Nigerian Christian mystical fraternal organization
Reformed Ogboni Fraternity
ROF
Founded
December 18, 1914; 109 years ago (1914-12-18) Lagos, Nigeria
Type
Confraternity
Status
Active
Emphasis
Christianity
Scope
International
Motto
Behold, How Good and Pleasant it is for Brethren to Dwell together in Unity.
Chapters
952
Nickname
R.O.F.
Headquarters
38, Abeokuta Street, Adekunle, Lagos, Nigeria.
The Reformed Ogboni Fraternity, also known as the R.O.F, is an international
fraternal organization.[1] It is commonly described by initiates as a
syncretic blend of the
Ogboni system of
Yorubaland and various external elements.
History
The Reformed Ogboni Fraternity was founded on 18 December 1914. It was started as an alternative of the
Aborigine Ogboni Fraternity for practitioners of
Christianity, and its founder was the Anglican cleric T.A.J. Ogunbiyi.[2]
Founding members that joined him in starting the fraternity included Prince
Orisadipe Obasa, his wife Princess
Charlotte Blaize Obasa of the
R.B. Blaize family, and Prince M. Akinsemoyin of the
Akinsemoyin royal family. Prince Obasa was recognized by the founders as the first Oluwo, or
master, in the same year.[3]
Although the fraternity was started both by and for the Christian elite, it has since grown in scope, and today its membership includes
aristocratic followers of different faiths.[4][5] External elements that influenced the fraternity's founders during its creation included everything from the early Christianity of Nigeria (as manifested in the local chapter of the
Keswick Convention) to English
Freemasonry.[6][7]
Membership
Membership is open to males between the ages of 21 or older and females who are 40 or older who agree to embrace a "non-idolatrous faith in God".[2]
Chapters
As of May 2010, the Reformed Ogboni Fraternity had had 940 lledi or conclaves in Nigeria, one in Cameroon, five in London, five in Italy, and one in Belgium.[2]
The organization has been alleged to be a secret cult[21][22] partaking in human sacrifices, although no cogent evidence has ever substantiated this.[23][24] In an exposé on occultism titled Occult Grandmaster Now in Christ, a Nigerian bestseller written in 1993 by
Iyke Nathan Uzorma, the organization was alleged to be engaging in "Rajo witchcraft" which had little to no credence as the author didn’t explain, nor elaborate on what Rajo witchcraft meant .[25] On December 19, 2019,
Francis Meshioye the Olori Oluwo (which in
English means the supreme leader of the organization) negated any alleged claim of wrongdoing on the part of the organization and expressly stated that there was nothing sinister about it.[26]
^Moore, Henrietta L. (2003). Magical Interpretations, Material Realities: Modernity, Witchcraft and the Occult in Postcolonial Africa. USA: Routledge. p. 80.
ISBN9780203398258.
Akintola, Akinbowale (1992). The Reformed Ogboni Fraternity (R.O.F.): The Origins And Interpretation Of Its Doctrines And Symbolism website:- www.reformedogboni.com.