It has now been confirmed that the traditional funeral rites for the late Owa Omiran of Esa Oke, HRM Oba Adeyemi Akanbi Adediran, Atipa Owaji 11, would not come anytime soon, as the Owamiran-in-Council has acceded to the request of the Omo Omirans not to perform any rites for the departed Oba without the provision of the traditional symbol of the stool, Owasokun.
The Omo Omirans are the Princes from all the four ruling houses in Esa Oke. They are Afinbiokin, Beleyeke, Gogodudu (Ananye) and Aragadagbagun (Yeye Owa).
The group stirred a fresh controversy during the week over the passage and final rites for the departed Owa Omiran, as the joint body, urged the Regent of the town and the Owamiran-in-Council “never to attempt or permitting the burial of the late monarch with his ancestors, except the symbol of authority given to him during his installation, Owasokun, is provided by his immediate family”.
The Princes threatened the Regent, High Chief Paul Abimbola Olamiju, Ogboni of Esa Oke that he would face untold litigations and other sanctions, if their wishes were ignored.
The letter was signed by Chief (Engr.) Adeyemi Omojadegbe, Bajimo and leader of
Omo Omiran, Esa Oke and seven other Heads and Youth Leaders of the other three ruling houses. Notably, however, no one from the Aragagbagun Ruling House of the late Oba Adediran signed the letter.
www.esaoketodayonline.com recalled that the late Owa Omiran passed away on Wednesday, 06 May, 2026 at the LAUTEC Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Osun State. His remains are yet to be committed to the Mother’s Earth to join his ancestors since then.
The Omo Obas added in a displeasure tone that “any failure on your part to comply with the above resolution of the Omo Omirans will not only attract litigation and stiff resistance from all of us, but it will also be viewed as an affront on our traditional custom and common heritage in Esa Oke town, and you will be held strictly responsible as the regent”.
They urged High Chief Ogbaoni and the Owamiran-in-Council to “kindly comply with “our above stated resolution in the interest of peace and mutual co-operation”.
Their request was simply stated. “We write as princes of Esa Oke and members of the four ruling houses in the town to request you, as the regent and the entire Owamiran-in-Council, not to attempt burying or permitting the burial of the late Oba Adeyemi Akanbi Adediran at the burial site of past obas in the Esa Oke palace, unless and until his family produces the Owasokun”.
The statement added “as you are aware, Owasokun is the traditional symbol of authority that is handed over to every new Owamiran immediately after his installation. Without this important traditional item, the installation of an Owamiran cannot be completed. That was why the kingmakers and the traditional chiefs handed over the said Owasokun to the late Oba Adediran after his installation”.
They stated further that “It therefore beats our collective imagination when we were inundated with the story of Owasokun being missing. Owasokun is our common heritage as princes and it must be produced at all cost if Oba Adefiran must be buried as an oba. We have resolved that if for any reason the all-important traditional item is not produced by the family of the late king, he should not be buried as a king in the resting place of our fore fathers behind the palace, and he should not be reckoned as one of our late monarchs”.
They however added that, “if his family members are willing to bury him personally in his house like an ordinary indigene of Esa Oke but not in his official capacity as an Owamiran, they are free to so do”.
But they further threatened that “if they should go ahead and bury him privately, we also, would not allow any other person from his own ruling house to be installed as an Owamiran henceforth, unless and until they purge themselves of the sacrilege their candidate committed by producing the Owasokun”.
Upon receiving the strong-worded letter, the Regent High Chief Abimbola Olamiju called an Emergency meeting of the Owamiran-in-Council and the senior chiefs in the town to discuss the grievances of the Omo Omirans.
The meeting rose late Wednesday evening without an official communique, but an informed Palace Chief informed www.esaoketodayonline.com that “the requests of the Omo Omirans were granted after hot debates and exchanges of words”
According to the Palace Chief, “for now the final rites for the late Owa Omiran has been put on hold, pending when the family will provide the traditional totem, a symbol of authority given to their son, when he was installed in April 22, 2004”.