The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, has declared that the recent burial of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, marks a watershed moment, effectively “freeing Yoruba kings from ritual slavery” and restoring sanctity to the traditional institution. Oba Akanbi’s strong assertion comes after the Awujale was interred according to Islamic rites, with security operatives reportedly preventing traditionalists from taking over the burial.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Press Secretary, Alli Ibraheem, Oba Akanbi expressed immense satisfaction with the adopted burial process for Oba Adetona, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 82. The Awujale was laid to rest on Monday, July 14, 2025, in Ijebu-Ode.

“The sanctity of Yoruba traditional institutions has been protected by the process adopted in burying the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona,” Oluwo stated. He emphatically noted that the revered monarch “was not subjected to mutilation or cannibalisation ‘as done by butchers’,” practices he has long campaigned against.

According to Oba Akanbi, this “noble order of burial rites for Awujale is a win for the Yoruba race, particularly myself. It’s a freedom of Yoruba traditional rulers from physical and spiritual oppression after their death.” He lauded the courage demonstrated by the late Adetona’s family, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, and the Attorney General of the state, Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN), describing it as a “foundation blessing to restore the glory of Yoruba stools and their occupants.”

Governor Abiodun had confirmed during the burial that the Awujale had personally indicated his wish to be buried according to Islamic tenets. The presence of security forces to ensure the adherence to these wishes, reportedly deterring attempts by traditional cult groups like Osugbo to perform ancient rites, underscored the significant shift.

Oba Akanbi, a vocal advocate for the modernization of traditional institutions, reiterated his call for an end to practices he deems barbaric. “Kings are servants to their subjects. They are honourable men who have sacrificed themselves in the interest of their people. Honour doesn’t die with the king. They should be honoured to the grave and beyond, and not butchered like an animal after death,” he asserted.

He further proposed that the burial process for Yoruba traditional rulers should henceforth be based on the king’s recommendation before his passage or his family’s wishes after his death. “The seizure of the king’s corpse from his family by any secret group should be optional, depending on the wishes of his family,” he added.

The Oluwo concluded by reaffirming his personal commitment to freeing traditional stools from what he views as the bondage of archaic rituals and secret societies, citing his own efforts in Iwo since his ascension ten years ago. “In Iwo, I have freed the Oluwo stool from the bondage since my ascension 10 years ago. The Osugbos and the Ogbonis have no relation with the Yoruba monarchy,” he declared, vowing eternal resistance against any attempt to “enslave the stool.”