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Rev. Emmanuel Moses Lijadu — The Anglican Priest Who Became an Ifa Scholar
This rare photo shows Rev. E. M. Lijadu studying Ifa inside the sacred Ifa grove in Abeokuta.

Rev. Emmanuel Moses Lijadu, an Egba man from Abeokuta, was one of the most remarkable religious thinkers of the early 20th century. He resumed work as a catechist in Ondo on October 18, 1890, and later became an ordained Anglican priest.

In the foreword of his 1901 book Ifa, he wrote:
“If we do not understand the source of the enemy's power, we cannot conquer them. This is the case with both life and spiritual battles. If we Christians do not understand the pagan and Islamic religion, we cannot present the gospel in a way that they will appreciate.”

His intention was clear: he wanted to study Yoruba religion in order to expose what he believed were its flaws and make Christianity more effective among Africans.

But something unexpected happened.

As he explored the depth of Ifa, Rev. Lijadu discovered a sophisticated spiritual system built on love, unity, selflessness, sacrifice, healing, and communal ethics. Instead of finding darkness, he found meaning. Instead of rejecting it, he became deeply fascinated.

This led him to write two of the earliest scholarly books on Yoruba religion:

Ifa (1901)

Orunmila (1908)

These books were not attacks on African religion. They documented it respectfully, preserving knowledge that might have been lost.

When he founded his own church in 1901 — The Evangelist Band Mission (EBM), known as Ijo Ajihinrerelofe — he incorporated Yoruba customs and cultural values that promote love, unity, and community life. This made the church extremely popular among the Ondos, Ikales, Ilajes and Ijos.

Rev. Lijadu eventually separated from the Anglican Church in 1920 after losing his Episcopate Mission. Conflict deepened when his only son, Folarin, was denied ordination due to doctrinal differences between the Anglican Church and Lijadu’s church. Rev. Lijadu personally ordained his son, which led to the withdrawal of his African Priest Licence.

Today, Rev. E. M. Lijadu is remembered as a bridge between Christian scholarship and Yoruba intellectual tradition — a man who entered Ifa to challenge it and ended up documenting and preserving it.

Sources:
Toyin Falola, Yoruba Gurus
Adegbola, Ifa and Christianity Among the Yorubas
Lijadu Personal Library, Ondo
Compiled by Bayo Akinsete

30/11/2025

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20/11/2025

Bridging Gaps. Preserving Heritage. Empowering Futures. At KOOOF, we fuse Yoruba cultural pride with purpose — providing education, healthcare, and […]

20/11/2025

HUMANITY:
PUBLIC SAFETY EMERGENCY STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE ONLINE RELEASE

Nigeria Must Empower Citizens to Defend Themselves. The Time for Action Is Now!

Across Nigeria today, no community is safe. Terrorists, kidnappers, bandits, and ritual killers continue to strike with increasing boldness, leaving families shattered, villages emptied, and millions living in daily fear. The level of insecurity we face is not only terrifying , it is a national emergency.

For years, Nigerians have depended solely on security forces that are overstretched and unable to respond to attacks quickly enough. Criminals roam with sophisticated weapons, while innocent citizens , farmers, traders, students, travelers are left completely defenseless.

This imbalance has created a tragic reality:
Criminals are armed. Nigerians are not.
And our people are paying with their lives.

It is time for a new national conversation , one that recognizes a basic truth shared by every society that has fought back against widespread violence:

Every responsible citizen has the inherent right to defend their own life and the lives of their loved ones.

Nigeria cannot continue to allow a situation where criminals enjoy total advantage while law-abiding citizens remain helpless. Around the world, countries facing similar waves of violence have adopted regulated frameworks that allow trained, vetted individuals to legally own fi****ms for personal protection. These measures have helped reduce violent crime, deter kidnappers, and empower communities.

We must begin a serious, urgent push for a responsible, regulated, and secure system that allows law-abiding Nigerians to protect themselves when danger comes before the police can.

This is not a call for chaos.
This is not a call for weapons in untrained hands.
This is a call for justice, balance, and the human right to self-preservation.

Empowering responsible citizens with the ability to defend themselves can:
• Deter violent attacks and reduce kidnapping rates
• Protect farmers and restore food security
• Enhance community safety
• Narrow the gap between criminal strength and citizen vulnerability
• Support security agencies by reducing immediate victimization

Nigeria has reached a turning point. People cannot continue living as prey in their own country. We cannot keep burying victims while refusing to discuss practical solutions.

The world respects nations that respect the lives of their citizens. And the most basic respect any nation can show is the right to live — and the right to defend life when threatened.

A safer Nigeria is possible. But it begins with courage, honesty, and the willingness to embrace policies that put human life above politics, bureaucracy, and fear.

Nigerians deserve the right to protect themselves. Nigerians deserve to live.

The conversation must begin now — boldly, openly, and without apology.

For immediate release.
Asiwaju Olu Mayungbe
For : KOOOF.org management .
[email protected]

Bridging Gaps. Preserving Heritage. Empowering Futures. At KOOOF, we fuse Yoruba cultural pride with purpose — providing education, healthcare, and […]

13/11/2025

Cultural education: Incredible cultural educational performance by two brilliant school boys . Listen to Ijebu lineage praises as displaced by the boys.

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28/10/2025

28/10/2025

KOOOF.org would like to file official petition against the private school in this video. We need the help of our members and lovers of humanity to view and examine facts from the video— at least the name of the school, location, and date or source of the video/report — so the Ministry can act decisively without dismissing it as hearsay.

Here are what we need:
1. ✅ Verification of the source — Save the link or screenshot of where you saw the video/post.
2. ✅ Identify the school’s name and town (even roughly).
3. ✅ Note the teacher’s name (if available) and any identifiable features in the video (uniforms, signboards, etc.).
4. ✅ Once you confirm or partially verify, we’ll then write a “Petition Based on Verified Online Evidence” — a version that cites the online video as evidence but still requests a government investigation to confirm authenticity.

KOOOF management. Thank you .

25/10/2025

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Bridging Gaps. Preserving Heritage. Empowering Futures. At KOOOF, we fuse Yoruba cultural pride with purpose — providing education, healthcare, and […]