HISTORY OF IGBOORA – Family Tree

History of igbo-ora

Oral history revealed that lajorun ajamu Edu, a native of ikole ekiti was a hunter and that his mother, oyepeju jokotade was a daughter of alaafin ajagbo of old oyo kingdom . oyepeju jokotade who was betrothed to elekole ,the ruler of ikole ekiti by her father gave birth to lajorun . alaafin ajagbo was one of the most prominent kings of old oyo who reigned in the 17th century and was recorded to be on the throne for several decades .he was also reputed to have established the position of are ona kakanfo ,the supreme commander of yoruba army . ajagbo’s mother was said to be an indigene of Iwere ile ,

History of igbo-ora

an ancient town in Oyo North .It was said that he put in place a convenant fortified by curses to forbid any are ona kakanfo from attacking or waging war against his maternal town , lwere ile .this convenant was violated by one of his successors much later, alaafin aole (1789-1796) when he ordered afonja ,his are ona kakanfo to attack Iwere ile . the crisis that spawned afonja’s insurrection essentially centered around conventions and oaths which he did not want violated . as a result of this , afonja declined to carry out the orders of alaafin aole who was his commander-in chief .the rest is history. this is a proof of lajorun’s relationship with Iwere ile , his maternal great grandmother’s place of birth . many of his mother’s relatives had a strong presence as extended families in Igbo-ora even till today. lajorun descendants are praised as follows, thus establishing strong and indisputable link with both Iwere ile and lkole ekiti .

Omo eledu Iwere, omo alaro oko ti re e fun oba
Omo bi a o ri igunnugun, a o le e se ebo
Bi a o ri akalamagbo, a o le se oro
Bi a o ri teteregun, aye o le e teju
Omo elekole, omo oro womuwomu
Omo agba ikole ti ko ri ohun fi aso idi re se
Ti o lo fi taala bo ose
Ara Iwere e ku abo, ero Iwere e ku irin o.

The founding and early history of Igbo-ora

Later in his adulthood, lajorun left ikole ekiti probably to seek greener pasture outside his place of birth. this movement could have been divinely sanctioned as such was common place in that era of the history of yoruba legends. he finally arrived at a location now regarded as orile Igbo-ora, not far from river oluokun. one tradition added that the younger brother of ajorun named olajomo was with him in the movement to the new establishment. olajomo descendants hold the title of Jagun of Igbo-ora. Jagun used to be in the second position to the ruler but ceded the position to onilado much later. It was further revealed that lajorun later met another hunter, lasogba, in the forest in the area called Igbo- ile where the university of Ibadan’s Ibarapa community health project and general hospital, Igbo-ora are now sited. the founding of Igbo-ora was most likely to have taken place in late 18th century (between 1750 and 1799)

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Growth, naming, and early settlers of Igbo-ora

With the passage of time, people joined lajorun in his new settlement from different places such as oyo and border areas including oke ogun and oke oyan because of the fertile land which was good for subsistence farming. This new settlement was claimed to be named igbo-iwera or igbo-olora, because of the fertility of the soil or the marshy nature of the forest around Igbo-ile. There were a lot of other unsubstantiated claims with regards to the origin of the name of the town. this nomenclature, with time became corrupted and became igbo-ora. another tradition stated that igbo-ora was named after ora (ora being an appellation for a woman of royal blood). this is in deference to lajorun’s mother, being an oyo-ile princess. there were other neighbouring settlements around igbo-ora which lajorun later found out. he discovered there were some other powerful neighbours not too far away and enjoyed cordial relationship with all of them. He was described as accommodating, courageous and friendly . there have been a lot of debates as to who arrived first among all the early settlers or the earliest of all the settlements. nobody has to date been able to establish this convincingly. one of these earliest settlers was osho popularly known as baba aso.

