The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has declared that the Itsekiri people of Delta State are of Yoruba origin, being direct descendants of Oduduwa, the revered progenitor of the Yoruba race.
Owoade made this declaration during a courtesy visit by a high-powered delegation of royal Warri Chiefs and prominent Itsekiri leaders to the ancient palace of the Alaafin in Oyo town, the cradle of Yoruba civilisation, considered to date back to the 12th century.
Speaking during the event, the Alaafin said: “We are bound by blood. What affects you affects the entire Yoruba people. We have the same history, shared fears and aspirations. We need to work together as one people driven by the same history and destiny.”
He further recalled his connection to Warri, having served in the city during his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year.
The Alaafin said the Yoruba and Itsekiri need to work together, adding that what affects Itsekiri also affects the entire Yoruba people.
“We have the same ancestry, history, shared fears and aspirations. We need to work together as one people driven by the same origin and destiny,” Owoade told the Warri Chiefs.
The visiting delegation was introduced by veteran journalist and historian Adewale Adeoye, with the Iyasere of Warri Kingdom, Chief Johnson Amatsereuleghe, leading the group.
Other dignitaries included Chief Barr. Robinson Ariyo (Egogo Iwere of Warri), Chief Roland Oritsejafor (Ogwa of Warri), Chief Omotolubi Newuwumi (Omotamudieyi of Warri), and Prince Benson Onuwaje, CEO of Emirate Logistics — recently awarded Best Security Company in Nigeria by the Nigerian Human Rights Community (NHRC), a coalition of 130 civil society groups.
In his remarks, Chief Amatsereuleghe delivered warm greetings from the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, describing the visit as symbolic and strategic.
He described the visit as historic and a purposeful effort to strengthen the bond of collaboration and solidarity between the Itsekiri and Yoruba people, who share a common ancestry.
He commended the Alaafin for exhibiting exceptional leadership within a short period since ascending the throne.
The Iyasere congratulated the Alaafin on his emergence as the new custodian of Yoruba tradition and expressed confidence in his ability to unite the Yoruba nation.
He noted that the Alaafin’s rise to the throne came at a crucial moment in history, expressing hope that he would help heal the wounds of the past by uniting all descendants of Oduduwa in the pursuit of peace and prosperity.
He further highlighted the longstanding political and economic marginalisation of the Itsekiri people in Delta State, stressing that they have endured decades of repression and exclusion that must now be addressed.
“There is no ambiguity about our Yoruba origin. This is a fact we know. It is evident in our location in Delta, in our language, our culture and the folklore handed over by our forefathers,” he said.
Other members of the delegation included Warri South Local Government Secretary Emmanuel Nunu; Chairman of Warri Indigenous Peoples Movement Hon. Kingsley Tenumah Afere; its Secretary Monoyo Edon; former Director of Protocol to the Delta State Government Hon. Godwin Abigor; former Warri North Councillor Hon. Appearance Afejuku; and community leader Hon. Dere Jarekpe.
SaharaReporters recently reported how a Yoruba traditional ruler based in the United States, His Royal Highness Chief Lukman Ojora Arounfale, the Baba Oba of Oyotunji African Village in South Carolina, died following an alleged assault ordered by the Alaafin of Oyo.
The reported assault occurred at the Alaafin’s palace and has been linked to a fallout between the Alaafin and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, over matters of royal supremacy.
Chief Arounfale—an American citizen who had lived in the United States for over four decades—was allegedly attacked alongside his wife and driver after a meeting at the palace on April 17, 2025.
The injuries he sustained reportedly led to his death. His family and supporters have publicly accused the Alaafin of masterminding the brutal attack.
In a posthumous audio recording obtained by SaharaReporters, Chief Arounfale emotionally recounted his harrowing experience at the Alaafin’s palace.
Narrating his ordeal in Oyo, the late Chief Lukman Ojora Arounfale recalled how he was lured to the Alaafin’s palace under the pretext of a meeting:
“When I returned to Lagos, some of Alaafin’s followers told me he wanted to speak with me. I asked them to give me two weeks because I was engaged with something. But I later decided to make the sacrifice and went. When I arrived, I met many people at the palace, but they quickly ushered me in, saying Baba (Alaafin) was waiting for me.
“Upon entry, they told me to remove my traditional beads before I could see the Alaafin—a request that had never been made of me before. I went in with my wife and those who accompanied me. When it was time to address him, I knelt and greeted him, saying, ‘Kabiyesi!’
“He asked, ‘Are you the Baba Oba?’ I said yes. Then he asked why I bore that title and if I was from Oyo. I said I wasn’t. He asked how I became Baba Oba, and I explained that I was crowned by the Ooni of Ife. That was when everything changed.
“I told him that we had had two kings before me at Oyotunji and that the Ooni had always crowned them. But he didn’t want to hear any of it. When I mentioned the Ooni, things escalated. He accused me of coming to spy for the Ooni and said I was illegitimately claiming a royal title.
“Suddenly, his guards began to slap and punch me—right there in his presence. They beat me severely, dragged me out, and continued the assault. I fell. I thought that was the end.
“My driver made a mistake—he had been recording my conversation with the Alaafin without my instruction. When they discovered the recording, they took his phone to delete it. Even after that, they continued beating me. They also beat my wife.”
In response, the Alaafin’s palace denied any involvement in Chief Arounfale’s death. In a telephone conversation with this newspaper, Bode Durojaiye, the Alaafin’s Director of Media and Publicity, dismissed the allegations as entirely baseless.
Source: Sahara Reporters
