A new twist in Apete area in Ibadan where a rumoured presence of demon is making residents to attach ”koko leaf ‘in a bid to ward off evils, Our reporter, kehinde Ayanboade shared his findings,.
More than 60% of houses built in Apete, A community in Ido Local Government of Ibadan, Oyo State Capital now put “Newbouldia Laevis” Akoko leaf on their house entrances.
This action can be described as reaction to an information that went viral through Whatsapp broadcast claiming that a demon is going around houses to kill people.
The rumoured information circulated through audio channel claimed to be recorded by an unidentified source maintained that this demon that operates in the night between the period of 8:00pm upward is has been moving from home to home, although no specific geographical location was mentioned.
The rumour stressed that the only way a family can prevent this unwanted visitor is to get a branch of the Newbouldia Laevis “Akoko leaf” at the entrance of their houses to scare away the acclaimed sacred demon.
In reaction to this information, residents of Apete Community has plucked and fixed the leaf on their entrances. A similar development is that people has stopped staying late out.
A research by this writer using Fanawole, Oloya, Arola, Awotan has case studies has revealed that over 70% houses in these covered areas now fix the leaf on their homes, and shops.
A cross examination of this research in Old – Ife road, Ibadan also confirmed that 6 in every 10 houses has attached the akoko leaf to their homes and outlets.
The boundary leaf known as Ewe Akoko by Yorubas, with Botanical Name – Newbouldia laevis, also known as Aduruku among the Hausa, and Ogirisi/ogilisi among the Igbo is a genus of plants in the Bignoniaceae family endemic to Africa.
In English, it’s known as The Fertility Leaf, and it’s employed for medicinal, herbal, and aphrodisiac purposes.
Some people believe that eating ewe akoko has spiritual benefits, health benefit, while others use it as part of their religious rituals.
This leaf is good for a woman’s reproductive system. It is used to treat infertility, hormonal imbalances, menstrual irregularities, adhesion (pelvic inflammation or pelvic organ scarring), and other conditions. It also promotes ovulation and enhances the likelihood of becoming pregnant.