Baba aso migrated from orile ibara after losing out from a chieftaincy dispute to his younger brother. he left orile ibara in the company of his supporters and relations , first arriving at igbo olube and moving further to establish a new settlement, igbole . baba aso embarked on his hunting vocation one day and noticed smoke at a distance away from where he was . this suggested to him that there was at least one other person in that neighbourhood . he traced the smoke to idofin forest where he met Lasogba and both established strong friendship .another personality was ogboja, a princess from oyo who left her town because of her state of barrenness. She consulted ifa oracle and was asked to leave oyo for a place where she would see raffia palms ( igi Ako) in abundance. she left oyo with her brothers and other relations , reached first a small settlement called ilusa situated in a rocky area along Ofiki river and later left to found a new settlement at the fringe of neigbouring baba aso’s igbole. this settlement was named pako, taking its name from igi ako (raffia palm tree) to which ogboja tethered her horse. In this new settlement, she later met a suitor who was claimed to be from ila orangun and both had three children together. the rulers of pako today are descendants of her three children. pako took its name from “ pa igi ako “ meaning “ clear the forest of raffia trees”. the connection between ilusa mentioned here and the ilusa of bansa’s territory is not clearly understood .

Lagaye ayisa opo was another powerful hunter from Oyo and was said to be related to lasogba. in his journey, he had a short stint first at iseyin, his maternal town and later at ile bioku (lanlate) before arriving to found a new settlement, saganun. lanlate was in the past called ile bioku . his domain in this new settlement extended from asio forest that borders with Oke iserin up to the location of methodist grammar school and extending up to the present Oke-oyinbo area. his descendants can still be found in lanlate where he is still being worshipped by oro traditionalists till date . there is oro lagaye in lanlate just as we have in Saganun. it is the same lagaye that is being remembered.these movements and resettlements were common and it is only with the family panegyrics ( oriki ) that you can trace the migratory stories of most families in Yorubaland today .

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Autonomy, unity, and interconnections among early communities

Each of these communities – Igbo-ora, saganun, Igbole, pako and Idofin- was autonomous at the beginning of existence though they all had friendly relationship with one another and a lot in common in the area of commerce, culture and traditional religious practices. the people intermarried and related with one another. apart from genetic connections, closer ties among the founders was fostered by two important factors – socioeconomic and desire for safety from external aggression .

Saganun was the least populated of all the five communities but could have been bigger had it being that agidi war did not bring saganun to its ruin. lagaye finally settled at saganun hill in the company of his relatives, friends and well wishers, he did not rule over saganun as a political head but as a spiritual leader. one of his close associates, ladesu became the first ruler and the descendants , specifically those of ayelabola and onisokun have established a ruling dynasty till today in saganun.

One prominent oral tradition claimed Lajorun met with olupeeti who was the daughter of baba aso and this subsequently ended in marriage. there were conflicting accounts of the meeting of the two personalities. one historical account claimed that following ifa divine instructions, baba aso settled olupeeti in igbo ile with the permission of lasogba. what concerns us is that they met at igbo iwera and lajorun proposed to marry her having realized she was a spinster. this received the blessings of baba aso, the marriage was blessed with three children – okonu, olugbekan and omobale . some of the descendants of these children include adelakun and ayeriyina akande (okonu) ; atambala and abayomi (olugbekan) ;awayeeti and atoyebi (omobale). olupeeti was said to be skillfully engaged in local dyeing (aro). no wonder the descendants are praised as “omo alaro oko ti re e foba. With the encouragement of olupeeti at her old age, lajorun later in life took a second wife called omoniije. omoniije begat olagbiyan from whom Ajibona descended. lajorun died and was buried in what is known today as orile igbo -ora where his shrine is now sited. he is remembered as oro festival is celebrated yearly in his honour. lajorun high school was also named as a honour to him. in the traditional leadership of igbo-ora when the population was very small, the initial title of the leadership was olori omolebi (family head). this title had been held by many male descendants of lajorun in succession. age was a principal yardstick used to appoint olori omolebi. the olori omolebi was in charge of family affairs, customs, conflict resolutions, external relations and all prevailing issues in the town including rituals and festivals. With expansion in the population and the emerging demands in the administrative structure of the fledgling community, the title was upgraded by the rulership to ‘baale’. oral history established that atambala was the first to assume the title of baale and his reign was said to enjoy relative peace. there was no written record of his reign as Baale and the period of his reign. those people who had been previously claimed to be baale before atambala were just titular family heads (olori omolebi) .among these were oriola awayeeti and erubami isola . erubami had maternal links with the descendants of olagbiyan – lajorun’s son through the second wife and his assumption of titular headship was established through that relationship .erubami was a cousin to ajibona alaje through the maternal side although some historical accounts had lumped erubami together with asoroolu in a paternal relationship. ajibona was a known sorcerer who was asked to assume leadership of the town since he was also a descendant of lajorun through the second wife .He did not show any interest because he believed his divination practice would not permit . the family believed they would benefit more from their divination practice or sorcery .in ajibona’s words “aje ti to mii mo”. ajibona family is in charge of alama deity sited at oja igbo-ora and the legendary igi oshe (baobab tree). erubami seized the opportunity and asked for the permission of the family. The descendants of erubami still live together in alaje’s compound till date. Upon the death of atambala ,the first baale ,there was an interregnum as a result of wars prevalent in that era and succession battles .

