The Palace Chief makes clear the secrecy behind Ondo bizarre disease, claims love of money is the root of disease outbreak

One of the palace chief in Ode-Irele Community in Ondo state where strange illness kills its victims within 24 hours, explained why the community was struck by such a deadly disease.

Chief Moses Enimade, the Oyewoga of Ode Irele in Ondo State and the second in Command to the Oba of Irele community, said that the disease is a punishment for the sacrilege committed against a local diety, Molokun, by some youths who wanted to use some stolen items from the dieties shrine for money ritual. What he said after the cut...(above are photos of people in the community)

"Molokun is a deity of the land. Only the Chief Priest and High Chief Gboguron are qualified to enter the shrine. They were not qualified to enter the (shrine). They had to face the death penalty. Even the Kabiesi himself is not permitted to enter the Molokun Shrine’s inner room except the Chief Priest and High Chief Gboguron. Sacrifice must be performed before they can enter. Because these youths want to be rich at all costs, they entered the sacred place and made away with traditional items and 20 of them have died as a result of their desperate acts. We have to appease the gods or else many will still die and we have to bury them according to tradition. Their corpses belong to the gods and will be exhumed if buried by their families.” he said