Ooni Of Ife Is Dead

                                Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade is dead
 The Ooni of Ife, Alayeluwa Oba Okunade Sijuwade is dead. He died today in London at the age of 85.Oba Sijuwade was the fifth Ooni of Ife. He climbed unto the throne on December 6, 1980. As the Ooni of Ife, he presided over the Ife territory, in the South West Nigeria but his influence went far and beyond.

He came into office at the height of the supremacy fight amongst Yoruba Obas. The crisis pitched him against the Alaafin of Oyo. It festered on until Osun state was carved out of the old Oyo State.

Before he became an Oba, he studied at Abeokuta Grammar School and later at Northampton College in the United Kingdom before he became a manager at Leventis stores.

Oba Sijuwade’s term as Oba was characterised with political treachery, as he was one of the traditional rulers that meddled in politics. He was infamously instrumental to the annulment of June 12, 1993, elections won by late Moshood Abiola. The Ooni  had also been severally fingered in the failed effort to have Senator Iyiola Omisore elected the governor of Osun state in 2011.
He survived by several wives and children.

Photo: Nigerian man jailed for rape in London

38 year old Nigerian man, Olaoluwa Ibrahim was yesterday July 28th sentenced to jail by the Central Criminal Court in London for raping and stealing from a woman he attacked in Central London in June last year.

UK's metropolitan police say Ibrahim's victim was on her way back from an outing with her friends in Central London when he accosted her and raped her.

After leaving her friends, the victim got on a bus and decided to stop close to her house so she could take a short walk home. As she walked, Ibrahim approached her from behind and tried to engage her in conversation. She tried ignoring him by walking away but he grabbed her and pushed her into a driveway where he forced her to the floor and raped her, before stealing her phone and running from the scene. The victim was able to make her way home and subsequently contacted the police.

Officers were able to trace Ibrahim via extensive phone inquiries as he had made a number of calls to the victim’s new phone following the incident. When interrogated, he denied knowing the victim, saying his DNA will not be found on her as he had not had sex with anyone. DNA testing showed that his DNA matched the one found on the victim’s clothing. He then changed his story, claiming to have had consensual sex with the victim and denied stealing her phone.

The victim is now living in Australia and to save her the trauma of having to return to the UK for the trial, officers traveled there and provided specialist computer equipment which allowed her to give her evidence remotely via a live link to the court.

Ibrahim pleaded guilty to rape and theft. Delivering judgement, the presiding judge ruled that after serving his prison term, he will be deported back to Nigeria.

Photos: Ile-Ife in sombre mood following the death of Ooni of Ife, markets close down

Markets in Ile Ife have been closed down while the entire community is in a sombre mood following the death of the paramount ruler of Ile Ife, His Royal Majesty Oba Okunade Sijuwade who passed away  in London yesterday July 28th. Motorcycle riders are pictured outside the Oba's palace. More photos bellow.............