End of an Era: Obasanjo laments death of Akran of Badagry

By Adejoke Adeleye

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed deep sorrow over the death of Oba De Wheno Aholu Menu-Toyi I, describing the late Akran of Badagry as an enduring symbol of unity, peace and inter-ethnic harmony.

In a condolence message issued on Monday through his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo said he received news of the monarch’s passing with shock, noting that Oba Menu-Toyi I stood out as one of the most respected and respectable traditional rulers in Lagos State.

The former President recalled that the late monarch lived an eventful life spanning more than eight decades, with a reign of about five decades over the Badagry Kingdom.

According to him, that period was marked by remarkable peace and stability in a town of immense historical importance to Nigeria’s ancient and modern history.

Obasanjo said Badagry, from pre-colonial times, has remained a rich repository of Nigeria’s cultural and artistic heritage, adding that the late Akran would be remembered as a patriot and a devoted custodian of traditional values who gave his all while on the throne of his forefathers.

He noted that during his years on the throne, Oba Menu-Toyi I used his influence to promote unity, solidarity, peace, understanding and development among the people of Badagry, both at home and in the diaspora.

The former President further described the monarch as “an apostle of inter-ethnic understanding and cohesion, inter-religious accommodation and tolerance, and inter-cultural cooperation.”

Extending his condolences to the Lagos State Government, the people of Badagry and the royal family, Obasanjo said he could only imagine the depth of grief caused by the loss, assuring them that their pain was shared by many Nigerians, including himself and his family.

Obasanjo, who is currently in Ethiopia on a continental assignment, urged the bereaved to take solace in the belief that the Creator knows best, even in moments of profound loss.