By Wilson Adekumola
The late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, first son, Prince Israel Adeyemi, has shed light on why his father who was a fierce boxer during his lifetime was called a ‘Slumber Boy’.
He made this disclosure in a recent interview with Tribune.
According to him, “He (late Alaafin) was a professional boxer and he never lost any bout. They called him ‘Slumber Boy’. I asked him what that meant and he said, ‘I put them to sleep’. He loved boxing.
“I think the reason he developed interest in boxing was what he passed through and that was the only way he could vent his anger.
“And he really pummeled his opponents. You know, as a young lad, he faced so many vicissitudes of life. He struggled through life.”
The Alaafin died at the age of 83 on April 22, 2022, at the Afe Babalola University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti in Ekiti, as a result of complications related to prostate enlargement.
His reign of 51 years was said to be the longest reign of any Alaafin of Oyo in modern recorded history.
However, the new Alafin of Oyo is yet to be installed since the demise of Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III.
