The assassination of Chief Babatunde Ilori, the Elerewe of Owo Kingdom four years ago, shook the ancient town. His remains were interred penultimate Friday amidst tears while curses were rained on his assailants. Notably, rumour went round that his ghost was seen by some people in the town, while several strange incidents were observed on the night before he was finally laid to rest. Taiwo Abiodun writes.
Four years in the morgue
It is exactly four years since the ancient town of Owo was thrown into deep sadness and grief, as one of its prominent sons, Chief Babatunde Ilori the Elerewe of Owo Kingdom was assassinated. In the whole of the four years, the corpse was left in the Federal Medical Centre, Owo mortuary, while the family members pursued the case, demanding justice.
Bank, shops closed
However, penultimate Friday, when the family decided to inter his remains, the whole town stood in solemn solidarity. The popular First Bank in Owo as well as over 50 shops owned by the Elerewe family shut down – to honour the fallen Chief. He was buried in the Elerewe Courtyard called Ugha Ajebo beside his late father, High Chief Ojo Elerewe and other past Elerewes. The Ugha Ajebo is the designated final last resting place for Elerewes when they joined their ancestors. The Nation gathered that the shops and the land where the First Bank branch is situated belong to the Elerewe family, hence the hour given to him by the bank.
The journey of Chief Elerewe to his final resting place started with a Wake keep on Thursday, followed by a Church Funeral service at CAC, Igboroko Ñlá, Owo, on Friday, after which he was taken to his final resting place.
The late Elerewe was assassinated four years ago in the ancient town of Owo. Some suspects were arrested in connection with the murder but later released while investigation went on.
Body well preserved
A major wonder as the late chief was to be laid to rest, according to eyewitnesses, was how well-preserved and fresh the body remained after spending such a long time in the mortuary. Brother and family spokesman, Honourable Olasupo Olakunori, who is also the Director General of Opomulero Group (a Yoruba cultural group ), described the burial as highly successful.
His words: “My brother was given a befitting burial and I thank God for this.”
On why it took four years to bury him, Olakunori said: “We were extra vigilant and didn’t want the autopsy report to be tampered with. The police had it with them for long and we refused to bury the corpse until we had the right and ‘untampered’ report”.
He added: “In spite of the years the corpse was in the morgue, the body was well preserved. I give kudos to the Federal Medical Centre Morticians for a job well done for preserving it very well. The Morticians did a good job. That was why we were able to open it to the public to view, contrary to the rumour that it had become a mess. It was well preserved.”
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He, however, vowed that justice must not only be seen to have been done but also served. “We will pursue this case to a point. His murderers were callous and they must be prosecuted; if not they are going to do worse things.”
Strange happenings
Many strange things were said to have occurred during the burial. According to one of the wives, Olori Omotolani Doris Elerewe, fresh blood was found in his nose at the mortuary and in the coffin, despite having been kept for so long. Olori Doris recounted her own experience during the wake keep. She said: “At around 2am on the day of the wake keep, I was awake and I heard snoring sound coming from the direction of the coffin; soon after I heard some coughing, from the same direction; and there was nobody in sight. Later on, the window curtains started falling off the walls. For about one hour, strange sound or noise kept coming from the direction of the coffin. At a point, I woke up those who were sleeping to inform them the happenings. I showed them the window blinds that had fallen. Suddenly, we started hearing strange sound from the coffin again; this time it was vibrating! An hour later, a strange wind started blowing in the courtyard, as if it was going to rain and the house started shaking. None of us could sleep thereafter.”
The strange occurrences did not end there. Prophetess Adeola Olayinka, sister to the late chief, said about four women walking past the morgue, “swore to high heavens that they saw him walk pass, even greeted them.”
Adeola continued: “Many said they saw him but I didn’t see him. A girl who could not be less than 12 years, possibly a virgin, claimed she saw the late High Chief walking past her.
According to Princess Kehinde Daramola-Olateru Olagbegi, a princess of the kingdom, the strange occurrences are testimonies to the fact that the late Elerewe’s spirit lives and he will surely haunt his killers and bring them to justice.