Oluwo: Awujale's Burial Marks Liberation of Yoruba Kings from Ritual Bondage.
The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, has hailed the burial of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, as a historic turning point for the Yoruba traditional institution, calling it a step toward restoring dignity and ending age-old ritual practices imposed on monarchs after death.
In a statement released by his Press Secretary, Alli Ibraheem, Oba Akanbi expressed deep satisfaction with the manner in which Oba Adetona was laid to rest. He praised the decision to bury the revered monarch according to Islamic rites, emphasizing that he was not subjected to posthumous mutilation or ritual dismemberment, practices he likened to the work of butchers.
Oba Adetona passed away on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at the age of 91, and was buried the following day in accordance with his stated wishes. During the burial, security forces intervened to prevent traditionalists from enforcing customary rites, as Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, confirmed that the late monarch had explicitly requested an Islamic burial.
Oba Akanbi commended the Awujale's family, Governor Abiodun, and the Ogun State Attorney General, Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN), for their resolve, describing their actions as a victory for the Yoruba people and a step toward reforming outdated traditions.
“The decision to honour the wishes of the late Oba Adetona has set a new benchmark. It reflects courage and progressiveness, and I see it as a blessing and a foundational shift that restores honour to the Yoruba monarchy,” he said.
He added pointedly, “Any community that still wants its king to be subjected to ritual killings should simply appoint a herbalist or cultist as their ruler.”
Oba Akanbi further emphasized that Yoruba monarchs are dignified custodians of their people’s culture and deserve to be treated with honour in life and in death. “Royalty should not be desecrated in death. The burial of Awujale marks a symbolic liberation of Yoruba kings from spiritual and physical enslavement,” he noted.
He argued that burial practices for kings should reflect their personal beliefs or those of their families, not be dictated by secret societies or cultic groups. “The forceful takeover of a monarch’s corpse by traditional cults should never be mandatory—it must respect the wishes of the deceased or his family,” he asserted.
Oba Akanbi also reiterated his stance against idol worship and cultism within the traditional system, noting that since ascending the Oluwo throne a decade ago, he had broken such ties in Iwo.
“The Oluwo stool is no longer under the control of any cult or secret society. In Iwo, that era is over. Even after my passing, I trust that the people of Iwo will continue to reject any attempt to drag the town back into such practices,” he concluded.
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