THE HISTORY, PEOPLE, CULTURE AND TRADITION OF OKE-ODAN, SOUTH-WESTERN NIGERIA (1780-2023) BY PRINCE DAPO ODUNFA - A CRITIQUE

 THE HISTORY, PEOPLE, CULTURE AND TRADITION OF OKE-ODAN, SOUTH-WESTERN NIGERIA (1780-2023) BY PRINCE DAPO ODUNFA - A CRITIQUE

The author established that Oke Odan was founded in 1780 by different groups, namely exiles and refugees from Egba-Dahomean wars. He dealt with the impacts of Owiwi war and the pre-emptive Egba military offensive of survival against her peaceful Egbado (Yewa) and Awori corridors of Ado, Ota among others The author identified Eyo, Ilaro, Ilobi and Erinja quarters as major constituents of Oke Odan. He also identified six different schools of thought on the origin of Oke-Odan including pro-Ado strand which he attributed to Ipokia Intelligence Report which stated that Oke Odan emerged on Ado Odo Kingdom territories. He dismissed this premise on the ground that the Kuoye Ajalangba elements that fled to Ado Odo had returned to Oke Odan.

The author dismissed the claim of Ilobi Erinja communities as the foremost groups that founded Oke Odan on the ground that the Baloguns that laid down their lives for the defence and stability of Oke Odan were mostly from Ilaro and Eyo axis and not from the duo of Ilobi Erinja quarters that migrated from Ilobi Omuwa and Erinja.

Also, the author queried why the two successive Elerinja of Oke Odan were buried in Erinja instead of Oke Odan. Why are there no burial spots in Oke Odan unlike successive Oloke Odan of Oke Odan from Ilaro and Eyo quarters that had their remains committed to Oke Odan soil. The author sees this as a rape of Yoruba tradition and customs. But this notorious fact hasn't precluded Erinja and Ilobi from a new rotational arrangement of ruling houses configured till date in Oke Odan.

The author as a Prince of Odunfa lineage which had produced two Obas Oloke Odan of Oke Odan evoked what he called the "Panegyric/Oriki" as a veritable tool in understanding how his forebears like Oba Joseph Akinlade Odunfa Arolagbade 1 reigned between 30th April, 1942 and June 5, 1945 as the Oloke Odan of Oke Odan I was succeeded by Oba T. Adele Olugbokiki Atibajoye I of Eyo quarters between 1952 and 1956 as the Oloke Odan of Oke Odan II and the immediate past Oloke Odan of Oke Odan III, Oba Joshua Oloyede Alamu Ogunbiyi Ogidan I, who reigned between 1957 and 2003 from Ilobi quarters.

I vehemently disagree with my learned friend for not giving prominence to the panegyric/Oriki of the first Oba, Oba Elerinja Kukoyi Ategbusijoye and Oba Elerinja Akinosi whose remains were taken back to their primordial roots. This has to be revisited by scions of Elerinja Dynasty in Oke Odan.

However, the author in his detailed panegyric/Oriki of Oba Joseph Akinlade Odunfa Arolagbade 1 is much rooted in Iseri Mole proverbial Awori "Kafi Owo wa, Ka fi Aje wa" and "Omo Osu Akesan" and Ijesa "Omo Olobi -wowo-nti - wo" and "Ile leru Owa ti n mu'na roko."

I sincerely commend the author for giving prominence to Panegyric/Oriki of Oba Dr. Olureni O. Fagbenro (Lajulo II) from Erinja quarters of Oke Odan. The latter as documented in Ado Odo Kingdom history and tradition is quite similar to that of notable Awori families in Ado. For instance, "Omo Asawo Owun" (written as owon by the author), "Omo Owun Adaludo", "Omo onigbo womu-womu", "Omo Onile agbojari", "Omo kaluku nii ponmi roko, eniyan ti o ponmi roko, orungbe agbe," "Omo Onilu teru o gbodo jo, Omo Awo ni jijo Awo, teru o gbodo jo,Omo Awo ni jijo Awo".

Without mincing words, Erinja panegyric/Oriki is very similar to that of Awori people in Ado and by extension the Ekusere Ilogbo Ota version as "Omo Asigba yanla"

An enduring aspect of the book is tracing the origin of Sarah Forbes Bonetta (1843-1880) captured as a slave by Dahomeans under King Gezo at age 4 but liberated by the British and ended up as what the author described "as the goddaughter of Queen Victoria of Great Britain." Her chequered history was well articulated by the author at pages 38-40 for readers to digest for further studies.

Apart from epochal events recorded with dates, it's commendable that the author, a Christian, dealt extensively with antecedents of Oro, Sango, Egungun, Ogun, Ifa, Ade Bibo (worship of crown), among others in Oke Odan land. No wonder the learned silk Chief Tunji Fadairo, SAN, highly recommend the book for readers and cultural activists in promoting peace, progress and stability. Oke Odan isn't immune from cleavages known in heterogenous enclaves.

