Ode-Erinje; community in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State said to rely on nature’s defence, a swarm of bees. Aside being consumed as a food supplement in Ode-Erinje, the honeybee is believed to be a weapon of warfare. No one in the community is involved in the business of beekeeping, yet the mysterious bees are always ready for combat.
In ancient times, the people of Ode- Erinje fought many wars with neighbouring villages, which they allegedly won with the help of the furious bees. They usually swoop on their enemies, sting them to death (or until they took to their heels). It is said in 1993, that after the cancellation of the presidential election that was popularly believed to have been won by the late Chief Moshood Abiola, there was wide-scale unrest in the South-West. At the entrance of the community, close to the Iye-Eri River, a swarm of bees was said to have bombarded members of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) who were said to have gone on rampage in the Old Okitipupa Division in protest until they retreated. It is no wonder that in the Okitipupa metropolis, Ode-Erinje is known as the city of refuge, a haven for the persecuted[i].
[i] Nation 16 October, 2016
