Erin-Ijesa was founded circa 1140AD by the great Akinla, the first daughter and a princess of Oduduwa, father of the Yorubas, who left Ile-Ife in the 12th century during the tumultuous years that witnessed the dispersal of all heirs and heiresses of Oduduwa.
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Erin-Ijesa is about 10 kilometres north of Ilesa, the chief city of the Ijesa, a sub-nationality of the Yoruba and along the Lagos-Ibadan-Ilesa-Akure-Benin express road. Erin-Ijesa can be described as an ancient, sedate and relatively small and sleepy countryside, which has grown in spatial and demographic terms than it used to be during pre-colonial times. It is inhabited by a determined, dynamic and highly educated and progressive people. It shares boundaries with Efon-Alaye in the north, Ipetu-Ijesa in the south, Ipole-Ekiti in the east and Erinmo in the west.
Erin-Ijesa’s population was 2,122 in 1963. This rose to 4,415 in 1991 and 5,037 in 1996. However, in 2006 the inhabitants numbered 8,111. The women to men population ratio is about 60/40%. The town is situated on Latitude 07.56785oN and on Longitude 04.76345o E, which makes it to fall within the tropical rain forest belt of the West African sub-region. Politically, Erin-Ijesa occupies a prominent position in Oriade Local Government Area of Osun State. It constitutes a ward of its own with some adjoining villages, hamlets, and settlements amongst which are: Urokin, Igbelajewa, Ayetoro, Awaye, Igun, Seleolowe, Lakinyo, Olorogbo, Owode, Aba-Ibadan, Aba-Ikirun, Aba-Ogbomoso, Aba-Orisunmbare, Afero and Fariogun. Each of these settlements has its own traditional head (Loja) that comes regularly to pay homage to the Akinla of Erin-Ijesa.
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Erin-Ijesa is blessed with a beautiful landscape with projecting hills within the range of 1,200 to 1,300 feet above sea level. The geographical location of Erin-Ijesa at the foot of Yoruba Hills provides attractive and beautiful scenery looking upwards to the hills, interlocked by rocks and evergreen deciduous forest. It is also interspersed by big trees like ‘Iroko’, ‘Arere’, ‘Oganwo’, etc; which of course provided opportunities for timber business and saw-milling. The area is well-drained by two major rivers, the Oni and the Olumirin. There are, in addition, several streams and brooks many of which are however seasonal. Some of these are Agbaroko, Ogburugburu, Ayinrin, Mojapa, Osun, Onisooro, Asiko, and Ajimoloko. These streams and brooks can be used for fishery ponds. A cliff is formed along the course of the Olumirin river creating a waterfall that is a major tourist attraction for many people all over Nigeria and the world in general. Olumirin waterfalls have placed Erin-Ijesa on a roadmap of development. The waterfall is one of the most important tourist centres in Osun State. The epithet of Osun State “Land of the Living Spring” is derived from the waterfalls at Erin-Ijesa and Osun River grove in Osogbo.
The mainstay of the economy of the town is farming. The location is swampy and sloppy, allowing for the cultivation of varieties of crops of which rice is currently very prominent. Erin-Ijesa produces the largest tonnage of rice in Osun State. Yams, maize, beans, plantain as well as cash crops like cocoa, kolanut and timber are also produced in large quantities. Other predominant occupations are rice-milling, cassava milling, welding, local wine brewing, photography, barbing, etc. Erin people are predominantly agrarian and peaceful. They practice ‘aaro’ and ‘ebese’ (a communal and cooperative labour system) as means of assisting one anotherin their land cultivation most especially during the clearing and planting seasons. It is a feature of cohesiveness and communal unionism. In the past, the aaro system was used to offer farming assistance on the basis of brotherhood, in-law, age-grades, and in helping the weak and the sick.
The people in the community are generous and accommodating as various people in Nigeria come here to buy and sell. Erin people can be accommodating to a fault. They are are also liberal but highly principled. This was reflected in the way Christian and Islamic religions have come to be accepted by the people without much conflict. Oba Ayeni, a famous and respected herbalist within his immediate domain and beyond, during his reign, led his people to accept modern faiths in spite of their deep-seated beliefs in traditional ways of worship.
There are two government-owned primary schools and one government-owned secondary school aside from many private schools (nursery, primarywithin the community. There are modern amenities like electricity, pipe-borne water, telecommunication (MTN, GLO, ZAIN, ETISALAT), maternity centre, post-office, Union Bank, Police Station, shopping complex, Grade C customary court, and 20-bed hospital (awaiting commissioning). There are many place of worship like Christ Anglican Church, Christ Apostolic Church, Redeem Church, Catholic Church, Deeper Life Church, Foursquare Gospel Church, Cherubim & Seraphim, and mosque.
