By Adeyinka Adeniran
The International Council for Ifa Religion (ICIR) has called for caution against false statements made by one Erelu Lola Ayorinde on social media on slavery in the old Yoruba history.
In a statement issued at the weekend by the council’s law firm, Kunle Sobaloju (SAN) & Co, and signed by the President of ICIR, Dr Fayemi Fakayode, the body said the wrong assertions of Ayorinde about Yoruba’s culture and tradition must be corrected, in order not to allow such to negatively influence the younger generations of the tribe.
“We are solicitors to the International Council for Ifa Religion (ICIR), hereinafter referred to as ‘our client’ and on whose instruction we are issuing this press release.
“We are issuing this press release to address the grossly misleading, false and harmful statements made by Erelu Ayorinde on various social media platforms and interviews, her persistent assertions that the Yoruba race encouraged slavery are not only historically inaccurate and false but also perpetuate harmful stereotypes, causing harm to the reputation of the Yoruba people.
“Furthermore, she has consistently misrepresented her heritage, making false claims of connections to the Ooni of Ife, the revered monarch of Osun state and various Yoruba deities, including Sango and Ifa, her actions constitute a gross manipulation of history, culture and historical facts, with the potential to mislead unsuspecting members of the public.
“We urge the public to exercise extreme caution and critical thinking when reading her statements, as they are false, unfounded, misleading and do not reflect the values and traditions of the Yoruba people. We will not stand idle and watch while misinformation and deceits are spread by the said Erelu Ayorinde and we are committed to preserving the truth, cultural integrity and dignity of the Yoruba race,” the statement read.
