Hacking claim: Ooni’s estranged wife’s Instagram handle still up and running
Despite the claim by the Palace of Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II, that the social media accounts of Evangelist Naomi Silekunola have been hacked, the divorce announcement on the verified Instagram page of the estranged wife of the monarch has not been brought down more than 24 hours after it was posted on December 23, 2021.
The 28-year-old evangelist on Thursday announced her separation from the 47-year-old monarch and renounced the title of a ‘Queen’, saying she tried to make the three-year union work but the Ooni’s public identity is at variance with “his true self”.
Our correspondent observed that she posted the announcement simultaneously on her verified Instagram page and her recognised Facebook page around 11am on Thursday.
Her Facebook page with the name, ‘HM. Queen Evang Silekunola Moronke Naomi Ogunwusi’ has over 70,000 followers while her Instagram page, ‘Silekunola M. Naomi Ogunwusi’, boasts of over 196,000 followers.
“I did my best to endure and make it work; many times, I smiled through the struggle, but I have finally realised I had just one assignment, my son, and when God is done, He is done. He chose Saul to be king, and when He was done, He told the prophet Samuel I have moved on.
“Religion was never an issue between us; please refer to my interview on News Central TV. Instead, His Majesty has a picture he would love the world to see and perceive him as and another one which is his true self,” the fair-skinned lady posted on her social media pages.
She then declared, “Today I announce the beginning of a new dawn and the close of a chapter. Today, I am a mother to God’s unique gift. I am no longer a slave to my thoughts of perfection. I, at this moment, announce that I shall no longer be referred to as wife to the Ooni of Ife or as Queen of Ile-Ife but as the Queen of the people and mother of my adorable Prince.”
Moments later, Silekunola added, “He is God’s way of saying I know about it all. In situations like this, there will be aggrieved persons. I, at this moment, appeal to all parties involved to allow the peace of God with the consciousness that there is a lovely little boy between us. I thank all of my prayer partners and loved ones.
“I remain committed to all of my projects, charity work and ministry. In this new season, I shall be focusing on God only.”
But reacting to the development, the Director of Media and Strategy, Ooni’s palace, Moses Olafare, said the Palace is probing the possible hacking of Olori Naomi’s Instragam page.
Some Nigerians have since called on the Palace to produce a video of Silekunola announcing that her social media accounts were hacked to post the divorce notice but the Palace had yet to do so.
Efforts by our correspondent to get the comments of Olafare on Friday proved abortive as his line was perpetually switched off.
Before being coronated king, the Ooni was previously married to Adebukola Bombata in 2008 but the marriage failed. As a monarch, the Ooni married Edo-born Zaynab-Otiti Obanor in 2016 but the union lasted for 17 months before their separation.
He later married Silekunola in 2018 and the marriage produced a son, Tadenikawo.
The monarch also had a daughter with Omolara Olatubosun as a teenager. Olatubosun gave birth to Princess Adeola Ogunwusi but recently, there have been counter-claims between the Ooni and Olatubosun over who was responsible for the upbringing of their daughter.
Aside from the Ooni, other traditional rulers who had experienced divorce known to the public include the Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, whose marriage to his Jamaican wife, Ms Chanel Chin, crashed in December 2019. Also, Anuoluwapo Adeyemi, one of the wives of the Alaafin of Oyo, Lamidi Adeyemi III, parted ways with him in November 2020.