Sogidi Lake is a mysterious lake in Awe, a town in Afijio Local Government Area of Oyo State. The lake is reputed for its alleged healing powers and protection for those who believe in it.
This has probably made many people from different parts of Nigeria and other countries to visit the lake for special prayers. Also, one of the attractions to Awe town is a tree, known as Ogungun, which has spent more than 264 years in existence.
The water in the lake seems brownish if one looks at it from afar, but when the water is collected into a bowl; it is as clean as table water. In the water are fishes of different sizes.
But it is taboo for anybody to kill them! SWM learnt that those who violated the rules have either lost their lives or their loved ones in the past.
The serenity of the environment where the lake is located in the rustic town is well pronounced with lush green-leafed trees. The vegetation and a fence provided protection for the lake. Many travelled to Awe in order to confirm the authenticity of the claims about the lake.
The Alaawe of Awe, Oba Cornelius Abiola Taiwo, Oladokun III, a fellow of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants of United Kingdom and a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, said of Sogidi Lake:
“When our ancestors came here, Sogidi was one of the rivers that supplied them with their daily needs in terms of human existence. The lake is still there till today. When a settlement is about to happen, the settlers must go round to find out the strength and threat to the settlement.
“At the time Sogidi Lake was discovered, it was surrounded by trees that produced a lot of fruits. That was why they nicknamed the lake ‘Elesogidigidi’ (trees with edible fruits), from where the lake, Sogidi derived its name. It has been a source of water requirement of this town”.
On the significance of the lake to Awe, the monarch described it as a uniting factor for the whole of Awe town as their ancestral lake, adding that the lake has dos and don’ts.
It is forbidden to all natives of Awe to fish from the lake for human consumption. He added that whoever violated the rule secretly or openly would suffer the repercussion.
“If you fish from the lake and you cook it, it will never be done, let alone eatable. Also, if you want to fetch water from the lake, you must deep your bucket into the water and whatever quantity you can pick is what you will carry home.
“The first violation we noticed was in 1973. One of the soldiers in Awe town went to fetch fish from the lake. The soldiers had been in Awe since the time of the Nigerian civil war. The soldier paid dearly for it by losing two of his sons shortly after he committed the atrocity.”
The Iyalode of Awe, Madam Ade Abebi Omokulodo, an octogenarian, also told SWM that she had delayed childbirth in the past. So, he went to Sogidi Lake and supplicated for a child. The lake deity, she claimed, gave her a child and since then, she has held the lake in very high esteem.
“I do see the goddess of the lake whenever it comes to the town. She doesn’t hurt anybody. The lake is very important to us. The goddess of the lake has powers of protection. It also has powers to solve every problem you take to the lake,” she said.
There are different artistic designs on the fence of Sogidi Lake. They include the images of the leader of the hunters that discovered the lake, Aruwewe tree with monkeys playing on it, the Sogidi goddess and fish playing around her, Ogungun tree, Iya mopo (a pot which women usually use to produce traditional soup (ose abuwe) and so on.
Also, some concrete chairs were sighted at the premises of Sogidi Lake. Former governor of the state, Alhaji Lam Adesina, was said to have provided them when he governed the state between 1999 and 2003.
It is the desire of the Awe people to turn Sogidi Lake, surrounded by no fewer than 10 acres of land, to an international tourist centre and they appealed to the Oyo State, corporate organisations and Federal Government to assist them in achieving the goals.
Apart from Sogidi Lake, a tree that has spent more than 264 years in existence has also attracted many tourists to Awe town. The tree, known as Ogungun, is a stone throw to the Sogidi Lake.
