The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has vehemently denied allegations of involvement in a $180,000 marriage scam. The monarch’s response came following a trending social media post accusing him of swindling a woman identified as Ms. Fagbule.
In a statement released by the palace, the Ooni’s Director of Media and Public Affairs, Moses Olafare, dismissed the allegations as “spurious and baseless.” The palace emphasized that the monarch had no prior relationship or communication with the alleged victim.
The statement read. “The so-called Ms Fagbule was and is never known to the Ooni of Ife for any interpersonal communication or relationship whatsoever, talk less of being promised a marriage proposal,”
The palace clarified that the Ooni does not personally operate any Facebook accounts, explaining that social media handles are managed by the palace’s media directorate.
The statement also questioned why the alleged victim, if from Osun State or Ile-Ife, did not approach the palace directly during the supposed relationship.
Addressing the purported letter of marriage shared on social media, the palace stated, “The letterhead used for the letter does not reflect the originality of the palace’s official letterhead.”
It further noted that the letter’s content did not grammatically align with the Ooni’s personal correspondence style.
The Ooni’s office expressed concern over the increasing incidents of internet marriage fraud targeting women aspiring to become queens. The statement cautioned the public, particularly women, against falling victim to such schemes.
While refuting the allegations, the palace extended an invitation to Ms. Fagbule to visit the palace in Ile-Ife for “fatherly assistance” and to engage law enforcement agencies in uncovering the perpetrators of the alleged fraud.
The Ooni’s office questioned why the complainant chose to air her grievances on social media rather than approaching appropriate investigative agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or the police.
