Abiodun drinking from the water, with his Tour guide
......Three died after eating the fish years ago
......Water has healing power
.....Mermaid appears once in a while
The environment was as quiet as a graveyard . Some of the trees formed shades while the concrete seats constructed there for visitors to sit under the trees are neat and as if calling visitors to come and have a seat. On the brick fence are artworks of Yemoja,[ river goddess], hunters and fishes' drawings and paintings as publicity. Apart from the wall fence round the place ,the trees also serve as a protection for the mysterious lake that has attracted many from near and far to verify the authenticity of the lake and the fish which has made the place to become a Mecca of some sorts.
Artworks on the fence
Looking at the deep lake one could sight fishes of all sizes swimming , splashing water and jumping from their abode , raising up their heads as if tempting this reporter to dare kill any of them and see the consequence as he had been once forewarned.
However , with the stern warning of the guide that took the reporter round , ''Don’t ever attempt to kill the fish or else you will blame yourself. Many have lost their lives and their beloved ones for trying it , I have warned you’’, this caution continued to echo and rang bell in this reporter’s ears, so he dare not kill ,for to obey is better than sacrifice, according to the Holy Bible .
This is Sogidi lake in Awe, Oyo state. According to the custodian of the place , Pa Adebayo Ojedele[JP] the lake has been there since the year 1750 when the town was discovered, '' it was discovered when the monarch, Ilemolu and his entourage were thirsty , the monarch then sent some hunters whose leader was Metio to search for water to quench their thirst . One of the hunters sighted some monkeys on the trees and they pursued them .As one of them corked his local riffle , ready to shoot, another hunter discovered a pool of water under the tree .The hunters then stopped and did not shoot having found what they were looking for [water]. They then stopped from shooting the monkeys believing it was due to the assistance of the monkeys that made them discovered the water. Ojedele added that the hunters also saw some cherry fruits[ eso agbalumo] by the lake , tasted them and said it was a real fruit, and having found it tasty and delicious they cried out in their local dialect that it was a real fruit , Eso gidi, this was later shortened to Sogidi, and till date it is named after the Lake.
Awe town many did not know the story of how the name came to be , Ojedele , said when the natives migrated from Ile Ife to this an area in Awe , they stayed under a tree called Igi Aruwewe, of which they later shortened to Igi Awe, the place is reserved till today for the coming generation to see. Today the town is called Awe. Not only this , there is a tree in Awe today that has been there since 1750, it is called Igigi Ogogo, it has grown so old that it has holes in it but never get dry or bend .
Thou shall not kill the Fish
Although God made man dominion over all things but in Awe town nobody should kill the fishes in Sogidi lake and eat it according to Pa Ojedele , Sogidi water could appear rough but it is clean ,healthy and good for drinking , always cool and highly medicinal .He said ''the water tastes like the well treated and popular Ragolis water which had undergone treatment , yet it does not flow, neither does any water flows into it but during the raining season when it rains it overflows'' .He added that there has never been any recorded of cholera break out in the town as a result of drinking the water , for it is clean, pure and medicinal.
Who keeps it clean
When this reporter visited the place , the environment was clean as a woman was met as early as 7a.m. sweeping the area .According to Ojedele , the sweeper took it up as her duty to be sweeping the compound always .’’Nobody is allowed to go into the compound with shoes or sandals on, that is the rule .Aside that , nobody again is allowed to scoop the water with a bowl , but buckets are dipped into it in order to fetch it .In the olden days gourds were the only acceptable material to fetch it but nowadays buckets are allowed , and this is dipped once into it and fetch the water
Abiodun drinking from Sogidi water
‘’The fishes are strange ones , some are as big as my lap, others are tiny , but it is forbidden that the natives and non natives should kill or eat it as a delicacy’’. Ojedele told The Nation. Asked the repercussion, the guide said whoever killed the fish he or his family members is bound to die a mysterious death. Giving an example he said such happened before .The old man screamed ''Ah such thing had happened before , an example is what happened in 1973 when soldiers had their Barracks in Awe and Oyo town, one of them was bold enough and had the effrontery to challenge the taboo, he went ahead and killed some of the fishes , and when he cooked them they were not done , and returned the fishes back into the lake .Seven days later three of the soldier’s children died, they were then living in Asalu’s compound , here in Awe''.
The old man continued ''Another example another man who was an Ibo man , the man killed some fishes,took them home and cooked them but they were not done , he returned them back again into the lake'' .
On whether the story that the fish was once a human being that turned into a fish could have been true , Ojedele who is the mouthpiece of the story of the lake could not confirm or deny it but said he could only talk authoritatively on the forbidden fish which must not be killed , though he did not deny the existence of mermaid.