The major market is the Oyigbo-Mekun market, also known as Oodua market, at the centre of the town. This market formerly held every seventeen days but now held every eight days. People come from various towns of Yorubaland to buy and sell various articles such as clothes, mats, beads, etc and farm produce among others. We also have various cooperative society of farmers and traders, such as Obalagbe Farmers Association, Agbelere Farmers Association, Agbejeunseku Farmers Association, Egbe Oniresi Farmers Group, Cocoa Produce Farmers Association, etc. Even though, Erin people practiced farming intensively and extensively, a small percentage of the population engaged in trading and craftwork like mat-weaving, blacksmithing and tailoring.
Erin-Ijesa is blessed with untapped mineral resources like feldspar-quartz and granite. Feldspar is used in making glassware while granite is used in construction industry.
As it is not uncommon among the Yorubas, Erin-Ijesa people engaged in various social activities and often with fanfare. These include burial, naming, marriage, chieftaincy ceremonies, etc. Accompanying the ceremonies are native drums and musical instruments, songs and dancing steps show-casing the social aspects of the lives of the people, their age grades and cultural interests. The very common social concepts and instruments of social gatherings since its founding in the 12th century have remained the Ikarakara, Bata, gada, agree, sabarikolo, and a very sacred social festival called “Agbeleku”. Ikarakara is the Akinla’s drum as the head of the community. He dances to this drum in any of the ceremonies he engaged in, which also involves the elders of Erin (Agbaerin). This group comprises the traditional title holders and chiefs. Bata is the drum designed for ceremonies performed by Chief Odofin, a principal figure in the installation of an Akinla. The Bata drum is also beaten for the Eleegbes (warriors).Agada is a drum beaten for hunters; while Agere is the drum designed for middle-aged women for various social and political functions. Sabarikolo is the drum meant for traditional titled-women such as Yeyerisa, Yeyesaba, Yeyesajowa, Yeyesoro, Yeyejemu, etc, led by the Esemue. There are also other drums like Ibembe, Gangan and Ilu-Ijebu for various functions like burial, marriage and naming ceremonies.
BRIEF HISTORY OF AKINLA OF ERIN-IJESA
The great Akinla was the first daughter and a princess of Oduduwa, father of the Yorubas, who left Ile-Ife in the 12th century during the tumultuous years that witnessed the dispersal of all heirs and heiresses of Oduduwa. Oral history has it that the founding of Erin was as a result of a disagreement over the custody of a religious symbol called Iro, a Yoruba goddess of fertility and procreation which was used by Oduduwa to pray for his children. An argument had ensued at Ile-Ife which led to a near-violent disagreement on who was to be the custodian of the religious effigy and emblem, ‘Iro’. This was at a time that Oduduwa, due to old age no longer administered his kingdom physically. During this acrimony, Princess Akinla claimed the exclusive right to the custody, being the only daughter and eldest child of Oduduwa. The resultant squabble forced her to depart Ile-Ife with a group of loyalists to a place where she could live in relative calm and serenity. The group first settled at a place called Ugbo-Oja, which can be found today at Iperindo/Odo area in the present day Atakunmosa East Local Government Area of State of Osun. After a short stay at ‘Ugbo-Oja’, they discovered they could not settle there permanently as there was scarcity of water. Hence, they continued the search northwards to find a better place that they could settle and particularly a place that would have easy access to water. After a long period of search they discovered a ceaseless waterfall from the hills that presented an aerie and fearful picture initially to the search group; and they described it as ‘Olumirin or Oluwa miran’, meaning another goddess, because the people marveled at this type of ‘mystery’. They eventually settled there, worshiping it as another goddess apart from Iro. It is believed that the waterfall brings protection, rain, purity of mind and soul, and freedom from diseases. Princess Akinla and her group journeyed for seventeen (17) days through thick forest and mountainous areas from the day they started off in Ile-Ife in search of new settlement to find the new abode of waterfalls called Olumirin. That was why that new place of abode was named “Erin-Itadogun”, that is, the place of the seventeenth day journey, coined from Yoruba words, irin Itadogun (seventeenth day trek). Erin-Itadogun, which is today known as Erin-Ijesa, was founded circa 1140AD.
Akinla and her group continued the worship of Iro, which they regarded as the goddess of fertility and the soul of the Yoruba nation and its fruitfulness, with Lowabisi as the chief priest. Lowabisi worshiped Iro on behalf of Akinla as Oduduwa himself used to worship it at Ile-Ife. This is still being done today on an annual basis with pomp and pageantry in Erin-Ijesa and in certain quarters in Ile-Ife where they worship the Iro without the original symbol (image/effigy) which is now in Erin-Ijesa. There is this myth that when the ‘ijiregeji’ drum is beaten during Iro worship, it is heard in certain quarters at Ile-Ife. The centrality of the Akinla to Iro worship and custodianship further enhanced the mythical significance of Iro’s mystery and authority and perhaps too, the place of Akinla among Yoruba Obas and other children of Oduduwa. Princess Akinla earned the respect and honor from her brothers, all children of Oduduwa, who respectfully referred to her as “Akinla, Yeye Aiye” (i.e. Akinla, mother of the World) as a result of the efficacy, invulnerability and inviolate nature of Iro. No newly elected Akinla of Erin-Ijesa or Owa Obokun of Ijesaland can enter the palace without first undergoing the ‘Iro’ traditional festivities and purification. History had it that any of these two kings who refused to go through the initiations had short reigns of no more than three months.
