History of Iesi Ile
The hills of Imesi-Ile will always excite a visitor. History holds that the fourth Oba of Imesi ‘planted’ the hills, as a means of defending the community. The green hills were the setting for the famous Kiriji war, in which Ogedengbe, the mercenary (‘war contractor’), as well as Latosa of Ibadan, fought on opposing sides.
Hills of Imesi
Imesi fascinates. The land rises and falls, and there are hills everywhere. From the Oba’s palace in Imesi, which sits on an elevation, one can see this sea of hills spread so lovingly. It’s an uplifting, happy sight. Imesi is a fiery hearth for tales, a factory for legends. Imesi enchants and inspires. She is a lovely song fashioned by nature, in which nature sings to itself in various splendid notes. The endless white clouds of Imesi are another group of stunning, changing forms here. Imesi is less than an hour’s drive from Osogbo, the Osun state capital. The early inhabitants of the town were very impressed with the rolling hills. They attribute the many hills to the fourth Oba of Imesi who was a “powerful magician and juju man,” so says Femi Owen Makinde, Principal Technical Officer, National Museum, Osogbo. This Oba was unrivalled in the magical arts. Mr OsunMakinde says “It is believed that he planted these hills as a means of protecting the people.” He ‘planted’ the hills so that they will form a natural defence and protect his people, who lived in many communities within these hills.
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The 4th Oba
Imesi has been described as a land of hills, and this description is quite apt. Olabisi Adekanla writing in Imesi-Ile. The ancient Kiriji war camp states ‘Imesi is surrounded almost entirely by rocky hill ranges, leaving, in a few places, pockets of narrow land strips through which modern roads are just being carved.’Imesi is also a land of caves. Again Adekanla writes “At the hillsides there are unimaginable caves and crevices many of which are habitable and were really inhabited in the past.Relics of human habitation abound in forms of broken earthen utensils, fire places, smoked roofs and stone tools… The caves, locally referred to as Agbon have different features.” Agbaogo was the fourth Oba of Imesi-Ile and he became deified after his death
According to Adekanla “Agbaogo distinguished himself as a magician. He was brave, courageous, vast in the possession and use of charms and juju power. In the past, bigger and stronger Yoruba kingdoms took delight in terrorizing smaller and weaker ones. Imesi-Ile was a constant victim of such high handedness and terrorism. This did not please Agbaogo, to say the least. He, therefore, decided to go out of the town to find a solution to the “incessant raids of the ‘super powers.’ He had a special goal.” His mission was to find mysterious means of changing sand to stone, and land to hills so that he could form mysterious barricades round the town to keep the invaders permanently at bay. For several months Agbaogo did not reappear until all hopes of ever seeing him alive were given up. Concluding he might have met his doom among his strange associates, his son, Lukan was installed in his place and the Gbedu drum was beaten. This forbade him from ever entering the town again.” Greatly annoyed, Agbaogo now requested for a long chain which he used to descend into the bowels of the earth, a clear demonstration of his new found magical powers.”
Kiriji war
The hills of Imesi are very quiet today, but in the last quarter of the 19th century, they occasionally echoed to the sound of spirited warfare. This was the famous Kiriji war. Kiriji is a name which simply imitates the sound of guns which were used during the war, and this actually came to name the war itself. The guns made a noise which sounded thus Ki-ri-ji. But what led to the outbreak of hostilities within these otherwise serene hills? Femi OsunMakinde comments “The dominance of the Ekiti over the Ijesa led to the war.It was a war between the Ijesa’s and the Ekiti on one hand, and the power of Ibadan on the other hand.It was a war of independence, for the Ijesa’s felt that Ekiti was becoming too powerful, and one example of this power were the Ajele’s or Governors.” The direct incident that sparked off the war appears to have been an event involving an Ajele in Imesi, and Fabunmi.Mr OsunMakinde adds “Fabunmi was very powerful and was having a celebration. He sent his beautiful wife to the market to buy some items. At the market the Ajele saw Fabunmi’s wife, and ordered that she be seized and taken to his house. When Fabunmi heard of what had happened, he went and beheaded the Ajele, and took his wife back home. News now got to Latosa at Ibadan about what had happened. Latosa was the President General of the Yoruba nation, and the Ajele’s functioned like Governors under him. Latosa now asked that people should go to Imesi and bring back the head of Fabunmi. Fabunmi then killed the two who were sent to eliminate him, and sent their heads to Latosa. Thus Fabunmi now declared war on Ibadan. Many Ajele’s were killed and the war escalated. Ijesa and Ekiti now forged a common front to fight the war against the Ibadan forces, and they assembled at Imesi for this purpose.
