Meet Man Who Served 3 Past Alaafin Of Oyo For 77 Years

IBADAN - It is no longer news that the 44th Alaafin of Oyo in Oyo State, His Imperial Majesty Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III (Iku Baba Yeye) has joined his ancestors.

The revered traditional ruler died on Friday, April 22, 2022 after a brief illness at the age of 83.

However, there is a palace staff, who is very much around in the Oyo Alaafin’s place. He has served three past Alaafin consecutively including Oba Adeyemi III. He is called Morenikeji Lasisi, alias Baba Kekere of Oyo Kingdom.

According to a post by a Facebook user, Oyedokun Ayodele Oluwasemilore, on Sunday, he said Baba Kekere’s duty is to run errands for Alaafin.

Oluwasemilore further said Lasisi served Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Adeniran Adeyemi II (Oba Adeyemi III’s father) between 1945 and 1956; his successor Oba Gbadegesin Ladigbolu II between 1956 and 1968, and Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III between 1970 and 2022.

Oluwasemilore wrote: “He walks briskly in and around the Alaafin of Oyo palace. He is very popular not only because of his diminutive figure but because of his humility and he does not get angry. Some call him a man with a repository of knowledge of the Palace for he has the history of hand and some call him the Palace library or an archive.

“He is called Baba Kekere possibly because of his height. His age is unknown because his birth was not recorded but it is assumed that he should be over 100 years now. His real name is Morenikeji Lasisi.”