The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has denied reports that he visited the embattled former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, at Kuje prison. In a statement by his spokesperson, Moses Olafare, the monarch clarified that he was at the correctional facility at the instance of a Non-Governmental Organisation, Hopes Alive Initiative (HAI), owned by one of his wives, Queen Temitope.
The programme, which was organised in partnership with the Kuje correctional authority, focused on giving hope to inmates on reintegration into society after completing their terms. Oba Ogunwusi was part of the event in commemoration of his eighth anniversary on the throne.
Olafare emphasized that the intent of those spreading the news was to blackmail the monarch and that there is nothing hidden about the event. He also highlighted that the Ooni never met Emefiele and that the event was a public program attended by different public figures and representatives of the inmates.
The spokesperson urged the public to be careful with spreading falsehoods about people and reiterated that the video of the event is available to the public. He also noted that Emefiele is only in detention and not an inmate yet, and questioned why the programme was falsely linked to him.
