Anxiety has gripped the Ugbo Kingdom in the Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State following rumours about the death of Oba Frederick Enitiolorunda Akinruntan, Okoro Ajija I, the Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom.
The 75-year-old monarch, a prominent oil magnate and founder of Obat Oil, has reportedly been ill for some time. Sources suggest that he was flown out of Nigeria late last year for medical treatment, but his current status remains uncertain.
“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,” a source said.
Another source added, “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 a lowkey. They are only saying he travelled out.”
Born in 1950 into the royal family of Sir Frederick Adetolugbo in Ugbo, a riverine area in Ilaje, Obateru was the fourth of eight children and lost his father in 1964 at the age of 14.
In 2009, he was appointed king in line with the traditions of the Ugbo Kingdom.
In March 2014, Forbes estimated his net worth at $300 million, ranking him as the second richest king in Africa and the wealthiest in Nigeria, with only Mohammed VI of Morocco surpassing him at the time.
On September 13, 2019, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, approved the formation of a new council and appointed Oba Akinruntan as Chairman of the Ondo State Council of Obas for a two-year term.
