A middle-aged man who previously claimed in a viral video to be a son of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, has issued a public apology to the monarch, retracting his earlier assertions.
JomogNews reports that the apology came after the man’s initial claim sparked considerable controversy and prompted a response from the Ooni’s palace.
In the controversial video, the individual, dressed in a traditional white Agbada, asserted that Oba Ogunwusi had instructed him and his mother to remain discreet about his lineage.
“Oba Enitan Ogunwunsi is my father. He hid me with my mother with a clear instruction that I must not reveal myself,” the man claimed in Yoruba.
However, the Ooni’s spokesman, Moses Olafare, quickly refuted these claims, labelling them as impersonation and noting that the matter had been escalated to security agencies.
Olafare clarified that the individual was neither a child of Ooni Ogunwusi nor related to any lineage of the Ogunwusi royal family or the Giesi Royal Compound of Ile-Ife.
In a subsequent video that surfaced online on Friday, the man expressed remorse for the confusion and potential distress his initial claims might have caused.
He explained that his actions were driven by a series of dreams involving the Ooni, which he interpreted as significant.
According to him, these dreams led him to believe he had a special connection with the monarch, prompting his public appeal.
“I have a reason for creating that video. In 2022, I found myself beside the Ooni in my dream, engaging in discussions,” he said.
Despite attempting to meet the Ooni in person and failing, he created the video as a last-ditch effort to get noticed.
The man, who did not reveal his name in either video, pleaded with the Ooni for understanding, stating, “My esteemed father, please do not be displeased with me. I did not create the video to defame you; rather, I made it to attract your attention so that I could narrate my dream to you and hopefully meet you.”
He also appealed to the Nigerian public not to use his video as a means to defame the Ooni, emphasizing that his intentions were to seek an audience with the monarch, not to create controversy or dishonour.
The palace has reiterated its commitment to preserving the cultural heritage of the Yoruba people and stressed that it would not tolerate attempts to undermine or tarnish its legacy through deceptive means.
The incident underscores the challenges faced by prominent public figures in managing false claims and protecting their reputations amidst the vast reach of social media.
