It is with deep concern and utter dismay that we address the blatantly inaccurate and jaundiced report circulated by a certain irresponsible media outlet, Vanguard News regarding the burial of our revered monarch, His Royal Majesty, Oba Dr. Sikiru Kayode Adetona, GCON, Ọgbàgbà II, the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland.
Contrary to the baseless and mischievous claims that the late monarch was “interred according to traditional rites,” it must be stated with utmost clarity and finality that the remains of Oba Adetona were buried strictly according to Islamic rites, in line with his personal faith and well-known lifelong adherence to the principles of Islam. His Janāzah (funeral prayer) was duly observed, and the burial took place without any traditional rites that contradict Islamic tenets.
To suggest otherwise is not only a gross misrepresentation of the truth, but also a grievous insult to the memory of the monarch and the values he upheld in life and in death. It betrays either a shocking lack of journalistic rigour or a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and distort the legacy of a ruler known for his sincerity, transparency, and unshakeable religious identity.
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It is an enduring shame that a media organisation, which ought to serve as a pillar of factual reportage, would sink to the level of concocting such fabrications for reasons best known to it. This conduct is not only reckless, but also an affront to the integrity of responsible journalism in Nigeria.
We call on the said media organisation to retract the falsehood and issue a public apology to the royal family, the Muslim community, and the good people of Ijebuland, whose intelligence and dignity they have so brazenly insulted. Furthermore, we advise the general public and respectable institutions to disregard the report in its entirety, as it lacks both substance and credibility.
The legacy of the Awujale lives on — in truth, honour, and unwavering commitment to the values he espoused. We owe it to his memory to guard that truth with vigilance and to resist all attempts to rewrite history with the ink of falsehood.
Office of the Grand Chief Imam of Ijebuland
