Prince Akinfemiwa Akinruntan, son of the Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom, Oba Fredrick Enitiolorunda Akinruntan, has refuted reports making the rounds about his death, assuring the public that he is alive and in good health.
Akinruntan, the GMD of Obat Group, in a statement on Tuesday, made this clarification in response to rumours that the monarch, who is also the founder of Obat Oil, has passed on.
Earlier, some news outlets (not this publication) reported that it could not confirm his death amid growing anxiety in the Ondo community over reports of the monarch’s demise.
The report that the 75-year-old monarch had been ill for some time, though they could not independently verify his demise at the time of this report.
“We heard that he was flown out of Nigeria last year because of his sickness. But maybe because he is king, they are trying to keep his death hush-hush,” one of the sources said.
“But people in his area are saying that he is dead, but they decided to keep the news from the public.
“Since last November or December, nobody has heard from him up till now. We heard that they have performed some rituals in his kingdom, but it was on the low-key. They are only saying he traveled out.
“I heard that he has been very ill and that he has been afflicted for some time,” another source said.
However, responding to the rumors, Prince Akinruntan affirmed that his father is alive and in good health.
According to him, the monarch is currently enjoying a vacation.
The statement read, “I want to address the recent misinformation regarding my father. Contrary to what has been reported, he is alive and in good health, currently enjoying a vacation.
“We urge everyone to refrain from spreading false information and respect our family’s privacy during this time.
“Thank you for your understanding,” Akinfemiwa added.
