Sowore Condemns Use of 10-Year-Old Girl as Arugba at Osun-Osogbo Festival

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Sowore Condemns Use of 10-Year-Old Girl as Arugba at Osun-Osogbo Festival


Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has criticised the decision to use 10-year-old Princess Alimot Osunbunmi as the Arugba, or sacred calabash carrier, during the 2026 Osun-Osogbo Festival.


The annual festival took place in Osogbo, Osun State, on Friday, August 7, with Alimot participating in the traditional procession to the Osun Sacred Grove while carrying the sacred calabash.


Sowore strongly objected to the participation of the young girl, describing the practice as “child abuse” and questioning the decision to place such responsibility on a 10-year-old.


The activist's comments have sparked renewed discussion online about the involvement of children in traditional religious and cultural ceremonies, as well as the balance between preserving cultural heritage and protecting children's welfare.


The Osun-Osogbo Festival is an important Yoruba cultural and spiritual celebration that attracts worshippers, tourists and cultural enthusiasts to Osogbo every year. The Arugba traditionally plays a central role in the festival's main procession to the sacred grove.


The controversy surrounding this year's festival is therefore likely to fuel further debate over how traditional practices involving minors should be conducted in modern society.


Sowore's criticism comes amid wider public conversations about child protection, cultural traditions and the responsibilities of communities when children participate in significant ceremonial activities.



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