Ooni of Ife Denies Involvement in Alleged $180,000 Romance Scam

 The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has refuted allegations made by Ms. Fagbule, who claimed he swindled her out of $180,000 under the pretext of a marriage promise through Facebook. The Ooni stated that Ms. Fagbule was a victim of a romance scam and denied any knowledge or interaction with her.

In a statement released by his Director of Media and Public Affairs, Moses Olafare, the Ooni emphasized that he does not personally operate any Facebook accounts. Instead, his palace, which functions as an institutional organization, has a media directorate that manages his social media handles, including Instagram and Facebook.

Oba Ogunwusi questioned why Ms. Fagbule, if she indeed resided in Osun State or Ile Ife, did not visit the palace in person during the purported relationship. He dismissed her claims as spurious and baseless, asserting that he never promised her marriage or received any money from her.

The Ooni's response came in reaction to the allegations, which have been trending on social media. He expressed concern over the increasing number of women falling victim to marriage scams online, despite repeated warnings.

“It is worrisome the level at which ladies have been making themselves victims of marriage frauds on the internet despite our several warnings to the general public, particularly ladies whose ultimate ambition is to become queens of the Ooni by all means,” the statement read.

The Ooni described the allegations as unfounded and an attempt at character assassination aimed at gaining popularity and monetizing social media traffic. He criticized the choice to publicize the matter on social media instead of seeking professional investigation from appropriate authorities such as the EFCC and the police.

The statement concluded by questioning Ms. Fagbule’s approach to handling the situation, suggesting she could have sought help from credible media organizations or human rights crusaders known for their capacity to investigate and address issues of injustice.

Oba Ogunwusi reiterated that he remains committed to his duties and responsibilities as the Ooni of Ife and urged the public to disregard the false allegations.