RE: Ogbomoso – Ikoyi relations: The issue

RE: Ogbomoso – Ikoyi relations: The issue

Adewuyi ADEGBITE

I read your Ikoyi-Ogbomoso relationship. My points are one, Ikoyi is one of the five pillars that traditional institution in Oyo state rests. There are five Oduduwa related Obas in Oyo. Alaafin, Olugbon, Aresa, Onikoyi, Onpetu. Two, 2 Ikoyi is an ancient town. Headquarters of Western province of the old Oyo empire. Three, one of the military might of Oyo empire. Fourth, Ikoyi was not destroyed by war, rather, succession disputes like Oje-Ile. Siyanbola and Ojo fought for the throne. Ojo was chosen. Siyanbola rejected him and moved out of the town to Ijaye and then Lagos. Later, Ojo for the fear of unknown moved to Ilorin. Fifth, since the ancient time, Ikoyi boundary with Igbon was Oba River.

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Ogbomoso – Ikoyi relations: The issue

All lands on the upper side of Oba River were owned by Olukoyi. Sixth, after the cessation of hostilities in Yoruba land in the 19th century, Ikoyi like other towns like Iresa, Ajaawa, Isundurin, Oola, which circumstances of the old time forced to move away from their towns returned to reestablish Ikoyi. Since the colonia era, Ikoyi Ile has been under Oyo Native Authority with all towns on the upper side of Oba River. Oyo Native authority and later Oyo Local Government collected taxes in that place. Seventh, the court case instituted by Bale Layode was at the instance of the Alahoros, those villages that had homesteads at upper side of Oba River. It was between Oyo community and Ogbomoso community on the disputed land. Ikoyi-Ile was not involved. The judgement favors Ogbomoso community because it has more villages leaning on Ogbomoso than that of Oyo. The kernel of the judgement is that the land in disputes did not belong to Oyo community or Ogbomoso community but belonged to individual villages on the land. Despite the judgement in 1984, the place was under Oyo Local Government until 1989 when Orire Local Government fought for by Ikoyi-Ile people was created out of Oyo Local Government. Until the creation of administrative zones in 1991, Ikoyi-Ile had no administrative relationship with Ogbomoso. It was zonal arrangements that linked them for the first time. Supreme Court judgement never put Ikoyi under Ogbomoso as you wrote. That is fallacy as Ikoyi-Ile was not part of the case.

Then, you were correct that from the ancient times the relationship between Ogbomoso and Ikoyi has been adversarial. Aside the latest open altercation, there was an example during Oba jimoh Oladunni Oyewumi Ajagungbade 3 era when he installed a Baale of Tewure. Late Ogundare Foyanmu was leading the Baale to Tewure then yet the convoy was stopped at Ikoyi Ile, the vehicle carrying the people, a Bedford 3 tons 10 was burnt, Foyanmu escaped death by the whiskers and the Baale was beaten taken for dead. Lastly. Ikoyi-Odan people did not migrate to Ogbomoso from Ikoyi-Ile. This is a point many people are missing. As a matter of fact, they are Ikoyi but they have left Ikoyi already due to succession disputes like the Olugusi people in Ogo-Oluwa Local Government, who are also Ikoyi stock. It was from their new home that they moved to Ogbomoso to join the confederacy organize by Olugbon Olugbode in Ogbomoso, which was part of his territory at the time. Ikoyi Odan people are Ikoyi in diaspora like other sixteen Ikoyi towns in Nigeria and beyond.

In addition, the intonation of Ikoyi people resembling that of Ilorin is because of the years spent in Ilorin. Also, all towns along Igbeti road also went with Ikoyi to Ilorin then but they returned to their places when Onikoyi returned. They are not Ilorin but Yoruba people, their intonation resembling that of Ilorin was also as a result of their stay in Ilorin.