Ataoja Disowns Alleged Claims Linking Osun Grove to External Festival

The Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Larooye II, has dismissed claims in a recent media publication suggesting an alleged visit and connection between the Osun Sacred Grove, the Osun-Osogbo Festival heritage and a person linked to one of the palaces in Osun State.

In a statement, the palace said the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove and the Osun-Osogbo Festival remain sacred cultural and spiritual heritage institutions rooted in Osogbo land and under the custodianship, authority and traditional jurisdiction of the Ataoja of Osogbo.

The palace stressed that the heritage institutions are neither transferable nor replicable, saying they cannot be appropriated, reinterpreted or relocated outside their original historical, spiritual and territorial context.

It added that Yoruba traditional institutions are guided by clearly defined territories, boundaries, lineage and custodial authority, noting that any narrative suggesting otherwise runs contrary to established traditional governance and cultural protocol.

The statement further clarified that the Ataoja neither received nor officially recognised any such engagement as implied in the publication, adding that the palace was not informed or consulted in line with traditional protocol.

The palace also dissociated itself from any claims linking Osogbo heritage to any parallel festival, including any so-called “Omi Festival” or “Odun Omi,” insisting that such events have no legitimacy or recognition in relation to the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove or its spiritual institutions.

According to the palace, steps are already being taken through the appropriate institutional and legal channels to address the matter.

It urged the public, stakeholders and the international community to rely only on verified communications issued by the palace and its officially recognised representatives, while reaffirming the Ataoja’s commitment to protecting and preserving the integrity of Osun-Osogbo heritage.