By Our Correspondent
Lagos State has been thrown into a state of panic following plans by some Igbo leaders to bring the highly dreaded ancient Ajofia Nnewi Masquerade from Anambra State to perform in Lagos during an Igbo Festival.
The masquerade’s reputation as the most feared and respected in Igbo land has sparked concerns among residents, including indigenes, who fear it may unleash mayhem.
In response to the growing unease, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Ishola Olarewaju Olawale, held an emergency meeting with Igbo stakeholders in Lagos.
The meeting, which took place at the POWA complex in GRA, Ikeja, was attended by prominent Igbo leaders, including Ezendigbo, Lagos State, Eze Christian Uchechukwu Nwachukwu, and the Igbo Speaking Community President, Chief Sunday Udeh.
CP Olawale stated that the police would not allow the masquerade to come to Lagos, citing concerns over public safety and the potential for breach of peace.
He also noted that every tribe has its own masquerade, which operates within its tribe and is understood by its people.
Olawale emphasized that Ajofia is an Igbo masquerade and should not be allowed to come to Lagos State, which is home to another tribe.
Eze Nwachukwu, who responded on behalf of the Igbo stakeholders, thanked CP Olawale for the meeting and assured him that Ndigbo are law-abiding people who will obey the law of the state.
However, he also explained that the Ajofia Masquerade is not as dangerous as it is being portrayed, and that its size may have instilled fear in some tribes.
The Ajofia Nnewi Masquerade is renowned for its impressive size, standing at approximately 10 feet tall, and its unique features, including adornments with dead and live animals, mysterious smoke emanating from its head, and its symbolic significance in Igbo culture ¹.
