Cult members seize Ooni’s second-in-command’s corpse

Some cult members believed to be members of the Isoro cult group in Ile Ife on Friday seized the corpse of Obalufe of Iremo Quarters, Ife, Oba Solomon Omisakin, for some hours before the remains were released for burial.

Our correspondent gathered on Saturday that there was confusion at the Iremo Palace of the late Obalufe, who was the prime minister of Ife. He was the head of the Ife kingmakers who administered Ife during the interregnum created by the demise of Oba Okunade Sijuwade.

Obalufe died on October 15 shortly before the new Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, was announced as Sijuwade’s successor.

Sources told journalists that the initial rumour in Ife on Friday was that members of Ogboni Confraternity were the ones who seized the corpse. However, they later said those who seized the corpse had nothing to do with Ogboni.

When contacted on the telephone by our correspondent, the Obadio of Ife, Oba Olajide Faloba, who is the head of the Isoro cult said his group knew nothing about the incident.

He said Obalufe was not indebted to Isoro in anyway, saying he would have been informed if those who seized the corpse were members of the cult.

But different sources confirmed to our correspondent that the corpse was seized by the cult, who demanded N500, 000 and other items from children of the deceased before they could be allowed to bury their father. The seizure caused a delay as the family could not bury the dead in the morning the interment was scheduled.

It was gathered that the family members paid some undisclosed amount and bought some items for sacrifice for the members of the group who disrupted the burial before the remains of Obalufe were interred later on Friday evening.