The community in the Oje area of Ibadan North-East Local Government is in mourning following the demise of a revered 84-year-old crocodile.
This special crocodile, which was a prominent feature at Delesolu’s Palace in Ibadan, passed away on Thursday, its presence had been a draw for numerous tourists to the historic city of Ibadan due to its unique nature.
Chief Raufu Yusuff Delesolu (Ayingun Olubadan), the head of the family and a respected chief in Ibadan, who spoke about the crocodile shared that the crocodile had been brought to Igbejo Delesolu in 1940 after thefirst one was bought by some white individuals.
“Since then, it has been in Delesolu’s compound until its demise today ( Thursday).”
Chief Raufu further explained that white people from all walks of life, including Africans, loved seeing and feeding the crocodile with all sorts of food.
He said: “I grew up to know the pet as it had been in existence before I was born. It was about 84 years.
“Historically, the crocodile had never been reported to be a god as our fathers did not at any moment worship it.
“They only visit it every day to feed it and to be sure of its well-being.
“In the olden days before its house was adequately constructed, the crocodile used to crawl out whenever there was heavy rain. And men in the compound would now start searching for it.
“There was a day when it was found in the muddy gutter very close to the palace, at Ojo-Ibadan compound to be precise. It was later brought back to its house.”
However, he reiterated that the crocodile was not a god as being speculated by many people, it is just a pet cherished by their forefathers and the onus is on them to preserve this important heritage.
“But trust me, there are still other tourist attractions in the family compound and Oje community at large. And there is also the high tendency of getting another pet to continue preserving the heritage of their forefathers,” he said.
Several objects were seen on the ground in preparation for the burial of the crocodile. (VAN)
