Ile Ife, the domain of demised foremost Yoruba monarch, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse 11, was a ghost town on Thursday.
Hordes of residents had fled the town ahead of a daylight rite of passage declared by the palace for the monarch which, going by the threat of a cult group and street discussions, could include human sacrifice.
By the time the 9am to 4pm curfew imposed by the palace ended, the residents expressed fears over the whereabouts of five persons.
A palace source said trees around the palace would be cut on Thursday (today), adding that a particular door in the palace had been opened to signify the demise of the Ooni.
Born into Ogboru Ruling House on January 1, 1930, the late Ooni became the 50th ruler of the ancient kingdom on the 6th of December, 1980.
Until his death, he was the Co-chairman of the Nigeria traditional Council.
Oba Sijuwade was said to have passed away on Tuesday evening 28th of July, 2015 in a United Kingdom Hospital after a brief illness at the age of 85.
Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports claimed that five persons were missing in the Moore area of the town when the palace-imposed curfew ended.
Though the Ooni had reportedly died on Tuesday 28th July 2015, the official announcement was not made until Wednesday.
The announcement was initially made by the traditional town crier, while radio stations also broadcast it later in the day.
Subsequently, transition rites were conducted part of which was the invocation of spirits, oro and others carried out in spiritual shrines.
Earlier, sources revealed that there were little hitches during some transition rites for the late Ooni, part of which was the feared absence of “an important sacrifice ingredient’.
When our correspondent visited the town on Wednesday, some of the residents were seen trooping out to neighbouring towns.
It was learnt that most of the strangers in Ile-Ife left on Tuesday evening, while students slept on campus.
It would also be recalled that management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife had warned its students to stay indoors or relocate to campus.
One of the fleeing residents, said: “This people (traditional rulers) look desperate. Their actions are suspicious. They seem to need to perform a sacrifice urgently. How will they say there is Oro and announce that there is no Oro again? I have been living here for over 40 years and I understand the tradition.
“You can see that I am not the only one leaving, others are also going away. In my compound, I was the only person who slept overnight.”
Another resident told our correspondent that “the town doesn’t seems safe. I have travelled to Osogbo since yesterday and all my children and wife are here with me.”
Meanwhile, no fewer than five persons were feared missing in the Moore area of the town, according to unconfirmed sources.
Some residents alleged that five adults, two males and females ran out of the street, shouting that they could find their children.
It was however uncertain if the missing persons were victims of the Oro festival.
When our correspondent visited the area, the street was deserted and few residents seen declined comments.
Attempts to see traditional rulers in the vicinity also failed as they were said to have all gone to the palace.
A police officer at the Moore Police Division told our correspondent that no case of missing persons was reported at the station.
Depending on the cause of the Oro festival in Yorubaland, human beings and other living may sometimes serve as objects of sacrifice.
However, one of the Osoros (members of Oro cult) in Ile-Ife, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told our correspondent that the daylight Oro festival was not targeted at getting human beings.
“Ifa only demanded that a strange thing be done and not human being(s),” he said.
Earlier, the Public Relations Officer of the National Ife Descendant Association (NIDSA), OAU branch, Lady Bose, had quoted the Lowa Adimula of Ife, Chief Joseph Ijaodola and Obadu Agbaye, Oba Olajide Farotimi Faloba, that the oro did not necessarily mean a restriction on movement.
Bose in a broadcast message to students said, “It has been announced and cleared by Lowa Adimula of Ife, Chief Joseph Ijaodola and Obadu agbaye, Oba Olajide Farotimi Faloba, that there shall be no restriction on movement tomorrow (Wednesday). They both regarded d ongoing rumour as un-cemented and fallacy of the highest order.
The Osoro priests during the daylight ritual rite
“They admonished us to only regard news coming from d palace concerning the death of our king while we disregard any other source(s) of information on the same issue.”
Earlier, the Obalufe who sang a dirge, said the delay in the formal announcement of the monarch’s passage was to follow tradition and perform necessary rites expected of them.
