Alaafin to unite Yoruba communities in Benin ahead of Oyo Empire Day

Alaafin to unite Yoruba communities in Benin ahead of Oyo Empire Day

By Adejayan Gbenga

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has moved to strengthen unity among Yoruba communities in the Republic of Benin ahead of the proposed Oyo Empire Day celebration.

The monarch sent his representative, Prince Sheriff Adebayo-Onisile, a renowned Yoruba historian, on a three-day mission to the country for consultations, cultural diplomacy, reconciliation and mobilisation ahead of the celebration.

The mission focused on strengthening the historical and cultural ties between the old Oyo Empire and Yoruba communities in the Republic of Benin, while encouraging greater participation in the proposed Oyo Empire Day

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has moved to strengthen unity among Yoruba communities in the Republic of Benin ahead of the proposed Oyo Empire Day celebration.

The monarch sent his representative, Prince Sheriff Adebayo-Onisile, a renowned Yoruba historian, on a three-day mission to the country for consultations, cultural diplomacy, reconciliation and mobilisation ahead of the celebration.

The mission focused on strengthening the historical and cultural ties between the old Oyo Empire and Yoruba communities in the Republic of Benin, while encouraging greater participation in the proposed Oyo Empire Day.

According to a statement by the Alaafin’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, Onisile met with traditional rulers, Yoruba elders, politicians, sociocultural leaders, traders and other prominent members of the Yoruba community during the visit.

In Porto-Novo, Onisile was received by Oba Dr. Rafiu Atanda Adesakin, the Aladjache of Adjache-Ile, where discussions centred on Yoruba unity, cultural preservation, the historical relationship between Dahomey and the old Oyo Empire, and the planned visit of the Alaafin to the Republic of Benin.

He also met Chief Clement Kouchade, the minister for Secondary Education and Bashorun of Pobeland in Plateau Province, at the Federal Secretariat in Cotonou, with discussions focusing on Oyo heritage, historical and cultural ties between Yoruba communities in Nigeria and Benin, and the need for unity and peaceful coexistence.

Onisile later met the leadership of Ẹgbẹ Isokan Ọmọ Yoruba in Benin and representatives of the Agboluaje and Onikoyi families, where he delivered the Alaafin’s message of peace and unity, while the umbrella body pledged to support reconciliation among Yoruba factions in Porto-Novo.

The final leg of the mission took Onisile to Ayogo-Ile, an ancient settlement with historical links to Oyo-Ile, where discussions centred on the traditional relationship between the community and the Alaafin’s Palace, with the visit expected to further strengthen cultural and traditional ties ahead of the Oyo Empire Day celebration.

Igbeji People In Yewa South Trace Ancestral Root To Oyo Royal Dynasty

 By Bode Durojaiye, Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Paramount Ruler of Oyo Kingdom and the Superior Head of Yorubaland. 

Our identity is shaped by more than our own experiences. It is also influenced by the lives, choices, struggles, and achievements of the people who came before us. Every family carries a history filled with lessons about courage, adaptation, survival, and hope.

Understanding one family's history helps answer important questions about identity. Where did one's family come from? What challenges did they face? What traditions and values did they pass down?

The above analogies propelled the people of Igbeji Community in the Great South local government area of Ogun State to search and traced their ancestral root to Oyo Royal Dynasty.

However, Friday, the 25th of September, 2026 would remain indelible in the minds of Igbeji people ,as joy knew no bounds for them when they finally discovered and visited their ancestral home in the ancient City of Oyo.  

The atmosphere was electrifying , as the Alaafin and the Titan of Yorubaland, Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade 1,  treated the Princes and Princesses from Igbeji community to a civic reception , with the Palace traditional drummers rolled the drums to welcome the royal guests. 

They were received in the ancient Palace  by Princes and Princesses of Oyo Royal Dynasty with fanfare. 

In his address, spokesman for the Igbeji people, Prince Dr. Jide Ajayi, said Igbeji community in Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State was founded and established by Prince Adelakun, a direct son of Alaafin Atiba of Oyo, after his migration from his home town.

According to him, "" the traditional ruler of the town is styled the Oni Igbeji or Onigbeji of Igbeji land, reflecting deep historical and cultural ties to the broader Yoruba and Oyo heritage. 

"" While historically populated and governed by the royal heirs and descendants tied to the Oyo lineage, the community has over time welcomed and accommodated neighboring farming and trading groups, including settlers of Egun and Ketu extractions"".

Dr. Ajayi who expressed appreciation to Prince Sherif Onisile-Adebayo, a renowned Yoruba Historian for his support and assistance in enabling them traced their root to Oyo, also thanked both Pa Prince Hassan Oranlola and Arch- Bishop Emeritus Prince Lawrence Ayoade Ladigbolu for their reception when they first  came to their ancestral home for an event.

 While expressing their innermost appreciation to the Alaafin for the warmth reception accorded them, pledged their unalloyed commitments to their ancestral root and the Alaafin who he described as "" a formidable Paramount Ruler of Yorubaland"".

Pa Prince Hassan Oranlola and Arch-Bishop Emeritus Prince Ayoade Ladigbolu who congratulated the people of Igbeji for  the visitation to their root, also lauded the Alaafin for the reception.

Also speaking,   Prince Sherif Onisile-Adebayo, noted that  roots are necessary and important for plants as well as for people, said just about every society, a family which can trace its origin yo many generations is regarded as a proud family.

