The former Queen of the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, Telu I, Queen Chanel Chin, has dismissed recent allegations made by her former spouse, accusing the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II, of plotting to kill him through her. In a press release issued on Thursday on her Instagram page, Queen Chanel described the claims as false, misleading, and damaging to the integrity of the Yoruba traditional institution. In the statement obtained by Saturday Telegraph, she also emphasised that the Oba Ogunwusi never introduced her to Oluwo nor had any hand in their relationship.
“For the record, I was introduced to Mr. (Oba) Akanbi by a respected Lagos Monarch, not by the Ooni of Ife. At no time did this monarch introduce me to Mr. Akanbi for any malicious intent,” she clarified. Oba Akanbi had earlier alleged in a Facebook video that Oba Ogunwusi conspired against him by setting him up with a woman who allegedly attempted to poison him and orchestrate his assassination, claiming further that the woman, whom he later identified as his ex-wife, bore him a child whose paternity he questioned. But Queen Chanel countered these allegations, insisting that Oluwo’s narrative was fabricated.
She recalled fond memories of her time as Olori (queen), adding that Oba Akanbi had been absent from their son, Prince Oduduwa’s, life for over five years. “Mr. (Oba) Akanbi resurfaced in August this year in Canada, refused to sign passport papers but dropped $500, the first support Oduduwa ever received from him since we left the palace,” she stated. Queen Chanel further explained that she had taken full responsibility for raising their son alone while advocating for peaceful co-parenting.
She urged the Yoruba traditional council to caution the Oluwo against degrading the sacred throne he once occupied. “I plead with the public to disregard all falsehoods against the Ooni of Ife, our foremost monarch,” she added. The former queen stressed that this would be her final statement on the matter, affirming her deep respect for the Yoruba people and their institutions.
