Ní Iwájú Si : Nípa Ìlànà Oba Ifá Ti Gúúsù America (South America).

Caveat Emptor! Buyer Beware! Titles For Dollars

The facts as reported are,

1.  There was a syndicate which  used Alaafin’s  name and office to swindle unsuspecting Yoruba culture enthusiasts from foreign countries.
2. An Oyo-based group of Ifa Priests under the name, Ijo Ifa Adimula Temple, exploited foreign nationals on the internet and conferred on them different chieftaincy titles without the knowledge of the Alaafin.
3. Alaafin Oba Adeyemi is exploring the law to ensure the suspected con men, pay the price of dragging Yoruba culture into the mud before the international community.
4.  The palace had requested traditional religious centres in the town to register with a body known as ASA ORISA to ensure they conform to the ideal traditional practices and control fraudulent activities.
5.  The names of the suspects including Faniyi Awoniran Omoyemi, Ojelabi Okewole,Faleye Ikusaanu,Kehinde Ifaloseyi, Fasola Olaniyan,Famuwwagun Oloyede,Ifayemi Olaniyan,Ifakorede Ifaloseyi,Ifadoyin Ifatoki,Oyasogo Ifakorede,Ifasooto Ifawumi Adeyemo,Awoniran Awotunde,Awoniran Ifamuyiwa, and others.
6. Only Ikusanu Faleye, Fasola Olaniyan and Olaniyan Awoyemi were said to have appeared in the court sitting in Iyaganku, Ibadan, while others were at large.
7. A four-count charge of conspiracy to commit felony, impersonation, forgery and conduct likely to cause breach of public peace.
8. The prosecutor, Fatola Sunday, explained that the defendants and others impersonated the Alaafin and bestowed non-existing chieftaincy title of Oba Ifa Adimula of South America on some foreigners.
9. The defendants forged chieftaincy title certificates and presented same to Franciva Leoa Nobres, whom they named Ifatowo Adebayo; Dasiel Guerra, Awotunde Ajisola; and Jose Lara, named Ifakayode Falade.
10. The accused did not plead guilty of the offences after which Magistrate A.A. Adebisi, granted them bail in sum of N100, 000 with surety and proof of employment and adjourned till July 17.
11. The Oluwo of Oyo Alaafin, Ifatoki Ojo clarified that no Ifa priest had the authority to confer chieftancy title on the premise that the Alaafin reserves the consenting authority on chieftaincy matter.