Oba Adejuigbe Adefunmi II: Arrest and Release

[Toyin Falola]

 

 

On pilgrimage to Nigeria
Baptism of fire for king of Yoruba clan in America
By MAURICE ARCHIBONG
Thursday, January 24, 2008

•L-R: Fancy the facial marks of Yoruba-Americans, Chief Olaitan and Ol’Oyotunji of Oyotunji, Beaufort, South Carolina.
PHOTOS: MAURICE ARCHIBONG

 

The traditional ruler of Oyotunji, a Yoruba community in America, had a baptism of fire on arrival in Nigeria following his detention for two nights at Seme Border. The communal king, Oba Adejuigbe Adefunmi II, was arrested in connection with alleged possession of narcotic drugs.

The man, who holds the title Ol'Oyotunji, is monarch of the Yoruba enclave, which stands within Beaufort in the US State of South Carolina.

Oyotunji, the name of the miniature village in Sheldon, Beaufort, alludes to a resurrection of the ancient Yoruba Kingdom of Oyo in southwestern Nigeria, and Oba Adefunmi, 31, said he succeeded his late father, Oba Efuntola Adefunmi I, premiere Ol'Oyotunji of Oyotunji, to the throne.
Apart from the monarch, Mr. Akintunde Meredith, another member of the team of seven African-Americans, said to be on a pilgrimage to Nigeria, also spent two nights in custody with officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at Seme Border, Nigeria’s s outhwestern frontier neighbouring Benin Republic. Mr. Meredith, 24, is a stepbrother of the Ol'Oyotunji.

The five remaining members of the delegation were however allowed to continue with their sojourn in Nigeria, but they simply could not. Instead, the quintet chose to check into a hotel and await the fate of their co-travellers. Sources revealed they had planned to catch some sleep at a nearby inn, however, even for those that managed to catnap for an hour or two it must have been a fitful sleep.

According to NDLEA sources at that frontier, a white powdery substance, suspected to be Category A narcotic, was found inside the vehicle that the American-born Kabiyesi was riding in. Category A drugs include cocaine and heroin. Furthermore, Mr. Meredith was found to be in possession of some 2gm of weed, suspected to be marijuana.

This led to the arrest of the duo on January 15, which stalled the journey of the team until two days later, when the oba and his brothe r were released. Oba Adefunmi II was freed because the white powder proved negative after laboratory tests for narcotics. It was however revealed that, though the grass found on Meredith was confirmed to be Indian hemp, the young man was let loose because, going by the quantity he was carrying, it was probably meant for personal use and not for commercial purpose. How naïve of Meredith to attempt taking coal to Newcastle!

Occasionally, NDLEA commands with approval from that agency's headquarters, release suspected users after counseling, where the volume of drug found on the person was rather small. In Meredith's case, however, to continue to detain him for counseling would have meant further delay for the entire team. This informed the decision to let him go, and sin no more. But this was only after older members of the entourage had signed undertakings to effect the counseling aspect as well as promised to do all they can to ensure that Meredith does not abuse any drug thr oughout their stay in Nigeria.

The team's trip ran into the 48-hour hitch as soon as they entered Nigeria from Benin Republic. Oba Adefunmi later told Travels that the group’s spiritual sojourn in Nigeria actually began on January 8, when their Delta Air flight landed at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, (MMIA), Ikeja. He revealed his group had subsequently travelled to Cotonou, the economic capital of Benin Republic, where a member of the entourage has her roots. That co-traveller was left in Benin, where further search for her ancestral origin, was supposed to take her to Allada.

The other members were subsequently returning to Nigeria when they encountered that go-slow at Seme Border. The pilgrims had planned for a seven-day stay in Nigeria billed to end on January 22, their departure date to the southeastern US State of Miami. Their interception therefore probably caused a reduction or an extension of the duration of their visit.

Asked to comment o n the suspected narcotic found on him, the Ol’Oyotunji was quick to stress: "Actually, the substance was not found on me. It happened to be in the car that I was riding in. And I never noticed it, until the officers discovered it. And, when they untied it, I, as a traditional Yoruba Kabiyesi, recognized the powder as Ifa divination stuff called Orosun, and I told them so."
Responding to Travels curiosity about his attitude to drugs, Oba Adefunmi had this to say: "I, as Kabiyesi, do not do drugs."

Trained as an artistic mason, Adefunmi recalled that his mother, Mrs. Esuogo Oyewole Adefunmi, had made a similar pilgrimage to Nigeria in 1971/72. His mom hailed from the US oil-rich State of Texas. Esuogo and her husband had 23 children but 18 of these offspring were daughters. As a result, there had been much fanfare, when Prince Adejuigbe was born in 1976. Much publicity and celebration had greeted the birth of this baby boy because, after bearing about a dozen daughters, a male child and heir to the throne had, finally, arrived.

