Ijemo is one of the new townships that founded this historic city - Abeokuta.
These first townships now know as Egba Eku form the first and largest of the Six Sections in Egbaland today-viz: Egba Eku, Egba Arin, Egba Agbein(All in Egba Alake), and Egba Oke-ona,Egba Agura, Egba Owu.
Ijemo were led into Abeokuta in the year 1630 by: Dendu - Nlado of Ijemo, Lupoyi - The first Oluwo Ifa, Akiwowo (an Ifa Priest), Lujabi - who later became the second Oluwo Ifa, Sangun (another Ifa Priest), Adeliyi - the first Balogun of Ijemo, Osolefon (Ponlade’s Father), Osogbiyan, Esimu, Efuboye, Sonjon (Osogbiya Jalomi -Jaloke-Ajade).
On arrival, they decided to use Ifa Oracle to test the soil whether they should settle down here or not. Efuboye held the ibo-Ifa and Sagun was the Ifa Priest while the others watched enthusiastically. They could not find kolanut around but were very lucky to discover a kolanut tree near Kekere-Owu Stream. The kolanut tree was just flowering. Lupoyi plucked one of its leaves, tore it into four pieces and ordered Sangun to use instead of the real nuts for Ifa Oracle.
This was done and Odu Idigbe was shown on the Ifa Plate. Idigbe with which Ijemo never to cultivate beans nor rear pigs in the town. These two tabos are religiously observed not only by Ijemo but the whole of Abeokuta. The song that goes with Idigbe:
Awa r’oju, awa r’aye,
A kii w’aiye eni air’aye.
The Ijemo settlers discovered the same day two water pools - Elenipenpe and Kekere-Owu. They quickly decided to prepare their supper but could not get fire.
Simulataneously, they saw some smoke afar off. They went to find out who was having the tent. These were the Itoko people who also arrived into Abeokuta that same day but had a problem of getting water to use. This was the beginning of the close association between Ijemo and Itoko.
Ijemo promptly offered Itoko people water from Elenipenpe and Kekere-owu streams while the Itoko happily offered the Ijemo people fire.
Therefore Egba Eku settled here long before 1830. The year 1830 truly marked the arrival of Egba Arin under the leadership of great Sodeke who was gladly received by Adagba of Erunwon.
Ijemo played very important role in settling Sodeke and his team down in Abeokuta. How, you may like to ask?
After few weeks of Sodeke’s arrival, Adagba picked quarrel with him and finally drove him out. Chief Sodeke found abode with Esimu of Ijemo, who also found his guest too srong to live with and therefore earnestly begged Chief Adeliyi (the first Balogun of Ijemo) to accommodate Chief Sodeke. This Chief Adeliyi did by offering Chief Sodeke and his entourage his yam farm for building. Up till today, Sodeke’s Compound (now in Iporo) stands behind Adeliyi’s Compound.
By that time, Ijemo Township had its own Oba called Nlado and it had many great warriors, hunter and Ifa Priests.
Like all other townships in Abeokuta, Ijemo has its own Traditional Senate House (Ogboni House) under the presidency of Oluwo who of course is the head of the Six Executive Member (The Iwerefa).
The government also includes, apart from the Ogboni cult, other strong institutions viz:
Parakoyi under the Oloriparakoyi. They take charge of the market’s dispute and fines.
Olorogun under the Jagunna they are the War Chiefs between the Ogbonis and the Ologuns.
Ologun under the Balogun Always at the war-fronts against enemies.
Erelu under the Olorerelu (Olori Erelu - the only traditional institution for women giving food and comfort.
These five institutions have their lobbies in the Ogboni House. The final decision on all matters remain mainly with the Iwerefa or in some cases with a special committee of ten, that is The Iwerefa Ogboni and the heads of the four other institutions – (Olorerelu). The Iwerefa Ogboni in almost all the 143 townships in Abeokuta is made up of some Senior Ogboni Chiefs:
Oluwo
Lisa
Odofin
Aro
Lemo/Bala
Apena (The secretary or the Chief Messanger).
