Nigeria: No, Video Does Not Show Nigerian Traditional Leader Using Real Human Head for Festival Rituals

28 February 2025
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Catherine Adeniyi

No, video does not show Nigerian traditional leader using real human head for festival rituals

INSHORT: A video posted widely on social media in Nigeria shows a figurine of a traditional symbol from the 2025 Obatala Festival in Ile-Ife, and not a real human head.

A video has been shared on Facebook in Nigeria with claims that it shows a traditional ruler publicly performing rituals with a human head.

The video shows the Ooni of Ife in western Nigeria, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, surrounded by men, all dressed in white. The traditional leader is seen pouring gin over what looks like a decapitated human head placed on a white cloth in a box.

The video is captioned: "Only in Nigeria will a known traditional ruler will be publicly performing ritual with Human head without being arrested, tried and imprisoned. I give up".

An ooni is a traditional monarch of Ife, a historically and culturally significant city and the spiritual home of the Yoruba people. The title of ooni refers specifically to the king of Ife and is one of the most prominent and revered traditional royal titles.

The same claim about the Ooni of Ife can also be found here, here and here. (Note: See other instances of the claim at the end of this report.)

But does the video show real human heads on display during the festival? We checked.

Video shows figurine, not human head

The video had a TikTok watermark with the username @ifayomiobaeduempire. Africa Check traced this back to TikTok, but the original video appears to have been deleted.

However, we found another instance of the same video on the platform with the watermark "Obatala Festival Ile Ife", confirming its link to the event.

The Obatala Festival is held every January in Ile-Ife, Osun state, western Nigeria, to honour Obatala, the Yoruba deity of wisdom, purity, and creation.

Devotees and cultural enthusiasts gather for rituals and artistic displays. White clothes and terracotta figures, representing purity and Obatala's role in shaping humanity, are central to the celebrations.

Further checks on YouTube using the keyword "Obatala Festival" revealed a separate video of the ooni pouring gin over a figure in a cart. The figure is clearly a recognised part of the festival.

The object in the video is a figurine or model of a human head, and is not real.

The false claim was also shared here, here, here and here.

Read the original story, with links and other resources.
Africa Check is a non-partisan organisation which promotes accuracy in public debate and in the media. Twitter @AfricaCheck and www.africacheck.org

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