Oku Mi Ko Gbodo Sun Ita: (Mis) Appropriation of Burial Sites and Public Cemeteries among Indigenous People of Egba, South-western Nigeria
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Date
2020
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
the Association for Public Studies, University of California, United States of America
Abstract
Burial of human beings in houses or within residential premises is a common occurrence in
developing countries. Despite the negative impacts it has on the social and economic lives of the people and
society at large, particularly on public health, this norm has continued. However, this area has not been given
adequate attention in recent scholarship. Against this backdrop, this article traces the development,
appropriation, and misappropriation of burial sites and public cemeteries among the indigenous people of
Egba land. It also examines the responses of the government to this phenomenon. This study was done
through the use of archival sources, extant literature, media reports, pictographs, and interviews. The study
reveals that the misappropriation of burial sites and cemeteries is a result of indigenous belief systems,
illiteracy, inadequate lands for burial and cemeteries, cost and proximity of burial sites, and insecurity, among
other things. It also finds that the few who appropriate burial sites and cemeteries were educated,
enlightened, and averagely wealthy individuals, socially placed individuals. It recommends that
governments at both state and local levels, particularly local levels that are vested with the maintenance
of burial sites and cemeteries, should be strengthened to adequately appropriate cemeteries and burial sites
in Egba land, south west Nigeria, like most indigenous people.
Description
Keywords
burial ground, cementeries, death, funeral, local government, ogboni, skull mining
Citation
26. Thompson, O.O., Afolabi, A. S., Nwaorgu, O.G.F & Aduradola, R.R (2020): Oku Mi Ko Gbodo Sun Ita: (Mis) Appropriation of Burial Sites and Public Cemeteries among Indigenous People of Egba, South-western Nigeria. Ethnic Studies Review, 43, (1), 125 - 144