It's pertinent to restate that the author's view on Ibasa people as customary tenants to Oke Odan overlords can't ignore the fact that Ajise was traditionally part of Olofin of Ado Odo Kingdom like Owo, Ijako, Isagbo Ere and Isagbo Oke until they were severed in 1982 and merged with Ifekowajo Local Government with seat in Oke Odan by the Olabisi Onabanjo administration in 1982. The Olofin of Ado Odo based on archival documents and historical facts exercised prescribed authority over listed communities including Irunji where sons of Olofin of Ado Odo Kingdom via Igboro Dynasty. reigned in the past.

However, the author failed to do justice to the issue of blacklisted Obas from Elerinja: Oba of Ilaro and Olu Asade of Ilaro killed by rampaging Egba soldiers outside Ilaro in Itoro but not Refurefu raised in Saburi Biobaku (1957), who alluded to pre-emptive strike on neighbours by the infant Egba state in 1830. The word "Ibopo" used by the author in describing demise of Oba Kukoyi Ategbusijoye in 1899 and his successor, Oba Akinosi (1900-1935), both of Elerinja stock, taken to Erinja and that of Olu Asade Agunloye 1 of Ilaro, whose remains were interred in Ilaro, his homestead, by his people was wrongly captured as the Crown buried outside in defiance to norms and values in Yorubaland. (Ori Ade ki n suta).

Empirically, there are records and burial spots of Alafin of Oyo buried in different places like Oyo Ile, Igboho and other places. We had a section of Alafins also buried at Bara special royal spot in today's Ago Oja, otherwise called Ago Doyo, Oyo till date.(See the South West Report on "Igbo-Oba: The Sacred Forest at Igboho where Four Alaafins were buried," in The Nation, Wednesday, April 9, 2014, at pp. 31-32).

The dichotomy of past Elerinjas of Oke Odan and Oba Adejola Odetan of Ilobi pedigree who according to him joined his ancestors at "Isoto" due to ill health, and so not properly fitted like their successors who reigned as Obas Olokes Odan of Oke-Odan captured by the author is to me quite unnecessary. For the purpose that those pro-Erinja/Ilobi Obas had statutory recognition and support as Obas shouldn't have been discriminated for been buried in their ancestral roots fled by their forebears in the wake of Egba Dahomean military onslaught that sacked Ilobi and Erinja. Logically and customarily, they were buried in tandem with prevailing norms then. Really, one can dislodge the assertion that their Crowns slept outside contrary to reductionistic view of the author that they ought to have been finally interred in Oke-Odan and not Erinja or Ilobi.

With profound respect to my learned friend, it is an exhibition of myopic thought on the Ipokia Intelligence Report to assert that the present Oke-Odan territories were largely acquired from Ado Kingdom with common boundaries with ancient Ipokia Anago Kingdom.

Without being prejudiced by usual allegation of being reduced to an irredentist by critics is to reiterate herein, that Ado Kingdom formed a military pact with Oke Odan to safeguard her people and territories. Asiwaju (1976) also remarked on the said alliance arising from regional insecurity posed by Egba Dahomeans military warfare of annexation and search for buffer zone to inherit ruins of Oyo empire sacked by Fulani in 1837. We know that Dahomeans sacked Igbeji and the influx of refugees posed a threat as a littoral Kingdom along Ado River called Yewa.

One distills from Ado narratives that Asamo and Asawo both with appellations of "Owun Adaludo" as scions of Aperin fold and/or legendary figures in Ado Kingdom. Erinja community had strong"panegyric/Oriki'"and ancestral blood ties with Ado Kingdom and by extension Ilobi. It was this fraternity that yielded to tactical support for Ilobi Erinja people settling in the Savannah located on a hilly spot (Oke- Odan) owned by Ado Kingdom but called "Oak-hill" by Lawyer Dapo Odunfa. Notwithstanding, the author had done a good job defending Ilaro Eyo groups that to him made Oke Odan survive the menace of wars. It's also important for him to look beyond that perspective to undaunting tasks of Erinja/Ilobi pathfinders like Okin Orewon Soogun and many unsung heroes in consolidating peace and stability of "Aji le te n te" derived from fear of anticipation of enemies attack corrupted as Ajilete till date. Unlike the author's position that Oke-Odan and Ajilete were names of two foremost founders of Oke-Odan is anomalous, I concur that there are age-long ritual points Oju Alale to that effect. The current Chairman Alamuwa Central Development Council, Ado Odo, Chief Ramoni Akinola (1978) final year essay submitted to Department of History on the devastating effects of the Egba Dahomean Confrontations on Egbadoland in the Nineteenth Century gave vivid course of events leading to emergence of "Aji le n tete" and not a name of a person. And one feels it's part of good scholarship to further read Dr Tunji Otegbeye (date not supplied by me) account of Ajilete history with the indomitable role of Ilaro and other quarters is an appetiser and nourishment for researchers too. For the great politician in his book wrote that an Ado man was one of the two foremost founders of Ajilete. This view isn't unconnected with Ajaluwa, Asamo, Asawo, Asasi of Àperin pivotal roles in Ado Odo, Oke Odan Ajilete chequered history largely swept aside by my learned friend.