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The founding and early history of Igbo-ora

Oral history also revealed that Asoroolu Ayinla in 1888 or thereabout staked a claim for the throne on the basis of having descended from Obe Alade. there was a claim by asooroolu family that their forefather,Obe Alade,who was said to migrate from Oyo founded Igbo-ora and built a palace at Asako as the first Baale. It is on this basis that Asoroolu staked a claim to ascend the throne. this account of Asoroolu family was largely disputed by the elders who did not acceed to such claims as well as the ambition of Asoroolu to rule. Oyekanmi Ayinde (Ayegoro) who was the son of Erubami also expressed interest for the throne. the two opponents were said to be related paternally .In the struggle to realize their ambition , both of them had a fatal clash resulting in the mysterious death of Oyekanmi. Oral tradition reported that Oyekanmi died in a manner not seen as natural . the traditional institution did not consider Asoroolu entitled to the throne as he was not regarded as a descendant of Lajorun but was seen as a usurper. there were claims that he was a devotee of Osanyin and Egungun, just like his progenitor, Obe Alade who the opposing ruling families credited with the title of Baale Osanyin, a powerful medicine man. the opponents , particularly the Lajorun descendants insisted the Asoroolus had no historical connections with the royal leadership and should be contented with their status as adherents of Osanyin and Egungun worships

. As a result of the manner in which Oyekanmi lost his life, Asoro Olu was summoned by the elders of the community who were not pleased with the turn of events. Though he denied his involvement in his brother’s predicaments, he was subsequently ruled out of the contest. He never got installed as the Baale by the traditional institution of the town in spite of his spirited attempts to assume the mantle of leadership. This was most probably because of the opposition from the rival families that did not support him because he was not a descendant of Lajorun. The Asoroolus have always maintained that their progenitor, Obe Alade emigrated from Oyo-ile and had no link or relationship with Lajorun. They have not also denied the fact that Obe Alade was a traditional Egungun worshiper as well as a medicine man. They also claimed that Obe Alade was the founder and first Baale of Igbo-Ora who reigned at Asako. However, this has not been supported with historical facts and evidence .Apart from Asako being farmlands for some land owning families related to Lajorun ,nothing suggests that it has ever been an inhabited settlement .No relics has hitherto been discovered that would have established that a Palace had existed in the area in the past or that would have established the presence of a past rulership .The fact is that whoever does not relate historically with Lajorun will find it difficult to lay indisputable claim to Olu of Igbo-Ora stool. He may have to, in order to have his way, embark on large scale distortion of historical facts. Concerning the claims of Asoroolus about the founding of Igbo-ora by Obe Alade and being the first Baale of Igbo-ora, evidences have not been put forward to support these claims. Such should include (i) archeological site and artifacts (ii) written documents (iii) ancient relics left behind by the founder (iv) oral history (v) oriki and praise songs (vi) landed properties (vii) payment of tribute (viii) monuments named in honour of the founder. There is nothing on ground in terms of solid evidence to substantiate the founding of the town by Obe Alade. The only historical personality whose roles have been positively acknowledged throughout the ages since the founding of the town and has been accorded a deity-like status is Lajorun. Ancient relics such as shrines, oro groves and monuments are in existence to support the prime position of Lajorun as the founder of Igbo-ora. Asako was never a dwelling place, let alone being a seat of any ruler in the history of the town. Several questions continue to agitate my mind . 1) Where is the shrine of Obe Alade ? 2) Is there a monument named after him ? 3) Is there a festival or memorial organized in his honour ? 4) Is there any ancient relic or artifact supporting his position as the founder of Igbo-ora ? 5) Is this claim supported by any Oriki or land acquisitions either in Asako or any part of Igbo-Ora ?

