By OLAJIDE IDOWU/JOSHUA OLADIPO

Osun state government has beefed up Security as the annual Osun-Osogbo festival begins to come to a close on Friday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there was heavy presence of officers from the Nigerian police force, Nigeria Security and Defence Corps and Joint Security Taskforce, stationed at the entrance of the groove.

Men of the Odua People’s Congress (OPC), and that of the Nigeria Hunters Group were also seen with firearms within the groove to maintain law and order.

SP Yemisi Opalola, the Police Public Relation Officer in Osun had earlier said that officers would be deployed to provide adequate security before, during and after the festival.

Opalola said that the organisers of the “End Bad Government and End Hunger” in the state had agreed with the police to end their protest because of the festival.

“We have made arrangements and would deployed officers to ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order before, during and after the festival.

“We have also gotten assurance from the “End Hunger” protest organisers that they would suspend their protest on the day of the grand finale of the Osun-Osogbo Festival”, she said.

NAN also reports that spectators, devotees, tourists and worshippers of the river goddess, started arriving at the groove as early as 7a.m, for the grand finale.

Devotees, adorned in white attire, were spotted at the Osun River bank, fetching water while some were seen saying their traditional prayers and performing other rituals.

Cultural dancers and drummers within the groove were also at the delight of guests at the groove.

Devotees with rubber kegs and other containers were equally seen at the riverbed fetching water for spiritual blessings.

NAN further reports that food and souvenir vendors took advantage of the influx of visitors to make brisk business.

The event, whichh started on July 29, is expected to end with a young maiden, Arugba (a virgin female girl), with a calabash on her head as a symbolic sacrifice to the river goddess.

NAN reports that the Osun-Osogbo festival, whose history dates back to many centuries, is usually celebrated in a Grove outskirts of Osogbo.

It Is among the last of the sacred forests that adjoined the edges of most Yoruba cities before extensive urbanisation.

In recognition of its global significance and cultural value, the Sacred Grove was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

For the people of Osogbo land, the festival represents traditional cleansing of the town and cultural reunion of the people with their ancestors and founders of the Osogbo Kingdom.

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