UPDATE ON MISSING GAPS IN PROFESSOR BANJI AKINTOYE NARRATIVES ON AWORI SUB CREED OF YORUBA RACE IN NIGERIA

 UPDATE ON MISSING GAPS IN PROFESSOR BANJI AKINTOYE NARRATIVES ON AWORI SUB CREED OF YORUBA RACE IN NIGERIA

The History of Aworis (by Abiodun Adeosun, (Apapa : Robinson Publishers Ltd.,1997), stated that Ota is one of several Awori towns with premium on Ota. 

In 1997, the Aworis of Lagos and Ogun States combined efforts to present a Memorandum for the unification of all Aworis in Lagos State to redress marginalization arising from balkanization into Lagos and Ogun states. A proactive Awori Group named "Awori Laa" as a socio-cultural association led by the late Prof. Babatunde Fafunwa of blessed memory. It alluded to the history of Ado-Odo particularly her triumphant exploits during the Egba Dahomean wars of ex vassal Kingdoms liberation from yoke of Oyo imperial authority in the 19th century. The Egba-Ota-Ado war account was used extensively to debunk Ẹ̀gbá conquest theory of the Aworis that was submitted to the Committee on State, Local Government Creation and Boundary Adjustment set up by the Military Government of General Sani Abacha in 1996. 

The Memorandum with the title "Demand for the incorporation of Aworiland into Lagos State" listed Ota, Ado-Odo and Igbesa as the main foci of the demand with the following historical illustrations. 

History: "The core of the present Lagos State is Lagos Island or Eko, in its native designation and the adjoining mainland of Èbúté-Mota corrupted as Ebute Meta (Mainland ). It is an incontrovertible fact that the sub-Yoruba creed Aworis are the core indigenous people" dwelling in litoral and upland areas from the "sea coast of Lagos up to Papa Lanto in the north. In the north-west" while "Ado-Odo and Igbesa were recognized as Awori kingdoms even by Colonel Ord, who reported on the West Coast of West Africa in 1865 that to "the east, Irọ̀, on the bank of Ogun River marked the eastern frontier of Awori land." And he further wrote that 

 "before 1836 all the Awori kingdoms were independent of local (foreign) influence or domination. They were however, closely associated with the then kingdom of Lagos, the seat and capital of which was situated on Lagos Island."

He observed further that

"pursuing an expansionist policy, the Ẹ̀gbá, who had been driven from their own towns by the combined forces of Oyo, Ifè and Ijebu fell on Ota and after a siege lasting for 12 months" allegedly "overran Ota and subjugated the people. The assistance from a politically divided Lagos came too late and too little to be of much help to the beleaguered Aworis". That was in 1836. After this victory, Ẹ̀gbá warriors destroyed town after town until the undefeated Aworis of Ado-Odo and others in the neighborhood made a desperate and determined defence of that town - a resistance which lasted till the missionaries of the C. M. S. persuaded the Ẹ̀gbá to abandon the siege of that town and return home in 1852." The Egbas according to Col. Ord linked the genesis of "the Ẹ̀gbá claim that their land extends to Èbúté-Mẹta and that the lagoon is the boundary between Ẹ̀gbá and Lagos." and that "Ota became a semi-independent kingdom". (Sir J. H. Glover, Governor of Lagos in 1867).

"The policy of the British Government from 1865 onwards was to limit the area of the Colony of Lagos over which the Laws of England shall apply, particularly in respect of domestic slavery which was then a widespread practice. This was why Colonel Ord wrote in his report of 1865 on Igbesa thus: "the small and adjoining territory of Igbesa which was formerly dependent on the king of Lagos, has also been included in the same arrangement (i.e.given protection) but without any treaty being made with it." The same protection was given to Ado-Odo as a dependency of the then Lagos Colony. This policy of restricting the territorial area of Lagos Colony was to be a continuous policy under the British policy up to 1913 when the boundary of the Lagos Colony (which became Lagos State today) was formally defined. We need not stress that the boundary as defined was an artificial one."

"After the treaty with the Ẹ̀gbá Government of 1894, the Colonial Government introduced in 1904, the idea of Provincial Court where laws other than the British shall operate. For this purpose, it entered into what it called Judicial Agreement with the native States of the interior of Lagos colony."

"After the expedition to Ijebu Ode of 1892, Ẹpẹ was annexed to Lagos, the inhabitants forming a mixed population of Lagosians and Ijebus.

Up to 1914 when the Ẹ̀gbá lost their so-called "independence," Ota was only nominally subject to Abeokuta. After that date, Ota, along with Ado-Odo and Igbesa fell into Abeokuta province, administered by a Resident. In 1937, Ota was given a local council of its own, though it still sends members to the Divisional Council at Abeokuta. The Local Government law of 1952 severed Ota from Abeokuta, though still in the Western Region. 

Awori towns in Ogun State namely Iro, Igaun, Ibaragun, Mokoloki, Iseri, Ojodu, Agbado, Itoki, Ota, Tigbo, Ilogbo-Asowo, Itẹle, Ilasa, Ilamiro, Igere, Odan, Egudu, Ipatira, Ikogbo, Idanin, Ejila-Awori, Erinla-Awori, Igbesa, Iyesi, Osuke, Idimu, Owode-Ota, Obere, Kooko-Ebiye, Onibuku, Iju-Ebiye, Egushi, Agbara, Alaagba, Agbogbo, Matori Ajagona, Olorunleke, Alapoti, Idosaba, Idobarun, Idokotun, Idoleyin, Idojana, Ido-Ajaye, Okanran, Okusu, Eruku, Idolomu, Obakobe, Itire, Ijomu, Isalu, Oloparun, Idiota, Aromokala, Ado-Odo, Egan, etc were not under any central authority. The Aworis were scattered because they did not form a unique town like the Egbas, Ibadans.