In the course of the war it became clear that Ibadan had superior fire power, but one warrior was able to get sophisticated arms from Lagos to aid Imesi. Mr Makinde says “At Imesi there are so many caves. Some of the warlords hid in the caves, where they prepared amulets and magical powers, as well as engaged in the manufacturing of weapons. Adekanla writes thus on the background to the war “For several years before the Kiriji war began, the Ijesa, Ekiti, Igbomina, and Akoko countries had been groaning under the oppressive rule of Ibadan. The Ibadan people, full of expansionist tendencies after cowing most Yoruba countries into near servitude, ruled the Ijesa, Ekiti, Igbomina and Akoko people, among others through the Ajele (Residents) administrative system. The Ajele were overbearing, revelling in excesses and highhandness’. On the immediate cause of the war Adekanla states that it was the act of the Ajele who seized the wife of Fabunmi at the market, and the latters swift assassination of the Ajele, that sparked off the war. Adekanla now writes “Within that week alone, over one thousand Ibadan people were slaughtered in the Ijesa, Ekiti, Igbomina and Akoko countries. Within days all the Kings in the land had decided to go to war.”
The Role of Ogedengbe
Mr OsunMakinde now speaks on the role of Ogedengbe in the Kiriji war “At a point Ekiti sent for Ogedengbe, a war contractor or mercenary, to assist in the Kiriji war. When he came Fabunmi surrendered to him at Imesi Ile. There is a spot within the hills where Ogedegbe’s royal stool can be seen today. He used to sit on the stool and give orders.
Adekanla states “Ogedengbe’s compound was used as the meeting place for war lords, while the compounds foreground was used for the general assembly. Thus Ogedengbe’s compound became a political centre for the town. Important chiefs lived in large areas surrounded by their war boys.”
Ogedengbe also had a daily ritual which seems to have helped him in the course of the war. Adekanla writes “Salegan, Ogedengbe’s wife had a daily ritual, which she performed for her husband before he went to battle… The ritual guaranteed his safe return from battle at the end of the day.” One day, a powerful Egungun arrived and prepared a charm which saw to the demise death of Latosa, and brought the war to an end. The British colonial government settled the war. All the Obas from Ibadan and the Ijesa nation,and from all the towns involved in the war, came and appended their signatures to the treaty ending the war. The treaty was signed, put in a pot, and buried under a tree.’
Kiriji War sites
There are a number of sites around Kiriji which played prominent roles in the war effort in the 19th century. A tourist will actually enjoy going from one to the next. He will joyfully go from the low lying streams to the summit of some of the impressive hills. The beautiful landscape becomes even more beautiful as the movement is made from one spot to the next.
One of these sites is the Faragbota tree. It is famous because warriors used to hide behind the tree when they are shot at, and they were guaranteed protection. There is the arms dump, as well as a site where weapons were manufactured. Also there is the spot where Latosa was killed. The visitor will like to see Ogedengbe’s royal stool, as well as the mighty rock that produces an echo when hit. Then there is the Fejeboju stream. The remarkable point about this stream is the fact that when the battle was fierce, and many warriors lay dead or bleeding, then the stream will turn red owing to the huge volume of blood that will trickle down to it. There is the impressive site on the hilltop where the peace treaty was signed by the warring groups. There are a number of monuments up there, to mark the event. The unforgettable setting is also the site for the popular Kiriji festival which holds every September.