After Princess Akinla had settled down at Erin-Itadogun (now Erin-Ijesa), she got married to Olule and bore three sons who ruled in succession after the death of Princess Akinla. The first child was Osefiri Agbojukori who inherited the crown brought to Erin-Ijesa from the Royal throne of Oduduwa at Ile-Ife by Princess Akinla, followed by Ogbagbalawo and Iyandereketa in that order. They all wore the crown of their mother, which by pure tradition was inherited directly from Oduduwa, because both male and female children of Oduduwa had the right to wear crowns.
Princess Akinla died at Erin-Ijesa and her tomb is still at “Ereja Square” in Erin-Ijesa today. The exact spot where she was buried is called “Idi Odua” which is one of the important shrines at Erin-Ijesa today. I should mention that because of a historical incident of the past which I may not necessarily disclose here, the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland must not see that tomb; and anytime the Owa comes to Erin-Ijesa, he must willy-nilly use a veil to cover his face while passing through that spot so that he might not catch a glimpse of the tomb of his sister, Princess Akinla.
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The above-narrated history shows that not only is the Akinla of Erin-Ijesa a direct descendant of the Royal throne of Oduduwa at Ile-Ife, but that the Akinla has been a crown wearing Oba from time immemorial. This fact was confirmed in modern times in 1977, when the Akinla’s name was listed as No. 7 along with the Ooni of Ife, amongst several other Obas in the then Oyo State, as beaded crown-wearing Obas in the Chiefs Law (Cap 19) The Chiefs (Wearing of Beaded Crown) Order, 1977.
Erin-Ijesa shared boundaries with the territory of the Osemawe (King) of Ondo in the East with River Ohan as the natural frontier. Tradition has it that the Akinla and the Osemawe exchanged annual gifts at this frontier in some kind of ritualistic manner shrouded in secrecy but known to the initiates, to congratulate each other for a successful year of peaceful reign over their subjects. It is on record that Akinla of Erin-Ijesa represented the whole Ijesaland in 1976 before the panel set up by the Federal Government on boundary adjustment because no other Oba in Ijesaland knows better than the Akinla as regards the limits of the territorial boundaries separating the lands of the Ondo from Ijesaland.
Erin-Ijesa’s population was 2,122 in 1963. This rose to 4,415 in 1991 and 5,037 in 1996. However, in 2006 the inhabitants numbered 8,111. The town is situated on Latitude 07.56785oN and on Longitude 04.76345o E. It constitutes a ward of its own with some adjoining villages, hamlets, and settlements amongst which are: Urokin, Igbelajewa, Ayetoro, Awaye, Igun, Seleolowe, Lakinyo, Olorogbo, Owode, Aba-Ibadan, Aba-Ikirun, Aba-Ogbomoso, Aba-Orisunmbare, Afero and Fariogun. Each of these settlements has its own traditional head (Loja) that comes regularly to pay homage to the Akinla of Erin-Ijesa.
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HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL LINK BETWEEN ERIN-IJESA AND ILESA
It is important to mention the historical and cultural link between Erin-Ijesa and Ilesa as regards the Iro and Olumirin. Although, Ilesa is the central and major city in Ijesaland, but significant portion of Ilesa’s royal tradition is owed to Erin-Ijesa.
The story goes thus: An Alaafin of Oyo, sometimes in the 16th century, sent his pretty barren daughter called Yeyesaro accompanied by her sister Yeyedere to take a sacrifice to Erin-Ijesa after due consultation with Ifa oracle. The sacrifice is to be placed at the foot of Aagba tree in the popular Oyingbo-Mekun market of Erin-Ijesa. Ifa also directed that Yeyesaro should marry the first man whose two eyes first met with hers. The party traced their way to Ilesa and told the Owa (King) of Ilesa, Obarabaralokunesin who then lived at Ibokun of their mission. The Owa accorded them royal welcome and led them to Imo, where he went back having shown them the way to Erin-Ijesa. Upon arrival at Erin-Ijesa, Yeyesaro went straight to perform the ritual at the foot of Aagba tree as directed; and a man called Onisunmbe suddenly emerged and challenged her. The woman narrated her story and mission to him. Onisunmbe could not resist her beauty and royal look; and thereafter invited her and her sister to his house. The woman conceived and bore a male child for Onisunmbe within a short time. Her sister, Yeyedere, thereafter left for Ijebu-Jesa where she got married to the Ogboni (King) of Ijebu-Jesa to whom she too bore a son. Yeyesaro was not quite happy marrying Onisunmbe, a commoner in Erin, unlike her sister that married a king. She therefore left Onisunmbe to marry the Owa of Ilesa, Obarabaralokunesin; where she gave birth to a prince who later became the Owa-Obokun Owaluse of Ilesa. Thus, Owaluse became half-brother to the son of Onisunmbe of Erin-Ijesa. When Onisunmbe died and Owaluse had cause to attend his half-brother father’s burial, he was astonished and dumb-founded by the supernatural performance of Iro priest (Lowabisi) who conducted the ceremony to the extent that he fell into a trance. Upon recovery from trance, he pleaded with his half-brother that whenever he died, Lowabisi should be invited to accord him the type of befitting ceremony he had watched at Erin-Ijesa. He also charged his people that followed him from Ilesa to ensure this was done, and they pledged on oath to do this.
