About Us

1 ORIGIN

Ikala is one of the assemblage of villages and towns making up Ijebu Imusin, a major commercial hub in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State. It is set in an idyllic and serene environment bounded by Idode and Idoko-Olowa to the south, Odomiseko to the west, Ilagunjo to the east and former Ipepe and Ilodo to the north. As a constituent part of Ijebu Imusin, the history of Ikala is intricately woven with that of Ijebu Imusin which was founded sometime in the 12th century A.D. by Prince Osifaderin – a crown prince of Ife-Oyela (Ile-Ife) in his quest to establish his own kingdom.

According to sources, Oduduwa – the monarch of Ife-Oyela, decreed before Prince Osifaderin set out on his mission that a good number of the most important chiefs and members of the royal households must contribute men and materials to accompany the Prince on his journey. An advance party of hunters led by Ajebu had already surveyed, earmarked and claimed an extensive parcel of land lying to the south-west of Ife-Oyela which was later to be called Ife-Owodaye and now known as Ijebu Imusin. On his arrival at Ife-Owodaye, Prince Osifaderin established the seat of his kingdom at Ido-Oko – now Idoko – and began to reign as the Oba Oloko Olofin Aranfe Oko. He gave the important chiefs and princes who accompanied him the liberty to set up their own quarters within the kingdom. Thus the chiefs and princes settled at Idomodu, Ipebi, Odo-Magbo, Ita Marun, Idode, Iwoye-Ikala, Esugbon, Ewunren, Oke-Ekele (Now Esure), Ilare etc. History has it that there were 323 such settlements in the old Ife-Owodaye but many of them have since gone into extinction.

According to available records, Ikala was founded by Aare Aringo – one of the followers of Prince Osifaderin. His rank and privileged position can be conjectured from the contiguity of his settlement to Idoko – the headquarters of Osifaderin’s kingdom. Legend has it that he was led to the location by “Eiye Akalamagbo”, a white vulture from which the name Ikala was derived and to which the founding of the village was often credited by legend. Eiye Akalamagbo can be rightly described as the patron bird of Ikala; stories abound of its visitations during pagan festivals and its participations therein.

The settlements established by some of the other princes and chiefs were named after them, e.g. Togunmaga was founded by Ogunmaga. In some instances many princes and chiefs stayed together and built a community with each of them having a sector (Itun) named after him and were allocated farm land.

The ancient Ikala consisted of many such sectors: Aringo, Aledo, Abosan, Idotun, Iwaye/Oke Ilu, Oke Agodi, Okemorisa, Okenaiye, Okoju and Umushendo but they were not all established at the same time as some settlers arrived possibly some centuries after the pioneers. Aledo sector occupies the lowest terrain while the sectors prefixed by Oke (hill) are on higher elevations and are contiguous. Libekun, an area adjoining Okenaiye and sharing a border with Ilodo which Ikala had traditionally laid claim to, became a subject of controversy between the two neighbours in the early 1990s but, through the instrumentality of a boundary committee set up by Oba-Oloko-in-Council, the dispute was amicably resolved in 2013 with the establishment of a mutually acceptable boundary between Ikala and Ilodo.

Ajebo sector came into being in the 1950s after Mofo market had been renamed Ajebo market and the primary school, jointly owned by Ikala and Ilagunjo, going by the same name

had been established in the area. Throughout the ages, the Oba Olokos maintained a very strong, virile, sovereign, prosperous and powerful kingdom until the British colonialists penetrated Ijebuland after subduing the Ijebu army at Imagbon in 1892.

2 GOVERNMENT

As stated earlier, more settlers arrived after the founding of Ikala and they were allocated sectors for their habitation as well as farmlands for subsistence. The sectors enjoyed considerable autonomy in the administration of their affairs with due recognition of the pioneer sector as the primus. The culture of such ancient settings dictated that the mantle of leadership would automatically fall on oldest male member.

He was the repository of history and the wisdom needed for maintenance of peace and stability within the community. Prompted by increasing inter-communal strives after more than six centuries of existence, the leadership of the various sectors realised the need for centralised administration and thus instituted the first reform in the governing structure by agreeing to have a common head or Baale. Hence Chief Odueyungbo of Aringo sector was appointed the first Baale sometime in the late 19th Century AD. It was further agreed that the Baaleship would rotate between the following principal sectors then in existence since some sectors were no longer in existence:

1. Aringo
2. Aledo
3. Oke Agodi/Okemorisa/Idotun

The position of Ekeji Ilu (2nd in command) went to the sector- in-waiting for the Baaleship. Another important age-long portfolio was that of Olootu Ona – works officer who coordinated the execution of community road works including maintenance of public arenas. Iwaye sector opted out of Baaleship of the village on account of its historical claim to the lineage of Olowu of Owu Ijebu and the assertion that accepting Baaleship would be downgrading their royalty. The sector was however formally accorded Eketa Ilu position which went to Chief S. A. Odulaja in 1994. The sector’s age-long rejection of Baaleship was rescinded in 1998 thus prompting a second major reform which included the sector in the new ascension cycle viz:

1. Aringo
2. Aledo
3. Oke Agodi/Okemorisa/Idotun
4. Iwaye

The Baale was assisted in governance by the Ekeji Ilu; they held consultations from time to time with the Council of Elders drawn from all sectors. The citizens brought all civil and criminal cases before the Baale for adjudication and settlement. Matters requiring serious disciplinary measures would be deliberated upon by the Council of Elders presided over by the Baale. The succession plan to the Baaleship was for the Ekeji Ilu to ascend to the vacant stool while the sector- 2 in-waiting for the Ekeji Ilu will be called upon to nominate the latter’s successor.

Following the demise of Baale Chief Jonathan Oduneye, Otunba Ayo Odusile from Aringo sector was installed Otunba Woye of Ikala in 1998 in keeping with the practice in some parts of Ijebu Imusin where the traditional heads of important villages like Odolameso, Ilagunjo, Ilodo (under the leadership of late Otunba Eki), Odomagbo etc. were designated Otunbas instead of Baales in recognition of their hierarchy in the traditional governance of Ijebu Imusin.

The list of his predecessors who reigned under the title of

Baale include:

Name Sector Period

1. Chief Odueyungbo Aringo Late 19th – Early 20th

           Century AD

2. Chief Osunkoya Idotun Early 20th Century

           AD to 1930

3. Chief Eribake Adegbiye Aringo 1933 – 1969
4. Chief Okesanya Okudero Aledo 1970 – 1982
5. Chief Jonathan Oduneye Oke Agodi 1984 – 1995

The ascension of Chief Osunkoya of Idotun sector to the stool immediately after Chief Odueyungbo of Aringo sector was as a result of the age related issue which made the Okudero family of  the Aledo sector not fielding a candidate otherwise it was Aledo’s turn to produce the Baale at the time.

Another aspect of the 1998 reform was the enlargement of the traditional governing council by creating Ekerin-Ilu position as well as appointing Sector Chiefs known as Olori Ituns to serve as the administrative heads of the sectors. Each sector is now entitled to have two representatives in the traditional governing council.

The Baale of Ikala has always been a member of the Ijebu Imusin traditional governing body – the Ijebu Imusin Council of Chiefs while some Baales have been President of the defunct Ijebu Imusin Area Customary Court.