Ogun State Government has given an explicit clarification on the media reports and attendant public discourse over the burial rites of the traditional rulers, describing Justice P.O Akinside’s comment on the subject matter as personal opinion.

It would be recalled that Akinside of the Customary Court of Appeal, Ogun State, recently delivered a lecture where he submitted that traditional rulers in the state must submit to the customs and burial rites of the traditional institutions they voluntarily joined. He added that traditional rulers, therefore, forfeit the right to opt out of those same customs even in death.

However, a statement signed by the Special Adviser to Ogun State Governor on Media and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, stated that the comment by the learned judge during the lecture does not amount to a judicial pronouncement in the state as falsely reported by some media platforms.

The statement, therefore, re-emphasised the position of the law as enshrined in Oba and Chiefs Law of Ogun State 2021, which specifically provides guidelines for the preservation and regulation of traditional rites for traditional rulers.

The statement read in part: “For the avoidance of doubt, it is important to reiterate that the comments made by the judge were made during a public lecture and do not amount to judicial pronouncement made in a judgment in any matter as erroneously reported by the media and perhaps as mischievously misrepresented by some members of the public.

“Furthermore, while the statements reflect the personal opinion of the learned judge, it is important to restate the extant position of the law for the avoidance of public misunderstanding.

“Traditional rulers are indeed custodians of and are expected to abide by the customs of the traditional institutions they belong to.

“This is, however, not without limitations as such customs and traditions must conform with and operate within the bounds of the law.”
The APC chieftain warned that the politicisation of Amotekun risks plunging the state into an atmosphere of fear and lawlessness.

He, therefore, called for a united response from civil society organisations, religious leaders, traditional rulers, and the media to demand accountability and a thorough independent investigation into the incident.