Drama at Ooni’s palace: Wives, children barred from Ooni’s burial
Residents
at the entrance of Ile Oodua during the inter-religious farewell
service in honour of the late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, in
Ile-Ife, Osun State… on Friday. Late Oba Okunade Sijuwade.
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The final burial rites of the late
Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II, was performed on Friday,
but his wives, children and family members were unable to pay their last
respects as they were barred from the programme.
Some other people who had expected to see
the body of the monarch lie in state were also disappointed as his
remains were neither brought out for people to see nor was any casket
displayed during the burial service.
The event was attended by the
Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Rear Admiral Akin Aduwo (retd.),
Gen. Alani Akinriande (retd.), Senator Babajide Omoworare, Ondo State
Governor Olusegun Mimiko and many other dignitaries and government
representatives.
Traditional prayers were offered for the
late monarch by Tadimole Awo Ilare, Chief Faloba. The event was
conducted in less than three hours.
A source at the palace told one of our
correspondents that no member of the royal family was allowed to see the
remains of the monarch since he was brought back to the palace.
He said, “As we are holding this
interdenominational service here, those concerned are performing their
own rites inside the palace where the body is kept.
“You can see that the gates of the palace
are locked and nobody is allowed to go inside. Nobody can see him again
except those who will bury him.
“The wives and children were not even
supposed to see his corpse at all but tradition was broken this time
around because he (Sijuwade) died in London. But no family member can
see him again. Those performing the rites are there now and they will
complete it today (Friday). He will be buried in the middle of the
night, but nobody will be there apart from those who will lower him into
the grave.”
The source said those who saw the bodies of the previous Oonis were attacked by smallpox and did not survive the ailment.
A monarch in Osun State, who spoke on the
condition of anonymity, disclosed to one of our correspondents that
traditional rulers of the town went to various shrines, including the
Obalufon shrine in Ife to perform some rites for Sijuwade on Friday.
He said the traditional rulers later went
into Ooni’s palace shortly before an interdenominational burial service
for the king commenced on the palace premises.
The monarch said, “Nobody can see the
Ooni, not even the US President, Barrack Obama. We are with him. It’s
only the initiates who can see him. His wives and children cannot see
him.”
During the service, the Preacher, Bishop
of Ife Diocese of Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Oluranti Odubogun, said
despite his riches, Oba Sijuwade died when it was God’s time to take him
away.
The bishop, who was represented by the Very Rev. Olusola Akanbi, said the Ooni brought fame and popularity to his domain.
His said the monarch’s demise demonstrated that every mortal man would die no matter their status.
He said, “Baba has gone. He will stand before the King of Kings who will judge what he did while here on earth.
“Some persons have started jostling to
succeed him now but we must all remember the judgement day when we will
give account of all that we did on earth.
“I urge you to make today a memorable one and give your life to Christ. Jesus is the only way, accept him today.”
But as the interdenominational service
was about to take off, there was a mild drama as worshippers of Oro cult
in Ife, also called Isoro, stormed the venue and attempted to stop the
service. The worshippers claimed that it was a sacrilege to hold an
interdenominational service for the departed king. And as the service
went on outside the palace, the traditional worshippers sang and danced
inside the palace.
Women barred
Also, our correspondents learnt that as
part of the palace tradition and custom, women are forbidden from
entering the palace while traditional rites are being performed for a
passing monarch.
As the interdenominational service was
going on, sounds of gunshots suddenly rent the air, making some of those
present at the service to scamper for safety.
A reliable source told Saturday PUNCH
that more gunshots would be fired later in the day, as from 5.00 pm,
adding that curfew to last for seven days would start by 4.00 pm on
Friday.
One of the palace chiefs, Sooko Adelugba,
told one of our correspondents that many parts of the town had already
been deserted by residents who were eager to comply with the curfew as
announced by the palace.
One of the initiates told one of our
correspondents who had tried to interview him that it was an abomination
to speak publicly of traditional rites offered for a departed Ooni.
His final resting place
Meanwhile, fresh facts have emerged as to why the monarch would be buried beside the immediate past Ooni, Oba Adesoji Aderemi.
It was gathered that the cemetery inside
the palace, where other Oonis were buried, was full, which informed the
decision to build a mausoleum inside the palace for Oba Aderemi.
The mausoleum is said to be located at the rear end of the palace.
A palace source said the final resting
place of Sijuwade had been constructed in the mausoleum, adding that the
cemetery inside the palace is called Ile Nla (mighty house).
