Why It Is A 'Death Sentence' To Sell Pounded Yam And Groundnut In A Town In Osun State

Pounded Yam is one of the most cherished delicacies in Southwest Nigeria .It is what Akpu is to the Igbos and Tuwo to the Hausa's , but in Kuta, an agrarian community in Ayedire Local Government of Osun State Nigeria ,it is taboo for Pounded yam to be hawked or sold in any canteen and It is also a forbidden for fried groundnut to be hawked.

This weird mysteries was said to be established about 300 years ago by the Patriach of Owu Kingdom ,the Great Anlugba, who placed a curse on any indigene, who attempt to sell pounded yam and fried groundnuts in the community .

According to the traditional ruler of the town, HRH ,the Olowu of Owu Kuta, Oba Hammed Adekunle Makama " The genesis could be traced to the progenitor of Owu ,Anlugbua Akindele who lived for about 300 years and when it was time for him to pass on to the great beyond, he decided to sink to the ground, instead of dying physically. He was said to have mounted his horse and left .His wife ,the queen, also turned herself into a river,close to where he descended. Today, that river is known as Odo Aya-Oba (The Queen’s River).


"Before he left he told his children to always call him whenever there was war,but out of disbelief,they decided to call him just to test him or to be sure he will answer when they really needed him. One day,they invoke his spirit and called him thinking he would not respond. He immediately responded and started beheading those he found around,mistaken them for enemies of his children. They started pleading at that point he looked at their face and saw the Owu tribal mark. He immediately stopped and made efforts to return to the ground, at that point,his horse could not move,as yam peel and shells of groundnuts left on the ground impede the movement of the horse. At that point he got angry and prohibited the sale of pounded yam and groundnut in the community"

Today in the community , you can eat pounded yam and Groundnut in your house but you are prohibited from selling it and the enforcement are strictly enforced by the Traditional Institution. Some people who dared to flout it in the town had paid the price through mysterious deaths.

The spot where Anlugbua descended into the ground has now become a historical site and the community has also made it a duty to annually appease him.