Sanwo-Olu, Obasanjo Mourn As Oba Of Badagry Dies At 89

The paramount ruler of the Badagry Kingdom, Oba Babatunde Akran, the Wheno Aholu Menu-Toyi I, is dead. He was aged 89.

The monard died after a brief illness.

LEADERSHIP checks showed that Oba Akran’s death on Monday marked the end of the nearly 49 years on the throne, making him to be one of the longest-serving monarchs in Lagos State.

As his demise throws Lagos into mourning, Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has mourned the passing of the revered Oba of Badagry and Permanent Vice Chairman of the Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, in a statement issued on Monday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Gboyega Akosile, described the passing of Oba Akran as a great loss not only to the people of Badagry but also to Lagos State and the country at large because of his remarkable impact as a respected monarch in Nigeria.

He said the revered king, who was on the throne for nearly 49 years, was a traditional ruler known for his wisdom, cultural preservation, and advocacy for Badagry’s development, adding that he rendered selfless service to the people and left behind a legacy of unity, tradition, uplifting and modern development.

Governor Sanwo-Olu commiserated with the people of Badagry and the family of the late Oba Akran of Badagry, over the passage of the paramount ruler, saying his departure was a great loss to the traditional institution in the State.

He said: “On behalf of my wife, the government and people of Lagos, I commiserate with the people of Badagry, the deceased’s family, friends, associates and traditional institutions on the transition of the paramount ruler of Badagry Kingdom and Permanent Vice Chairman of the Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs, Oba Babatunde Akran, Wheno Aholu Menu-Toyi I.

“The death of Oba Akran is a great loss to the people of the ancient town of Badagry, and he will be greatly missed. He was a respected journalist. As a traditional ruler, he made positive impacts during his lifetime and contributed meaningfully to the growth and development of his community, Lagos State and Nigeria.

“Oba Akran, as a first-class traditional ruler, left a lasting legacy that the people of Badagry Kingdom will continue to cherish. He served as the custodian of Badagry’s traditions, customs, and cultural heritage for nearly 49 years. He was a stabilising force known for uniting diverse interests within his kingdom and promoted Badagry’s historical sites and cultural festivals nationally and internationally, fostering tourism and cultural exchange.

“He also used his position to attract growth and development to the ancient town. I urge his family, friends, subjects and associates, as well as the entire people of Badagry, whose interests the departed traditional ruler represented and worked tirelessly for during his lifetime, to work towards immortalising him.

“I pray that Almighty God be pleased with the soul of the late monarch and grant the royal family and the people of the Badagry kingdom and Lagos State the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”

In the same vein, former Nigeria’s President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has mourned the passing of the Badagry monarch.

Obasanjo said the news of his passing was received with shock, even as he remarked that the late Badagry monarch had emerged as one of the most respected and respectable traditional rulers in Lagos State.

In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo said, “he had a most eventful life which traversed eight decades and his reign of fifty years over Badagry Kingdom, which occupies a pedestal of looming importance in our ancient and contemporary history, witnessed notable peace and stability.”

To the former President, “Badagry has, since pre-colonial times, remained a robust repertoire of the finest aspects of our cultural and artistic heritage. He would be remembered as a patriot and custodian of our cultural and traditional values, who gave his best while on the throne of his forefathers.

“Within his impactful years on the throne, he brought his salutary influence to foster unity, solidarity, peace, understanding, faith and development in our common heritage among all the sons and daughters of Badagry and the entire Badagry Kingdom, both at home and in the diaspora.”

Obasanjo further stressed that: “He was an apostle of inter-ethnic understanding and cohesion; inter-religious accommodation and tolerance and inter-cultural co-operation.”

Obasanjo, who is currently in Ethiopia on a continental assignment, was further quoted as saying, “for the Governor of Lagos State, the entire good people of Badagry and his family, one can only imagine the traumatic experience and profound grief this sad event has caused them all, but they can all feel assured that their painful loss is shared by countless other Nigerians and certainly by me and my family, while we urge them to take solace in the knowledge that though we love him, his Creator loves him more and knows what is best for him.”