IJAKADI FESTIVAL

By: Haolat Mustapha

A cultural tradition of offa people in Kwara State. This tradition is enacted during the moremi festival. A festival in honour of Moremi, an offa woman who became the queen of king Oranmiyan of ile-Ife and who single handedly rescued the Ife people from their enemies.
  Ijakadi is a form of mock wrestling bout between the olofa of offa and his second in command (ESSA), while the whole town cheers them on and take sides. In this colorful drama, traditional drums, colorful dresses, various singing/dancing groups and displaying hunters add to the pomp and pageantry. Although, olofa usually wins the duel. This is to remind the people that olofa remains the indisputable authority of the town. But unrepentant "ESSA" would always find an excuse for his defeats thus "suku loyomi" meaning "it was the corn chaff that fell me not the olofa". This usually attract a thunderous ovation from the crowd with the slogan "kabiyesi o"
Ijakadi as we are told is in remembrance of the duel between the two illustrious sons of offa who engaged each other in a fierce wrestling over a tuber of yam in the farmyard where nobody was around to separate them.
Thus this led to the yam cutting exercise (lare) during the Ijakadi festival. Where the odofa will be blindfolded and expected to cut a tuber of yam into two equal parts.
All offa sons and daughters from home and abroad are always eager to witness this festival. The festival which takes place once every December has become a meeting point for indigenes and their friends.
The word Ijakadi has a big influence on an average offa man, hence the term "Ijakadi l'oro offa".