The International Council for Ifa Religion (ICIR) has threatened to take legal action against the Ogun State Government and the family of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, over the monarch’s burial, which they claim violated traditional protocols.
Oba Adetona, who joined his ancestors on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at the age of 91, was buried according to Islamic rites—a decision the ICIR describes as a “departure from the legal and cultural norms guiding the burial of traditional rulers in Yoruba land.”
Speaking at a press conference in Ibadan on Saturday, ICIR President, Dr. Fayemi Fatunde Fakayode, represented by the group’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ayanladun Fajemisin, and legal counsel, Barr. Ifasola Opeodu, expressed dismay over the handling of the monarch’s final rites.
Fakayode cited a judicial ruling made during the late monarch’s lifetime that upheld the burial of Yoruba kings according to traditional customs, in line with the Ogun State Chieftaincy Law.
He maintained that the burial contravened Part 8, Section 55, Sub-section ii of the law.
“We commend the Osugbo Confraternity of Ijebu-Ode for their restraint and peaceful conduct despite being barred from performing their traditional roles,” Fakayode stated.
“Their actions embody the wisdom and patience of Òrúnmìlà. However, the state’s enforcement of Islamic burial rites contradicts both legal provisions and cultural heritage.”
Fakayode emphasized that the issue transcends burial protocol and strikes at the heart of Yoruba identity and tradition. “This is not just about a burial; it is about the systematic erosion of our cultural practices. The disregard for due traditional process is an affront to our heritage and a dangerous precedent,” he said.
He further called on the sons and daughters of Ijebu-Ode and the entire Yoruba race to defend their customs and uphold the sanctity of the Obaship institution.
Also speaking, ICIR’s legal representative, Barr. Ifasola Opeodu, described the conduct of the deceased monarch’s family, the Ogun State Government, and security agencies as a “threat to democracy and a violation of the constitutional rights of traditional believers.”
“The actions constitute a breach of the law governing the installation and burial of Obas and Chiefs. This is an aberration that may plunge the state into a state of anarchy,” he warned.
Opeodu accused the Chief Imam of Ijebu-Ode and other Islamic clerics of violating state law by presiding over the burial rites and called their actions “an exhibition of religious lawlessness.”
“The traditional institution is legally recognized and bound by established laws, unlike religious practices. We will pursue all legal remedies available to address this injustice,” he declared.
The ICIR concluded by reiterating its commitment to defending Yoruba customs and promised to initiate legal proceedings to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
