The Ooni of Ife and permanent chairman of the Southern Nigerian Traditional Rulers Council, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has charged monarchs in Southwest and Ifa devotees to fight off banditry, kidnapping and other security matters bedevilling Yorubaland with traditional power and cultural practices in the area.
Ooni made this call on Sunday at the Ile-Oodua Palace during the activities marking the grand finale of the 2026 World Ifa Festival held in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
The monarch’s clarion call to his colleagues and adherents of Ifa was contained in a statement his media aide, Moses Olafare released where the latter brought to the fore what Ooni said at the event.
According to the account, Ooni was concerned about the insecurity in parts of the country and urged stakeholders to join hands with government authorities in restoring peace and safety.
He called on traditional rulers across Yorubaland to strengthen collaboration among themselves and work closely with security agencies to combat criminals operating within their domains, saying: “We must rise collectively against the menace of banditry and kidnapping. Enough is enough. Our people deserve to live in peace and move freely without fear. Traditional rulers must take greater responsibility in safeguarding their communities while supporting the efforts of the government and security agencies.”
Oba Ogunwusi went on to call on Ifa devotees and traditional worshippers across the country to deploy the spiritual and cultural resources embedded in African traditional institutions in the fight against insecurity.
“We must bring together our traditional powers, spiritual heritage, and communal values to chase bandits, kidnappers, and all criminal elements out of Yorubaland and Nigeria as a whole. Our ancestors stood for justice, peace, and communal harmony, and we must invoke those values at this critical time,” he added.
