₦airaland Forum

uwajeh:
The great Irish Reverend Shanahan who is credited with spreading Roman Catholicism in Nigeria was based in Onitsha that partly explains why you have much more Igbos than Yorubas in the Catholic Church.

I guess the same also goes for the Anglican Church where Bishop Ajayi Crowther held sway. That's why the majority of Yorubas were Anglicans before the coming of Pentecostalism

freeDR:
I stumbled on this piece and decided to share with fellow Nairalanders.

OBA SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RITUAL KILLING Published By: Mustapha Ogunsakin Efon Alaaye, the hilly and rocky boarder town between today’s Osun and Ekiti states is one of the ancient towns of Yorubaland.

Like most towns in the same town, Efon Alaaye traces its roots to the cradle of Yoruba civilization, Ile- Ife. Life was as usual, rustic, with everyone been his brother’s keeper. However something very strange happened in the sunny afternoon of January 10, 1949 that threw the whole town into turmoil.

Adediwura, a 15 month old baby was playing within the compound of his father, Ojo, when she suddenly disappeared. After a fruitless search in the compound, the mother could no longer bear the thoughts of her child been missing.

She entered the afternoon sun and started shouting, throwing herself to the ground and weeping, and claiming that her daughter had been kidnapped.

The husband and other members of the compound met briefly and decided to immediately inform the Alaaye of Efon, Oba Samuel Adeniran. Kabiyesi too, after several hours, organized a search party to recover the missing child. This however did not yield any fruitful result.

The police too got involved in the case and the authorities sent to Lagos for help from the Central Investigations Department (CID) On the February 10, 1949, a team of detectives arrived Efon Alaaye.

They are Chief Inspector Aruah, Sergeants Sule Agbabiaka and Olawaiye; and Constable Ariyo. They immediately set to work and within 48 hours, they established that Adediwura may have been a victim of ritual murder.

On St Valentine’ day 1949 (Monday February 14), the case was given national prominence as it was reported by the Daily Times Newspaper. Shortly after, the detectives arrested three suspects in connection with the murder. They are Enoch Falayi, Gabriel Olaberinjo, and Daniel Ojo. Falayi was a native doctor, and consultant to the Alaaye, while the other two were his messengers.

Coronary inquest to the murder started at the Obokungbusi Hall, Ilesa in early April under Magistrate W. O Egbuna who was in charge of the area. During police investigations,one of the accused persons mentioned the involvement of Oba Adeniran and he was promptly arrested.

At the inquest, the Crown was represented by Mr Llyod Crow. Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Olu Alakija represented Oba Adeniran while Bode Thomas represented Olaberinjo and Abiodun Akerele represented Falayi. Chief Awolowo also represented Ojo.

The coroner’s inquest eventually established that baby Adediwura was murdered by the accused persons and charges of murder was preferred against the Oba and the three other accused persons. The case was then transferred to Akure High Court. The trial judge was Justice N.S Pollard. Twenty one witnesses gave evidence.

One of the witnesses, Aina Ola stated that it was Enoch Falayi, the herbalist to Oba Adeniran that kidnapped Adediwura and hid her under his Agbada. Owomobi, Falayi’s wife also gave evidence that the child was kept at their house and in the night she was forced to put the child on her back to the house of the second accused, Gabriel Olaberinjo. Ojo Olofa testified that the child was taken to the palace the following day where she was butchered in the presence of the Oba.

The Oba, he said, brought out kolanuts and sworn them to secrecy. He further testified that at the palace, the eyes and the tongue of the child were taken by the first and second accused through a door that leads to the Oba’s living quarters.

The dismembered body was then taken to the forest around the CMS church and buried by there. It was in this forest that the police discovered the body. After all the witnesses gave their evidence, the Crown counsel, Mr Crow submitted that the statements of the three major witnesses – Aina Ola, Owomobi and Ojo Olofa was sufficient for the conviction of Falayi, the herbalist. But the defence counsels argued that the three witnesses were accomplices and as such, their evidence needs to be corroborated.

However, the trial judge, Justice Pollard ruled that he was satisfied that Aina Ola cannot be treated as an accomplice and therefore, her evidenced is enough corroboration of the concealment of Adediwura at Falayi’s house and subsequent transfer to the palace. Falayi was thereafter found guilty. Crown Counsel Crow also submitted that the confessional statement of Gabriel Olaberinjo and Ojo Olofa’s evidence was a complete corroboration of the second accused person’s guilt.

However, his lawyer, Bode Thomas argued that his client made the statement under duress, and therefore could not be accepted as evidence.

But Justice Pollard held otherwise. The judge said that he was satisfied that the accused evidence was made voluntarily and freely. He too was found guilty. However, Daniel Ojo was acquitted for lack of substantial evidence against him.

On Oba Adeniran, the Crown Counsel submitted that evidence showed that he not only had the intention to kill, but also participated in the ritual murder of baby Adediwura. He directed the court to the evidence of Ojo Olofa, and Owomobi. The prosecutor further urged the court to take into consideration the demeanor of the Oba which portrayed him as a person with a guilty mind.

However, his lawyer, Chief Awolowo argued that the fact that the Oba assisted the parents of the deceased and the parents during the search for the baby is enough to clear him of guilt.

Chief Awolowo maintained that as an Oba, there are some elements in the town that wanted to deal with him. The lawyer said all the evidence against his client was circumstantial.

However Justice Pollard did not agree with the lawyer. He said that his evidence that some people in the town had vowed to implicate him in the murder was an afterthought that holds no water. The trial judge thereafter found him guilty, and sentenced him to death with the other accused persons.

The accused persons however appealed the decision of the trial court before the West African Court of Appeal (WACA) where the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Verity presided with two other justices.