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Atoyebi from Olukosi compound and a direct descendant of Omobale was subsequently called upon to ascend the throne in 1890. He was residing at Iseyin and on his way to Igbo-Ora for the installation, paid a courtesy visit on his elder brother at Eruwa. His brother advised him to have his head shaved in preparation for the installation. His brother who harboured cruel intentions ,probably as a result of sibling rivalry or envy, used poisoned scalpel ( Abe ti won ti re pelu ogun) to shave his brother’s head in preparation for the iwuye ceremony . In consequence of this evil machination by his elder brother, Atoyebi died at Igbo-Ora on the morning of installation day. He never reigned. He and his family lost out. In fact, his family has never had another opportunity since in spite of their struggles. The family launched a strong bid for the throne in 1975 following the death of Baale Adeoye with the purchase of a small bus (Agolo zoro) on which” Atoyebi Baale Igbo-Ora” was inscribed. This attempt was met with failure.

Ojo’s role in Igbo-ora’s security and socioeconomic development

Ojo was a successful farmer and hunter who had become reputable in the commerce and economic well being of his village called Fedegbo. He was also pivotal to the security of his people against bandits and marauders operating from the Border areas. Ojo became famous and outstanding among the children of his father, Akintan. When Ojo’s fame reached Igbo-Ora where Atambala was ruling, he was invited to Igbo-Ora as a special guest of the Baale. He was invited to render a helping hand in the resolution of some vital issues militating against socioeconomic and physical development of Igbo-Ora including potential threats from the Fulani warlords and bandits feeding fat from slave trade business. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Yorubaland became the theatre of internecine wars often engineered by ambitious princes and military warlords of that era who were bent on slave raiding for the benefit of European slave markets.

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Kindly recall that Ajayi Ogidiolu was the only child of his parents- Ojo Olukotun and Abayomi. He grew up to become a powerful warrior and military strategist. As a young man, he was made the Balogun of Igbo-Ora who would be in charge of the soldiers of Igbo-Ora. It was an era of wars, conflicts and terror in Yorubaland and the time required someone of the status of Ajayi to protect the town. Ajayi Ogidiolu, assumed the command of Igbo-ora Army as Generalismo during Agidi war between Saganun and Igbo-Ora in the mid- 1860s. Saganun, a neighbouring community under the military command of Agidi attacked Igbo- Ora. During this war, the Saganun people were led by Agidi, a very powerful but notorious warrior. Agidi had great magical power and bravery and Saganun had grown rapidly under his military leadership .Though he was not the political head but those that ruled the town did so at his pleasure. As a result of his ambition to fortify his socioeconomic position, he resolved to engage in brigandage, kidnapping,

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Ajayi Ogidiolu led in the destruction and elimination of Agidi. This war decimated the population of Saganun. Ajayi later participated in other wars such as Egba war of 1875 which ended at Babalokuta.

Impact of the dahomean invasion on surrounding communities

In the aftermath of Dahomean invasion ,Igbole ,Saganun, Pako and Idofin were completely deserted with many of their inhabitants fleeing to Iseyin ,Abeokuta and neighbouring towns . Idofin which was not a theatre of war was also deserted with large segment of her population leaving for Abeokuta .The same fate befell Saganun which was already suffering underpopulation as a result of the previous Agidi war. Rev. Samuel Johnson on page 455 of the above mentioned book had this to say “ The Dahomeans who had hitherto confined their depredations to the Egba and Egbado districts now for the first time advanced into the western districts of Yoruba proper. The Ibadans ,since destruction of Ijaye on whom it would have devolved to meet this threatened danger heard this news with chagrin ,they could only chafe but could render no help in that quarter .The Dahomeans fourth campaign was against the towns bordering on Egba disricts and also on Western districts. Berekodo ,Oke Tapa , Aiyete ,Pako ,Gangan ,Igbo-Ora ,Idofin, Idere were all taken . Eruwa was deserted” .

