clip, Oba Balogun reminded the Masquerades that he had vehemently warned against perpetrating violence before the commencement of the festival.
Oba Balogun insisted that the ugly past when the masquerade festival was usually a period of terror when perceived enemies became targets of attack and violence had been buried a long time ago and any attempt to exhume it would be met with stiff sanctions.
