Our attention has been drawn to a an amateur video clip featuring a grown up individual claiming to be a son of our father Arole Oodua Olofin Adimula Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja ll, the Ooni of Ife, virally trending across various online platforms. We categorically condemns and denounces this shameless act of impersonation in the strongest possible terms.
It is imperative to clarify that the Ooni of Ife, as a responsible father and custodian of tradition, knows and acknowledges all his children and stops at nothing to take full responsibilities over them(both those who are in Nigeria and outside the country).
As all of
Ooni's children are well known to the palace and the people of Ile-Ife, the
eldest child of the Ooni is Princess Adeola Ogunwusi, a Master Degree holder
working and residing in Canada, followed by Princess Adewamiwa Ogunwusi who
recently relocated to further her education in Dublin, Ireland from where she
had come 3 years ago for her secondary school education in her home country
Nigeria. Princess Adesewa is doing very well, Prince Tadenikawo Ogunwusi is
widely known to be with his mother hale and healthy while the new born twins
Prince Adebisi Kehinde and Princess Taiwo Adeayo are being planned to formally
make their historic entry into the palace in a couple of days in accordance
with the customs and traditions of the Ife Palace.
We hereby
declare with no equivocation that this self acclaimed prince is unknown to the
Palace and the Ile-Ife populace. Not only he is not a child of Ooni Ogunwusi as
fraudulently claimed, but also never related in any way to any lineage of the
Ogunwusi royal family and the Giesi Royal Compound of Ile-Ife at large.
His
marauding impersonation tactics to exploit the revered status of the Ooni of
Ife for fraudulent personal gains is not only sacrilegious but also criminal in
nature. Impersonation of any member of the royal family is a sacrilege against
the sanctity of the palace and the heritage it represents.
While the
Palace leaves no stone unturned to go after this criminal using all possible
means to scapegoat him with a view to making him face the law for necessary
deterrence, we here urge the law enforcement agencies, particularly the
Nigerian Police Force and Department of State Security (DSS), to thoroughly
investigate this matter and bring the perpetrator to justice as swiftly as
possible.
In assisting
the law enforcement agencies on this project, any individual with useful
information pertaining to the whereabouts of this impersonating marauder is
implored to cooperate fully with the security authorities or the Ooni's Palace
to ensure that justice prevails as such a patriotic whistleblower's identity is
well protected in utmost secrecy and handsomely rewarded by the Ooni's palace.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!
Furthermore,
the Palace calls upon all individuals, to refrain from engaging in or promoting
such deceptive practices. It is incumbent upon us all to uphold the dignity and
honour of our cultural heritage, which includes respecting the integrity of the
royal family.
The House of
Oduduwa remains committed to preserving the rich cultural heritage of the
Yoruba people and will not tolerate any attempt to undermine or tarnish its
legacy through fraudulent means.
Signed
Otunba Moses
Olafare,
Director,
Media & Public Affairs,
Ooni's
Palace.
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