Speaking further on the visitors' motive and itinerary, Oba Adefunmi said they were in Nigeria to visit Ile-Ife with the hope of meeting Yoruba traditional rulers, especially in Osun State. "Nigeria is the ancestral home of all Yoruba, and Ile-Ife is the spiritual home of all Yoruba people. So, we came to explore means of more communication and collaboration between various Yoruba communities and Oyotunji. We want to promote awareness about the existence of Oyotunji, an Oduduwa Village in North America," remarked Adefunmi, who is proprietor of a US-based media outfit called Great Benin Films and Books.

The Ol'Oyotunji is also a priest of the Oyotunji-based African Theological Arch-Ministry, which was conceived to promote African religions and culture in America. This explains his appearance and regalia, which featured conspicuous facial marks, a bead-decked staff, flywhisk, and traditional Yoruba headgear, among others. Many of the other men in the group also bear "tribal" marks.
The visiting septet also included Mrs. Ifabunmi Sands, elder sister of the Ol'Oyotunji as well as 59-year-old Chief Apena Olaitan. Mrs. Sands, whose middle names are Olubiyi Adesoji Adefunmi, is eldest daughter of the late premiere Oba of Oyotunji.

Sands, 40, is a mother of four (three sons and a daughter), and the lady, who told Travels that she is into literary studies, added that she had earlier taken a degree in the sciences from a college in Sacramento, capital of the State of California in the US Pacific coast area. Chief Olaitan, whose first name, Apena, derives from his position in the Ogboni cult, introduced himself as a high school science and mathematics teacher. The Apena Ogboni recalled he relocated to Oyotunji in 1978, eight years after the establishment of that commune.

Aside the tourists' disposition toward Ifa, everyone in the delegation also boasts some comprehension of the Y oruba language. In fact, when we sought the view of Chief Olaitan on the marijuana found on Meredith, and where the group were going from there, this is what the Ogboni chief had to say: "It is sad that a mistake by a silly boy brought embarrassment to the Kabiyesi, our group and country. However, we have consulted Ifa and we've been assured that it will all end well."

Oba Adefunmi I, the founding father of Oyotunji, was once known as Walter King, but he jettisoned these epithets in favour of the Yoruba names of Efuntola Adelabu Adefunmi, among others, after a visit to Cuba in 1959. He had gone to Cuba for initiation rites into Yoruba traditional religion. The late Oba Adefunmi I, who established Oyotunji with 18 US dollars, 30 years ago, was born in Detroit.

Detroit is in the US State of Michigan, whose region is called Mid West, whereas it is geographically located in North Central United States. The American City of Detroit, where Adefunmi I was born, is famed for its automobile industry and the Rhythm and Blues (R&B) hits' factory, Motown Records. The sports club Detroit Pistons, the R&B group Detroit Spinners as well as Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and the Jackson Five all had their early careers in Detroit.

Although polygamy is illegal under US law, the taking of multiple wives is allowed in Oyotunji, apparently in emulation of the custom in pre-Christianity Yoruba society. And as a king, who lived what he preached, Oba Adefunmi I married 17 wives in his lifetime! Unlike the late Oba Adefunmi, who sired some 28 children, his successor son is only a father of three, probably because he is monogamous.
The incumbent traditional ruler however reminded us that he was still young, and could still acquire an additional wife or two.

Travels subsequently turned to Mrs. Sands, who is the only wife of her spouse, to find out, if she would support her brother's drive toward polygamy. Despite her American citizenship, Sands responded in the affirmative, adding: "As Africans, polygamy is not strange to us, so I would encourage him, if he wished to take another wife. But, I would screen the girl to find out whether or not she'd make a good wife."
How dare a woman interfere in the business of a king, whose word is in some quarters considered law? A king is supposed to be superior to everyone, and therefore could have his way always, wasn't he? We teased.

Sands again: "I know that Kabiyesi's word is law, but he's still my kid brother. His life is our life, so I have the right to screen any woman he wants to take for wife."
After that, we turned to Chief Olaitan to tell us how many wives he has. "One wife, now," he said. But how was the population of their community going to grow, when he, another key figure, is also monogamous? "I support polygamy," he submitted. However, one could say that his support was more in theory than practice. To that, Chief Olaitan agree d but finally revealed, "I'm still looking."

Speaking on the visitors' experience, the NDLEA Commander, Seme Special Area, Mr. Isa Adoro Umar, told Travels that much as tourists were welcome, they should bear in mind that his agency would fish out any one given to drug abuse or trafficking, adding that the experience of the Americans showed that no quantity, however small, would escape detection.

