By Hunvio Elizabeth Badagry has formally concluded its seven day period of royal mourning as the final traditional rites for His Royal Maje...
By Hunvio Elizabeth
The ancient coastal kingdom stood still as residents observed the seventh day since the official announcement of the monarch’s transition. The air across the town was heavy with reflection and reverence marking the close of a deeply symbolic cultural cycle that signals both farewell and continuity in Badagry’s royal heritage.
In a powerful demonstration of communal respect, Agbalata International Market, the commercial nerve centre of the division, was completely shut down at exactly 6 am. The closure underscored the gravity of the day as traders and residents alike stepped away from daily activities to honour a king who reigned for 48 years.
Confirming the development, Chief Tunde Giro, the Depegan of Badagry and a senior member of the Akran Royal Council, described the seventh day as a sacred milestone in the kingdom’s tradition. He explained that the market closure created space for traditional town criers and the Zangbeto, the revered indigenous security institution, to carry out final spiritual sweeps of the commercial zones. According to him, the rites symbolically ensured that the land and people fully released their monarch to the ancestors.
Within the palace, sources revealed that the most sacred phase of the rites began at midnight. These inner circle rituals, conducted away from public view, were centred on the spiritual release of the throne and the sealing of the monarch’s transition. Unlike earlier days of mourning, activities on Monday were governed by an even stricter silence protocol, with drumming and celebratory sounds completely prohibited across the town.
From early morning, groups of residents gathered quietly around the palace gates, many dressed in traditional white and black attire. Conversations were hushed as people shared memories of a reign remembered for peace stability and cultural pride. For many, the end of the seven days felt like a second moment of loss.
Although the formal mourning period ends with the seventh day, the Badagry Traditional Council has indicated that further rites will follow. A ninth day ceremony is expected to take place on Wednesday January 21 as part of extended traditional observances. The Royal Family is also expected to issue a formal statement by Tuesday evening outlining state funeral arrangements to be coordinated with the Lagos State Government, a public day of tributes for dignitaries and the initial succession and regency guidelines.
For ordinary residents, the moment is deeply personal. Mrs Sewanu Hunvo, a trader at Agbalata Market, captured the prevailing mood when she said the community felt as though it had lost its father twice first at his passing and again at the close of the seven days. She added that while Badagry would never be the same, the people would continue to uphold the peace and values the late Akran embodied.
As the final rites reach their peak, Badagry stands at a historic threshold bidding farewell to a long serving monarch while quietly preparing for the next chapter in its centuries old royal tradition.
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