Mogaji Ile Nla has issued a firm public statement condemning the increasing distortion of Yoruba history and the weaponization of traditional narratives for division and personal gain.
In recent times, social media has become saturated with toxic narratives, bitter rivalries, and unrestrained arguments framed as Oyo versus Ife. This unfortunate trend has not only deepened division among our people but has also reduced our sacred and revered Yoruba traditional institutions to objects of ridicule in the public space.
It is time—indeed long overdue—that we collectively put an end to the patronage of uneducated quack storytellers who parade themselves as historians. These individuals are not scholars, nor are they custodians of truth. They are charlatans—hungry for relevance and daily sustenance—who manufacture chaos through sensationalism, misinformation, and manipulated narratives. Regrettably, some of them gain access to unsuspecting Obas, receive audiences, and in certain cases are even rewarded with chieftaincy titles.
The unity of the Yoruba people is sacrosanct. It must always supersede contests of superiority, ego, or historical one-upmanship. These charlatans do not serve the collective interest or progress of the Yoruba nation. They are mischievous, misguided, and intellectually ill-equipped. They neither possess the scholarly discipline required to research history nor the analytical capacity to interpret what they have read objectively.
The history of our ancestors is shrouded in depth and mystery beyond the comprehension of the average mind—especially those whose primary motivation is to earn a living through a smartphone, a camera, and internet data. It is therefore impossible for anyone to make absolute assertions about our ancient history without verifiable empirical evidence. Where such evidence does not exist, humility—not arrogance—must prevail.
It is time we look forward. Traditionally, every institution has its place; every role complements the other in today’s reality. None exists to dominate or contest the other.
Ifa says:
Bi Ori o sunwon, Ogbon inu ni koito
Omi nbe nile Olokun, Okun Olori Omi
Omi nbe nile Olosa, Osa ibikeji
Ogbon nbe ninu Akoda, Akoda ti n ko gbogbo aye n’Ifa
Oro nbe ninu Aseda, Aseda ti n ko gbogbo agba ni imoran
Ifa also counsels:
Otooro aye ja, Ogbaara aye la kan’le.
Bi aye ba ti owo eni baje, Aimowaahu wa ni.
It is time for peace, unity, and a clear path forward. Once we put an end to the patronage of these charlatans who pollute social media, peace will return. They serve no purpose. They possess no true knowledge. Though some may boast of reading journals, they lack the intellectual discipline to process or contextualize what they read. Instead of facts, they push manipulated narratives for attention and patronage.
Ifa says:
Aye tutu, a simi
Eniburuku kuro laarin ilu
Awon lo difa fun Jokoje
Bi Jokoje ba rubo
Jokoje a ni isimi
(The world is cool, and we are at rest, because wicked people have departed from among us.)
As custodians of Yoruba culture and tradition, it is time to promote decorum, restraint, and collective dignity—values historically championed by our royal fathers. It is time for all Paramount Rulers to speak with one voice against the bastardization and aberration of our customs, now increasingly weaponized by political interests.
The promotion of division is also tied to the unchecked proliferation of crowns and Obaship across Yoruba land, where we now have over a thousand individuals parading as Obas. Many of these are the most eager patrons of half-baked storytellers, sponsoring fabricated origin stories to claim legitimacy and incite insubordination against established traditional authorities. This pattern is evident across our lands.
There is no such thing as “Eepe Aole.” It is fictitious—a superstitious construct repeatedly weaponized to justify division among the Yoruba people.
Kabiyesis, the unity between the two of you will define the progress of the Yoruba nation. It will silence factions, dismantle gossip, and bring an end to the many disgraceful narratives that have trailed our people in recent times.
Ifa says:
Iwo ko fe, emi ko fe
Ise nikan rin
Adifa fun Oloriburuku
Won ni ki Oloriburuku o rubo
Ki o ba le r’eni ba rin
Ki o ba le r’eni ba la
This conflict of superiority has continually set the Yoruba nation back and created fertile ground for mischief, exploitation, and selfish camps. Where peace and unity thrive, mischief finds no space.
I humbly plead with you, Ori Adés, to look inward and recognize that the most important history is not merely what was inherited from the past, but what is consciously built today. The legacies you will leave behind will be shaped by your actions and inactions, just as those before you shaped what you inherited.
I pray that Olódùmarè grants our ori ades long life, wisdom, and strength to achieve even greater things for the Yoruba land.
