HISTORY OF FOUNDING OF OGBOMOSO
The city of Ogbomso was founded in the mid-17th century AD by Ogunlola, a skilled and courageous hunter of Ibariba origin. Historians do not know his real name, but early Yoruba settlers called him "Ogunlola" because he was a hunter and adventurer. (Historically, the important Ibariba ethnic group lived in northern Benin, especially in Borgu, an artificially divided area on the border between Benin and Niger in Nigeria today, their people are spread between Kwara State and the Borgu section of Niger State, of Sudanese origin and call themselves "Batono" meaning people, and their society is class-based and traditionally slave-owning).
History tells us that Ogunlola migrated to the site later called Ogbomso around 1650 in pursuit of his hunting career, arriving in what was then a dense forest with his wife, Lorungbekun, and camping under the Ajagbon tree that can still be seen near Sohun's Palace,* using the tree's branches to carry his hunting tools.
Later, Ogunlola and his wife built a hut near the tree and settled there permanently. Soon after they settled in the forest, Ogunlola noticed that smoke was being emitted daily from the nearby neighborhood. He decided to investigate outside and, to his surprise, discovered that four other hunters were also living in the forest.
The first hunter: Is an Nupa man who migrated from the River Niger region and hunted around the plateau forest inhabited by elephants, the original name of this hunter is no longer known but the nickname given to him by the Yoruba settlers who later joined him in the city was "Aale" The area where the elephants now live is referred to as Oke-Elerin "Elephant Hill" and his descendants are the current owners of "Aale" Oke-Elerin.
The second hunter: He was an Awori prince from Awori Ota in present-day Ogun State, called Ohunsile, who left his city due to a chieftaincy dispute and settled in a place now known as Ijeru, and his descendants bear the title "Bale" of Ijeru to this day.
The third hunter: he was a priest and farmer who was called Yoruba "Orisaatolu" and the history of the place from which he descended has been divided into three distinct factions:
-The first faction says his historical origin goes back to the city of Borgu in present-day Kogi State.
-The second faction says that his race belongs to the extractive Ibariba race whose members are scattered throughout present-day Kwara West.
-The third faction of historical origin says that he hails from the town of Paraku, which was Paraku in what is now the Republic of Benin.
History tells us that Orisatolu first settled on the outskirts of Ogbomso along the present site of Ogbomso Grammar School, Oke-Owode, up to the village of Iresa-Apa, the place took the name "Paku" after him, and later moved to settle in "Ifa-Tedo" meaning "Ifa Settlement" which is now called Ora-Gada was actually Orisaatolu who cultivated Isapa - a type of vegetable - on a large scale, and the area was later known as Isapa, and his descendants reigned in the Isapa neighborhood with the title "Bale" Isapa to this day, and the name he coined from the vegetables he usually cultivated is now the title of royalty..
The last hunter: The original name of this hunter is unknown to this day, but the name given to him by early settlers was "Akandie" and the area where cheetahs now live is referred to as "Isale Afon," meaning "cheetah lowlands." He was also from Ibariba country and went on a hunting trip around the lowland forest inhabited by cheetahs.
Despite all that has been discussed above, the settlers in Ogbomso did not gain much size and instead formed Isale Afon located at the north local government of Ogbomso, his position no longer exists, and his descendants do not occupy their ancestral properties to this day.
Ogunlola established his dominance over the four hunters with his unparalleled hunting skills and the help of his wife, Lorungbekun, who was very good at making the tobacco snuff and corn wine that the hunters loved so much.
After discovering these hunters, Ogunlola took the initiative to invite them to form a group called "Alongo," meaning the group of brave hunters and warriors, of which Ogunlola was nominated as president, with the main objectives of the group as follows:
- To Protect and defend the settlement from the invading Sunmoni - slave trolls.
- To gather together to hunt wild animals.
- To help each other and so on.
We are not sure of his leadership, but it is possible that because Ogunlola exhibited some leadership qualities, the Alongo and other later arrivals to the village began to recognize his leadership style and superiority, or that there was unanimous agreement that he should take on the leadership role.
The settlement began to expand as people moved in until it became a village, and Ogunlola gradually became the head of the new village, with his hut becoming the usual place for meetings and deliberations on hunting techniques for wild animals, planning for common defense and cooperative projects, the administrative center for discussion of important issues, the national court, and dispute resolution.
The choice of Ogunlola was perhaps fitting because his wife was a gracious hostess who served guests with beans and wine she made from fermented guinea corn.
The clusters of huts on the highway were known by traders passing through the north and south of Oyo-Ile as "Ara Ounje" later shorted to "Aroje" -A place where travelers stopped for refreshments and other treats, the place became a focal point that attracted travelers and traders, and in this early period Olugbon's supervisory authority as a representative of the Alafin of the old Oyo Empire was still accepted by the settlers in the area.
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* While this Book was being prepared for publication, the historic Ajagbon tree in the city of Ogbomso, which formerly grew next to the fence on the east side of the Sohun of Ogbomso's Palace, fell after more than four hundred years of existence. The tree fell at one o'clock on Saturday morning, May 21, 2022, during an eighteen-hour rainfall that began on Friday evening and stopped around ten o'clock on Saturday morning.
The tree under which Sohun Olabanjo Ogunlola Ogundiran built his tent when he arrived in Ogbomso around the mid-1700s.
The tree that gradually dried up and was completely uprooted from the fence, drawing the curtain on an important era.
#Excerpts from a brief history of Ogbomoso
By J.M. Adeoye
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