The International Council for Ifa Religion (ICIR) has announced plans to take legal action against the Ogun State Government and the family of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, over what it describes as a blatant disregard for the traditional and spiritual rites required in the burial of a Yoruba monarch.
In a strongly worded statement released on Saturday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the council expressed deep dissatisfaction with the manner in which the revered monarch was buried, stating that the ceremony violated sacred customs that have guided the transition of traditional rulers for centuries.
The statement, jointly signed by ICIR President Fayemi Fakayode, Public Relations Officer Ayanladun Fajemisin, and Legal Representative Ifasola Opeodu, accused the state government and the royal family of replacing cultural heritage with modernity in a way that dishonored the legacy of Oba Adetona and undermined the Ifa tradition.
“It is both shocking and disappointing that the rites of passage due to a monarch of Ijebuland—who was a custodian of culture and tradition—were ignored and cast aside without due consultation with the Ifa community,” the statement read.
The council, which represents traditional Ifa adherents globally, emphasized that the burial of a Yoruba Oba is not merely ceremonial but a sacred spiritual transition that must follow established rites as prescribed by Yoruba cosmology.
They further warned that their legal team has been mandated to initiate proceedings if the state government and the Awujale family fail to offer explanations or redress the alleged cultural violation.
“The burial of an Oba is not a private affair. It concerns the entire Yoruba race. When protocols are broken with impunity, the consequences reverberate beyond the palace,” the group stated, adding that they were ready to go as far as the Supreme Court to protect Yoruba heritage.
Oba Sikiru Adetona, who passed away recently after reigning for over six decades, was considered one of the longest-serving traditional rulers in Africa. His passing drew tributes from far and wide, but his burial—widely reported as a simple, modern affair—has now become the subject of intense controversy.
The ICIR insists that moving forward, all parties must respect spiritual institutions, warning that disregard for tradition in matters of kingship may lead to spiritual consequences and social disintegration.
The Ogun State Government and representatives of the Awujale royal family are yet to respond to the threat of litigation.
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