Ijebu’s Egbe Bobakeye has dismissed claims that Queen Elizabeth II slept in Ijebu-Ode during her 1956 visit, citing archival evidence from the UK to set the record straight.
The Egbe Bobakeye Okunrin Akile Ijebu has debunked a viral social media claim that Queen Elizabeth II spent the night in Ijebu-Ode during her 1956 visit to Nigeria.
Speaking to journalists in Ijebu Ode, the group’s Giwa, Abiodun Onanuga, described the claim that the Queen slept in the home of Chief Timothy Adeola Odutola as false. “On behalf of Egbe Bobakeye, I can now state categorically and indisputably that our own Ule Egbe… was the venue where the Queen had her lunch,” he said.
He explained that Queen Elizabeth was received at Itoro by the late Awujale, Oba Daniel Adesanya, then had lunch at the colonial residence now used by Egbe Bobakeye, before departing for Lagos.
Two members of the age-grade, Kayode Adesanya and Lekan Odufunlade, reportedly sourced documents from the British National Archives to verify the itinerary. Odunfunlade urged the federal government to improve efforts in preserving and documenting historical records.