By Peter Omopo
Ijebu Ode, July 19, 2025 — Traditional worshippers in Ogun State have accused the state government of undermining long-established customs by allegedly using coercive tactics to prevent the performance of traditional burial rites for the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona.
The traditionalists, led by the Coordinator of the Traditional Worshippers Association of Ogun State, Chief Ifasola Opeodu, expressed their outrage over what they described as government overreach, particularly the deployment of security personnel to enforce the Obas and Chiefs Law of 2021, which allows monarchs to be buried according to their religious beliefs.
The burial of Oba Adetona according to Islamic rites at his private residence in Ijebu Ode reportedly proceeded without the participation of members of the Osugbo cult, who were said to have been barred and escorted away by security operatives, including soldiers. The incident sparked tension at the venue.
Chief Opeodu, who is also the Vice Chairman of the Osugbo Remo Parapo and the Oluwo of Iperu, criticised the government’s handling of the situation, stating that the deployment of security forces to prevent traditional rites was illegal and an affront to cultural heritage.
“We were not initially opposed to the Obas and Chiefs Law of 2021,” Opeodu told Saturday PUNCH. “But the government is now using coercive measures against traditionalists, and we will explore legal avenues to resist this encroachment on our customs.”
He argued that the law has been misinterpreted, pointing out that it does not expressly give monarchs the right to choose religious rites over traditional ones for their burial. “Nowhere in the law is it stated that an Oba has the right to dictate the religion that will conduct his burial,” he said.
Opeodu further lamented that the burial of the Awujale departed from precedent, citing the cases of the late Alaperu of Iperu and the Alaye of Odogbolu, who were both buried according to traditional rites, with their communities taking possession of their remains.
He blamed the Osugbo fraternity for failing to assert their traditional role during the burial of Oba Adetona. “They failed in their responsibilities and allowed Islamic clerics to take over the ceremony,” he said.
The traditional leader emphasised that only the judiciary has the constitutional power to interpret the law, warning that misinterpretation by the executive arm is creating unnecessary tension.
“This is a slap on democracy and the rule of law,” he added. “Even during the NBA lecture in Sagamu, Justice Phillips Akinside made it clear that only the judiciary can interpret the law.”
The controversy continues to fuel debate in Ogun State, with traditionalists insisting on preserving ancestral customs, while the government remains committed to implementing existing legal frameworks on religious freedom and monarchial burial rites.