The historic town of Imesi -Ile is located on a hilly landscape – a semi plateau, in Ijesha area of Yorubaland (Click here to read about History of Yoruba Civil Wars), Nigeria. It is about 23 miles (37 kilometers) north-east of Ilesha, and about 19 miles (31 kilometers) from Oshogbo, the Oshun Stateo 4’ north of the equator, longitude 4o 5’ east of the meridian, on an altitude of 518 meters or 1700 feet above the sea level. It is one of the principal towns in Ijesha land, and administratively in Obokun local government of Oshun State. capital. It is located on latitude 7
The town is believed to have been founded in 12th century (one of the oldest settlements in Yorubaland). While the present site of the town was recorded to have been settled by the Nupe people of old, the original Nupe settlers eventually moved towards the northern part of Nigeria, leaving only a few remnants of their descendants behind. The earliest of the settlers that came and founded the present Imesi-Ile about 1126 AD were the Oloja, the Odunmorun, and the Eye. The Oloja and the Odunmorun patriarchs, being half brothers from Ondo, are held in positions of pre-eminence till today in Imesi. Even though the Eye family is almost extinct or aligned with other families in the town, the homestead remains till today and still enjoys the acknowledgement and respect of the community tradition. The town is currently a melting pot of the descendants of settlers originally from a variety of Yoruba towns (Click here for Ethnic Identity and Nineteeth Century Yoruba Warfare) including Igbajo, Ila-Orangun, Iresi, Otan, Esa-Oke, Okemesi, Ile-Ife, Efon-Alaiye, Ijero-Ekiti, Ido-Ekiti and other Ekiti towns, Oyo Alafin, (Click to read about Oyo Empire and power play in Yorubaland), Benin and others.
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“Agbo-Ile” or Family Compound identifies all indigenes of Imesi-Ile. Each Agbo-Ile is a large extended family sharing common ancestry. These ancestors were from very diverse places in Yorubaland as indicated in the opening section above.
Imesi-Ile 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. Local mythology has it that one of the town’s ancient warriors, Agbaogo (who has the status of a daity in the heart of some older generation), commanded the hills into existence at a time of numerous inter-tribal attacks and assaults against the town to provide adequate protection against wanton invaders. The various hills also provide incredible panoramic views for lovers of nature. On a clear day, various towns surrounding the town can be seen in far distances. The caves at the feet of various hills and mountains are of various shapes and sizes and are veritable shelters for all kinds of animals. The Olo hill in the heart of the town, for example, is a very good viewing station for lovers of nature, and home for all types of animals; hence the common saying among the people of Imesi: “Ojidun-run ereko e luru ni e l’abe Olo” (over 360 tailless rock hyraxes make Olo caves their home).
A frontline traditional ruler, the Owa-Ooye of Imesi -Ile, assisted by a council of traditional chiefs, governs traditional affairs of the town. Owa Ooye Saga, also called Owa Ooye Jalorun (one of the crown princes of Olofin from Ile-Ife, and a brother of Owa of Ilesa), was the first ruler of the community. Since the beginning of recorded history, a total of 43 Obas (including the current one) have been enthroned in Imesi-Ile. More recent Imesi-Ile traditional rulers include.
- The incumbent – His Royal Highness Oba Enoch Ademola Akinyemi, Oyoyo II of Imesi-Ile – Jan 2006 to date;
- His Royal Highness Oba Richard Makanjuola Adebiyi II – 1983 to 2004;
- His Royal Highness Oba Rufus Olanipekun Adegbola Fabunmi III – 1967 to 1983(Click here to read about Fabunmi);
- His Royal Highness Oba Ajiboye Ariyowonye – 1929 to 1965
- His Royal Highness Oba Ajetumobi who was on the throne in 1900 when Christianity was introduced to and accepted in Imesi-Ile.
CULTURE, SOCIAL LIFE & RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
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The principal occupation in the town was and is still farming; thus Imesi-Ile serving as a major bread-basket for the surrounding community. The farmers climb hills and mountains that look sometimes almost insurmountable to get to arable lands behind the hills. This cycle of climbing and descending from and to their various farms is principally responsible for the hardy build and nature of the people of Imesi-Ile. Imesi-Ile people work hard, but they also play hard when they get back home from their arduous farming routines. Some of the gaming activities employed for relaxation include Ayo, Jeje, Arin, Okoto, Ere-Osupa, and colorful folk story telling. Imesi-Ile people are musically versatile. Dancing is prominent in the town’s relaxation routine. Local music forms include Gangan, Sekere, Bata, Gan-gan-un, Adamo, Agogo, Aje, Ibembe, Lukorigi, to mention but a few.
Since the introduction of Christianity in 1900, Imesi-Ile people have come to understand the importance of western education. Parents put premium emphasis on good education; consequently, Imesi-Ile people have one of the highest education rates in the Yorubaland. This has also diminished the influence of farming in the community.