Ijemo has used eighteen Oluwos since its settlement in Abeokuta:
Nlado
Apesin Osolefon
Ojere
Enukokiki Soji (Agbaleke)
Ogunota (Omidiji)
Osorunwon Egun Sofoluwe
Arinmokunrin
Ntoye (odo-oja)
Idowu base
Idowu Simolowo
Siwoku Siki
Omidiji (Ogunote)
Bantu Oyajawe
Eyo (Agbole) Deboye (Egun)
Awaro Eseku
Adekanmbi,
Adesina and
Kufile (the incumbent).
Of all the 143 township in Abeokuta today, Ijemo cover the largest land area stretching from Iporo Sodeke on her West to Ijaye on her East- a distance of not less than one mile crow-fly. It is the only township bounded by the greatest number of other townships viz; Ijaye, Ago-oko, Ijako Kemta, Ijeun, Itoko, Iporo, Ijoko, Ifote, Ikija, Erunwon, Ake and Ikopa.
As a matter of fact and record, the Cathedral of St. Peter, the Centenary Hall, the popular Wasimi Ake, and St. Peter’s Primary School are all on ijemo Land. In other words, the first school in Ogun State and the first Church in Nigeria are sited in Ijemo.
Ijemo’s greatness and immense magnanimity did not end there. For your information, the first Child Care and Health Delivery Centre in Egbaland and in the whole of Ogun State - MacCorter, now known as Oba Ademola Maternity Hospital is undisputably on Ijemo Land.
Ijemo- omo on’le (Omo onile) meaning the son of the land-owner or landlord. This is very true of ijemo today. Go outside the periphery of the old Abeokuta and watch the rapidly developing outskirts. You will certainly see and agree with this saying “No ijemo, no State Capital; No Ijemo, no Ogun State” And why? - You may like to ask? Don’t you know that these very important edifices are erected on Ijemo farmlands - Ogun State Governor’s Office, House of Assembly, Ogun State Hotel (now Park Inn), Housing Corporation, Government Reservation Area, Water Corporation, Agricultural Development Corporation, Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation Studio and Office Complex, the Sport Council, the old or the New Ogun State Secretariat Complex, the present Alake’s Private House, the Official Residential Quarters of the Governor, the Deputy Speaker, the Commissioners, the Legislators, the Head of Service, the Commanding Officer of the 9th Infantry Brigade, the judges, the Permanent Secretaries, the General Managers, Our Worthy Cooks and Stewards, etc.
Without any deliberate determination to insinuate but simply to straighten history, the whole of Ibara (which is part of Egba Agbein) is settled on Ijemo Land.
By history the Ijemos were great and successful farmer. By this traditional occupation, we have innumerable villages. These villages majorly situate in the old Obafemi/ Owode Local Government Area. Our for-fathers lived permanently on their farmlands-near or far - but would come only for festivals like Oro, Egungun, Agemo,and New yam Festivals. They could have weddings in villages but usually carried their dead relatives to town for burial. The Christians would also celebrate harvest lavishingly with drums and dances yonder but return to town for Christmas. We are majorly Christians erecting more than twenty churches here and there. The muslims numbering about five per cent of our population also had their religious festivals in their various villages but in 1946 it was made imperative for all Muslims in Egbaland by the then Alake - Oba Ademola II – never to slaughter their rams in villages but in Abeokuta town. It is interesting to note here that everybody carried out this directive but many however would carry slaughtered rams immediately back to their villages same day. There is flexibility in this practice now.
Educationally, Ijemo had its giants. We have late Senior Magistrate Desalu of Ibadan Law Court fame, Dr M.P Otolorin- formerly the Chief Medical Adviser to the Federal Government for many years, Chief Dr T.R.A.Otolorin- a Psychiatric Consultant, the former Aro of Egbaland, Engineer Michael Soluade - Baptist Boys High School and Glasgow scholar - former Chief Electrical Engineer of Guinness, Nigeria Limited, Late Chief Adesina, Dr Ogunmuyiwa, chief Osunkeye (former Chairman Nestle Nig), etc
IJEMO WAR (Massacre) - 8th August, 1914
Any history recorded for or narrated about Ijemo without much emphasis on ijemo Massacre of 1914 is, as the French would say, ‘like a meal without wine or like a day without sun’. (un repas sans vi nest une journee sans soleil ).
