Fake news: Ooni's palace refutes the widely circulated marriage story

Claims that Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the monarch, was the victim of a marriage scam have been refuted by the Palace of the Ooni of Ife in Osun State, which called the report fictitious.

Moses Olafare, the Ooni’s Palace’s director of media and public affairs, responded to Ms. Fagbule’s allegations that she was defrauded of $180,000 by those posing as Ooni in a statement provided to PUNCH Online on Thursday.

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.

“It is worrisome the level at which ladies have been making themselves victims of marriage frauds on the internet despite our several warnings to the general public, particularly ladies whose ultimate ambition is to become queens of the Ooni, to beware of internet marriage proposal scammers who capitalize on their gullibility and desperation.”

Olafare continued, “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.

“The news as posted by a Twitter (now X) handle called ‘99% OPPRESSED’ is fake, untrue, and an unfounded allegation adopted as a character assassination tactic aimed at achieving cheap popularity.”

The statement went on to say that the Ooni had no knowledge of the supposed Ms. Fagbule’s involvement in any kind of interpersonal connection or relationship, much less a marriage proposal.

It also made clear that the alleged marriage proposal letter circulated online was a fake and that the Ooni did not have a personal Facebook account.

“Rather than taking her matter to appropriate agencies like the EFCC and the Police for professional investigation, she chose to make it a social media brouhaha,” Olafare noted.

“If she truly has a genuine case of marriage proposal fraud, she is hereby invited to the palace in Ile-Ife to physically meet the Ooni for his fatherly assistance and the help of law enforcement agencies to uncover the perpetrators,” he added.

Reaffirming the palace’s stance, the statement 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.

“Contrary to the fake letter being dangled as evidence in the media, the Palace’s letterhead is unique and familiar to corporate bodies, personalities, and other recipients, with the Ooni’s signature as the ‘Arole Oduduwa Olofin Adimula’ and not ‘His Imperial Majesty’.”

In a post on X, an unidentified journalist claimed that the Ooni had defrauded the American physician of $180,000 after the latter had indicated interest in constructing hospitals in a few Southwest areas of Nigeria.

Additionally, it was said that Ooni broke off contact with the US doctor after he failed to make the investment as the two had previously agreed upon.

A middle-aged guy apologized to the most important traditional monarch in May 2024 after claiming in a widely shared video that he is the son of the Ooni of Ife.

The man in the first video said that the king had ordered him and his mother to keep hidden and to behave discreetly.