Amidst the controversy sparked by the ban on traditional religious practices in Iwo land by Oluwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun state, has warned the monarch against trampling on the freedom of adherents of African traditional religion from practising their faith.
In a statement by Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, it was explained that the governor deployed his special adviser on security, Samuel Ojo, to Iwo for urgent interface with both sides.
The special adviser at the palace at Iwo met various stakeholders, including a telephone conversation with Oluwo who was out of town.
The statement read: “He also had interactions with some traditionalists who had vowed to converge at Iwoland to challenge the traditional ruler who had reportedly banned traditionalists from his domain.”
“He spoke with Kabiyesi, Oluwo, and promised to ensure peace and security though he is out of town. He interacted with some other traditional leaders not far from the palace.
“The message is that peaceful co-existence is a must and any group that breaches the peace of the state will have security operatives to contend with. We have taken all necessary security precautions. The traditionalists are free to exercise their fundamental human rights. They must act within the bounds of the law.”
Recall that Oluwo had banned some practices of traditional worshippers in his domain indefinitely, stating that it does not align with civilization.
The traditional worshippers, however, dared the monarch by insisting that they would continue their activities especially to mark 2023 “Isese Day.”
