Tensions reached a breaking point in Owo on Saturday as dismantled a cenotaph erected to honor the victims of the tragic June 5, 2022 church massacre was Demolished.
The monument, located near the palace of the Olowo of Owo, had become the center of growing controversy within the community.
Though intended by former governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu as a solemn tribute to those who lost their lives during the St. Francis Catholic Church attack, the memorial quickly became a flashpoint for cultural and spiritual discord.
It was gathered that critics—including high-ranking traditional chiefs and local elders— had voiced strong opposition, citing Yoruba customs that prohibit monarchs from regularly encountering symbols of death.
It was also gathered that the ondo State government ordered the demolition directive based on the complaints about the cenotaph.
A source close to the palace of Olowo of Owo Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III said the monarch was opposed to the memorial Park when it was being proposed but the former governor turned down his objection.
“A Cultural Misstep”
Similarly, traditional leaders argued that the cenotaph’s positioning directly in the line of sight of the Olowo’s palace was not only insensitive but taboo.
According to Yoruba beliefs, constant proximity to a symbol of mourning—especially for a reigning monarch—is considered spiritually inappropriate and potentially dangerous.
“This was not an act of rebellion,” said a local community elder who asked not to be named. “It was a correction of cultural disrespect. No one opposed the remembrance— only the location.”
On Saturday the people woke up to see bulldozer demolishing the Cenotaph.
Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III, the Olowo of Owo, had publicly acknowledged the tension the memorial had created. In a previous statement, he confirmed that while the town mourned deeply, tradition could not be ignored.
Government takes Action
On Saturday morning, a live Facebook video surfaced in which a bulldozer was seeing dismantling the structure peacefully.
