A 15 March 1999 AP report stated that two Lagos university students were killed as the result of an attack by members of "a group known as Aiye's" upon members of the Black Ax "secret society."

According to an article on the Ifa religion, present on a Website with articles on aspects of Nigerian religions, and written by Awo Fa'lokun Fatunmbi, who is identified as a "great babalawo," "'Ikole Aiye' means 'Greeting the House of the Earth'" (n.d.). A Website on Yoruba religion refers to a "divination called Ikuse Aiye, or Stepping into the World" (The Ancestral Call n.d.). There are also references to "aiye" as being an Ifa reference to the physical world (Gray 1999; Ijo Orunmila n.d.).

No further information on "aiye" could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

The Ancestral Call, East Orange, N.J. n.d. "Stepping into the World." http://www.theancestralcall.comchildren.htm [Accessed 25 May 2000]

Associated Press (AP). 15 March 1999. "Two Students Killed in Rival Cult Clashes." (NEXIS)

Fatunmbi, Awo Fa'lokun. n.d. "Ogun: Ifa and the Spirit of Iron." http://members.aol.com/starkana/ogun.htm [Accessed 25 May 2000]

Gray, John. 1999. "Soul Force 101: Yoruba Sacred Music, Old World and New." http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Article17 [Accessed 9 May 2000]

Ijo Orunmila. n.d. "Ela." http://www.artnet.net/~ifa/ela.htm [Accessed 25 May 2000]

IRB databases

LEXIS-NEXIS

REFWORLD

World News Connection (WNC)

Internet sites including:

Adherents.com

Keesing's Record of World Events [Cambridge].

Mail and Guardian [Johannesburg].

Newswatch [Lagos].

Nigeria News Network.

Post Express [Lagos].

United Nations, Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN).

Search engines including:

Dogpile

Google

HotBot