Fire razes Ooni of Ife Palace

If not for the combined efforts of the State Fire Service Department and that of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ile, the Ooni of Ife Palace would have been completely razed by fire.

The efforts of the fire service ensured that only a building inside the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, was late Friday gutted by fire.

The incident, said to have occurred around 11:30p.m., did not spread to other sections of the palace as the fire was successfully extinguished.

It was gathered that the fire started after electricity supply was restored into the palace.

Ooni’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, while confirming the incident, disclosed that the fire was triggered by power surge, which made electrical appliances to explode.

The statement read: “A building apartment within the courtyard of the Palace of the Ooni Of Ife was, at about 11:30p.m. yesterday (Friday), engulfed in flames triggered by power surge which exploded through electrical appliances in the affected apartment.

“The inferno did not spread beyond the affected building located at a section of the palace premises.

“It was swiftly put out through the combined efforts of the Government Fire Service, OAU Fire Service and Palace Emergency Control Unit.

“No casualties or injuries were recorded, and no cultural items was lost.

Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi has been encumbered with not so palatable marital issues having had two divorces and fathering a child out of wedlock.

At the last count he has married up to eight wives, making him one of the modern day reigning monarchs with plenty of wives.