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It was Ajayi who moved the present Igbo-Ora community to the present site and was best regarded as the founder of modern Igbo-Ora. He, against his will, was prevailed upon by the generality of the people of Igbo-Ora to ascend the throne of Baale of Igbo-Ora . As a result of his military prowess and ingenuity culminating in his success in the Dahomean war, there was a general acclamation for him to lead the community. This was in addition to the fact that he was considered a rightful heir to the throne being the only child of his mother, Abayomi who was a sister to Atambala 1, and a grandchild of Lajorun. He gave a condition that he would only rule if considered on merit and would reign from his father’s domain and not as an off shoot of Atambala. His conditions were accepted and he was installed as Baale of Igbo-Ora in 1894. In essence, he established a new dynasty. He brought all the hitherto autonomous communities viz. Pako, Igbole, Saganun, Idofin and the newly established Iberekodo, together under the canopy of Igbo-Ora as a federation. With the return of peace later, some of these people who had taken shelter at Abeokuta decided to settle down in their new abode which they named after their native communities.Today,there are Idere,Idofin, Iberekodo and Ibarapa communities in Abeokuta. Iberekodo was established by the Igbole people as a new settlement on their return from exile in Abeokuta post- Dahomean war.

Some of the people of Igbole out of fear for their safety were no longer ready to stay at Igbole which was situated at the fringe of the town. Those who wanted a new settlement desired to live closer to other communities .So they went further inland to establish a new settlement around Pembo under the name’ Iberekodo’ Iberekodo was derived from Iberukoduro literally means” fear is unceasing” .Ayeleso became the first Baale of the new Iberekodo. Igbole and Iberekodo share the same ancestral connections in Ajade ,the name behind their Oro deity. Ajade is celebrated every three years in Iberekodo and Igbole. Both towns were seen as one community which was divided into two. The gallantry exhibited by Ajayi during the hostilities against his people, his reconstruction and rehabilitation programmes for the displaced as well as his legendary leadership ability were the factors that led to his unanimous selection as the paramount Baale of Igbo-ora in 1895. It was at this point in time that the other five components of the present day Igbo-ora decided through a consensus to form a federation and adopt the nomenclature “Igbo-Ora” as a common identity under the leadership of Ajayi Ogidiolu. The motion for his appointment as paramount ruler of Igbo-ora was moved by Baale Akinsanmi of Idofin. This was unanimously accepted by the rulers of other communities. He assumed the title ‘Ajayi Baale Agba’. The colonial Government thereafter acknowledged and sanctioned this arrangement which they met on ground. Ajayi Ogidiolu became the prescribed authority for the whole of Igbo-Ora. The customary court which was established during his reign in 1917 had Ajayi Ogidiolu as the President with the support of other Baales serving as co-juries. Ajayi died in 1922. Ayeriyina Akande Aderoju from the Okonu section of Lajorun family ascended the throne in 1923 after a bitter contest with Adefemi Akanmu and was in power for only seven years when he was unexpectedly dethroned by the colonial Authorities as a result of massive disaffection by the people, particularly the youth. He became derisively known as Baale Akoo (We rejected him as ruler). He was deposed through popular acclamation supervised by the Colonial District Officer from Ibadan. This took place at a community gathering holding at Oke-Iserin in 1930. He was widely regarded to be a leader with charms and spiritual power .His dethronement caught him unawares and took an unexpected dimension.

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The ayeriyina crisis and mismanagement allegations

Ayeriyina was accused of sitting on huge sum of money released by the colonial government to pay for services rendered by the youth of the community who were engaged in road construction linking the town to other communities. There was general discontent and breakdown of peace within the town particularly among the youth as a result of alleged act of diversion or misapplication of public fund. There was a belief in some quarters that the crisis was instigated by his rivals led by Adefemi Akanmu who were scheming to succeed him. However, it was known that he received wise counsels and appeals to reconcile with the aggrieved youth and his enemies but he stubbornly refused to shift ground. Although Ayeriyina was deposed, the Native Authority was magnanimous by offering him a living and monthly allowance of two British pounds until his death in 1941.