When Owa Obokunobarabaralokunesin died at Ibokun, he was succeeded by Owaluse. But Owari usurped the throne from Owaluse and ruled the Ijesa from his headquarters at Ipole. Owaluse sought refuge in Oyo, his mother’s town, during this period. The Ijesas abhorred Owari’s reign and he was later tricked to commit suicide, and was buried at Ipole. Owaluse was invited from Oyo, after the death of Owari, to become Owa Obokun with his seat of government at Ilesa. He was the second Owa Obokun to govern directly from Ilesa, the first being Owara Okile.
Upon the death of Owaluse, who reigned between 1522 and 1526, his relatives did not accord him the type of burial that he requested; hence tragic and sad events befell Ilesa which ranges from devastating storms that rendered people homeless and maimed, several sudden deaths of both old and young, influential and powerful people; and fear gripped the people. The chiefs went to consult Ifa oracle which confirmed that Owaluse’s relatives failed to fulfill the pledge they made to him. It was at this juncture that it was revealed that the rituals performed at Onisumbe’s burial in Erin-Ijesa should be performed in honour of Owaluse as he once demanded before peace and calm could return to Ilesa. The regent, Chief Obanla of Ilesa, conferred with other chiefs and sent emissaries to the Akinla and requested him to invite Owaluse’s relatives in his domain to perform burial ceremonies of Owaluse to avert further disasters. Lowabisi, the Iro priest, led the Onisunmbe family to perform the rituals and drove out evil spirits and other harmful things in the palace and other strategic places of Ilesa.
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History has it that from Owa Obokun Atakunmosa to Owa Obokun Waiye, the tradition was kept and they enjoyed their reigns. After them followed eight successive Owa who either died in Ogboni’s house within three months or shortly after getting to the throne because they set aside the tradition. This caused the Owa, who was a female, a great worry and panic that she inquired why her predecessors’ reign was so short and uneventful. A man in Ogboni’s house told her that her predecessors neglected certain tradition to their perils. She therefore resuscitated the tradition which led to her long reign. That ancient rite and ritual has continued till today as clear evidence of the cultural and historical bond between Erin-Ijesa and Ilesa.
Tradition also has it that Owa does not drink water from Erin-Ijesa. Therefore, when in early 1930’s the Regional Government decided to provide pipe-borne water for Ilesa with Erin-Ijesa waterfalls as the source of supply, the Owa of Ilesa objected to the plan because it was against the traditional belief of his area. The source was later changed to Efon Alaiye.
HISTORICAL LINK BETWEEN ERIN-IJESA AND IPETU-IJESA
The Ipetu-Ijesa people hailed from Idanre. Their ancestor, Baba Ode, came to the Akinla ofErin-Ijesa to request for a piece of land on which to settle through Gbado, a hunter, who allotted land to people on Akinla’s order. This man – Gbado – brought Baba Ode on an Oduduwa’s festival day. Baba Ode came to Akinla with a gift of antelope and begged him (the Akinla) for permission to settle on his land. This was repeated several times on similar festivities. The Akinla, who was convinced of the genuine intention of Baba Ode to settle gave him a piece of land on which to do this and from then on started to refer to Baba Ode as ‘Apetu bo Oduduwa’ which means supplier of antelope for the worship of Oodua. No sooner did Baba Ode settle his people that he started building a city wall. This got to the notice of the Akinla who ordered him to demolish the wall and move further away from him (Akinla), hence the Ipetu – cognomen ‘Ipetu Alaro-Odo, Olodi a mo nu’ meaning the Ipetu people who migrated from Aro Odo and who wasted their efforts in putting up a city wall that was later demolished by themselves – obviously on the orders of the Akinla. The Ipetu people appealed for leniency before they were permitted by the Akinla to settle on the land later.
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OBA AKINLA AYENI’S TRAVAILS IN CONNECTION WITH ERIN-IJESA BEADED CROWN
Oba Akinla Ayeni, Okin Oloro, ascended the throne of Erin-Ijesa in 1884 as the 23rdAkinla ofErin-Ijesa and he reigned for 55 years. He was a famous and respected herbalist within his immediate domain and beyond. In the course of his reign, his subjects were dissatisfied with the old Beaded Crown brought from Ile-Ife, worn over and over by his predecessors, which made it look outdated. This made Akinla Ayeni to procure another one that was even more beautiful than that of Owa Obokun of Ijesaland. Learning of that, the Owa Atayero who was on Ilesa throne at that time arranged the arrest of Oba Akinla Ayeni, seized the crown and kept him incommunicado in his palace at Ilesa in 1904. His crime was that he was wearing a beaded crown that was more imposing and historic than the one won by the Owa of Ilesa, the paramount and all-powerful ruler of Ilesa. When unusual happenings started to surface in the town, the Owa in collaboration with the powers that be had to send Oba Akinla Ayeni into exile at Ilobu. At Ilobu too, strange occurrences were being noticed by the populace of the town, and he was finally sent down to Alaafin Ladigbolu of Oyo. History has it that the then Apetu of Ipetu-Ijesa too was simultaneously banished to Oyo on the basis of certain offences allegedly committed.
