Ifa Council to Sue Ogun Government, Late Awujale’s Family Over Alleged Violation of Traditional Burial Rites
The International Council for Ifa Religion (ICIR) has announced its intention 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 described as the “unlawful and culturally offensive” burial of the monarch.
According to the group, the burial, which was conducted using Islamic rites, contravened the Ogun State Chieftaincy Law mandating traditional ceremonies for deceased kings.
Oba Adetona, who passed away on July 13, 2025, at the age of 91, was laid to rest the following day in Ijebu-Ode. His burial was carried out in accordance with Islamic customs, with prominent Muslim clerics conducting the final rites.
However, traditional religion adherents and cultural custodians argue that the monarch, by virtue of his title, was expected to be buried following ancient Yoruba traditional rites, particularly those associated with the Osugbo institution and Ifa priests.
Speaking at a press conference in Ibadan, the President of the ICIR, Dr. Fayemi Fatunde Fakayode, expressed deep dissatisfaction over the exclusion of traditional religious practitioners from the burial process. He cited Section 55(ii) of Part 8 of the Ogun State Chieftaincy Law, which mandates that every traditional ruler in the state must be buried according to native customs and traditions.
Fakayode stressed that the law had been upheld in past legal rulings, and its violation in this instance could not be overlooked.
The council criticized the Ogun State Government for allegedly deploying security agents to prevent members of the Osugbo Confraternity and other traditionalists from performing their rites.
Reports from eyewitnesses claimed that traditional priests were escorted away from the burial venue as Islamic prayers commenced, effectively barring them from fulfilling their cultural obligations.
Barrister Ifasola Opeodu, the legal adviser to the council, described the burial process as an “affront to Yoruba heritage” and “a violation of democratic rights and religious freedoms.” He revealed that the council is preparing to file a lawsuit not only against the state government but also against the Awujale’s family and any persons or institutions complicit in the alleged breach of the law.
The development has sparked intense debate across the country, with many cultural advocates expressing concern over the growing erosion of traditional practices.
Prominent traditionalist Dr. Ifarotimi Adifagbola Balogun described the burial as a “deliberate suppression of Yoruba cultural identity,” warning that if such practices continue unchecked, the future of indigenous traditions may be at risk.
Despite the controversy, the state government has yet to issue an official response. Meanwhile, supporters of the late Oba Adetona’s family argue that the monarch had made his burial preferences known before his death and that those wishes were respected.
However, the ICIR maintains that personal religious choice cannot override a legal provision specifically tailored to uphold cultural heritage.
The group called on all Yoruba sons and daughters, particularly traditional rulers and chiefs, to stand firm in defending their ancestral legacy.
As the ICIR prepares to initiate court proceedings, this case is expected to test the boundaries between personal religious rights and legally enshrined cultural obligations within Nigeria’s chieftaincy system. It also raises broader questions about how traditional institutions navigate the intersection of faith, law, and heritage in a modernizing society.
