- Says rams, not human beings, used for Oba Aromolaran’s burial
The Chief Priest of Ijesaland, Ifagbemiga Ajilore, has denied speculations that the late Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran, was buried with human beings.
According to the Baba Awo of Ijesaland, the rumour that some persons were caught during Oro festival that took place in Ilesa recently is baseless and lacks truth.
Chiefs in Ijesaland had declared a seven days curfew for funeral rites of the deceased frontline monarch across the towns affected.
During the curfew period, the Oro festival took place last week.
Traditional priests who wore white clothes and walked about empty streets of Ilesa were seen chanting some dirges and making some incantations.
Shortly after movement resumed in the ancient town, rumour started flying that some non-indigenes were abducted for some rituals and burial of the late monarch.
Debunking the insinuation in an interview, Ajilore, who is also the Asiwaju Awo of Ijesaland, claimed no one had ever been buried with a late king and that only rams were used for the burial of Oba Aromolaran.
He said the whole rams in Ilesa were bought for the rituals and that when the town ran out of stock, some people were sent to Osogbo, capital of the state, to purchase more rams for the rites.
An Ifa High Priest, Ifayemi Elebuibon, had said rituals traditionalists perform after demise of Oba are not usually for the dead monarchs, he said they are for the safety of the family and the next Oba because the one that has passed on has gone to be with his ancestors, adding that, “the only prayer they offer for the dead is for them to have a good passage to heaven. Other rituals are for the new Oba and the family so that there won’t be deaths in quick succession. They are done so that the successors of the late monarch won’t be dying prematurely, one after the other. That is why they perform the rituals.”
Ajilore insisted that no human parts were used for the burial rituals of Oba Aromolaran, saying, “We also heard the rumour and I want to tell you that it is not true. Some people talk carelessly so that people can say they know what is going on in the town while others do that to tarnish the image of our tradition and its adherents.
Some people have been announcing on social media that strangers should not walk about in Ijesaland and that strangers are used to bury Owa.
“I am assuring everyone that there is nothing like that. Since we conducted the Oro rites for our royal father, how many people have been declared missing in Ijesaland? So, it is not true that we make use of human beings to bury our kings. All that we have been doing is in the full glare of security operatives in the state. Those making rumours are doing that to gain attention and to cause tension.
There is peace in Ijesaland and no one has been used. We have been doing the rites peacefully. I challenge the person making the rumour to come out in public and say it and tell us the person we allegedly used. The person saying such things deserves to be cursed.”
On the items used for rites on the late traditional ruler, the chief priest said, “We only used rams. In fact, we bought all the rams in Ilesa and later went to Osogbo to buy more. If we used human beings, shouldn’t they have declared people missing? Those making this rumour might be Ilesa cultists who have been killing themselves to count scores and they might have been causing this tension in order to kill themselves more. No one should use this incident to commit any crime.”
The chief priest explained the reason why curfew was declared for the Oro rituals, saying, “Obanla of Ijesa led the Oro ceremony to wipe out evils that may arise in Ijesaland. If we didn’t declare a curfew, motorists and motorcycle riders would have rammed into participants of the festival but due to the curfew, everything went well.”
On how and when Oba Aromolaran’s successor will emerge, he said the selection process would kick start after final burial rites of the monarch, disclosing that the Ifa oracle would choose a new Owa Obokun of Ijesaland and not the government.
“We believe that Ifa will choose a good king for us. It is our hope to have a good monarch that will lead well. Ifa is still active and reckoned with in Ijesaland. Some Obas saying rubbish about our tradition are those who were not chosen by Ifa in the first place. Those denigrating our culture were not chosen by Ifa. Some Obas identifying with other religions have lost it. I have consulted Ifa for many towns and it chose their kings, our own in Ijesaland won’t be different.
“It is Ifa that will pick the next Owa of Ijesaland and not the governor or money. The funeral ceremony of our Kabiyesi will happen soon and it will be announced in the media. We should expect it.
“In choosing our next king, I assure you that royal families won’t have a problem. It is after the funeral ceremony that we can go into selection of a successor. There are families that will produce candidates. Once Ifa picks and people say otherwise, then it is left for them,” Ajilore declared.
