Shockwaves are reverberating across Yorùbáland and the global Yorùbá diaspora following the sudden death of the Baba Ọba (King’s Father) of the famed Oyotunji African Village in South Carolina, USA. The late Baba Ọba, Lukman Arohunfale, a revered socialite and traditionalist, passed away under circumstances already sparking fierce controversy. His death comes just days after he publicly accused the newly installed Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty Oba Akeem Adéyẹmọ Owoade, of allegedly ordering his courtiers to beat him mercilessly during a recent courtesy visit to the Oyo palace in Nigeria. In a widely circulated voice recording, the deceased recounted how what was meant to be a simple homage turned violent. Although the Baba Ọba had reportedly battled ill health in the past year, growing insinuations suggest that the alleged physical assault may have aggravated his condition, ultimately leading to his untimely death. The palace in Oyo recently denied that s...
A man was found in possession of a penis and scrotum. Joel Ranoto, 26, of South Africa, was trying to make money by selling body parts. Ranoto though that the body parts might have healing powers, therefore, he offered to sell it to a local healer. Ranoto was arrested in Polokwane, on Friday, after the healer alerted the police. Police found that Ranoto had cut the body parts off from a corpse at a local funeral home."We charged Ranoto with violating a corpse and possession of human body parts," police spokesperson Ntobeng Phala said. The grieving family in the village of Ga-Semenya outside Polokwane was shocked by the violation. Family members said that two tents had been erected for the funeral, a grave had been dug, but the body was not delivered to them. Later that night, the police informed the parents that the body of their 60-year-old son had been violated.“I cannot sleep at night. I have no appetite for food. I will never forgive Ranoto for what he did," the mother of the deceased said. Ranoto made a brief appearance in the Polokwane Magistrate's Court on Monday. Judge Janine Ungerer released him in R1,000 ($95) bail.