The notorious Kiriji wars (Click here for The outbreak of Kiriji-Ekitiparapo War) that lasted from 1877 – 1886, was the mega war that ended all the protracted inter- tribal wars in the Yorubaland. Kiriji war camps were located on an area of land between Imesi-Ile in Ijeshaland and Igbajo (another historical town, a short six kilometers from Imesi-Ile) in Oshunland. The “Treaty of Peace&rdquo (Click here to read about War and Peace in Yorubaland); that ended this war was negotiated by Governor Alfred Moloney, then British Colonial Governor of Lagos, assisted by Reverend Samuel Johnson and Reverend Charles Philips. Although the treaty was dated June 4, 1886 it was signed by all the principal parties on various days between June 1886 and September 1886. This treaty signed at Imesi-Ile was significant because it represented the first attempt by the Yorubas to fashion out a constitution for a peaceful coexistence among the Yorubas of various kingdoms. Today, war relics, archaeological sites and monumental spots abound in Imesi-Ile, and already catching the attention of Tourists and Archaeologists.
Imesi-Ile abounds in cultural events, celebrating one festival or another, most prominent being the annual Egungun (masquerade) festival, with the grand Egungun (Ladunnwo) emerging every other year. This is usually an all town events with indigenes of Imesi-Ile within Nigeria and abroad coming home for celebration. On a different note, the contributions of these Egunguns during the Kiriji was noteworthy. Apart from Ladunwo who could help in maintaining law and order as well as protecting the territory from invaders, Iyekiye also plays the same role. Gbajero is also one unique masquerade that helps in sending witches out of the town when there was need for that. Other prominent masquerades of note include Gbado, Pelemba, Alagbo, Eiyeba – not to mention the purely entertainment ones like the “Owolewas” and the “Daadouns”. The Other cultural festivals worthy of mentioning include the Ogun festival, Otoporo, and the Imesi-Ile Festival of Drums and Dance steps.
Self-help has being the model of social development among the Imesi people, and the traditional local governing body, and later in the 20th century, Imesi-ile Progressive Association (formally Imesi-Ile Progressive Union – IPU), have been the tools for making this work. When Imesi-Ile people are summoned by their leaders, they respond in kind. The first road which linked Imesi-Ile to Ilesha and Oshogbo opened in 1936. It was a community self-help project. Other such projects include the first High School founded in 1956, the Post Office, the Dispensary, the Palace, the Imesi-Ile –Igbajo road, the Imesi-Ile – Okemesi road, and several other projects, including one now underway to establish an Imesi-Ile Polytechnic.
Traditional religions have been (and still is) practiced in Imesi-Ile before Christianity was introduced to Imesi-Ile in 1900 by the Methodist Missionaries. Moreover, there is a handful of Muslims in the town and all these live together in perfect harmony. It should also be noted that while violent conflicts, turmoil, destruction and death had been and are still being engineered and sustained in many parts of Africa using political, cultural or religious plurality as excuses. Imesi-Ile is a good example of how the people’s Imesi-Ile Progressive Association and the Church have organized local people in very constructive cooperative community development ventures with impressive achievements over a century.
Imesi-Ile has also been the centre of some medical breakthrough. David Morley began his medical career as an undergraduate in Cambridge and then at St Thomas’s Hospital, London. After graduating in 1947, he first learned about health care problems in the developing world during his national military service in Malaya. He worked for a short while in general practice, but then recruited by the Methodist Mission; he left the UK for rural Nigeria and began a career that would improve the health of millions. Professor June Lloyd of the British Paediatric Association described his work thus: “In the five years that he was in Imesi-Ile it is no exaggeration to say that he transformed the approach to the health care of children in the developing world. He showed that infant mortality could be cut by over 80 per cent, not by the introduction of modern medicine and the building of hospitals, but by education and use of locally available resources.”
Morley started Under-Fives Clinics run by local personnel, he trained local women to immunise the children, and he devised the ‘Road to Health’ growth chart – all concepts which have spread around the world. When he arrived, measles killed 1 in every 20 children in Imesi-Ile. He tried a new vaccine from the USA, at first on 20 children, and then on all the children from 1962 to 65. By 1965 Imesi-Ile had become the very first community in the world to record the eradication of measles through vaccination.
