Ooni Ile-Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja ll has disowned an individual claiming to be his son in a viral video across various online platforms.
A statement from Ile Oodua made available to journalists by the director, Media and Public Affairs, Ooni’s Palace, Otunba Moses Olafare denounced the claim saying it is an act of impersonation in the strongest terms.
“It is imperative to clarify that the Ooni of Ife, as a responsible father and custodian of tradition, knows and acknowledges all his children and stops at nothing to take full responsibilities over them.
“As all of Ooni’s children are well known to the palace and the people of Ile-Ife, the eldest child of the Ooni is Princess Adeola Ogunwusi, a Master’s Degree holder working and residing in Canada, followed by Princess Adewamiwa Ogunwusi who recently relocated to further her education in Dublin, Ireland from where she had come three years ago for her secondary school education in her home country Nigeria.
“Princess Adesewa is doing very well, Prince Tadenikawo Ogunwusi is widely known to be with his mother hale and hearty while the new born twins Prince Adebisi Kehinde and Princess Taiwo Adeayo are being planned to formally make their historic entry into the palace in a couple of days in accordance with the customs and traditions of the Ife Palace.
“We hereby declare with no equivocation that this self-acclaimed prince is unknown to the palace and the Ile-Ife populace. Not only is he not a child of Ooni Ogunwusi as fraudulently claimed, but also never related in any way to any lineage of the Ogunwusi royal family and the Giesi Royal Compound of Ile-Ife at large.
“His marauding impersonation tactics to exploit the revered status of the Ooni of Ife for fraudulent personal gains is not only sacrilegious but also criminal in nature. Impersonation of any member of the royal family is a sacrilege against the sanctity of the palace and the heritage it represents.”
Ooni Ogunwusi therefore urged the law enforcement agencies, particularly the Nigeria Police Force and Department of State Security (DSS), to thoroughly investigate the matter and bring the perpetrator to justice as swiftly as possible.