Traditionalists clash with residents
The worshippers of Oro cult in Ife, also
called ‘Isoro’, clashed with residents who were erecting tents for the
interdenominational burial service at the frontage of Enuwa Palace.
A prominent chief in Ife, who spoke on
the condition of anonymity, said the ‘Isoro’ descended on the people who
erected the tents because they (initiates) wanted to observe a
seven-day burial rites for the departed king.
The chief said, “The ‘Isoro’ saw the
erection of tents for an interdenominational burial service as a
sacrilege against custom and tradition.
“They descended on the people erecting
the tents and flogged them heavily. They destroyed the tents and swore
never to allow anybody do any interdenominational service at the
palace.”
The chief revealed that the state government had to wade into the crisis before the service was allowed.
He said, “It took the intervention of
officials of the state government, who appealed to the ‘Isoro’ to allow
the people to hold the interdenominational service before the issue was
resolved. If not for the intervention of the state government, the
interdenominational service would not have been allowed.”
Meanwhile, Saturday PUNCH learnt that Sijuwade’s family members flew to see his body immediately after he transited in a highbrow hospital in England.
Investigation by Saturday PUNCH
revealed that Sijuwade’s eldest son, Tokunbo, and some other family
members flew to England immediately the monarch breathed his last to
join the king’s three wives, Morisola, Ladun and Odunola – who were
already there.
Morisola is the eldest wife, Ladun is the
second wife and Odunola, who is the daughter of the immediate past
Orangun of Ila, is the youngest wife.
It was learnt that the family members flew down to England to pay their last respect to the departed monarch.
The Araba of Osogbo land, Chief Yemi
Elebuibon, who spoke with one of our correspondents on Friday, disclosed
that the corpse of the Ooni belonged to Ile-Ife and not his family.
He said, “The traditional burial rites of the kings of Ile-Ife and Oyo are strictly complied with and they are comprehensive.
“When the Ooni dies, the body becomes
that of the town. The ‘Isoro’ cult group will take over. The ‘Isoro’
initiates are the ones who worship the ‘Oro’ deity.
“It is the ‘Isoro’ people that would
inform the various deities, who were worshipped and appeased when the
Ooni was crowned, that he (the monarch) is no more.
“It’s a rite. Nothing must stop it.”
The Araba dispelled the belief that the heart of the late king would be fed to the next Ooni.
He said, “The eating of the heart of a
departed King by an incoming one belonged to the past. It no longer
exists. People still make this insinuation because many are barred from
witnessing the burial of a king.
“What the incoming king will eat is the
heart of an animal and not that of a human. Nobody would be buried with
the Ooni. Nobody would be killed for any form of sacrifice.”
Elebuibon explained that animals are now
used for the burial rites of Yoruba Obas because of modernisation,
noting that Christianity and Islam also stopped the use of humans for
sacrifice when God stopped Abraham from sacrificing his son, Isaac.
Let Sijuwade rest
As the guests who attended the
interdenominational service departed, a man in white robe and a white
cap appeared at the palace entrance and told some of the people around
the gate to leave the vicinity of the palace and allow the monarch to
rest.
He said, “The service is over, it is time
for you all to start going. Leave the palace and let Sijuwade rest. You
are warned to leave.”
Meanwhile, a cleric, Evangelist Toluwase
Akeredolu, had disputed insinuations that Sijuwade, as a prominent
monarch, was in the cult. Akeredolu had said that Oba Sijuwade died as a
born-again Christian.
Akeredolu said this on July 29 after the transition of the monarch was announced by the media.
The cleric, an evangelist with the Christ
Apostolic Church, said the monarch had few weeks before his transition,
confessed all his sins to God after he preached the gospel of Jesus
Christ to him.
Akeredolu said he was privileged to have ministered to the monarch few weeks before his death.
He said, “Oba Sijuwade told the
congregation at the last crusade we organised in Ile-Ife that he had
forsaken sins and accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and personal
saviour. He confessed publicly that he would live the rest of his life
to serve the Almighty God.
“During the revival, Oba Sijuwade said he
had committed the rest of his lifetime to Christ, the saviour of all
and had sung the popular song ‘All to Jesus, I surrender.’”
It will be recalled that the late monarch
dropped the title of ‘Oluaye’ (owner of the universe) in 2010 in
difference to the Almighty God.”
