The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, faces sharp criticism from his former wife, Queen Chanel Chin, who labeled him a “deadbeat father” following his explosive allegations against her and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
Chanel, born in Canada to Jamaican parents and daughter of reggae artist Ludlow “Bobo Zaro” Chin, worked as a model and entrepreneur before marrying the monarch in 2016 after meeting at a Lagos party in 2015. Their union dissolved in December 2019 amid claims of “personal irreconcilable differences,” with reports of her forcible removal from the palace and public accusations of emotional abuse.
The dispute flared up again on Tuesday via a viral Instagram video where Oluwo accused the Ooni of plotting his downfall by “packaging” Chanel for marriage as a trap. “He (Ooni) was looking for my downfall, and the next thing, they packaged a woman for me. I don’t know her from Canada, but it was packaged for me. It was a setup,” he claimed. Oluwo further alleged that Chanel poisoned him twice, tried to assassinate him, and that their son, Prince Oduduwa, might not be biologically his: “She had a child, which I don’t even know if it’s mine. I have to confirm that through DNA.” He also accused the Ooni of sheltering Chanel and engaging in an affair with her, while declaring his spiritual invulnerability: “Sango cannot kill me; Ogun cannot kill me. Only God determines when someone will die.”
In a Friday Instagram statement, Chanel rejected the claims as “false, misleading, and damaging to the sacred Yoruba traditional institution.” She clarified that a respected Lagos oba, not the Ooni, introduced her to Oluwo: “I was introduced to Mr Akanbi by a respected Lagos monarch, not by the Ooni of Ife. During my time as Olori Oluwo, I regarded this Lagos monarch as my Royal Father and still do with respect.” She accused Oluwo of neglecting Prince Oduduwa for over five years, resurfacing only in August in Canada to refuse passport documents but provide $500—the first financial support since their departure from the palace. “Mr Akanbi has been absent from Prince Oduduwa’s life for over five years,” she wrote, urging traditional leaders to rein him in and affirming: “This shall be my final statement on the matter. Prince Oduduwa remains my beloved son, and I hold the Yoruba people in deep love and respect.”
Echoing a 2020 Saturday PUNCH interview, Chanel described their marriage as “built on falsehoods,” denying infidelity or poisoning and alleging Oluwo exploited her Canadian heritage for fame: “He used me to build his profile. People didn’t even know him before. He used me as a show horse, saying, ‘My wife is Canadian.’ He even named our son Oduduwa, a name elders later advised me to change.” She insisted their initial meeting occurred in Lagos, not Canada.
Attempts to reach the Ooni’s media aide, Moses Olafare, for comment were unsuccessful. The escalating public spat has now ensnared the Ooni, underscoring the deep-seated animosity between the former couple.
