By Michael Ofulue, Osogbo
A Yoruba socio-cultural group, Yoruba Socio-cultural Pathfinder (YSP), has called on traditional rulers across Yorubaland to condemn what it described as a “brazen cultural heresy” allegedly being perpetrated by one Adeyinka Adeshina Obawale, who is parading himself as a monarch in Modakeke, Osun State.
In a statement signed by its President, Bashorun Ige Ogunjobi, the group urged the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies to immediately investigate the activities of the self-acclaimed monarch, who styles himself as “Oba Adeyinka Adeshina Obawale, the Oluoje of Ojenpetu.”
According to the group, Obawale and his followers allegedly migrated from Kogi State to settle in Modakeke, where he purportedly established a community and began parading himself as a crowned king — an act the YSP described as “an affront to Yoruba tradition and the rule of law.”
“We have been following with utter dismay how one Adeyinka Adeshina Obawale has been disturbing the peace of Modakeke with his group of cohorts,” Ogunjobi said.
“It is necessary for the police to find out when, where, and who crowned him a monarch. It is unheard of for strangers to invade a Yoruba community and appoint a rival traditional ruler where one already exists.
The group further accused the self-styled monarch of disrespecting the Ogunsua of Modakeke, Oba Olu Toriola (Ajibise Ogo I), through what it described as “unprintable words and insolence.”
“Any insult to the Ogunsua is an insult to all sons and daughters of Modakeke,” Ogunjobi added. “We advise Obawale to desist from dragging the revered name of Ogunsua in the mud and avoid being used to cause chaos in the community.”
The group maintained that Obawale’s actions could destabilise peace in Modakeke and the wider Southwest region if left unchecked, describing his conduct as a threat to traditional order and community stability.
However, when contacted, Oba Adeyinka Adeshina Obawale denied the allegations, insisting that he had not caused any disturbance in Modakeke. Instead, he claimed he was attacked by hoodlums on May 3, 2025, leading to the destruction of his property before police officers rescued him.
“I am not disturbing the peace of Modakeke; it is the community that attacked me,” Obawale said. “They accused us of being strangers and wrote petitions against us. On May 3, some hoodlums invaded my house and shot at me. The matter is already before the Commissioner of Police.”
He added that he had since left Modakeke following the attack, as he awaits police investigation into the matter.
As tensions simmer, the YSP has appealed to security agencies and Yoruba traditional institutions to ensure peace is restored and the sanctity of Yoruba customs upheld in Modakeke.