The festival serves as a means of assuring their ancestors a place among the living and strengthening the bonds that unite families and communities with departed ancestors.
The ensuing festival lasts several days, with masquerades and members of the society dancing in marketplaces and around the whole community.
However, what should normally be a festival in honour of the dead turned out to be a duel, as a young man punched a masquerade, sending it into a spiral.
As the Egungun Festival for 2024 is ongoing, a viral video surfaced on social media showing a young man and a masquerade.
In the video, a local masquerade is seen trying to attack the young man standing in the crowd with other spectators.
Unfortunately, the young man acted fast and gave the masquerade a deadly punch, sending it flying to the ground.
The video has got Nigerians talking as some are saying the Egungun "have finally entered the express."
Reactions from Nigerians as man punches local masquerade
TheRadar has gathered some reactions of Netizens who commented on the viral video on X.
@Mittymartz said: “Omo Nigerians are angry. No just carry rubbish near them 😂”
@brightutd wrote: “For country wey everybody dey vex. Even the gods dey collect 😂”
@ehiokupa: “You nor do physics for secondary school? For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction........remember? Na wetin you just see so!”
@OddInYourFavour: “On this very matter, I guess we can't say ‘the gods are not to blame.’”
@olarolls: “Masquerade mistakenly attacked the village wrestling champion🤣🤣🤣”
@wrotayo: “Perhaps the gods were with him and not the masquerade”
@victortamara_: “The guy was ready even before egungun lift hand.. That's one blow the ancestors will never forget”
@NathanSpectre: “Baba wan deactivate the gods! 💀”
@AndaLo_: “Dat guy papa must be a strong and popular person for dat town”
@onyedikachiHU: “Very satisfying punch. My soul is pleased.”
@donchia: “People are angry, the gods should be careful.”
@mayy_rhee: “Mayday mayday. Irunmole is down”
@MolanoHybrd: “One punch everywhere don burst…. Na heavenly person (ara orun ) this guy punch like this ??”
@EduOmotolani: “Heaven being kiss canvas with just one blow 😂”
@Akinkunmialabi10: “That's to tell you in Yoruba ways and processes nobody is above the law of Nature. For every action, there is a reaction. You can't escape from Èwò.”
@fao_bravo: “Aura for Aura 😂”
Ojude Oba and 9 other colourful festivals in Nigeria
Meanwhile, TheRadar, in an earlier report, complied a list of 10 captivating festivals in Nigeria's cultural landscape that you should know about.
The festivals range from Ojude Oba to Eyo, Ofala and New yam. These festivals are peculiar to the culture that celebrates them and attract tourists in droves every year.