By Lekan Lisoye, Osogbo
A succession crisis surrounding the revered Balogun chieftaincy stool in Gbongan, Ayedade Local Government Area of Osun State, has thrown the once-quiet community into fear, controversy and protracted legal disputes.
What had for generations been a respected hereditary institution has, in recent years, become mired in allegations of coercion, mysterious deaths and alleged occult practices, casting a long shadow over one of the town’s most cherished traditional offices.
The Balogun title in Gbongan is unique. Unlike other chieftaincy stools that rotate among families, the Balogun stool is strictly hereditary, reserved exclusively for members of a single family compound. Passed down from one generation to another, the title is regarded as both an honour and a sacred ancestral responsibility.
Traditionally, succession to the stool is straightforward: upon the death of a Balogun, the eldest qualified male from the family is expected to assume the position, guided by palace chiefs and long-established customs.
However, following the death of the family patriarch, the process reportedly took a tragic turn. In January 2020, the eldest son was summoned by the palace to accept the title and commenced the customary seven-day installation rites. Midway into the process, he reportedly died under mysterious circumstances, shocking the family and the wider Gbongan community.
Despite the family’s growing apprehension, palace chiefs allegedly insisted on the immediate nomination of another candidate. A second qualified family member was subsequently presented to fill the vacancy. Yet, before the conclusion of the installation rites, he too reportedly died, further heightening fears and suspicions within the family and the town.
The crisis deepened when a third nominee stepped forward. Although he did not die, he reportedly suffered a sudden mental breakdown shortly after the rites began, rendering him incapable of completing the process or assuming any traditional responsibility.
With three successive nominees affected by tragedy, rumours of a curse and fears of dangerous ritual practices spread across the community. The Balogun stool was left vacant, while the affected family retreated into grief, fear and uncertainty.
A family source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that the deaths were linked to the ritual processes associated with the installation. According to the source, the family became convinced that the rites posed grave risks to any nominee.
Despite these concerns, the palace was said to have continued exerting pressure, warning that failure to install a Balogun could attract spiritual consequences and calamity for the palace and the entire community.
In October 2020, the palace reportedly identified another family member, Asabi Abiodun, as the next in line for the Balogun stool. Family sources alleged that emissaries of the king visited him repeatedly, urging him to accept the title and warning of severe consequences should he refuse to cooperate.
As tensions escalated, the matter reportedly spilled beyond the confines of tradition into the courts, setting the stage for a legal confrontation between the family and the palace over alleged coercion, threats and the right to personal safety.
Today, the Balogun chieftaincy crisis in Gbongan stands as a troubling intersection of tradition, fear and modern legal intervention, raising broader questions about consent, human rights and the limits of customary authority in contemporary Nigerian society.
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