By Shakirudeen Bankole
A sacrilegious act was committed against the Yoruba cultural tradition Wednesday, when irate youths attacked the Palace of the Oba of Lagos, His Royal Highness, Oba Rilwan Akinolu.
At about 2:01pm, the rampaging protesters, invaded the Iduganra abode of the king, beating everyone on sight and stealing valuable items, including the staff of the throne.
Ironically, the staff of a king, especially in Yoruba traditional heritage, represents the presence of such a king, his seal or authority on a given matter, as the case maybe.
According to findings, Oba Akinolu became a prime attack because of his affinity with the former Governor of the state, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom many allegedly believed singlehandedly enthroned the monarch.
Video footage of how the mob invaded the palace, attacked the police chiefs, stewards, and carted away valuables, had since been uploaded and gone viral on the social media.
Although, the angry mob were initially repelled by the men and officers of the Adeniji Adele Police Staion, and the armed police operatives attached to the palace, they later overwhelmed the security operatives in the dwell.
The scene, as captured in the viral video, indicated that the invaders were armed with arms and ammunitions, unlike the regular protesters on the street.
As at the time of filling this report, the whereabout of the Monarch could not be confirmed, but he was said to have been whisked away right at the nick of time before the violent invasion.
What will become of the king and his traditional routines, in the absence of his staff of office, some Nigerians spoken to express diverse opinion.
One of them, Akinkunmi Ololade, a traditionalist, said “the expected thing to do is to first and foremost cleanse the land then consult oracle on how to get another one or fish out the thieves.”
Another speaker, Odugbemi Awoyemi, a resident of Agbara, said “in a time of crisis as this, the king some to embark on a self-imposed exile.
“This is because the event only means that the people do not want or love his reign. The best thing he should have done is to abdicate the throne,” he added.
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