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 civil war is reportedly brewing within the Oniru monarchy as the new Oniru of Iruland, Oba Gbolahan Lawal has asked all banks housing funds belonging to the family to immediately place a ‘Post No Debit’ order on all the accounts of the family. Punch Newspaper reports that the warning was directed to First Bank of Nigeria, Guaranty Trust Bank, Sterling Bank, Zenith Bank, and Standard Chartered Bank. The new monarch also called on all tenants and lessees to stop transacting with any individual. This was contained in a public notice signed by Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), the counsel for the new monarch. The notice read in part, “This is to notify the general public and in particular the lessees, tenants, occupiers, on Oniru family properties and bankers to Oniru chieftaincy family that after the demise of the immediate past Oniru on September 18, 2019, a new Oniru of Iru land in the person of HRM Oba Abdul Wasiu Omogbolahan Lawal was installed and given the staff of office and instrument of appointment ‘by his Excellency Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu the Governor of Lagos State on Sunday, June 7, 2020. “With this appointment, Oba Lawal becomes the overall head of the Oniru royal family. All lessees, tenants, and occupiers on Oniru land should henceforth stop further dealing with any individual or group of individuals as any person who ignores this directive does so at his/ her own risk. “Similarly the bankers to Oniru chieftaincy family should place a post no debit (and) on the family accounts and should not entertain any transaction in any form in respect of these accounts pending further directive from HRM Oba Abdul Wasiu Omogbolahan Lawal the Oniru of Iru kingdom.” The monarch said the British International School, Oniru, Lekki Lagos is owned by the Oniru family and asked the bankers to the school, GTB to comply strictly with this directive. The PUNCH learned that properties worth billions of naira in Iruland including houses, schools, and hotels are owned by the Oniru family, and rent is paid directly to the children of the late Oba Idowu Oniru who died in September last year.