Royal Family Traditional Practices: Oba Of Lagos Reveals Some

His Royal Majesty, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, has revealed that despite Lagos being a metropolitan city, there are taboos in his palace. For example, as a king, he is not allowed to see any newborn child born to him until 90 days.

In a recent chat with Punch, the Oba of Lagos reveals a number of traditional practices the royal family upholds, despite Lagos being a metropolitan city. See excerpts

With Lagos being a metropolitan city, do we also have taboos here in spite of its elitist colouration?

There is nowhere there are no taboos, in Benin, Yoruba cultures. For instance, in this house (palace), if a child is born to me today, I will not see him or her and he or she will not enter this house (palace) until 90 days.

And there are some drinks and food anybody with royal blood in this palace must not put in his mouth. That is why the Yoruba adage says the practice in one household is an abomination in another household.

Why can’t you see your child and what are the food and drinks that such persons from the royal lineage must not taste?

Just like I said, an adage says what an elderly person uses to eat pap is hidden under the leaves of the pap (which implies that there are certain details that cannot be made public).

In some cultural settings, we also have the tradition of new kings inheriting wives of former kings. Does it also happen in Lagos and how many did you inherit?

The custom in this house is that all the Oloris left behind by any deceased Oba would have to be inherited by the new king, and that is the tradition, even up till now. I won’t say more than that. There was one Olori who had children for three Obas.

It was the quarrel of Dosunmu and Akintoye which escalated to something else that disrupted that arrangement. When I became the Oba, I had the intention to encourage all the previous Oloris to remain here. But one of the royal fatherly instructions late Oba Oyekan gave to me (as if it was his wish that I should succeed him) was that I had to look after them. He told me the ones that I should allow to go; he told me the stuff they were made of.

Some of them are still living while the elderly ones have died. During this week, the daughter of one of them still came to see me in the palace. Whether I like it or not, I’m going to give up the ghost one day, and someone must succeed me, but definitely not my own son.

Why is that?

Because it is not father to son, like in the past. Not anymore. My children can aspire to be Oba somewhere else in this Lagos, but I will not say more than that.

You once said you like beautiful women. Has that changed now that you are older?

By the grace of almighty Allah, till I die, I will still like beautiful women.

Does it mean you could still take more wives?

Future belongs to God. I even tell my wives that the door is not closed yet. I don’t deceive myself, and they know the kind of person I am. As a Muslim and as an Oba, it is not wrong, and I could invite you if it happens.