OSOGBO — The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, has thrown down a bold challenge to traditionalists, native doctors, and herbalists across the country, questioning the potency of their spiritual powers in the face of Nigeria’s lingering security crisis.
The prominent Yoruba monarch dared anyone claiming to possess ancient mystical charms or traditional powers to step forward and deploy such abilities to eliminate banditry and kidnapping.
Oba Akanbi expressed skepticism over the existence of such supernatural powers, suggesting that much of what is celebrated as ancestral or spiritual protection might be entirely fabricated.
“Anyone who claims there is anything like ‘our forefathers’ power’ or a Babalawo who has mysterious power should come forward and help us address and eliminate the issue of banditry, not just in Yorubaland but in Nigeria, if it is not all a lie,” the Oluwo declared.
The monarch noted that instead of using their supposed charms to protect communities and secure borders from invading criminal gangs, many traditionalists focus on personal wealth rituals and local intimidation. He argued that true power should be measurable by its capacity to solve pressing national issues, particularly the security challenges threatening lives and farmlands across the country.
The royal father’s controversial stance has ignited a heated debate across the South-West region, splitting opinions between cultural stakeholders who defend traditional African science and critics who agree that national security requires practical military and technological solutions.