While in Oyo, Oba Akinla Ayeni’s proficiency in herbal medical practice was discovered when he solved couple of medical problems for Oba Ladigbolu. It was that discovery that prevented the Alaafin from releasing him in good time for he made him (the Akinla) his personal physician. He was also a traditional birth attendant and traditional gynaecologist. Hence, during his sojourn in Alaafin’s palace in Oyo, he became famous and respected by helping to deliver many women of childbirth and helped to save their lives. He was set free and allowed to return to his kingdom having delivered an Alaafin’s wife of childbirth, having being in labor for several days. Oba Akinla Ayeni spent a total of seven years in exile before his release. His send-off events became so profound in the history of the palace that it was recorded in Yoruba ABD Olope Book in this way: “Akinlade nlo si ilu re”, meaning the crowned Akinla is leaving for his hometown. The crown seized by Owa Atayero was not released to Erin-Ijesa throne until 1955 during the reign of Oba Akinla Gbadamosi.
HISTORICAL LINK BETWEEN ERIN-IJESA AND ERIN-OKE
The terms “Erin-Odo” (now Erin-Ijesa) and “Erin-Oke” were commonly adopted by the subjects of Akinla unconsciously. They were originally mere geographical expressions signifying the nature of the landscape; partly plain and partly hilly of Erin. The hilly part was called Erin-Oke, oke being the Yoruba word for either a hill or a height; and the plain part was called Erin-Odo, odo or isale being the Yoruba word for a slope or a valley. Thus, Erin-Oke means that part of Erin town which is on a hill, while Erin-Odo means another part of the same town which is in a valley or on a plain. The founder of Erin, Akinla, led all to the present site.
The site of Erin-Oke was originally settled as a quarter of Erin by Onitafa. He was a great hunter who accompanied Akinla from Ile-Ife; and he established his own quarter near Oyigbo-Mekun market and assumed the title of Babaloja (overseer of the market). He was required to give part of the tolls collected at the market as well as part of his game as hunter to Akinla. This obligation, Onitafa considered rather burdensome, more so as people often reported him whenever he failed to truthfully render account to Akinla. He thereafter took permission from the Akinla to go a little distance to the nearby hilltop in Erin kingdom to give him better opportunities to practice his hunting profession. But in actual fact, it was in protest against acts which he regarded as exploitative against him by the Akinla. Akinla then allowed Onitafa to leave for the hilltop and to set up a new quarter, which he named as Itafa after himself, Onitafa. He was soon joined by Obelu and some people from mainland Erin; and Itafa soon became significant settlement demographically speaking, although for all practical purposes Itafa was regarded and administered as part of Erin with Akinla as the sovereign head. Onitafa will usually send gifts of animals and food items to Akinla.
However, the present division in jurisdiction dated back to 18th century during the reign of the 19th Akinla, Aladekomo Ajamojuonakan II (1723-1769). Akinla Aladekomo was married to a woman named Omogaja who was from Odo, a neighboring town. Omogaja used to frequent Erin market before her marriage to Akinla Aladekomo to trade in kolanuts. This marriage did not produce any child for a long time until Ifa oracle was consulted and a prescription was made for her. Omogaja became pregnant and gave birth to a son as predicted by Ifa oracle. Though the Akinla was not convinced of the paternity, he was prevailed upon to accept the child as traditionally every child born in the kingdom was regarded as the Akinla’s children. This Akinla became popularly known as Aladekomo, that is, the king that rejected a child. The child was named Adase from the expression Ifa-ti-a-da-se (Ifa’s prediction has come true); this was shortened to Ada.
Ada grew up to be a tough man of questionable character who committed lot of atrocities two of which are worth mentioning. Firstly, Ada was having an amorous affair with one of his father’s wives known as Omolere, a daughter of Alaaye (king) of Efon-Alaaye. This was an unpardonable offence under Yoruba custom; but since Akinla had no concrete evidence, he could not bring the full weight of the law to bear on either his wife or son. This culminated in Ada being driven out of the palace by his father, and he took refuge with Chief Loye. Secondly, Ada continued to perpetrate various abominable acts. An Owu lady (daughter of Olowu of Owu) who had been coming to sell clothes at Erin market all the way from Owu (near Abeokuta) suddenly got missing. This nearly caused a major war because the Olowu (king) of Owu, who sent an emissary to the Akinla to ensure that his daughter was found become implacable. However, consultation with Ifa oracle revealed that the lady was alive but in captivity somewhere in Erin. The Akinla promised to execute whoever kidnapped the lady. Akinla only got to know that it was his estranged son that abducted the lady on the day that the lady was delivered of a baby. Akinla was determined to fulfill his promise, but he was prevailed upon by Babaloja Onitafa and Loye, who were two of his high ranking advisers to spare Ada.
