Human Rights Activist and Constitutional Lawyer, Chief Femi Falana(SAN), Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC, Ogun State Social Community Orientation And Safey Corps and other prominent Nigerians have asked Ifa -Practitioners, popularly known as Babalawo to always preserve the aged long dignity and respect of the practice and expose those involved in money making rituals to end or reduce cases of such ugly act in the state
Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria gave the charge over the weekend at the Valley View Hall of the Government House in Abeokuta during Inauguration of a Seven-member Task Force and 22-member Disciplinary Committee set up to fish out fake Practitioners in Egbaland
The legal luminary who is the Consultant to the Ifa-Practitioners in Egbaland was speaking at the event which included orientation, launching and presentation of Certificates/Identify Cards to Ifa-Practitioners in Egbaland from Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South, Ewekoro, Ifo, Obafemi-Owode and Odeda Local Areas
He challenged the Ifa-Practitioners to sanitize the practice by the distancing themselves from criminal elements including armed robbers and ritualists who always claim during their arrest by the police that they were fortified with charms by some of the Babalawo
Falana assured the Ifa- Practitioners in Egbaland of his legal services to protect the profession while admonishing them to always operate within the ambit of the law by clamping down on those involved in money making rituals and other criminal acts capable of tarnishing the image of traditional Worshipers of Ifa
The Senior Advocate who agreed with the Ogun State Police Commissioner , Lanre Balogun represented by Spokesman of the Command, Deputy Suprintendent of Police, Abimbola Oyeyemi that money making rituals is not real,enjoined Nigerians to always work hard to earn a descent living and make money
The State Commandant of NSCDC, Taiwo Kolawole represented by Olanipekun Adekunle, Corps Commander of So-Safe Corps, Soji Ganzallo, Chairman of the State Police Community Relations Committee PCRC, Architect Samson Popoola, Chairman of the Ogun State Alternate Medicine Board, Balogun Nurudeen Olaleye representatives of the Alake of Egbaland Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, Agura of Gbagura, Oba Sabur Bakre, Olubara of Ibara, Oba Jacob Omolade and other traditional rulers in attendance tasked Ifa-Practitioners in Egbaland to work closely with security agencies to sanitize the practice by flush out undesirable elements within the profession
The Sakosi Onifa of Egbaland, Ifadimeji Jegbe Biobaku deliverying his inaugural lecture titled "BABALAWO As A Profession And Professional Organization" at the event, promised that the members of IFA-practice would always comply with constitution of the country and uphold the ethics/bye law of the profession, adding that the Seven member Task Force and 22-member disciplinary Committee would monitor activities of practitioners and enforce the bylaws
"Babalawo are forbidden from using human parts as part of appeasement and ingredients in making any concoction/tincture or relics. This is clearly stated in Irete Meji . I throw this challenge to the general public to bring forward any Odu--Ifa that states otherwise", he stated
"it is forbidden for a Babalawo to be a seer.He must only relate the truth as seen according to divination. Babalawo are forbidden from fortifying criminals and people of undesirable and dubious characters. Babalawo hidden and manifest characters must be right and be seen to be right", the Sakosi Onifa of Egbaland added
High point of the event was the presentation of Certificates and Identify Cards of membership to IFA-Practitioners in Egbaland
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