Tensions flared in the ancient town of Owo on Thursday as traditional worshippers stormed a major junction near the palace , invoking ancestral gods to place curses on Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, widow of the late Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, over her controversial remarks targeting Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the Olowo of Owo.
The public ritual followed the recent demolition of a memorial park built by the late Governor Akeredolu in honour of the victims of the June 2022 Owo Catholic Church massacre.
The site, seen as a solemn tribute to the dead, was allegedly brought down under the orders of governor Aiyedatiwa, sparking outrage among the late governor’s supporters and family.
In a viral video, Mrs. Akeredolu, visibly upset, condemned the demolition and referred to Governor Aiyedatiwa as a “traitor” while labeling the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III, as a “baby Oba” — a phrase many traditionalists and indigenes of the town deemed deeply disrespectful.
Responding swiftly, traditional priests and devotees assembled near the Olowo’s palace, chanting incantations and casting symbolic items to lay spiritual curses on the former First Lady.
In a Facebook video that captured the ritual, a voice was heard denouncing Betty’s comments, stating:
“It is rejected, it is denounced… All those who want to perpetuate evil in our kingdom, they wanted to curse you. You will see a lot of consciousness going around… All our youth are no longer responsible because of all these ugly, ugly, ugly things.”
The ritual has drawn widespread condemnation on social media, with many Nigerians expressing dismay over the deployment of spiritual forces in political or personal disputes.
Commenters criticized both the act of cursing and the political tensions that led to such a dramatic escalation.
Mrs. Akeredolu has yet to issue an official response to the cursing ceremony, but sources close to her say she remains “unmoved” by what they called an “unfortunate show of intolerance and intimidation.”
