Sultan of Sokoto and chairman of the National Traditional Rulers Council of Nigeria, Sa’ad Abubakar, on Saturday visited the family of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
His visit came on the sidelines of his attendance at the coronation of Rashidi Ladoja as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadan.
Received by the heir of the royal family, Prince Saud Adetona, the Sultan urged continuous prayers for the late monarch.
“Let’s continue to pray for him anytime we find an opportunity. When we do offer our daily prayers as Muslims, our five daily prayers, prayers on Jumuah, because that’s what we normally do for our leaders. They have gone and it’s left for us to continue to be on what they have left behind for us,” he said.
The Sultan also thanked Allah for the gathering and recognised members of the Adetona family.
He said he had gone to the monarch’s grave to offer prayers for him, seeking forgiveness for the late ruler and Aljannat al-Firdaus.
He further advised the family and people of Ijebuland to maintain peace before, during and after the selection of a new Awujale.
“Let’s do what we believe will bring peace to our community, to our countries, and of course, to our personal lives as families. The family is a very important unit. Every development starts from a family and I urge them to continue to reach out to one another so that we have peace. And we pray to Almighty Allah to give us an Awujale who will surpass the works our brother, Adetona, did during his lifetime,” he said.
Oba Sikiru Adetona died on July 13 at the age of 91 after a reign of 64 years.
He ascended the throne in 1960 and was Nigeria’s longest-serving first-class traditional ruler until his death.
