Ondo Monarch, Oba Moses Bakare, Dies After 24 Hours in Coma

The Onidogun of Idogun in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Moses Ekundayo Bakare, has died after reportedly collapsing and spending 24 hours in a coma.

The traditional ruler was said to have collapsed on Wednesday and was rushed to a hospital, where he remained unconscious before passing away on Thursday evening.

Ondo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Idowu Ajanaku, confirmed the monarch’s death, saying he was informed of the development by chiefs from the community.

Ajanaku expressed the state government’s condolences to the deceased’s family and the people of Idogun, urging residents to maintain peace and refrain from violence during the mourning period.

The monarch’s death comes nearly a year after a crisis rocked Idogun in October 2025, when some residents allegedly assaulted him in an incident captured in a viral video.

Following the incident, Oba Bakare reportedly left the community and remained away until his death.

The Ondo State Government subsequently constituted a panel of inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged assault and submit its findings. However, the panel’s report had yet to be made public as of the time of reporting.

Meanwhile, reports from the community indicated that some residents opposed to the late monarch prevented his remains from being brought into Idogun on Thursday.

The residents reportedly blocked the road with logs of wood, forcing those conveying the body to return it to a mortuary in Owo.

The circumstances surrounding the reported obstruction have not been officially clarified.

The development has added another layer of tension to the crisis that followed the alleged assault on the monarch last year, while the state government has called on residents to remain calm and maintain law and order as the community mourns its traditional ruler.