The old man emphasized and insisted ''Nobody must kill the fish no matter how spiritually strong he is . The fishes may die on their own in the lake as a result of old age while some bigger ones could always swallow the smaller ones but no one must kill and eat them, the Awe indigenes know this and would not even try it ’’.
Mermaid still comes out
The painting of mermaid on the walls of the fence is the evidence of the historical fact that the lake once had a mermaid living in it. Ojedele said ''before it comes out in the afternoon when it is hot .It has a upper woman’s figure and a tail like- fish and it comes out in November when celebrating the Awe Day .Unfortunately mermaid does not come out again because of dirtiness of human being .But once in a while it shows herself that she is still around as she causes mysterious happenstances in the vicinity of the lake . Anytime a doubting Thomas want to cause a stir at the lake or doubt her or mock her , the person would experience a lot of things such as he could have his head being too heavy and unable to move or one may hear strange things or objects being thrown into the lake producing strange sounds!. Most at times , the water on one’s head could be turning or foaming , all these show that the mermaid is still in the vicinity and very much around and to convince the doubting Thomases the veracity of the mermaid.
Rules defied by a popular actress
Ojedele gave example of how an actress went ahead to act as a mermaid on the lake and how she almost died while acting there. His words ''some years ago , a popular actress[names withheld] came to the Lake to do a rehearsal on her new film, and she acted the role of Mammy water or mermaid .She then sat on a chair in the middle of the river mimicking the mermaid , praying for people but suddenly she started experiencing strange things happening to her while acting .She could have died if not the traditionalists , chief priests and Christian prayer warriors that came to rescue her. Since then, nobody dare go near the lake to mimick how mermaid behave again .Never!’’
Spiritual power of the water
A woman who is in her 90s claimed that she used the water of Sogidi when was seeking for the fruit of the womb. ''I know many would say because they are Christians or moslems and would not believe , but it is what had happened and it is still happening today .While those who had benefited from the mysterious water would be feeling shy to own up but in the wee hours of the day they would secretly come there to take the water. It is real for I have delivered seven children through the assistance of Sogidi.
Mrs. Maria Okediwura , a native also testified to the healing and medicinal power of the Sogidi water, she said ‘’ many come from Oyo town, Lagos state and from overseas to take from the water for healing and lots of people used to come irrespective of their religious affiliations. They will bring all assorted cans , bottles and plastic bottles to take the water , in fact some sent for it from the overseas ,I can testify to it that many women who used the water while looking for the fruits of the womb got children, some too got healings , yet we are happy that even the so called pastors do come there to scoop from the water and pray on it for their followers or for those seeking for God’s favour .The moslems , Christians , and Aladura people come there for ‘’
Ojedele said one of those whose prayers was answered came back to thank Sogidi and it was that person that assist to paint the walls , appreciating what it has done for her .
Testifying further to the efficacy and spiritual healing of the water , Chief Oguntobi Joseph[88] describes the lake as a gift to the town. ‘’ I am an old now , i cannot tell you all but go and ask the custodian of the place he would tell you all about the mystery of Sogidi. It is a good tourist attraction for all activities ,it is gift from the above’’, the old man said with total conviction.
Thick forest transformed
Though it was once in a thick forest, the place has become part of the town as buildings have been erected in the area .’’It was once in a thick forest but houses have been built in the area making it to be very accessible .Unlike in those days when nobody could near the vicinity around 12midnight till 3pm in the day , today one is free to go there anytime of the day , no more fear ‘’
Entrance to the mysterious lake
An old woman who begged for anonymity said the water from Sogidi lake is medicinal, she said ''Several years ago when I was looking for the fruit of the womb , I was later advised to use the water to wash my.... and drink some .later i was pregnant and had many children .The water is highly medicinal and potent''
Some of the fishes jumping up
When it is prayer time , or when the town is facing a calamity , the Christians and moslems cooperate with traditional worshippers to offer prayers by the lake , and the prayers are answered if one has faith.
Another mysterious thing is the mysterious disappearance of animals offer as sacrifices to the lake ,’’ if it demands for a goat or a cow , what it demanded for is tethered on one of the trees at a spot there .And what surprise us is that before morning on the following day the animal would have disappeared mysteriously . Nobody would go there to take it, and nobody dare try it and that is Sogidi for you. And again if there is need to offer a special sacrifice to the lake by the indigenes of the town, Awe, each house will have to contribute money no matter how small and buy the cow or goat and when it is slaughtered no matter what , all the indigenes must partake in having his own share , and eating from it no matter how small the size given out , every household must have their fare share.
Abiodun with Ojelade
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