Traditionalists decry incessant killing of traditional rulers, seek urgent intervention

Traditional worshippers under the aegis of the Ancient Religion Societies of African Descendants International Council (ARSADIC) have decried the incessant killing of traditional rulers in Yorubaland.

Dr Ifagbenusola Atanda, the President of the group, in a statement on Thursday in Osogbo, noted that the incessant killings of traditional rulers diminished their stool.

Atanda said that it was worrisome and embarrassing to receive sad news oftentimes about how traditional rulers were being kidnapped and murdered “like fowls” in the South-West zone.

He said there was need for urgent and genuine interventions to redeem the authority and honour of the traditional institution.

“Three traditional rulers in Ikole Ekiti Local Government Area of Ekiti State, the Elesun of Esun-Ekiti, Oba David Ogunsakin and the Olumojo of Imojo-Ekiti, Oba Samuel Olusola, and the Alara of Ara-Ekiti, Oba Sunday Fatoba, were attacked by gunmen on Oke Ako-Irele Road last week.

“While the Elesun of Esun-Ekiti and the Olumojo of Imojo-Ekiti, were gruesomely murdered by their assailants, the Alara of Ara-Ekiti narrowly escaped.

“Another monarch, Olukoro of Koro in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, Oba Olusegun Aremu-Cole, a retired senior military officer, was shot dead inside his palace same last week.

“The prevalence of the killing of our traditional rulers lately is worrisome and embarrassing, and as Olorisa and Isese adherents, we are bothered, more so that the development has continued unchallenged.

“It makes us sad and the situation should call for sober reflection for everyone, to ponder over where we have got it wrong as a people.

“Any monarch properly installed in accordance with Yoruba tradition has become Orisa and Olorisa, and we can never and will never be happy seeing our royal fathers being hacked to death in a gruesome and most barbaric manner.

“They are being messed up and humiliated and this by extension denigrates our real-valued culture and traditions. The process of becoming a king in Yorubaland is embedded in Isese,” he said.

Atanda, who described the killings as tragic and devastating, prayed to God to grant the departed traditional rulers eternal rest and peace.

He said that the process of selecting and installing an Oba should be allowed to follow the normal traditional processes, adding that the grooming of traditional rulers had been bastardised.

“In those days, an Oba was groomed to become Oosa and to be prepared and positioned for his special tasks, but today, grooming of our Obas is different. Obaship today has been bastardized, everything is about money.

“The royal fathers are seeing as government Obas. Many ascend the throne for prestige and they are supported because they have money.

” We firmly believe and know that if our Obas are rooted in Isese, the Orisa will never abandon them to shame. Ifa can never stand afar and watch them being disgraced.

“So, everyone, the people and the government must reflect on this ugly trend. We must begin to scrutinize those becoming Obas.

” We must seriously think over what brought us to this despicable end. We must also examine what gave the Obas the authority and respect in the past so that we can go back to re-establish it.

“Because each time incident like this happens, the first question is where lies our power, our dignity as a people with great historical exploits, and as traditionalists we take the blame and responsibility for the insults”, he stated.