IKEJI-ILE IJESA AS THE HEARTBEAT OF IJESALAND!

IKEJI-ILE IJESA AS THE HEARTBEAT OF IJESALAND!

Ikeji Ile Ijesa is an ancient, small but developing city on the Mountain top in Oriade Local Government Area of Osun State, a boundary from between Osun and Ekiti States. It is about forty (40) kilometers to the South-East of Ilesa. Located on Latitude 7.4667° N and 4.9167° E. Ikeji Ile Ijesa is almost entirely surrounded by hills of various altitudes; the hills are numerous, sometimes magnificent, giving the town its picturesque look and famously cool weather.

Ikeji Ile Ijesa is situated on an inter mountain plateau and it is blessed with clear and fast flowing streams. Ikeji Ile Ijesa dominates all adjoining areas. The total land space occupied and dominated by ISODU and later IKEJI stretches from Iyangidi River in the north to Owena River in the east; Awo River in the south and Oke Arifon, which forms the boundary between the Akinla of Erin Ijesa and the Akeji of Ikeji Ile Ijesa.

In the days of inter-tribal wars in Yoruba land, a group of warriors from Ilesa decided to use the rugged topography of Isodu (later Ikeji) to their military advantage. Later the people of Ipo under Ejisun from Ado Ekiti came to take refuge and after some time, the Ira people led by the Olura also came through Ipole Ekiti to take refuge in Isodu. Such was the military importance of Isodu (later Ikeji). At this time the whole of Ijesa army would not go into combat against an enemy without a warrior from Ikeji firing the first shot in order to ensure victory.

It is pertinent to mention that even Ibadan forces suffered heavy casualties at the hands of Ikeji forces during their match into Ekitiland. In fact, in one of such battles was the Elerinta war, Ikeji actually defeated Ibadan forces as confirmed in the History of the Yorubas. It was only a rejuvenated Ibadan army under Ali Iwo that succeeded in breaking through Ikeji lines in their onward match into Ekitiland. This was during the reign of Ogbose-Okun I (1781-1882) who took Ikeji to live in Oke Arifon for about fifty (50) years before he brought them back to the present site of Ikeji Ile Ijesa.

During the reign of Owa-Obokun Atakumosa 1, there were incessant military incursions of the powerful Oba Ehengbuda (1578-1608) of Benin Kingdom into Ijesaland, then Owa-Obokun Atakumosa consulted the Ifa Oracle who advised that Owa-Obokun should send one of his bravest and most valiant sons to go towards the East and establish a military outpost “on the eastern flank of his kingdom, at a point where the man sent would meet the rain. There he would settle to stem the tide of the incessant incursions into Ijesaland. He found such a valiant son in ADETEMI, who after receiving his father’s royal blessing moved with his entourage eastwards until he reached Isodu where the rain fell.

In accordance with the injunctions of his father and Ifa priest, he settled where the rain met him (ni ibi ti o to ko eji) and renamed the place IKEJI (i.e. iko eji, meaning that we met the rain). As a crown prince of Owa, he took over the rulership of Isodu from the Onisodu and adopted the title AKEJI i.e. the person who met the rain. Rain in Yoruba language means “Eji”. He made the Onisodu his deputy and gave him the title ORISA-AKEJI.

The Akeji and his militant men successfully repelled the military incursions of the Binis and secured Owa Obokun boundary with the Ekiti at River Owena.

The real names of many past Akejis have been lost in the waste heap of history and only their descriptive name are remembered.

 Those remembered are:-

Adetemi (19th Century)

Adenimi

Asinsin-Okuta-Ko-Se-Ko-Senu

Ina Se Were Jogbo

A Won Se Gbeje Gberu

Period of War Marshals (6 in Succession)

Ose Iye Nikin Arere

Adogba Dorun Bi Akun

Aogbomaja Atirikalu

Amudi Esi Ba T Akunomoyeye

Afinbiokin

Ajire Loja Bi Ododo (1769-1780)

Ogbese Okun I (1781-1882)

Ogbese Okun II (Feb. 1883-June 1895)

Odugbo Ogun Arowosilejoye (Jan. 1896-1928)

Adeyomoye Agbese Okun III (Oct. 1937-Oct.1955)

Michael Adewoye Ogunmokun Adetemi III (Nov. 1956-Feb. 1990)

Adebayo Adefemi Ayegbo Ogunmokun Adetemi IV (Feb. 1995-Till date).

Ikeji Ile Ijesa people were blessed with jungles, so in this case, they were predominantly farmers who specialize in growing Food Crops like Maize and Cassava- produces in large quantities and Cash Crops like Cocoa, Date Palms, Kolanut. The women engage in mat weaving and they are renowned for their mat weaving. The mats are made from a local long grass, called “Eni” in the local dialect.

Oluwatomilola K. Boyinde

Ijesaland Renaissance Initiative,

Ijesaland@yahoo.com