Edunabon, A Tale Of “ile Oba Tiwon Jo”

By: ADEWALE ADETOYESE

Earlier before the modern civilization, palaces of Yoruba monarchs are considered to be sacred and highly dignified as the highest authority.

Aside from the fact that it is the residence exclusively for kings and their queens, a typical Yoruba palace used to be held in a very high esteem particularly for its spiritual compositions, as it doubles as an ancestral museum to all descendants of the town in question.

Yoruba palaces used to be an epitome of traditional, spiritual and material wealth as it houses treasures like crowns, royal beads, historical documents, shrines and costly items like gold, silver as well as diamonds in countless variations.

The status of Yoruba palaces is so enormous that it was believed that such sacred apartment could never be gutted by fire or set ablaze until some faceless individuals burnt the palace of the Salu of Edunbon, Ife North Local Government down.

TWO PRINCES WANTING TO MOUNT A SINGLE THRONE
It was a rough month of December, 2018, in the ancient town when Prince Kehinde Oladepo and Prince Nasiru Adebayo laid claim to the Salu’s throne after the demise Oba Elijah Omoloye Oyelade, Agunbiade I, who joined his ancestors on August 4, 2017.

Trouble ensued in the town when Prince Kehinde Oladapo who was said to have just finished the mandatory kingship seclusion attempted to gain entry into the palace was waylaid by some individuals who were against his emergence, thus culminating into severe injuries sustained by some people.

As if that was not enough, the enraged persons stormed the palace and born it down, with a view to preventing him from ascending the vacant stool. Prince Kehinde who could not run fast was reportedly abducted by the mob but was later rescued by the police.

Yes, the hoodlums executed there plans!
There is no doubt in the fact that those who burnt the palace to block the emergence of a king that they did not want emerged victorious as the town has be without either a king or a Palace.

The former palace that was burnt down like the house of a wicked witch has since remained a shadow of its good self as it currently possess the look of the deepest part of the dirtiest slum in the world.
Indeed, the hoodlums have achieved there aims.

Below are multimillion questions begging for answers……
1. Who is the next Salu of Edunabon?
2. Who will rebuild the Palace?

People have been waiting for a long while…….. They are tired of waiting hopelessly and endlessly.

©
Adewale Adetoyese
(Adetoyese011@gmail.com)