Nigeria, July 4 -- The Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has broken his silence over the claim that he conferred a chieftaincy title on actor Olanrewaju "Baba Ijesha" James.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Baba Ijesha announced that the Ooni bestowed on him the title "Awada Konge Oduwa" during a visit to the palace alongside his wife, fashion entrepreneur Abiodun Tokunbo, CEO of Luminee Couture.

The announcement triggered widespread backlash online, with many netizens accusing the Ooni of embracing a man convicted of sexually assaulting a child, despite the actor having already served his prison sentence.

They questioned why Mr Ogunwusi would publicly celebrate someone with such a conviction, arguing that such chieftaincy titles send ...