Having realized that Ada atrocities had risen to the brim, Akinla thought that the only alternative to executing him was to banish him from Erin in order to prevent further provocations. Ada took to his heels and ran to Itafa before the Akinla’s plan could materialize. This made Akinla to curse him saying “Ada ko ni lua” (Ada will not prosper). At Itafa, Ada became a guest of Aratan, one of Akinla’s herbalists, Elejua of Iro-Odo and the Onitafa. The three elderly men later pleaded for leniency on Ada’s behalf with the Akinla who was then persuaded to reverse the curse he had placed on Ada. He did reverse it when he said “Ada a lua” (may Ada prosper).
To the chagrin of Babaloja Onitafa and Aratan, their guest gradually usurped their powers and prerogatives. The fact is that Babaloja, the head of Itafa quarter, had little time for administrative matters as he was often away hunting. Hence, Ada who was very ambitious began to settle disputes within and between families in the absence of Babaloja. The Itafa community, having discovered this trait of leadership instinct in Ada, approached Akinla to make him a head over them. The Akinla consented to the request following several appeals from prominent and respectable people after an undertaking was made to the effect that Ada would be of good behaviour not only to the Akinla (his father and suzerain) but to other people far and near especially the neighboring communities with whom Akinla shared common boundaries. Itafa community subsequently became known as Erin-Oke and its ruler took the title Alua, which was a direct opposite of the curse that Akinla Aladekomo placed on Ada, that is, Ada a lua (may Ada prosper). The first Alua of Erin-Oke, Ada, gave birth to three sons (Orunde, Ajila and Oyibo-Oke) which constitute the three ruling houses in Erin-Oke. No Alua will be properly installed without the consent of Akinla, and until he had paid a homage and obeisance to the Akinla who would then place him on his laps to bless him. The Alua was granted the right to wear beaded crown in 1980. In his application for permission to wear beaded crown, he supported his application with history repeating the well-known history that it was the Akinla that made the Alua Oba and emphasized that Erin-Oke was derived from Erin-Ijesa and founded by Akinla Yeye Aye, the first daughter of Oduduwa. In other words, the geographical area known as Erin-Oke and Erin-Ijesa was formerly an exclusive empire of the Akinla of Erin-Itadogun (now Erin-Ijesa), and that Akinla carved out part of his empire for his son who later became the king (Alua) of that portion.
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The fact remained that there was no demarcation of the area granted to the Alua as the Akinla owned all the land encompassing Erin-Odo (now known as Erin-Ijesa) and Erin-Oke. But the Alua was only permitted to exercise authority over some areas of the town. Some of the places granted to the Alua then were Oke Iro, Itare, Ilabi, Ijugbin, Erindu, Ijisun, Onikoko-mefa, Oke Aka, Odo Arin, Erinjigun, Okokeepa, Alumo, Oke-Osun, Igbo-Aare and Oke-Omi.
Again, up till today, when a new Akinla is to be chosen, the responsibility for selection process lies with fourteen kingmakers, seven of whom are from Erin-Oke. This confirms that the two areas are no strangers at all nor have they ever been construed as two separate places under disparate suzerains.
Omo-Ijesa migrated from Ajogburugbe in Efon Alaye (now in Ekiti State) after incurring the wrath of the monarch of the ancient kingdom. The community appealed to the then Akinla of Erin-Ijesa to accommodate them. In the spirit of brotherhood, the then Akinla gave them the opportunity to stay on his land. The Akinla did not give them a separate land; but sent them to his grandfather (Adegbuji) who settled them as customary tenants. The two communities lived together in peace and harmony until late 1960s when Omo=Ijesa people decided to move about five kilometers further away from the land voluntarily given to them by Erin-Ijesa as tenants. However, the new site was still part of Erin-Ijesa domain. Hence, Omo-Ijesa people in the current location are still tenants of Akinla of Erin-Ijesa. Their present settlement is the boundary between Erin-Ijesa and Erinmo-Ijesa, a neighbouring community to the former. It is on record that Omo-Ijesa people are in their sixth place of sojourn since it started migrating from one place to the other over 200 years ago.
In 1974, Chief Ezekiel Oladimeji Ogundipe (Risa of Omo-Ijesa) on behalf of himself and Omo-Ijesa Community initiated a court action against Erin-Ijesa Community. In the suit, Omo-Ijesa community claimed to be the owner of a parcel of land wherein they are tenants. However, he lost the case right from the High Court to Supreme Court of Nigeria and costs were awarded in favor of Erin-Ijesa community in various courts. High Court judgement delivered in Ilesa by Justice Babalakin on Friday 2nd of December 1977; Court of Appeal judgement delivered in Ibadan by Justice Uche Omo on Monday, 27th of June 1983; and Supreme Court judgement delivered in Lagos by Hon Justice Saidu Kawu on Friday, 22nd January 1988 refers.