As a matter of fact, any annals of Egbaland without the mention of Ijemo incident will be surely incomplete and without merit.
Remote Cause: The abrogation of 1893 treaty in 1914.
The 1893 treaty gave birth to Egba United Government which made Egbaland a country in itself duly recognized by the British Government. The wealth, the vast development, and the increasing fame of Abeokuta was non-pareil. This also gradually established the paramountcy of the Alake over Egbaland and his profound influence through-out Nigeria and abroad. The affluence and the importance of Egba Chiefs become extra-ordinarily great.
But, sad to say, the year 1914 witnessed the withdrawal and replacement of the much cherished and much spoken Egba United Government with Egba Native Administration by our Colonial lords. The new dispensation abruptly changed both the social and political life of Egbaland.
The depression inevitably caused the sharp and aggressive reaction of the Egbas.
The people of Ijemo and kemta in particular were strongly against the then Alake’s most apparent complacency to his town’s rapidly diminishing affluence an influence. So tempers were rising- Teeth were cracking-Nerves were raising-Muscles were flexing-All in readiness to challenge and prevent the continuance of the humiliating and degrading status.
Immediate Cause: The Egbas Native Administration (E.N.A) which was forced on the Egbas in 1914 began from total economic strangulation. The Council had to start from the scratch.
This led to the introduction of direct taxation which was excessive and extremely oppressive. As if these were not enough, the administration also made a deliberate attempt to stop the influence of the township chiefs and their control over and interaction with the villages.
Here the Ijemos refused bluntly to sever their social and business connection with their kith and kin on Ijemo farmlands.
They eventually marched to the Alake-Oba Gbadebo I, and bravely expressed their immense opposition to the new dispension of E.N.A with all its hardship.
Then came ‘the last straw that breaks the camel’s back’ - the intensification of the compulsory unpaid labour on public works like the construction of roads, railway-line, and government rest-houses. Those living in Abeokuta town were not involved in this hardfree labour. Everyday each village was forced to send a definite number of men to work for too many hours, supervised by fierce-looking foremen and police constables who were authorized to prosecute absentees and malingerers. Oba –Owode-Ajura-Ijebu road, inter alia, was under construction then.
Sobiyi Ponlade, in search of virgin land for agriculture, had moved from Egbatedo in Aiyerose Egbeda and founded his village Ponlade about thirty years back (1884). His first bitterness grew against the heavy taxation which was chargeable on villages. Every Bale had the uneasy task of collecting to the last kobo the very exorbitant levy. Each villages head unavoidably depended on the farm-products of the able-bodied men who simultaneously were deployed for the unpaid labour.
He viewed the idea as mere exploitation and enslavement, and finally demonstrated an unprecedented objection by boldly pledging his men against the system. Sticking to his guns, Ponlade damned the Resident’s threats and the District Head’s fore-bodings.
Other villages like Lemode, Ajura, Kobape and Kukoyi joined by withdrawing their men. Sobiyi Ponlade was maltreated, arrested, and marched to Abeokuta.
All along the route, Ponlade challenged his being beaten and arrested by singing noisily-
“E fa ‘jongbon, e f’etiri”
Many people from all the villages along his route left their job and followed him to Ake palace where he was reported to the Alake Gbadebo and Mr. Edun - the Secretary to the Egba Native Administration.
The Ijemos in town crowded the Palace and demanded the immediate realse of Chief Sobiyi Ponlade - The Ajade of Ijemo, who for days refused eating food in detention. He had been too severely beaten and wounded. People who witnessed the Palace scene spread the news that Chief Ponlade performed many miracles - “O su sayo, o su ejinrin, o su senbo”.
The whole town was in tumult which evidently in dimension when our hero- CHIEF SOBIYI PONLADE- The Ajade of Ijemo - eventually died on the eighth day of his arrest. The calamity that ensued was enormous.
