The Media and Publicity Office of the Alaafin of Oyo, Bode Durojaye, has refuted claims linking the monarch, Oba Abimbola Owoade to the sudden death of a Yoruba traditional ruler based in the United States, Lukman Ojora Arounfale.
The deceased, popularly known as the Baba Oba of Oyotunji African Village in South Carolina, was said to have died after an assault which was allegedly ordered during a visit to the Alaafin’s palace.
The purported assault has been speculatively tied to a reported rift between the Alaafin and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, over issues of royal supremacy.
However, addressing the allegations while speaking to Punch, the palace spokesman, Durojaye, stated that the monarch is not responsible for Arounfale’s death
Durojaye said, “The palace, through me, had issued a rebuttal to the media on the unconfirmed story, and it was widely circulated, including by electronic media. The palace was not responsible for his death.”
In an earlier statement, Durojaye expressed concern over what he described as a deliberate attempt by bloggers and online commentators to stoke unnecessary controversy regarding the interaction between the Alaafin and the Ooni at a recent public event.
“It has come to the attention of the Media Office of the Alaafin of Oyo that certain bloggers and online commentators are generating needless controversies surrounding the interaction between our revered monarchs in Yorubaland namely, the Alaafin of Oyo and the Ooni of Ife at a recent public function,” he said.