Going back to the idea of Imesi-Ile being a town of self-made model and of true patriots. From the first Chairman of IPU, The late Chief A.O. Makanjuola (Otun Owa of Imesi-Ile) and Senator L.T. Olamijulo – the longest serving IPU Chairman (1938-1962), to the likes of Oba Ajiboye (Ariyo-won-ye), Pa William Ojo , Chief J.I. Bifarin, Chief (Engineer) J.A. Olaniyan, Chief J.O. Awoyomi (Aragba-migo!), Chief S.A Ajanaku, Chief D.O.Oguntoye, Pa P.F. Familusi, Pa J.O. Fakolade, Mr. J. Olu Ojo, The Right Rev. Famonure, Pa (Pastor) Olufemi, Pa I.O. Ajiboye, Pa Omoyeni, Pa J.A Adeogba, Dr. S.O. Fasokun, Engineer Lanre Fakolade, Honorable Oluwole Siyanbola, Chief Mrs. Wura Ojo (Nee Itagbemi of the famed Elizade Motors), and many others of blessed memories. These forerunners served the town with relentless and absolute patriotism. Some did not have money, but their ideas were invaluable, some educated our generation, others brought otherwise impossible progress and spotlight to Imesi. It is gratifying to note that as we speak, this effort on self-improvement through die-hard patriotism is still the norm in the town. The difference now is that the people who are making these changes and differences are our contemporaries that we grew up with! If we are at home right now, most of us will be participating actively in the building of this “city set on a hill”. It would therefore amount to dereliction of civic and moral duty for us to be absent from the firing line under the guise of being here in the United StatesCanada. This is a clarion call to all Imesi-Ile people and their friends to join hands with us on this important building process.
Family Units in Imesi-ile
Imesi-ile is a family oriented town. Each family unit has its own heritage and history. A very important feature of the Imesi-ile family units is the oriki. This page will be used to highlight the various family units in Imesi-ile. Click on any of the family units to view the “oriki”. If your family unit is not on the list below or you can’t find the “oriki”, kindly get in touch with the webmaster to correct the omission.
- Ako Ruling House
- Imose Ruling House
- Ilerio Ruling House
- Agbo Ile Akegun (Loye)
- Agbo Ile Olowu (Oke)
- Agbo Ile Olowu (Odo)
- Agbo Ile Obanla (Odowo)
- Agbo Ile Olojudo
- Agbo Ile Odunmorun
- Agbo Ile Asaba
- Agbo Ile Tedimole
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- Agbo Ile Osolo
- Agbo Ile Akerele (Itiwo)
- Agbo Ile Aro (Itiwo)
- Agbo Ile Arode
- Agbo Ile Orudi
- Agbo Ile Obe
- Agbo Ile Otuoko
- Agbo Ile Loriawo
- Agbo Ile Oisaba
- Agbo Ile Aba
- Agbo Ile Olomu
- Agbo Ile Gbolaasa
- Agbo Ile Ilerio (Odo Ese)
- Agbo Ile Saade (Tasan)
- Agbo Ile Osun (Odoba)
- Agbo Ile Osun (Odowo)
- Agbo Ile Agbelu
- Agbo Ile Ejemul
- Agbo Ile Jadumesi
- Agbo Ile Ejemu-iwa
- Agbo Ile Obaala (Abolubode)
- Agbo Ile Arapate
- Agbo Ile Oege
- Agbo Ile Opeforisowo
- Agbo Ile Obanla (Odoba)
- Agbo Ile Odofin
- Agbo Ile Onirangunsin
- Agbo Ile Obajimo
- Agbo Ile Lade
- Agbo Ile Alara (Adubi Obi)
- Agbo Ile Saloro (Ajedun)
- Agbo Ile Loja-oke
- Agbo Ile Odole (Oke-iro)
- Igbo Ile Iroko (Ariyibi)
- Agbo Ile Alara (Gbogberin)
- Agbo Ile Asaol
- Agbo Ile Orisogodo
- Agbo Ile Inurin
- Agbo Ile Lerio (Ijana-oke)
- Agbo Ile Oosinkin (Lokunmuyi)
- Agbo Ile Adigbo
- Agbo Ile Okile
- Agbo Ile Lejua Faro
- Agbo Ile Lejua Ata
- Agbo Ile Lesogan
- Agbo Ile Alagbo
- Agbo Ile Odio
- Agbo Ile Ojan
- Agbo Ile Lejua (Oke-iro)
- Agbo Ile Asigi
- Agbo Ile Oloro
- Agbo Ile Lode
- Agbo Ile Obiun
- Agbo Ile Lerio Imota
- Agbo Ile Odole (Odobi)
- Agbo Ile Aworo Oni
- Agbo Ile Onire
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