ABEOKUTA – Tucked away in Oke Itoku Area of Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State, is an ancient stream whose history, according to local tradition, dates back more than three centuries.
Known locally as the Alashe spiritual water, the stream has over the years become a place of cultural significance, attracting residents and visitors who come to fetch its water for different purposes.
At 85, Mrs Adunni Olajumoke Diyaolu, the eldest member of the Alashe Compound and custodian of the stream, is one of those keeping alive the history and traditions surrounding the ancient water source.
Speaking with The Encounter News, Diyaolu said though the exact age of the stream was unknown; it had existed for more than 300 years.
“I don’t know how long the water has been in existence, but the water has been there for over 300 years because my father and grandfather also met the water at its exact location,” she said.
According to her, the stream was not dug by anybody but emerged naturally from the rocks in the area.
“Nobody dug the stream. It is an ancient stream that comes from rock,” she explained.
Recounting the traditional account of how the stream was discovered, Madam Diyaolu said three men were believed to have stumbled upon the water while travelling through the area.
Although she could only remember the name of one of them which she called Tasan Boruboru. She said the men were thirsty when they discovered the water and drank from it.
“They were on a journey and they were thirsty, so they saw the water and drank. They then decided to settle down in this town,” she added.
Over generations, the water has acquired a reputation among some residents and visitors as having spiritual significance.
The octogenarian said people who come to fetch the water usually arrive early in the morning, often around 6 a.m., and observe certain traditional practices.
According to the custodian, visitors are not required to worship Obatala before using the water.
“The beneficiaries of the water do not need to worship Obatala before using the water. It is their faith. It is not a must. If they have faith, the water will work for them,” she said.
She, however, listed several traditional restrictions associated with the stream.
Among them, she said, is a prohibition against wearing any footware while entering the water to fetch it. Visitors are also discouraged from using chewing sticks or brushing their teeth inside or around the stream.
Diyaolu said women are traditionally forbidden from carrying babies on their backs while fetching the water, while pregnant women are not permitted to fetch it.
She added that the water should not be fetched at night and that visitors should not switch on lights inside the water.
Despite the restrictions, she stressed that no ritual is performed on the stream.
“There is no ritual performed on the water. We don’t worship the water or perform any ritual for the water,” she said.
A Stream and Its Spiritual Reputation
For decades, according to Diyaolu, people from different parts of the country have visited the stream seeking what they believe are its spiritual benefits.
She claimed that some visitors had attributed personal testimonies to the water, including women who had struggled to conceive.
“The water has done a lot of things. If a barren woman is looking for the fruit of the womb and comes to the stream to pray from the depth of her heart and also has faith, the person will conceive and give birth,” she said.
Diyaolu added that people from different religious backgrounds had also visited the site.
“Different people have testified to the efficacy of the water. People came from different places to get the water. Even members of Celestial Churches and Cherubim and Seraphim Churches also come to get the water,” she disclosed.
She also claimed that the water was traditionally believed to provide relief for people experiencing abnormal body temperatures
“The water cures body temperature. No matter the temperature of a person, the water will cure it,” she stressed.
Such claims, however, remain a myth and acclaimed spiritual beliefs surrounding the water and should not be regarded as medically established treatments.
Beyond its spiritual reputation, the water is also regarded by the custodians as part of the cultural heritage of Oke Itoku.
Diyaolu said the family had continued to protect the water from pollution and other forms of contamination.
“We have been preserving the water because we don’t want people to throw dirt or dump refuse inside the water,” she said.
The need to protect the water has become particularly important as communities around historic natural sites continue to grapple with environmental degradation and urban development.
For Diyaolu and other custodians, the water is more than a source of water. It represents a link between the present generation and the history of the people who settled in the area centuries ago.
The custodian appealed to the Ogun State Government to formally recognize and preserve the site as part of the state’s cultural and tourism assets.
“We want the state government to help us preserve the water into one of the historical or tourist sites and build an edifice to protect the water,” she said.
According to her, the water is relatively shallow, with the water measuring about three feet in depth.
When The Encounter News visited the sites, residents of the community were seen fetching the water for house chores and domestic use.
For Hannah Ajibola, a 21year-old hairdressing apprentice, the water was used to wash clothes and prepare food at home. She noted that, she was on holiday with her grandmother, but historical documentation revealed that, the water serves as immune booster from external body diseases.
For generations, the Alashe stream has survived through community protection and oral tradition. Its continued existence now raises a broader question about how Ogun State can preserve indigenous historical sites whose stories have largely been passed down through families rather than documented in formal historical records.
As Abeokuta continues to develop, the ancient water at Oke Itoku remains a quiet reminder of an ancient Abeokuta; one in which natural springs, sacred spaces, ancestral traditions and community memory played important roles in the lives of the people.
Whether viewed primarily as a natural water source, a cultural heritage site or a place of spiritual significance, the Alashe stream remains part of the living history of Oke Itoku.
