Paternity Controversy: Man Gives The Ooni Of Ife Ultimatum

A man has stirred a paternity controversy giving the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi II a two-month ultimatum to acknowledge him as his biological father. 

The man whose identity was not clear gave the ultimatum via a video post, where he alleged that the revered monarch instructed his mother, whose name he did not also reveal, to keep the relationship and circumstances between him and the Ooni secret.

“Oba Enitan Ogunwunsi is my father. He hid me with my mother with a clear instruction that I must not reveal myself,” the man dressed in a white Agbada said in Yoruba.

The palace of the monarch has, however, debunked his claims describing him as an impersonator.

He added that decision of the Ooni to remain discreet about the paternity controversy was what has made him to come public via a video post.

From the tone of the video, he was no longer comfortable staying quiet about the matter.

The royal palace has since reacted to the post, with its spokesman, Moses Olafare, stating it was a lie and that the  matter had been reported to security agencies for further action.

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According to the claimant, “Anytime I desire to come to the palace, he (Ooni) would stop me saying it was not yet time. Now is the time. My mum might not talk, but I will say the truth. The king is my biological father.

“Though I’m not suffering; there is a house, cars are there, there is money, but I’m no longer interested in them. I want to be known as the son of the king, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II,” he added.

He then went ahead to issue his two-month ultimatum to be invited to the palace, failing which he threatened he would provide details

Olafare said Oba Ogunwusi, being a responsible father and custodian of tradition, knows and acknowledges all his children and would stop at nothing to take full responsibility for them.

THE OONI’S RESPONSE ON THE PATERNITY CONTROVERSY

“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 responsibility for them (both those who are in Nigeria and outside the country).

“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 3 years ago for her secondary school education in her home country Nigeria.

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“Princess Adesewa is doing very well, Prince Tadenikawo Ogunwusi is widely known to be with his mother hale and healthy while the newborn twin 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 he is 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.

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“While the Palace leaves no stone unturned to go after this criminal using all possible means to scapegoat him with a view to making him face the law for necessary deterrence, we here urge the law enforcement agencies, particularly the Nigerian Police Force and Department of State Security (DSS), to thoroughly investigate this matter and bring the perpetrator to justice as swiftly as possible.

“In assisting the law enforcement agencies on this project, any individual with useful information pertaining to the whereabouts of this impersonating marauder is implored to cooperate fully with the security authorities or the Ooni’s Palace to ensure that justice prevails as such a patriotic whistleblower’s identity is well protected in utmost secrecy and handsomely rewarded by the Ooni’s palace. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!