It’s no longer news of the passing of the late king, Oba Adeyemi the third. Since then, many stories surrounding him have flooded the internet. From, his burial rites to what happens to his bereaved Queens and to when his Abobaku joins him on the passage to the other world? All these stories have since trailed the late king.
However, a part of all these questions has been answered by high chief Basorun Akinade Ayoola Yusuf in an interview with BBC Yoruba, with his response on the latter that “the burial rite of the Alaafin is unique and entirely different from the rites of other kings in the Yoruba kingdom but doesn’t know how powerful they are in comparison”.
Asides from this, he reiterates that Abobaku is someone who enjoys alongside the king when he was alive, and then according to the old Oyo tradition, after the king’s death, the Abobaku drums and dances around the town in the evening, and on his return, he dies with the king. He says, ‘there is no more Abobaku and another thing is being used as a substitute, the name Abobaku is being changed to Olokun esin and since civilization began, a lot of things have changed and the Yoruba culture no longer supports the death of an Abobaku. He affirmed that the present Abobaku is still alive and doing fine.
It is important to note that it is now 9 days the Alaafin passed and since his demise, people from different walks of life have visited the palace and in turn, paid their tributes. As a baby who is born to the world is customarily and formally welcomed to the world through naming, on the 8th day, so is a king when he dies; For the late king, on his 8th day, inter-religious prayers were offered accompanied by lots of dirge at Aganju Forecourt, Alaafin Palace, Oyo.
An insider from the Oyo palace told our news agency that there will be a big burial party 41 days after his demise to wrap up his exit. We look forward to that. May the departed rest well.
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