The head Chief in Ijemo then was Oluwo Itele - Chief Koleoso Arinmokunrin. Sanyaolu Asonpaija led the angry demonstration against the provoked death of Chief Sobiyi Ponlade. The Egbas in Lagos and at home instinctively supported the Ijemos.
Alake Gbadebo, his over-bearing Secretary Edun, and the white administrators had their most tense and frightening experience.
The Osile - Sokunbi Omo Karunwi - being fairly literate was also used by the administrators in their diabolical strategies. Series of gifts and bribes were offered to Oluwo Arinmokunrin to assist them in putting his men under control but all were damnably rejected.
At the peak of the stalemate, the British were surre ptitiously mobilizing. They thought of nothing but using soldiers to overcome the indomitability and the repulsive of Ijemo.
Realizing that blood would flow, they needed the go ahead from the Alake. The business was transacted through the literate sycophant/Secretary (Mr Edun) to the Alake who unfortunately and being illiterate depended wholly on the information from his Secretary.
The Alake was persuaded to hold the gun which would be tantamount to authorization. During the dialogue, the Alake, who was eagerly suing for peace, was told to assemble all the Ijemo Chiefs for a peace - meeting on their own soil.
Accordingly he ordered his town-crier to ring the traditional call-bell in all the nooks and corners of Ijemo transmitting the news as schemed by the ingenious British.
The Ijemo Chiefs became exceedingly perturbed by the message especially by the unprecedented disposition of their ‘lords’ to come down to Ijemo, whereas the usual practice was (and is still) to summon them to AKE.
After much ruminantion, they graciously agreed and assembled at Oluwo Itele’s place, that is, Oluwo Koleoso Arinmokunrin’s house keenly awaiting a friendly dialogue. The last Chief to arrive was Asalu Obado with a matchet dangling under his shoulder, and by mere coincidence, at the very minute the solders came.
Discerning the matchet, they questioned Asalu Obado, and in a jiffy, they unconsciousably opened fire on the obediently peaceful assembly - THE FATEFUL MEETING OF 8TH AUGUST, 1914.
Guns were booming
and bodies were rolling. Blood was flowing. The wounded were groaming. Tongues were wagging.
Shout and confusion rented the air.
Lamenting over IJEMO MASSACRE.
And there, in the midst of soliders and bullets, Oluwo Arinmokunrin remained unwounded. The enemies were throroughly disheartened, excited, and confounded.
The white army chief drew nearer and stretched out his hand to shake Oluwo Arinmokunrin who disdainfully replied him by saying - ‘My father never put his hand into the Whiteman’s hand, and I will never try it’. The scene of power and magic shifted from Late Ponlade to Oluwo Arinmokunrin whom they could not kill or remove from the same spot he was.
Two things led to his defeat in the evening of the ill-fated day. The sad news of the death of his son was broken to him.
While he was brooding over the loss of his innocent child, his bosom Itoku friend-Sobusi, the Oluwo Itoku-came, already bought over by the tyrants as an inducement to sell out his powerful friend. The shameless Oluwo Itoku cunningly removed Arinmokunrin’s most potent charm. They both had that effective medicine. So he knew precisely where it was lying on Arinmokunrin’s body.
Oluwo Arinmokunrin instantly became nuded, powerless, defenceless, and humiliated. But before he died he courageously chanted his proverbially didactic song -
“Awo ya, awo ya, Itele ba Itoku mu’le, awo ya!”
Among those killed were:
Debaya-Loki Obado
Odunewu Elegbede
Soyinka Abatan
Oguntayo Akinyegun
Oloyede of Bayinbo’s Compound
Ogundare Sodipo
Ogunrele Orifejobale
Chief Moses Odeyemi (Mose Olofin), father of Chief E.K. Odeyemi - The Balogun of Egba Christians
Faseun - Wife of Ntoye of Odo-Oja- Mother of Julius Sodunke.
