Are The Gods Angry? The Fire Incidience

Are the gods angry?

According to Yoruba history and mythology,

Sango is the god and custodian of thunder

and fire. He strikes and punishes an erring

person with thunder and fire.

Sango became the third Alaafin of Oyo,

after Oranmiyan and Ajaka; the 1st and

2nd Alaafin of Oyo Empire respectively.

Sango was a brave and courageous Alaafin.

He ascended the throne of the Alaafin,

after Ajaka, the 2nd Alaafin of Oyo, was

deposed. Ajaka was also known as Dada (a

bearer of dreadlocks). Ajaka was a gentle,

soft-minded and mild king. Due to his

softness, Ajaka was eventually deposed and

replaced with Sango.

Sango ascended the exalted throne of the

Alaafin of Oyo and avenged the ill-

treatment meted out to his elder brother,

Ajaka.

Ajaka, cannot fight, but has a courageous

younger brother, Sango).

Based on these Yoruba mythological beliefs,

His Imperial Majesty, Kabiyesi, Iku Baba

Yeye, The Alaafin of Oyo, remains the sole

custodian of thunder and fire: it is a

genealogical bequeathal from his

forefathers. He has not relinquished the

power to any king in Yorubaland.

Oba Akiolu, though he erred, is an ally of

the Alaafin of Oyo. Alaafin will definitely

settle the rift between Akiolu and Ooni. The

fire incident was a coincidence. Our heart

goes out to the people of Lagos.

The real causes of the fire outbreak

Real cause of the fire outbreak at a section

of the palace of the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan

Akiolu has been revealed.

It was gathered that the fire emanated from

an air conditioner in the palace around

1.30pm, with smoke covering to the sky. The

incident attracted a mammoth crowd to the

royal abode.

Punch quoted a source as saying that Oba

Akiolu was around when the incident

happened.

He said the palace authorities did not want

to speak to people on the fire.

He said, “The fire started around 1.30pm.

The fire service arrived 1.50pm. Except the

emergency officials, nobody was allowed to

enter. The gate was shut. A lot of policemen

were on the ground.

“The fire started from one of the air

conditioners in the palace. I learnt the

kabiyesi (Akiolu) was inside the palace when

the incident happened.”

He said the palace gate was, however, shut

to the crowd as firefighters from the Lagos

State Fire Service, Sari Iganmu and Ilupeju

stations, battled with the fire. It was

eventually quenched around 3.30pm.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations

Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, who

confirmed the incident, said that the situation

had been brought under control.

He said, “The state and federal fire services,

Julius Berger and United Bank for Africa fire

services, as well as LASEMA, were on the

ground. They put out the fire around 3.30pm.

No life was lost.

“The Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni,

and other senior officers were also at the

scene. Investigations are ongoing to

ascertain the cause of the fire.”

The incident came barely one week after the

Oba publicly shunned the Ooni of Ife, Oba

Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

There were claims by a certain Tunde

Awoyeni that the palace would invoke the

wrath of his ancestors on the Oba of Lagos,

Oba Rilwan Akiolu.

Oba Ogunwusi in his reacting deniedplanning

to curse Oba Akiolu.

Meanwhile, Nigerians are claiming that the

fire incident was as a result of him snubbing

the Ooni of Ife in the public .

May God

protect the Oba and the people of Lagos. snubbing