It came to the turn of Ajibona family who was asked to present a candidate to succeed Ayeriyina. Adefemi Akanmu ,the son of Ayegoro saw himself as the most qualified and seized the opportunity. He had been a bitter rival to Ayeriyina in his pursuit of power. The Ajibona Alajes who had been allowed to present a candidate in the past but were not interested gave the slot to Erubami, their maternal relation . After the dethronement of Ayeriyina( Ayeriyina), another opportunity arose for the Ajibona family but as usual, they never indicated interest in the throne. Adefemi was related to the Ajibonas maternally but was a grandchild to Erubami . The Adefemi and Ajibona families are till today living in the same Alaje compound and were hitherto seen as belonging to the same family. Adefemi Akanmu assumed the throne in 1931. Apparently, this appeared as if the Alaje family had sold their birthright. There was another claim that Adefemi ascended the throne on the platform of Erubami family which was believed to be paternally related to the Asoroolu family. Asoroolus had claimed that Erubami and Adefemi were descendants of their progenitors- Obe Alade and Asoroolu and became rulers in Igbo-Ora on the platform of Asoroolu family

The fact remains that the relationship among Erubami, Asoroolu and Ajibona families is still a subject of controversy. It appeared as if Adefemi saw the opportunity to hijack the position from Ajibona family and claimed it for the Erubami dynasty. On assumption of Adefemi into office, his predecessor, Ayeriyina felt bitter and assured the latter that success would elude him. Adefemi’s reign was chaotic and atrocious. He was highly ambitious and had lust for power. There were tales of killings, anarchy, arson and unprecedented destruction in the town. An example is the destruction of Ayaba’s compound of Oke-iserin which was set ablaze allegedly upon his instructions. This chaotic era culminated in widespread violence during his reign. He later had a dispute with Alhaji Agboola Shitta who was a popular trader and a native of Ikereku, Abeokuta . Shitta was residing at Baasin compound, Igbo-Ora and was the founder of a social club named ‘ Araromi’ or Egbe Shitta. The club was so famous that prominent members of the community were aspiring to belong. The issue arose from accusation of an illicit affair with a housewife levelled against Agboola Shitta, to which he admitted. The woman was the wife of Balogun of Pako’s son .As a result of the seduction ,Shitta became unpopular with the Baale of Pako and other Baales who sat along with the Baale of Igbo-Ora who was the President in the Igbo-Ora Customary court . Baale Adefemi felt this was an abomination and with the concurrence of other Baales , he ordered Shitta’s expulsion from Igbo-Ora. Initially ,Shitta left the town but eventually resurfaced on 18th March,1937. The Native Court which sat on that day was informed about the development . Shitta said his return was authorized by the District office in Ibadan. This infuriated Adefemi and other Baales . Adefemi sent his messengers three times to Shitta to appear in court. Shitta , each time refused to do their bidding. The members of the Native court having been informed about Shitta’s refusal ,had a conference few days after and resolved to use Oro to drive Shitta out of the town . There was a palpable tension enveloping the town .To cut the story short ,from Oja Igbo-Ora where the Chiefs converged, five messengers were sent to Baasin compound where Shitta lived to eject him out of the town. Baale Adefemi sent a message for the Agere drums to be brought to the Oja Igbo-Ora where they had assembled. The beating of the drums caused confusion and women had to run to their houses. The encounter at the Baasin compound resulted in the burning of Baasin house culminating in the death of a woman,Yesajo. Basin’s house was set on fire by one of the messengers,Motesho Akonikoro. This took place on 13th April,1937. Baale Adefemi was subsequently accused and tried for murder at an Ibadan High Court along with two of his messengers- Motesho Akonikoro and Raji Akinwale. They were found guilty and convicted of murder under section 316(3) Criminal code by the court and sentenced to death by hanging. This judgement was appealed but the death sentence was confirmed by West Africa Court of Appeal in January 1938. The Chief Justice, Cor Kingdon and two other judges , Butler Lloyd and Carey were unanimous that the carrying out by the first two appellants of a felony at the bidding of the third appellant (Baale Adefemi )was clearly the prosecution of an unlawful purpose and that the act was of such a nature as to be likely to endanger human life is implicit in the finding that the fatal burning of Yesajo ,an inmate of the dwelling house was a reasonably consequence of setting fire to the house . The Justices declared that the trial judge was right to find each of the appellants guilty of murder. The appeals were accordingly dismissed. This historical event was captured in the publication of National Mirror of 6th February,2012 by Francis Famoroti, Deputy Head, Judiciary. Fortunately for him, the death sentence was not executed. This was due to the troubling situation faced by colonial government in the heat of Second World War. He got a reprieve after a few years in prison and brought back to Igbo-Ora along with his two messengers on 14th February, 1941. Baale Adejumo of Iberekodo and Baale Ogundoyin of Pako were also jailed as a result of this Shitta incident for being false witnesses. After Baale Adefemi had gone to jail, Agboola Shitta had another trouble with Native court clerk, Mr. Adesina. The quarrel resulted in physical scuffles among their supporters. This subsequently led to an appeal by Egbe Ibile to Ibadan Native Authority to establish a police post . The Police post was established in 1940 and it served the whole Ibarapa division until a second one was opened at Eruwa in the 1950s.