"" The Alaafin is  "" a Legend, Pathfinder, upright and selfless Monarch

whose contributions at  ensuring the continuity of collective

historical facts which were   being upset is second to none "", Onisile-Adebayo stressed.

While congratulating  the  Princes and Princesses of Oyo Royal Dynasty from Igbeji community for the  historic and identification with their roots,  charged Younger Yoruba generation on the "" need for knowledge improvement through the media,  and resurrection and introduction of stories and background images that established a sense of celebration of their ancestry"".

Said he, "" the wisdom in alaafin’s advocacy is that sound education and proper enlightenment would generate positive actions and attitudes thus ensuring the preservation of the value of our common heritage"". 

In his address, the Alaafin said  "" in a world that often emphasizes individuality and forward movement, ancestral connection grounds people in continuity, as it reminds the soul that life is not a solitary journey but part of a much larger story"".

He stated that when one feels adrift or uncertain, recalling the lives of ancestors provides stability, adding that they too endured seasons of change, faced uncertainty, and found ways to persevere, as their stories become a compass for navigating our challenges of today.

According to him, "" this grounding is especially powerful in times of transition. A person who feels disconnected from their purpose may find strength in recalling the resilience of a great-grandparent. Someone experiencing loss may find comfort in remembering that previous generations also bore grief yet found joy again. Ancestral connection offers perspective: the struggles of the present are part of a larger river of life that has always flowed toward renewal.

"Identifying with our ancestral roots enable us to understanding the cultural roots and identities, learn from past mistakes to avoid repeating them, appreciate the struggles and triumphs of those before us, build critical thinking and analytical skills,  and create a more informed and engaged society. The events in the past shows how change unfolds over time reminding us that today’s issues are not isolated but part of a larger continuum.

"" The essence of a sense of history is an intuitive and deep awareness that all human actions, thoughts, and institutions are shaped by time and continuous development. It goes beyond simple memorization of facts or dates to see how the past creates and complicates the present. It connects where we came from with where we are now, establishing a bridge between past realities and modern interpretations. While  it fosters a sober habit of mind, realism, and caution regarding human nature and society"".

 The Paramount Ruler asserted that by understanding the patterns and consequences of previous actions, it gives us the perspective needed to navigate tomorrow. It helps individuals and societies avoid repeating past mistakes.It anchors societal norms, civic duty, and a shared sense of belonging.

While congratulating and appreciating the Princes and Princesses of Oyo Royal Dynasty in Igbeji community for successfully identifying with their roots , Oba Owoade assured them of his readiness to support and cooperate with them whenever the need arises.

OBITUARY: 420 YEAR-OLD TORTOISE 'BABA' DIES PEACEFULLY IN OYO PALACE

The historic tortoise of the Oyo Kingdom, fondly known as Baba, has died at the reported age of 420 and has been buried after living for generations at the palace of the Alaafin.

The Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Bode Durojaiye, disclosed the development, describing Baba as more than an ordinary tortoise because of its connection to Yoruba history and oral traditions.

According to Durojaiye, the current Alaafin, His Imperial Majesty, Iku Baba Yeye, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, met Baba at the Palace, where successive Alaafins had cared for and inherited it as part of the relics associated with their ancestors.

Durojaiye said, “In Oyo, Baba was regarded as the oldest indigene. It was the Alaafin’s most besotted pet. The incumbent paramount ruler met it in the palace, as Baba was nourished by a succession of Kings, who inherited him as part of the relics of their ancestors,” adding that Baba represented “a part of the oral history of the Yoruba race.”

The palace account holds that Baba was brought from Oyo-Ile, the former capital of the Oyo Empire, to the present palace in Oyo town, where it later became a tourist attraction for residents and visitors.

Baba was said to have fed mainly on watermelon, corn pap wrapped in leaves and grass, while its reported longevity and name, meaning “father,” reflected the special status accorded to it.

The tortoise reportedly fell ill on Monday and stopped eating before it died, ending the life of an animal that, according to the Palace’s historical account, survived several generations of Alaafins.

Durojaiye said: “In Oyo, Baba was regarded as the oldest indigene. It was the Alaafin’s most besotted pet. The incumbent Paramount Ruler met it in the Palace, as Baba was nourished by a succession of Kings, who inherited him as part of the relics of their ancestors.

“Baba was more than a turtle in status. He represented a part of the oral history of the Yoruba race. Now, the Alaafin has lost an ageless companion.”

Baba has since been buried, with the palace expected to preserve the memory of the tortoise, which had become a symbol of Oyo’s enduring past for residents and visitors.

False media reports on supervision of children in changing rooms

On September 14th 2026, a number of reports appeared in the media which falsely claimed that NSPCC guidance for schools is that adults of the opposite sex should be allowed to supervise children in changing rooms. This is untrue. 

We advise that adults supervising children in changing rooms are of the same sex as the children. This is clearly set out in our NSPCC Sport guidance.

Our briefing for schools reflects government guidance which is currently unclear on this issue. Our briefing does not say adults of the opposite sex should supervise children changing. The briefing is pending review following any further updates from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and Department for Education to ensure schools and professionals have the clarity they need to keep children safe.

The EHRC is currently consulting on updated technical guidance for England, Wales and Scotland explaining schools’ legal obligations not to discriminate against, harass or victimise pupils under the Equality Act 2010. This includes information on the provision of toilets, changing rooms and showers. The consultation closes on 30 September 2026 (EHRC, 2026).