Drama at Ooni’s palace: Wives, children barred from Ooni’s burial

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 people who had expected to see the body of
the monarch lie in state were disappointed as his
remains were neither brought out for people to see
nor was any casket displayed during the burial
service.
A lot of dignitaries were in attendance like Vice-
President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Rear Admiral Akin
Aduwo (retd.), Gen. Alani Akinriande (retd.), Senator
Babajide Omoworare, Ondo State Governor
Olusegun Mimiko.
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 said 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 that traditional
rulers of the town went to various shrines, including
the Obalufon shrine in Ife to perform some rites for
Oba 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 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.”
As the interdenominational service was about
to start, 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.
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.
During the interdenominational service, sounds of
gunshots suddenly rent the air, making some of
those present at the service run for safety.
A source said 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, said 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.
Meanwhile, fresh facts have emerged as to why the
monarch would be buried beside the immediate past
Ooni, Oba Adesoji 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 a mausoleum
inside the Palace of Oba Aderemi, adding that the
cemetery inside the palace is called Ile Nla (mighty
house).
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.”
It was 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.
PUNCH