The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, has faced fresh criticism from his former wife, Queen Chanel Chin, who accused him of being an absent father. Her remarks followed the monarch’s recent claims that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, conspired with her to ruin his reputation.
Chanel, a Canadian-born daughter of Jamaican reggae artiste Ludlow “Bobo Zaro” Chin, married the monarch after they reportedly met at a Lagos party in 2015. Their marriage ended in December 2019 after nearly three years, with Oba Akanbi citing “irreconcilable differences.” The separation sparked public disputes, as Chanel accused him of emotional abuse after being sent out of the palace.
The controversy resurfaced this week after the Oluwo released a video alleging that the Ooni orchestrated a plot against him by “packaging” Chanel into the marriage. In the video, the king further claimed his ex-wife tried to poison him twice, attempted assassination, and bore a child whose paternity he now questions.
“She had a child, which I’m not sure is mine. I need a DNA test,” the monarch said, also alleging that the Ooni provided accommodation for Chanel and had a relationship with her. He added, “No traditional deity can kill me. Only God controls life and death.”
Efforts to obtain the Ooni’s response through his media aide, Moses Olafare, were unsuccessful.
However, Chanel swiftly rejected the monarch’s accusations in a statement on Instagram. She described the allegations as false and damaging, clarifying that she was introduced to Oba Akanbi by a respected Lagos monarch, not by the Ooni.
She also accused the king of neglecting their son, Prince Oduduwa.
“Mr Akanbi has been absent from Oduduwa’s life for over five years. He reappeared in Canada this August, refused to sign his passport papers, but left $500—the first support he has ever given since we left the palace,” she revealed.
Calling on traditional leaders to caution the monarch, Chanel declared that her statement would be her final word on the matter. “Prince Oduduwa remains my beloved son, and I continue to hold Yoruba culture in deep respect,” she said.
This is not the first time Chanel has spoken about her troubled marriage. In a 2020 interview, she described the relationship as “built on lies,” insisting that she never poisoned or cheated on the monarch. She alleged that she was used to enhance his public image because of her Canadian background.
“He used me to raise his profile. People didn’t know him before, and he would often say, ‘My wife is Canadian.’ Even our son was named Oduduwa, though elders advised me to change it later,” she said.
With both sides trading accusations, the bitter fallout between the Oluwo and his ex-wife has once again become a public spectacle—this time dragging the revered Ooni of Ife into the dispute.
