In a heart-wrenching incident, Oba Adejuyigbe Adefunmi II of Oyotunji African Village in Beaufort County, South Carolina, USA, was fatally stabbed by his sister, Akiba Kasale Meredith, during a heated argument. The incident occurred on Monday, July 29, 2024.
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office reported receiving a call about the stabbing around 2:45 p.m. at the village, located on Bryant Lane. The 47-year-old monarch was transported to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The suspect, identified as 53-year-old Akiba Kasale Meredith, fled the scene on foot but was apprehended shortly after. She has been charged with murder and is currently held at the Beaufort County Detention Center.
In a 2017 interview with Punch, the late Oba Adefunmi II disclosed that he had seven wives. “My wives are in Canada, Oyotunji, Virginia, and different places,” he stated.
Oyotunji Village was established in 1970 by Walter Eugene King, also known as Oba Ofuntola Oseijeman Adelabu Adefunmi I, as a haven for African American practitioners of the West African Yoruba faith. The village’s name, meaning “Oyo rises again,” reflects its mission to revive the cultural and religious heritage of the Yoruba kingdom of Oyo.
King’s journey began with influences from Afro-Haitian traditions and the Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe, leading to his initiation into the Orisha priesthood in Cuba in 1959. He founded the Yoruba Temple in Harlem in 1960 before creating Oyotunji Village, driven by a vision of Black nationalism and the preservation of African traditions.
READ ALSO: Bobrisky to Regain Freedom on August 5th
Initially home to around two hundred residents, the village now consists of fewer than ten families governed by an Oba and a council. The community remains dedicated to Yoruba traditions through rituals, chants, music, and ceremonies. Oba Adejuyigbe Adefunmi II had been leading the village since 2005.
Oyotunji Village, over forty years old, continues to celebrate and educate the public about Yoruba culture through festivals, bazaars, and various media, supported by the African Theological Archministry and its network.
The untimely death of Oba Adejuyigbe Adefunmi II marks a profound loss for Oyotunji Village and the broader community that cherished his leadership and commitment to cultural preservation.