Another issue is the author's slip of pen with his watery argument at pages 2 and 3 that the two famous Oke-Odan soldiers "Osabiyi and Aro" military offensive against Dahomeans and Egba gave birth to "Ilaro" (Ilu Aro) of today, tracing her evolution as a "hunting camp" in 1851. This lacks merit and is a trivial proposition to work with. The data gathering that Aro from Oke-Odan, during hunting expedition died with his "poisonous rod or whip" at reference called "Oju Oro ina" (grave of Oro ina). I stand to be corrected that the source of this information shouldn't be given any serious probative value as Ilaro had existed centuries prior to 1851. We know from the author's work that Iga Ayesinmi, Abogun became Ago Ilaro and the Ona Ola quarters joined them in forming a mega Ilaro community in Oke Odan. The Aro Oke-Odan foundation claim in Ilaro is hereby falsified to the extent of its inconsistency.

The author has raised the bar of discussion on the founding fathers of Oke-Odan for critique of his great contribution to knowledge. As Albert Bandura posited, learning is a continuous process in life. Lawyer Dapo Odunfa as a Prince of Balogun Ayefimi has deeply enriched and as well broadened our intellectual horizon. Also, he has challenged us to inquire how Ado Odo came about being addressed as "Olugobu aran" at page 23 having earlier averred at page 8 in paragraph 1 of lines 9-10 to one "Balogun Olugobu Aran of Irinja", Erinja died along with other Baloguns of Ago Ilobi and Ago Eyo in a pitch battle during Sodeke Egba war. Even though the Olugobu Aran thesis is yet to be confirmed in Ado by elders and historians. But with Balogun "Olugobu Aran" of Erinja that died for the survival of Oke-Odan and Ado Odo called "Olugobu Aran" raises dust and a positive correlation that we shouldn't discountenance Ado Kingdom on evolution of Oke- Odan, now a sister town on her territory. The relevance of pact or military alliance espoused in Asiwaju (1976), all combined together that Ado Kingdom had a stake in Oke-Odan history from time immemorial in contradistinction to the stance of the author that "historically", Ado people didn't found Oke-Odan town. Res Ipsa Loquitor. The "Olubogu Aran" and the Ipokia Intelligence Report are acts that speak for themselves on Ado and Oke Odan being founded during the reign of the 29th Olofin or Oba of Ado.

One hastens to submit that the foremost Christain leaders like Andrew Sanu based in Ota/Lagos played the role akin to that of External Affairs Ministers and modernisers to Oke-Odan during internecine wars and Oke-Odan benefited immensely from activities of missionaries with early establishment of primary education ahead of other communities in Yewa Awori. It's on record that Bishop Ajayi Idowu Ogunbiyi, another influential clergy man based in Lagos State, hailed from Ago Ilobi, Oke Odan.

Ipso facto, we can't ignore the indomitable roles Sanni Baba Ota and his son, Shittu Sanni from Erinja quarter played as primus inter pares in the development of building of Oke-Odan around 192Os. The incumbent Seriki of Ota descended from Sanni Shittu manifestly touched by the author in the book under review.

Truly, the author lamented the horrifying fate that befell the Olu of Ilaro, "Oba Asade Agunloye 1" "beheaded by Sodeke army", his successor from the Ruling House later in life as the Olu of Ilaro, Oba Olugbenle Asade Agunloye II in 1905 installed David Ogunbunmi Odunfa as the second Balogun of Oke- Odan. This reaffirms the umbilical ties between Ilaro and a section of Oke-Odan community. Next to the four quarters is the Saala group from Ayetoro Yewa North is another segment of that has produced Alapini title holders in quick succession as stakeholders in Oke-Odan community as people of common destiny.  

Congratulations to Prince Dapo Odunfa, a seasoned historian who was a co-member of the Egbado Students' Union at the University of Ibadan in the early 1980s and also ended up as a learned colleague in the legal profession. His sound and plausible arguments and/or notoriety of some facts was largely shaped by legal jurisprudence as a multidisciplinary perspective to the study of Oke Odan culture and tradition as opposed to strict historical facts which may be unacceptable to seasoned historians.

- Kabir Olawale Alagbe,

Political scientist, Lawyer and retired INEC Director, is a Prince of Olofin Adimula Ado Odo Kingdom, Aworiland, Ogun State.

kabirolawalealagbe@gmail.com