After listening to both sides, the appellate court found the following: 1) Although the disappearance of the child was reported to the Oba early in the afternoon, he as the head of the town did nothing until twilight; 2) Five days after the disappearance, the Oba sent for the constable to say he had information that the child will be found at the forest near CMS compound. 3) Upon the arrest of Enoch Falayi, he ordered his release because he claimed that Falayi was his “doctor”. 4) The corps found the mutilated body exactly where the Oba said the police would found it.

The court maintained that even though these findings were circumstantial,the statements of other accused persons, and the ones read to him by the police which he confirmed, have already proved his guilt. The court particularly quoted Gabriel Olaberinjo,s statement read to the Oba by Sergeant Agbabiaka which the Oba did not deny.

The statement reads: “I was in the palace of Alaaye of Efon at night, I saw Enoch carry one girl under his gown into the palace. He placed the girl under the staircase in the palace… Enoch left to call Alaaye… Alaaye came and saw the girl. He said Enoch should do her as he said he would do her… He carried the cigarette tin(in which the eyes and tongue) to Oba Alaaye…

The following night Oba Alaaye asked whether the corpse of the girl had been cleared….” Justice Verity then concluded: “With acceptance of that statement as evidence of tacit admission of the facts therein, there is not only ample corroboration of the evidence… it goes further and is evidence of admission of facts from which no other conclusion is possible than that the appellant counseled and procured the murder of this child and was rightly found guilty thereof” Oba Adeniran, his herbalist- Falayi and one of his servants and Gabriel Olaberinjo were subsequently hanged.

freeDR:
Done

bantudra:
why the hell should any nigerian want to learn zoology??....for what.......how many zoos do we have sef...??..

we dont even have that much wildlife left sef like in kenya...

Surely, Ibrahim (Abraham) was a nation, (i.e., a leader,Imam) devout to Allah, unswervingly upright, and he was not of the associators, (Those who associate others with Allah)
(Quran 16:120)

AreaFada2:
I wanted Fashola and Ribadu or El-Rufai combination. Given that possibility, Ribadu would have remained with APC.

No serious country in this world would have refused to push Fashola into Aso Rock. Irrespective of tribe or religion. Any serious football team plays with their first eleven.
No wonder we are where we are today.

AreaFada2:
APC was never going to have it easy. Their promises were too vague. Making people to believe they could change things across the board positively.
They spent too much effort on demonising GEJ govt. That is how they won anyway. But problem is if you raise expectations too much, failure is guaranteed.

APC prepared for a parallel govt to undermine GEJ 's second term believing GEJ will rig to win.

They never prepared for actually governing. Now the masses have to suffer the consequences of gullibility.

Nigeria's ruling parties have not done great since 1999. Even if oil was $120 a barrel I do not think current FG would have done anything spectacular. Because the downward trend of oil price already began before the campaign. That should have been used to tailor election manifesto.

ShobayoEmma:
The man is meant to fall.

AreaFada2:
You are right. Enough blame to go round.

Even we the followers must take a share of it. If we were determined enough, we could not be cowered by the few at the top calling shots, not minding how the masses are groaning.

emmasege:
Seems you are still a kid and don't understand the powers of Juju cum 'tira' in issues like this. If you have a very beautiful sister, don't parade her before that skin-bleaching king. You stand the risk of losing her as a queen against her wish.

AreaFada2:
I think to be honest, poverty (if that is what you mean) has more to do with the political elites' failure than the King's.

He can of course encourage/urge the politicians to do more/better, but not much else really.

The new Oba of Benin basically pushed State house of Assembly to outlaw Omoniles' shenanigans. I guess other kings maybe doing their own little stuff like that.

Sadly , life has got worse for many Nigerians, not just in Oyo.

Overall, life/the world is changing and some kings are trying to re-invent their roles in this new atmosphere.

Finding the balance between tradition & modernity will need experimentation.

AreaFada2:
Alaafin dey sabi flex o. Even at his age.
Obas nver used to be so "flexical" in those days.

A certain mystic was preserved.

We are heading towards modern "selfie Obaship".

If people really want to see their Oba often, it might be a good thing.

Because Obaship itself is naturally a conservative & traditional institution, it is anyone's guess how all will pan out with time.

But I believe princes & princesses could take up more of the social outings/functions. On behalf of the (any) Kingdom. While Obas focus more on matters that are more important to their people's development, tradition & culture.

akigbemaru:
When old man of 83 year old is fucking 21 year old girl as a wife, he is a pervert. YORUBAs don't think straight because nobody asks question. There are many little cities in YORUBALAND with many kings. Abeokuta has more than 12 kings in one city, Agbayowa in ONDO, Ighoho in Oyo state and many cities in Lagos state like Mushin and Eti -Osa have many kings curled in one city.

How do their subjects think straight?

back2sender:
She only exposed herself. What does she mean by that the matter should be cancel. She is disgrace just like Alfa Sule.
The matter is in court abi Alfa Sule[b][/b] don get cold feet?.
Fake people fake pastor fake Alfa fake Sule fake apostle fake omega fake fire fake fake fake.

SalamRushdie:
Another Nigerian lie just like the one that said this same man founded the internet

Ogashub:
He can drive himself in another country but cant drive in Nigeria.... Yahoo oba

pokipoki:
Hmmmm. You should ask expatriates from Western Europe and North America if working in Nigeria is as a consequence of their destroyed country.

bhouze:
I dont blame them, if only things are working well in our country we would not need to seek the so called better education, health, opportunities etc else where to recieve such kind of barbaric treatment. Most times i just feel like crying because my country is been destroyed and i am not empowered to do anything about it.
i will still keep hope alive though.