Ooni Of Ife

Author: Gist Correspondent

Scores of terrorists on motorcycles who attacked two schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 15, 2026, abducting 39 pupils and students,  including toddlers, and seven teachers. The assailants killed one teacher and a pupil during the attack; the remaining captives remain held in the forest nearly a month later. The incident has sparked outrage across the South West, fuelling protests and teachers’ strikes.

Speaking at the grand finale of the 2026 Ifa festival, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, described the abductions as “painful and unacceptable” and urged traditional rulers across Yorubaland to invoke ancestral and spiritual powers to help combat banditry and kidnapping. He called for traditional authorities to support government and security efforts while protecting their communities.

Some residents questioned the practicality of spiritual methods in an era of AK-47s and modern weaponry, asking why such powers were not deployed earlier against forest-based criminal groups. In response, several Yoruba monarchs and traditionalists endorsed the Ooni’s appeal, saying ancestral practices remain effective and should be used when appropriate — but with government backing and within the law.

Oba Ayorinde Ilori-Faboro, Olojudo of Ido and former chairman of the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers, said traditional spiritual methods have historically deterred aggressors and can still work if applied correctly. Ogundeji Elebuìbon, a prominent traditionalist, said protecting forests “without firing a gun” is possible through customary means but urged a formal security summit so traditional practitioners can coordinate with governors and security agencies.

Oba Aladelusi Aladetoyinbo, the Deji of Akureland, affirmed the Ooni’s position but warned that ancestral powers have rules and risks; he stressed caution and legal compliance to prevent misuse. The Ekiti Council of Elders called the situation desperate and argued that unconventional measures, including use of traditional hunters and Babalawos, may be necessary to complement failing state protection.

The Oodua Security Network said it stands ready to deploy ancestral powers once formal permission is granted. The International Council for Ifa Religion urged that spiritual interventions be understood as complementary to, not substitutes for, conventional security measures, emphasizing that long-term safety requires cooperation among traditional institutions, security agencies and governments.

Critics, including the Yoruba Commitment Forum, raised procedural and constitutional concerns about public declarations of spiritual deployment and warned against undermining state security responsibilities. Community leaders warned the debate also reflects a cultural crisis: many Yoruba have distanced themselves from indigenous practices, and some argue the region must rekindle traditional systems while ensuring coordination and unity among rulers.

Traditional leaders say they possess cultural and spiritual resources for confronting insecurity, but they call for formal collaboration, government support, clear legal frameworks and careful oversight to ensure any deployment of ancestral measures supplements — rather than replaces — state security efforts.