Babaloki - An Ijebu Merchant
Jobo
Among those wounded but survived were
Ntoye Sodunke (Odo-Oja) who became Oluwo after the demise of Koleoso Arinmokun
Jagunna Odunewu
Kumoro Baba Ogunbo
Sanyaolu Sonpaija-a great warrior
Lumirin Soyeju- Asalu Obado
Famuyiwa Baloye Obado
Akintunde Emudele
Olorode Desalu
Ogunmodede Koleoso
The old generation would have been completely obliterated but for the few that were favoured by God.
And the soldiers went away. And the trouble never subsided. The tragic episode remained the talk and hobby of all Egbas at home and abroad. They wondered why such a callous and unwarranted treatment merited the quick approval of Oba Gbadebo, the son of Okukenu and Efunwunmi.
The entire citizenry trooped to the palace when it was reported that the Alake was bragging by saying,” Emi a re Ijemo bi eni re ila”. The angry mob was prepared to make him join the dead that sad week but for his escape. The Alake consequently ran to and took refuge under Father Coquard for some months pretending to be sick until the profoundly charge atmosphere went down, thanks to the prompt intervention of the Egbas in Lagos who promised an immediate investigation.
They sincerely pressed for a Commission of inquiry. But who really would set up the much demanded commission - the white lord or the black Sycophants?
MAY THE SOULS OF OUR IMMORTAL ANCESTORS AND GALLANT HEROES REST IN PERFECT PEACE.
Since 1914, Ijemo has always been respected and praised for its avowed heroism, axiomatic courage, and ever to be remembered saving grace. Its inhabitants have lived together with considerable understanding and affectionate companionship. This peaceful coexistence has given birth to faster development.
In Ijemo today, there are seven churches and three mosques. Old buildings are giving place to modern flats. There is appreciable growth in trade and commerce. Its people are not left behind in national and international business transactions. Also in the present Nigerian political arena and participation in government, Ijemo is adequately represented. But, sad to say, Ijemo truly lack modern amenities or infrastructures like roads, electricity, pipe-borne water, markets or shopping centres, theatre, library, hall, etc.
The year 1981 is the most historic and remarkable since the woeful 1914. During this year, these vital events are recorded to the credit of Ijemo-
(a) Four road are constructed-not by unpaid labour but through gainful employment
(i) Arinmokunrin Street,
(ii) Ita Morin to Ita Bayinbo to Erunwon,
(iii) Fowosedo to Oke-Ijemo to Oja Erunwon,
(iv) Ijemo Agbadu to Oke-Ijeun.
(b) Four worthy sons are honoured with chieftaincies on the 8th of August, 1981 (Ijemo Massacre 67th Anniversary).
(i) Chief Sesan Soluade (The Deputy Governor of Ogun State) was installed The Agbaakin of Egba Christians
(ii) Chief Kuyoro was installed The Abese of Egba Christians,
(iii) Chief (Dr) Femi Okurounmu (The State Commissioner for Works and Transport)
was installed The Ogboye of Ijemo Christians.
(iv) Chief Duro Aikulola was installed The Akogun of Ijemo Christians .
(c) The construction and opening of Ijemo/Erunwon Grammar School which is on the fattest and flattest rock in Egbaland (Ile-Ela Rock).
(d) The Fund Raising Ceremony of today, Saturday, 10th October,1981, for the construction of an ultra modern Ijemo Town Hall on Arinmokunrin Street.
Of course, it is very necessary to acknowledge the presence of these overwhelmingly great Nigerians:
His HIGHNESS OBA OYEBADE FOLORUNSO LIPEDE- ( The Alake of Egbaland )- The Chief Host.
CHIEF OBAFEMI AWOLOWO-(The Father of the Yorubas)-The Chief Guest of Honour.
CHIEF BISI ONABANJO-(The Governor of Ogun State)- Our Guest of Honour
HIS HIGHNESS, OBA OKUNADE SIJUADE OLUBUSE II-(The Ooni of Ife)- The Chairman
CHIEF (Lawyer) ADEYEMI LAWSON-(The Chairman of Nigeria Chamber of Commerce, The Managing Director of West African Breweries)- The Chief Launcher.
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