After various interventions, a letter ref SEC/3/10/282 dated 6th August 1997 was written by C. O. Lufadeju, Director-General Pol. Sec & Permanent Secretary for Secretary to the State Government of Osun State to Oba S. A. Adeosun, the Akinla of Erin-Ijesa. The letter affirmed that Erin-Ijesa was the rightful and bonafide owner of the land and Omo-Ijesa community are ready to pay traditional tribute (Isakole) to Erin-Ijesa if they are allowed to regain part of the plantation of cocoa and kola. Oba S. A.Adeosun responded with a letter dated 14th of August 1997 and he consequently ceded part of the said land to Omo-Ijesa community on humanitarian grounds and for the sake of peace.
Notwithstanding the magnanimity by the people of Erin-Ijesa, the Omo-Ijesa community unleashed various terror attacks on Erin-Ijesa people. They machete them, killed some, made away with motorcycles, burnt churches, mosques, school, houses and villages.
The last of the efforts is the Osun Truth and Reconciliation Commission (OSTRC) headed by Hon. Justice Samson Odemwingbie Uwaifo (a retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria) set up in 2011 by the government of His Excellency, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola (Ref. OSTRC 413/2011). Though nothing has been heard about the recommendation of Osun Truth and Reconciliation Commission (OSTRC), the people of Erin-Ijesa as magnanimous victors are however willing to part with some portion of her land to Omo-Ijesa to allow peace to reign. We are waiting for the state government to expedite the implementation of peaceful resolution before the issue again degenerates to another communal clash. Iro is the major festival that is being celebrated on an annual basis with pomp and pageantry in Erin-Ijesa. Erin people jealously guarded and treasured Iro which they regarded as the goddess of fertility and the soul of the Yoruba nation and its fruitfulness, with Lowabisi as the chief priest. Lowabisi worshipped Iro on behalf of Akinla as Oduduwa himself used to worship it at Ile-Ife. Lowabisi, the Chief Priest of Iro, was very vast in incantations and charms. He was stoic and ascetic. No Lowabisi could afford to be frivolous. He had to be conscious always of his responsibilities towards the Akinla and the community. He was always in seclusion, going through spiritual preparations before the day of worship, which is preceded by a night of rituals shrouded in mystery not normally witnessed by non-indigenes and women. These night rituals done on the eve of Iro worship are called ‘upekuro’.
In the following morning of the night of ‘upekuro’, Lowabisi would mount the Iro effigy called Omoleka. He would emerged from a place called ‘orutu’ (an elevated platform), and announce the dawn of the festival to the Yoruba and particularly members of the Erin community. From the ‘orutu’, he will proceed to the burial ground of the first Akinla called ‘Idi Oodua’ to offer sacrifice and prayers. He would now disembark and go from one corner of the community to the other praying and blessing the people particularly the poor and barren women. He will also move from one sacred shrine to the other within the town. For example, he will move from the Asiko shrine to Owa-Igun and then to the Akinla’s palace; and from there to the Ogun shrine. Lowabisi will finally settle at the Oyigbo-Mekun market where the whole community would have assembled in groups to meet him, dancing to the ancient and ageless ijigereji drum. There is this myth that when the ‘ijiregeji’ drum is beaten during Iro worship, it is heard in certain quarters at Ile-Ife, Oke Ahun in Efon Alaaye and Ikeji. Erin community people would come out in their best dresses chanting various songs with excitement and joy praising Iro. Lowabisi would also worship at the ‘uja’ shrine evoking the spirits of the past Akinlas and of Oduduwa with his ‘eresi’. At dusk, he would retire home waiting for another year when another round of sacrifices, worship, chanting and dancing would be done in celebration of Iro.
AGBELEKU FESTIVAL AND ITS MODE OF WORSHIP
This festival came into being by sheer accident of history in the 18th century by Akinla Aladekomo, the father of Ada who was later exiled to Erin-Oke. It was therefore episodic in style and form. Omolore, a beautiful wife of Akinla went the farm with her maid. The myth had it that those small snails called Ipere crawled on the clothing of the Queen where it was dropped while tendering in the farm, spitting a sticky substance that looks like a man’s semen. Akinla thereafter suspected her of committing adultery with a man. The Queen pleaded her innocence but Akinla would not listen to her entreaties; and in fit on anger, impetuously beheaded the innocent woman and her maid. The spiritual import of this tragic event was calamitous upon entire sleepy Erin community. There were poor harvests, violent storms never witnessed before, pestilence, epidemics, sudden and premature deaths and other evil occurrences; the signs of which were ominous and dreadful. When Ifa oracle was consulted, the Ifa diviner revealed that the spirit of the beheaded Queen was taking revenge as she was innocently executed. To appease her for peace to reign, it was recommended that she must be deified and be remembered periodically by celebrating her. The Akinla then commissioned her effigy to be carved and painted in her favourite colour which was red. Another effigy was carved and painted black to depict her maid. Agbeleku festival was then instituted to commemorate the episode, and it has continued till today in addition to Iro festival. The small snails called Ipere thus became a taboo for Erin natives; as they must neither touch nor eat it. Initially, Agbeleku was celebrated every ninth year, but the frequency was first changed to every fifth year and finally to every third year realizing its importance.
