Group Debunks Claim Queen Elizabeth Slept In Ijebu In 1956
The Egbe Bobakeye Okunrin Akile Ijebu, a renowned Ijebu age-grade group, has dismissed social media claims that the late Queen Elizabeth II spent the night in Ijebu during her 1956 visit to Nigeria.
Speaking at a press briefing in Ijebu Ode on Saturday, the Giwa of the group, Abiodun Onanuga, said the narrative suggesting the Queen slept at the residence of the late Chief Timothy Adeola Odutola was completely false.
According to Onanuga, the Queen was officially received at Itoro by the then Awujale, Oba Daniel Adesanya, after which she had lunch at the residence of the British colonial head of the Ijebu Province — a building now serving as the Egbe Bobakeye’s Ule Egbe — and then left for Lagos.
He stated that the group took the initiative to correct the historical misinformation to preserve the integrity of Ijebu people.
To establish the truth, the age-grade group commissioned two of its members, Kayode Adesanya and Lekan Odufunlade, to visit the British National Archives and retrieve records of the Queen’s itinerary during the 1956 visit.
“The duo painstakingly checked through volumes of documents and obtained a well-documented itinerary of Her Majesty’s visit to the old Western Region,” Onanuga said.
He added, “On behalf of Egbe Bobakeye, I can now state categorically and indisputably that our Ule Egbe was the venue where the Queen had lunch before departing for Lagos. She did not spend the night in Ijebu-Ode.”
Odufunlade, one of the researchers, also called on the Federal Government to intensify efforts in documenting and preserving Nigeria’s history for future generations.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
