The Palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has firmly denied allegations that the monarch was involved in a marriage scam, labeling the claims as baseless and fabricated.
In an official statement released on Thursday, Moses Olafare, the Director of Media and Public Affairs at the Ooni’s Palace, addressed the rumors concerning Ms. Fagbule, who was allegedly defrauded of $180,000 by individuals posing as the Ooni.
Olafare stated, “The Palace of the Ooni of Ife is not unaware of a trending fake news about one Ms. Fagbule purportedly swindled of $180,000 allegedly by our father, Arole Oduduwa Olofin Adimula, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.”
He expressed concern over the growing number of women falling victim to online marriage scams, especially those eager to become queens of the Ooni. Olafare emphasized that the Palace has consistently warned the public about internet scammers who exploit such desires.
“Even though it is not in our tradition to respond to fake news like this, posted and promoted by a criminal faceless source through a Twitter (now X) account, it has become imperative to make this response for necessary clarifications in order to calm the inundation of genuine concerns expressed by subjects, friends, and lovers of the Ooni globally,” Olafare continued.
He clarified that Ms. Fagbule has never had any form of communication or relationship with the Ooni. Additionally, he noted that the Ooni does not use any personal Facebook account, and the marriage proposal letter circulated online is a complete fabrication.
The statement urged Ms. Fagbule to seek professional investigation through appropriate agencies like the EFCC and the police, rather than escalating the matter on social media. Olafare extended an invitation for her to visit the palace in Ile-Ife to meet the Ooni, who would assist her with law enforcement support to identify the fraudsters.
Reaffirming the Palace’s position, Olafare concluded, “For the umpteenth time, the Ile Oodua Palace of the Ooni of Ife wishes to advise all persons globally to be cautious in their engagements, particularly on social media, as the Ooni does not interface with anyone via the internet/social media or appoint proxies to do so.”
The statement also pointed out the distinctiveness of the Palace’s letterhead and signature, which are well-known to corporate bodies and other recipients, countering the fake letter shared as evidence.
An anonymous journalist on X had initially claimed that the Ooni scammed a US doctor of $180,000, alleging that the funds were intended for building hospitals in Southwest Nigeria, an accusation the Palace has categorically denied.