The Agbeleku festival is a period of feasting, eating, visiting, jubilation, joy and excitement. There would be sufficient drumming of Oshaka, a special musical instrument designed for the festival amidst the booming of guns and satirical songs exposing wrong doings among the people. Various groups in long procession including the chiefs of various grades and categories dressed in gaily attires would render dirges remembering the dead. Prayers would be offered for good harvest, fruitfulness, prosperity and peace in the land. At the ceremony, the Alaaye of Efon sends clothes while Owa of Ilesa sends a dog, kolanut, a cock and clothes. It became the responsibility of Aratan to take custody of the carved images after seven days of celebrations. The images would be kept until another year of festival. The place where the images and other carvings are kept is today called “agbunagbeleku”. This is usually within the confines of the rocky and hilly place where Olumirin waterfalls is situated. The carriers of the images and their priest are called “Oliro” and “Akinmo” respectively.
First categories of chiefs were referred to as “Agba Ilu” (elders of the town). They were the most senior chiefs; and they were sub-divided into three lines in the following order:The second set of chiefs were the war-chiefs. They were called the “Elegbe”. The Elegbe were sub-divided into three lines in the following order:
The third class of chiefs performed the functions of policing the town. They were also arranged in three sets as follows:
Each category 4 4 of chiefs had three of its members in the Akinla’s Council chaired by the “Orisa” or “ Babarisa” who was the traditional prime minister, next in rank to the Akinla.
The functions of the council were many and varied. It had legal powers on all economic, social and religious matters affecting the lives of the people and it regulated trade and levied taxes. Decisions on all such matters were taken at meetings held during peace times in the Babarisa’s hall of meetings. This was situated at the centre of his residence in a pattern similar to that of Akinla’s palace. However, the carvings and craftworks installed in the hall were usually less elaborate and less sophisticated than that of Akinla’s. In war or emergency times, council meetings and consultations were held in Sajowa’s court, amidst tight security. This situation made the people to refer to Chief Sajowa as “Sajowa, Alagbala Ote”, i.e. “Sajowa, owner of the court of intrigues and conspiracies”; a description analogous to the role of ambassadors in modern statecraft who engage in diplomatic maneuverings in favour of their sovereign states.
All decisions taken either at the Babarisa’s court or the Sajowa’s court were brought and presented to the Akinla in his palace with all the council members present. If any decision was not acceptable to the Akinla, he would make his views known on such areas of disagreement and ask the Council to take note of the objection. Where there was a deadlock and the chiefs were adamant, the decision of the greatest number of the Council’s members was final. The Akinla would therefore be expected to either accept such a decision or refuse it. But if he insisted only on his own way, he would be expected to either abdicate or commit suicide. No such occasion had, however, been recorded in the history of the kingdom.
The Council’s treasury was not in the hand of anyone permanent chief or treasurer; but in any trusted member of the council. There were two main sources of revenue for the council. The first one was from the levy or tax collected from the three categories into which the chiefs fell, namely “Iare”, “Uro”, and “Emo”. How the levies were collected from among the people of each division was the responsibility of the chiefs in each of the three categories. The second source was revenue collected from landed property of a deceased Oba. Such property was always in the hands of the council during an interregnum. The said property automatically reverted back to the new Oba on his accession. Maintenance of essential services was financed from the Council’s treasury and a percentage was given to the Akinla for the maintenance of the court. Apart from this, Akinla had his own treasury in his own court. His sources of revenue included taxes on landed property, court fines, gifts, and royalties from farm products.
Erin-Itadogun, now Erin-Ijesa, had a very large standing army. The army, as a matter of afct, was maintained at war times by the Akinla’s government. During peace times, the warriors went about their normal occupation of farming for they received no salaries. But during war time, they readily picked up their arms and joined their normal divisions of the army in which Akinla was the Commander-In-Chief of the Army. Chief Looyin was the Chief-Of-Staff, Chief Risinkin was the Commander of the first division of the army, while Chief Yegbata was the Commander of the secon division. Akinla would summon an emergency meeting of the council and inform it of an imminent war. The council would gather at Sajowa’s court for a comprehensive review of the situation and then decide on the strategies, arms, ammunitions, and general mobilization for the war. The council would go back to report to the Akinla of decisions reached and the state of preparedness. Akinla would thereafter declare war on a date already decided.
Similarly, the judiciary was headed by the Akinla in the pre-colonial times; but he was not always the only judge. He had a host of other judges such as family or lineage heads who settled minor disputes. Cases that were beyond the powers of lineage heads / judges were however referred to the Akinla who attended to them himself, passed judgment, and imposed fines. In cases of murder, the Akinla would summon his council which would constitute itself into judicial council to take pleadings, receive evidence and make decisions based on its findings and evidences presented to it. Chief Looyin would enforce the punishment. The punishment for murder was usually death but in exceptional cases this could be commuted to banishment and the confiscation of the properties of the murderer
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