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Breaking News: “Awujale Ate and Drank With Us But Shunned Us When It Was Time to Pay Back” — Ijebu Chief Priest Laments Exclusion from Burial Rites
The Olowa of Iberekodo and Chief Priest of Ijebuland, Chief Rasaki Osimodi, has voiced deep disappointment over the exclusion of traditional worshippers from the burial rites of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona.
In an emotional statement following the monarch’s interment, Chief Osimodi said the decision to bury the revered ruler strictly according to Islamic rites denied traditionalists the honour and cultural responsibility of performing final rites.
“It’s really painful,” he said. “Awujale ate and drank with us, but when it was time for him to pay us back, he said he must be buried according to Islamic injunction.”
The swift Islamic burial has sparked debate in the Ijebu community, with many elders expressing concern about the erosion of long-standing traditional practices that accompany the passing of a king.
Oba Sikiru Adetona, who ruled for over 60 years, was widely respected for his leadership and progressive vision. However, the handling of his burial has opened conversations on how cultural and religious beliefs can clash in modern royal institutions.