Ota is called "Mecca for masquerades (Eegun) adherents." Adeosun (1997) opined that Masquerades got to Ota from Dahomey, Ado-Odò, Ilaro, Igboora, Igboho and Oyo. 

Cornwall, A. E. (1996), an American researcher in her PhD thesis noted that "Ado is a town celebrated for its antiquity and prominence as the abode of Odùduwà, Obatala, Ogun and Ifá, the principal deities of the Yoruba race. She went further that traditional titles are those of the Awori and their influence holds sway in the arena of traditional town politics. "Within the town," she further explained that "the places occupied by Awori lineages are sites where tradition continues to thrive till date." 

Further more, Ado is the largest and the oldest single historic entity along the entire Yewa River basin. Smith, R. S. in his 'Lagos Consulate' published in 1978 described Ado as a major power in the western district of the former Lagos colony and protectorate as cited in the Colonial Ordinance of 1864. Peter Morton-Williams, an anthropologist also highlighted in his findings that the Awori kingdom of Ado was clearly independent of Oyo control unlike its vassal neighbours that paid tributes to Oyo and had Ilaris or Ajeles stationed in their communities. 

Ogunremi G. O., et al (eds;) while writing on Badagry in 1994 recognized Ado as a core original settlement, epicenter and dispersal point for the Awori group that entered Badagry district of Pota, Ibereko, Mowo, Age, Imeke, Iworo, Èbúté Olofin, Era, etc. Ilogbo-Eremi, an ancient Awori Kingdom with Awoli, (Awole) an Ado Kingdom settlement was the original abode of Ilogbo Eremi people led by Ogamogun. And from Awoli to present Ilogbo Eremi township. The latter was severed from Ado Kingdom around 1912 by colonial authorities due to administrative exigency then. In support of oral tradition, Ajayi Crowther wrote in 1845 about Ọba Akitoye, Oba Akisemoyin and Alapa of Apa visit to the Oodu'a temple in Ilaje-Ado.

Ado rose in defence of Ota and emerged victorious in Yorùbá land. Part of the legacy of the war include Onibuku, a name that evolved from the circumstances of the process of peace negotiation facilitated by the Christian missionaries led by Henry Townsend to end the Civil War in Yorùbá land between Ado and Ẹ̀gbá forces. The missionaries had to pacify the Olofin of Ado to open gates of its borders for them to have access to the hinterlands and usher peace to other parts of Yoruba land.

The present monarchical system in Yorùbá land is intrinsically linked with theocracy perfectly exemplified in Ilé-Ifè also found in Ado-Odo as the core metropolitan enclave of Odùduwà. Olofin, the official title of the Ọba of Ado is derived from direct Odùduwà royalty. As noted by Dr. Habibu Sanni of the Department of History, Lagos State University in his lecture in Ota not long ago, Aworiland has different Obas and each has its tradition of origin. 

Kindly read Prof. Adé Obayemi in Akinjogbin, I. A. (ed) "Ilé-Ifè: The Cradle of a race. From the Beginning to 1980" with emphasis on "Farrow's (1926) that Odùduwà's other name is Ìyá Agbe, a goddess and wife of Obatala who fled from Ilé-Ifè to Ado some 15 miles (25km) from Badagry. 

Awori history as claimed by Prof. Banji Akintoye was largely derived from the documentation by the Europeans. Therefore Prof. Banji Akintoye's account cannot be super imposed on the indepth findings hitherto documented by other prominent historians and scholars which gave due reverence to Ado kingdom as the second home of Odùduwà after Ilé-Ifè. 

In his book, Prof. Banji Akintoye classified Badagry as Awori but Badagry as of today lays claim to Ogu descent from Benin Republic and/or Ghana. 

The Portuguese brought Christianity to Benin (Edo) in the 15th century but its practice did not endure. Thereafter in the 19th century, the Christian missionaries arrived Badagry and connected the hinterlands via Ado kingdom. Prince Caleb Obanla, a Carpenter also known as Oniseogun, a prince from Idakogun-Ado-Odo was a convert in 1842. Ado was renowned as a fortress of ancient civilization (Ade-Ajayi J. A. F. The Making of New Elites) and for this reason, Ifá in conjunction with other deities rebuffed initial Christian practice in Ado.  

Regarding Islam, recorded history attributed its spread to ex-King Kosoko of Lagos who made Ado his second home, before, during and after his reign. Mumuni from Idoagba-Ado, the first Imam of Ado became a Muslim through Ọba Kosoko's influence while the Gbodogun Dawodu family now in Olowogbowo area of Lagos followed him to Lagos.

The accident of history created by the British colonialists balkanized Aworiland, whereas a part (Iseri and Ota axis) was grouped in Ẹ̀gbá and the other part (Ado/Igbesa district) was grouped in (Egbado) Yewa particularly for what they called administrative convenience. Even at this, the Oba of Ado also known as Olofin Adimula Oodu'a occupies a preeminent position as a foremost traditional ruler before and in the present day Yorùbá land with his leadership role recognized since time immemorial. Part of Ado's cognomen (oriki) is 'Ọmọ olúpòrògún l'òde ọ̀run, 'Omọ ọwáàrun lòsì.' 

Ado-Odò/Ota Local Government was created in May, 1989 for the emancipation of the Awori people and settlements in all ramifications. To put the date of the founding of Aworis at 1425 is incorrect and out of tune with Ado's history.

Hoping that Prof. Banji Akintoye will review his work as appropriate.