Omo Aji f’egbe s’ere: Name and fame of the first Olowu, his Iwarefa (six original indigenes) and their migrations and expansion from “Owu Orile” to Abeokuta among others
The Beginning
Oduduwa was the progenitor of the Yorubas, according to the historians. Oduduwa had only one son, OKANBI who died in an expedition. Before his death, Okanbi had fathered seven children. The first two were females – mother of Olowu and mother of Alaketu. The remaining five were males. Oduduwa had to take up the care of his seven grand children.
AJIBOSIN Olawunmi was the darling grandson (great grandson) of Oduduwa. One day he was playing in the laps of his grandfather pulling on the beads of the crown repeatedly. The indulgent grandfather placed the crown on the child’s head, but the child refused to give it up. He cried uncontrollably when the crown was taken off his head. Eventually Baba Oduduwa gave up further attempt at retrieving the crown. The patriarch declared and decreed that Ajibosin should be allowed to retain the crown as his mother’s inheritance. He automatically pronounced him king hence the nickname Asunkungbade (One who cried to acquire crown)
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Baba Oduduwa then called six of his trusted nobles – Akogun, Obamaja, Orunto, Osupori, Oyega and Omolaasin to accompany the young king to his father’s (Obatala) homeland among the Tapas in the Empe region near River Niger.
These six trusted nobles were charged to establish a kingdom for him and help him in the administration of the kingdom.
Thus the boy became the first to be crowned king amongst the offspring of Oduduwa – hence “Owu ni a koko da” – it’s Owu Kingdom that was first created.
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It will therefore be correct to say that the Olowu Ajibosin and his six companions form the nucleus and foundation of Owu people all over the world.
IWAREFA
These are the six trusted high chiefs and first class counselors from the court of Oduduwa, the Yoruba patriarch and progenitor who were chosen by him in faith to accompany his royal grandchild, AJIBOSIN Olawunmi and upon whom the newly established crown which was to translate to the crown of the Olowu was entrusted.
The 6 Iwarefas were to guard the infant oba, guide and counsel him into adulthood and into becoming a worthy king. They constituted the first original six Owu citizens apart from Ajibosin the child Oba himself!
These 6 Iwarefa chiefs were Akogun, Obamaja, Orunto, Osupori, Oyega and Molashin. They also double as the original traditional King makers of the kingdom called Afobaje.
Some account reported that the Iwaefas may have been accompanied on that historical expedition by the Olosi who was Oduduwa’s resident Ifa priest.
Ajibosin was reputed to have many children including 6 males: Ayoloye, Amororo, Otileta, Akinoso, Akinjobi and Lagbedu (Ola-n-gbendu).
Owu Expansion And Migration
The Owus multiplied, prospered and expanded in the Empe region towards the old Oyo. They became very prominent and even ruled the waves. Owu collected tribute from the Bariba, the Borgu and had sometime ruled over old Oyo until the reign of Sango. Their presence in that region was indisputably powerful.
There is a place called “Owu Orile”, some ten miles north of the town of Awe which oral evidence claim to be the original homestead of Owu. Spreading for miles on the north eastern side of the settlement is mostly Igbo Owu.
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The earliest record of southward movements of Owu people showed their encounter with the pre-1820 first settlement of Ibadan. (See “Iwe Itan Ibadan by Oba L.B. Akinyele Olubadan of Ibadan, 1955-1964).
Although, every movement was as a result of war, Owu did not fight Ibadan but instead entered peacefully. This is because Ibadan leaders had earlier sent them an Olive branch. They knew that Owu attack on them was imminent. Ibadan even offered them a place to settle, spreading from Ita Lisa in Ibadan to the place now known as Owu Ipole near Ikire. This pleased the Owu leaders to the end that they agreed to live peacefully with Ibadan.
Another account was that:
While in Ibadan, Ayoloye took “Nkanlola” daughter of a leading Ibadan chief as wife. On one of his numerous war expeditions, he had to sacrifice Nkanlola to appease a river – River Ogbere. It was reported that this was the event that sent Owu parking from Ibadan, and finally led them to a land close to Ife where they settled under Amororo.
The Home
This is the place that replaced “home”. This was Owu Ipole. However, they left great landmarks in Ibadan including river Ogbere (Ifa diviner of Olowu who turned to a river that was named after him) and the Anlugbua shrine near Orita Bashorun etc.
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The Owus, having gone through harrowing war time experiences over centuries, built a formidable fortress at Ipole, the type that had never existed in Yoruba land. The Owu kingdom was ruling the waves in the area that now constitute the present Osun and Oyo states.
Owu Tit-bits and Common Terms
There are some terminologies peculiar to the Owu Kingdom and we may well start to throw our searchlight on some of them. As shall be found, many –if not all of them –are derived from Owu historical sources or incidents.
Obatala
Anlugbua
Epe
Owu l’a koda
ODURU
OSEGE
AMUKANKAN
Source: Owu Kingdom
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