Ogbomosho monarch, others mourn 344-year-old tortoise’s death

The death of a 344-year-old tortoise in the palace of one of the foremost monarchs in Yoruba land, Soun of Ogbomosho, Oba Jimoh Oyewunmi Ajagbade, means different things to different people. To the Yoruba people, the tortoise is believed to be wiser than any other animal. The presence of the tortoise in the palace made […]

The death of a 344-year-old tortoise in the palace of one of the foremost monarchs in Yoruba land, Soun of Ogbomosho, Oba Jimoh Oyewunmi Ajagbade, means different things to different people.

To the Yoruba people, the tortoise is believed to be wiser than any other animal.

The presence of the tortoise in the palace made it a tourist attraction and a symbol of culture and tradition from generation to generation.

Before its demise, Alagba had paid host to eminent Nigerians who had visited the palace. It had entertained the rich, poor, white people and even the people in government.

The tortoise was said to have been brought to the palace by the first Soun of Ogbomosho land, Oba Ogundiran, who reigned about 344 years ago.

During its lifetime, Alagba (as the tortoise was popularly called) was fond of eating Amala and ewedu (a popular Yoruba staple), pounded yam with soup, and different kinds of fruits.

Alagba’s presence in the palace had boosted commercial activities in the palace and communities around the palace as people coming to see him patronized their businesses.

Speaking on the demise of the tortoise, 92-year-old Oba Jimoh Oyewunmi Ajagungbade, who is the 17th Soun of Ogbomosho to accommodate and care for the late tortoise, said the death of the tortoise was a great loss to the people of Ogbomosho and the entire world.

“It is a great loss to the people of Ogbomosho land. I am not happy that we lost him. Everybody loved Alagba. People came from nooks and crannies of the country to see him. We miss him a lot because this place was always crowded with visitors who had come to see Alagba,” he said.

On whether the tortoise had mystical power, the monarch said “I am a Muslim and I don’t believe in such things.

When asked if the Kabiyesi had any intention of replacing the tortoise, he said “how can I bring another tortoise to the palace? Not for now.”

The palace secretary, Mr. Toyin Ajamu, who lamented the death of the tortoise said; “When it was still very young, it used to entertain when he notices a lot of people around. But as it got older, it became weak.”

According to the secretary, efforts are in top gear to preserve the remains of the tortoise to make it a tourist attraction in the palace.

He said; “Alagba was very popular. People have heard about him all over the world, especially in the UK and USA. We’ve received visitors from every part of the world because of Alagba. According to history, the Alagba was brought to the palace by the first Soun, Oba Ogundiran. That was how we were able to know its age. Another way we determined its age was that according to elders, there are scales in their legs that overlay each other. Each one stands for 10 years and when we counted that of Alagba, it tallied with the time Oba Ogundiran ruled. We felt very bad when we heard of the demise of the Alagba.”

The chairperson of the morgue where the remains of the tortoise were deposited, Risikatu Adewole Oyelami, said she would preserve it for two weeks before taking it for permanent preservation in a show glass for tourists to watch.

The Kakaki Oba in the palace, who is saddled with the responsibility of taking care of the tortoise, Mr. Samuel Ojo, said the death of Alagba was not only disheartening to the members of the palace but the entire people of the country.

“My responsibility was to feed and take care of the tortoise. I have been taking care of it for the last eight years. There’s no particular amount spent on it monthly. We simply give it anything it wants to eat, and Alagba eats very well. It eats Amala, pounded yam, rice, pawpaw and almost all other fruits.

“Two days before its demise, some NYSC members came to visit him and he played with them. It was very healthy on that day. They brought watermelon which he ate very well. The following day, when another set of NYSC members came, we discovered that it was dead. His death was a great loss to us. We hope to have such tortoise in the palace again.”