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Jinadu Kurumiloju Adeoye: Leadership and Development in Igbo-Ora

Ajayi Ogidiolu ruling family was asked to produce a successor to Adefemi Akanmu. Jinadu Kurumiloju Adeoye emerged to succeed Adefemi Akanmu after a bitter contest within the family. He was recommended by the Kingmakers in a letter to Olubadan in July 1941. This was on account of his popularity, widespread acceptance, integrity, wealth, courage as well as his family heritage. He was the youngest son of Ajayi Ogidiolu, the first paramount ruler of Igbo-Ora and the only son of his mother. He had a successful reign with Igbo-Ora witnessing development in all ramifications. It was an era of progress in all sectors of the economy – road development, establishment of schools, Town Hall (1951), headquarter of Ibarapa district council (1945), Rural health centre (1962), pipe borne water (1965), Methodist Secondary modern School (1955), Igbo-Ora High School (1963), Post Office (1972), Chairmanship of Ibarapa Council of Chiefs, electricity (1975) and several other communal projects. During his reign, the town enjoyed peace, harmony and unity of purpose. Adeoye was the first Ibarapa member of the Western Region Council of Obas and Chiefs at its inauguration. He was highly connected, popular and recognized throughout the Western Region. He as the supreme authority in Igbo-Ora, had received and hosted regional Government officials and prominent rulers from other lands including the Olubadan Abas Aleshinloye which he hosted in 1942 at the Methodist Manse building close to his palace.

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Chieftaincy Rotation, Leadership, and Challenges in Igbo-Ora

Rotation is to be in that order. In this declaration, Adeoye ensured the creation of Atambala as a ruling house to compensate the family having been long forgotten in the scheme of things. Meanings were read into this. Particularly, this was seen as a favour to his extended family. It is still not clear why Erubami appeared as a ruling house in place of Ajibona .Probably, it was because of the feeling that the Ajibona family had sold its birthright to Erubami and his grandchild Adefemi. Erubami was one of the strong men in the Igbo-ora of old, prior to Dahomey war and was the father of Ayegoro Oyekanmi who lost out after a fatal clash with Asoroolu in their bid for power. Ayegoro was the father of Adefemi Akanmu . One of this ruling houses is Agbojojoye .There was a report of heavy downpours coinciding with the assumption of Ayeriyina Akande to the throne .Agbojojoye was used as a nomenclature for the Ayeriyina ruling house in the chieftancy declaration of 1957. Furthermore, Awayeeti/ Omobale ought to have been included as a ruling house in the Chieftancy declaration of 1957 but was left out. This is in spite of the fact that the ruling house which presented Atoyebi was to have had its turn in 1890. There were feelers that politics and unhealthy rivalry could have been the reasons for the exclusion of Awayeeti. Adeoye carefully picked his successor using the instrumentality of the Chieftaincy declaration and ensured he had a free ride to the throne. It was on the basis of this Chieftaincy declaration that Jacob Oyerogba Oyewole from Atambala family ascended the throne of Baale of Igbo-Ora in November,

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Historically, Ajayi Ogidiolu and Atambala ruling houses share the some root as has been previously explained.

The Chieftancy Edict of 1957 separated Ajayi Ogidiolu ruling house from Atambala ruling house in spite of the fact that both are intrinsically linked, historically related and share a common heritage.

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This recommendation was approved by the Oyo state Government in 1977. This has effectively made Ajayi ruling house a component of Atambala ruling house.