Meet Seme’s longest serving anti-drug warrior
This is the story of a worker that never goes home: An unusual drug operative that works all day and all night. This agent has worked at Seme almost 13 years, which makes it the longest serving anti-drug crusader at that border. Like the proverbial barracks, which remains immotile, even as generations of soldiers come and go, so is the experience of this foremost enemy of drug dealers.

However, Seme's longest serving anti-narcotics operative is not even on the NDLEA payroll and has not been promoted for more than a de cade. But, if these have dampened morale, it is hard to tell. You could say Afamako, that fabled worker without wages, has resurrected at Seme.

We are all familiar with the phrase man's inhumanity to man, but as regards the plight of Seme's longest serving drug operative, it's a case of man's inhumanity to dog. Believe it or not, the longest serving enemy of drug users and traffickers at Seme is a dog!
Over the last 12 years, many officers of the NDLEA have worked alongside this apparent permanent envoy. Dozens of these NDLEA personnel have enjoyed promotion, while serving at that frontier post, whereas the status of the oldest worker has more or less remained stagnant, despite working endless hours, day and night. Well, you could say it's a case of "man's ingratitude to man's best friend."

Interestingly, this faithful animal's name is, wait for this, Cocaine! Cocaine must be Seme's most famous canine, for virtually everyone that does business around Nigeria's sou thwestern Atlantic coastline neighbouring the Benin Republic beach settlement of Krake knows Cocaine. Want some more whiff of cocaine? Help yourself: Fortunately, this is the only cocaine that's safe to sniff!

An NDLEA source at Seme recalled that a fellow officer, Mr. Adesina Olumoko, currently an Assistant Superintendent of Narcotics, brought Cocaine to that station in 1995, while he served there. Twelve years down the road, Cocaine has neither been deployed nor promoted. But der Hund, as Germans call the dog, is not complaining.

Sources revealed Cocaine was much dreaded in its younger days. In fact, it seemed that the animal wanted to be seen as working even harder than humans. The situation became even more frightening, every time Cocaine was treated to a meal of pepper soup. As if to show appreciation for that fete, Cocaine would deploy itself to a strategic position and make the route impassable for any one it suspected was carrying contraband!

On the surface, this canine of cream coloured fur appears young but at the physiological level, Cocaine is an old dog, really. Veterinarians say 12 months of the Gregorian calendar translates as seven or nine years of a dog's life. Thus, since cocaine entered service 12 years ago, this canine must be at least 84 years old by now.

We belong to a culture, where people dobale or kunle for an elder, and Cocaine is as old as some grandpa. But, because it's a dog, no man bothers to treat Cocaine like the elder it is. Instead of people kowtowing to Cocaine, they expect this old one to wag its tail in welcome to them: How disrespectful!
Many officers had described Cocaine as "very intelligent. " Some talked of the dog's ability to tell, when an officer was going home after closing for the day.

According to such fans of Cocaine, the hound would rise and walk the person all the way to the car, and stretch its body in an expression of goodbye.
To enable Cocaine to demonstrate its brilliance, an officer had offered Cocaine a handshake, to which the canine responded by lifting one of its forelimbs. However, we were not really impressed and needed something more convincing. This came, when we brought out a camera to take shots of Cocaine. Somehow, the creature became restless, and we wondered: Did this Buster think we were going to display its photo as some drug suspect or something? At this point, the animal gave the impression it wanted out of its cage.

An officer had come around and released Cocaine from its confinement, and guess what? Cocaine seems to know that it isn't cute to be seen behind bars, this apparently explained why the animal became uncomfortable, when we took its shots moments earlier. It soon became apparent that this canine had more ideas to flaunt as it strutted toward a column, where its leash was strung. On reaching that pole, Cocaine turned and gave us a splendid pose. Howzat!
Are you one of those given to making the sn ide remark, "Who born dog?" Cocaine would make you think again.

Be that as it may, the federal government shared out cars to its workers as part of enhanced welfare package, but Cocaine was not among the beneficiaries. There was also much talk of monetization, but even this must have sounded like Greek to Cocaine.
Now, after 12 years of "meritorious service," Cocaine must be due for pension or some "disengagement benefit." Now, let no one tell Cocaine that over a decade's service has been in vain, otherwise this canine might dig its teeth in some flesh!

But, who knows? Cocaine may not mind serving for nothing because in some Nigerian communities, it wouldn’t have lived to attain its ripe old age. In the settlements, where dog meat is considered a delicacy, Cocaine would have ended up in some people’s tummy years ago. Truly, as is often said, for some animals, it’s a dog’s life.

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Toyin Falola
Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin
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