Despite the denial of Oba’s death, the Premium Times sources have said that the body of Ooni of Ife, Okunade Sijuwade, has arrived his palace in Ile Ife, Osun state.
Ooni of Ife, Oba Sijuade Okunade
However, authorities and prominent Ile-Ife personalities insist the Oba is alive, and is hale and hearty.
Insiders in palace said on August, 1 that the remains of the paramount ruler left London in a hired air ambulance on Friday and was taken to the palace under the cover of night.
According to the sources, the body is now lying in a secret part of the palace named Ilegbo, a sacred place where all Oonis gathering with their relatives.
Ilegbo reportedly is the place where highly-prized rituals take place within the parturiency of the palace.
It is also the place where the Are covered with crown, worn yearly by the Ooni, is kept.
Only the monarch’s male children, highly ranked priests and chiefs are reportedly having permit to entree that inmost recess of the palace and sight the Ooni’s body.
“Even the Oba’s female children can’t come here, tradition does not allow them to sight the Oba at this time,” one of the sources said.
Palace sources said the announcement of the Oba’s death had to be postponed to let his wives and family members move their personal property from the palace, and for the traditional clerics to perform some “compulsory rituals”.
“Members of his family who were with him in London had to hurry back home to remove their personal effects because once his death is declared all their property will belong to the people. They won’t be able to take anything from the palace anymore,” another source said.
It should be noted that after the supposed death of the Ooni of Ife traditionalists in Ile-Ife have announced a seven-day sacred traditional Oro festival.
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