HISTORY OF ORA-IGBOMINA

Ora-Igbomina is an ancient Igbomina town in Ifedayo Local Government Area, Osun State, Nigeria. With Oke-Ila Orangun , it constitutes the 2 major towns in the local government area. The conjoining boundary town among Osun, Ekiti and Kwara States. This historical town was indeed the first town to accept Christianity(ref.: and invariably Western education in Igbomina Land. Christianity was brought to Ora in 1895 by the C.M.S. missionaries led by a son of the soil - a returnee from the slave trade named Pa Olasehinde. St. Stephen Anglican Church was established in Year 1895. The man is a son of ododa compound in ora-igbomina. The first primary school in Igbominaland - stretchting from the present day Osun to Kwara States - St. Stephen's Anglican Primary School was established in 1912. No wonder then that Ora is referred to as "The Cradle of Education and Christianity in Igbomina Land, and by extension to parts of Moba Division of the present day Ekiti State and also in the whole of the old Osun North East Division of the old Western Region which covers almost half of the present Osun State.

All ancient and prominent towns have their own odu ifa followed by their progenitors and ancestors which leads to their establishment except some towns established after jalumi war in which they manipulated and fabricated their history in one way or the other.

Chief Ajayi fabunmi, the odole atobatele of ife ( one of the foremost Yoruba Historian ) traced the establishment of Ora-igbomina to 1330 A. D. with the accompanying history of migration recorded in odu ifa irete meji that :

salagereje,
Babalawo gunnugun
Lodifa fun gunnugun
Gunnugun Etie ara ilodee
O lu keregbe bawon de ode ora
O hu irun gborogboro lapa
O ki eyitoku bo sokoto
O wa n fopa ti gerere
O wa di kan-n-gere
A ka sai darugbo
kan-n-gere.

Ooni obalufon ogbogbodinrin begat the Akesin.This obalufon ogbogbodimnrin is the father of ooni obalufon alayemore, alayemore the father of alapameri, alapameri the father of adebimpe oyerinde. Adebimpe oyerinde apagunje mose.The first AKESIN of ORA-IGBOMINA land. When alayemore returned to ile ife after the death of oranmiyan. He returned from EFON-ALAYE, a place he founded during his exile when oranmiyan returned from his journey to ile ife to take over the throne, ALAYEMORE son ALAPAMERI went to found ORA-ORIJAJOGUN in 1300 AD which was located at the northern side of this present ILA ORANGUN and this indicates that ORA-ORIJAJOGUN was between ILA ORANGUN to ORA-IGBOMINA and he had several sons which AKESIN ADEBIMPE OYERINDE is one of them, Alapa of omido, Alapa of agbonda, Alapa of egun apa Awori badagary lagos. Arigbamu of agbamu, ENIGOSIN of IGOSIN e. t. c. and they maintain their brotherhood as EKU APA clan till today. All of them moved to found their teritories but Akesin Adebimpe in his adventure of hunting, he killed elephant at a place called iperin, a compound today near OMI IGBO, a sacred river where he moved his people down there from ORA-ORIJAJOGUN to settle there and named the place ora-igbomina
in reverence to his father ancestral god ORAMIFE ONILE INA in ILE IFE.
ORA-IGBOMINA does not derived its name from A O RA TAN fabrication, the name ORA is tracable to ILE IFE the source and origin of YORUBA nation.

This ORA-ORIJAJOGUN is no more in existence due to ALAPAMERI children that fled to there various destinations. AKESIN ( A n ke, a n sin ) fled together with HIS father ALAPAMERI arround 1330 AD to the fruitful ORA-IGBOMIN. IN
reverence to HIS father god ORAMIFE ONILE INA which is in ILE IFE till today.

ALAPAMERI later turned to a snake called ojola ( python ) at AKESIN palace. The snake is worshiping till today at OMIGBO, a sacred river in ORA-IGBOMINA during annual ILAWA and ORO OBALUFON festival by ODODA OBALUFON
COMPOUND and OKE AGBALA COPOUND.
Igbo irawe lejo n sun lapa, omigbo ni won ti n mumi nini Lora. Lagun bi ewe agogo, apa nini omo ejo meji. Omo alapameri, omo ajoyin nimoja, abeere nitolumomi, omo AKESIN lapa, ewuro diru o lo si agbamu, yanrin gbepa o lo ile omido, tete diru lo bere apa. yanringobi lo ile ora lee le tepon si, iyawo agbamu la sin sode agbamu. tomido lasin somido. won difa poki alapa eriyoko, won dopele poki alapa eriyena, omo adebimpe timesin gun oma roko, odoko oboka nibi oka ngbe tewo Ifa, obere nibi. Oba abirusooro to gori ebe to ntase sooroso. Omo koka siwaju ki paramole otele, kejola mawo ruuru boleyin won. Baba tani yoo rejo tio ni sare. Omo ejola nii je eesa lapa, oka ile ha nijejemu, abirusooro debe eroye je, o je bilesanmi, tani o mo
pe bilesanmi dunjoye lo, omo okaka londe londe lowure lapaaaaaaaaaaa. If anyone break the taboo of ojola in igbo irawe omigbo, the python will release its wrath and aggression on such a person in ora-igbomina.

Ora-igbomina shared relationship with several towns in Yoruba land. Ora-igbomina and ila orangun have been very friendly since ila was at ila Yara, Aranorin and Ora-igbomina have biennial ritual for peace at ekiti gongo. Ora-igbomina and Ekan meje have cultic objects exchange at the installation of elekan of ekan meje. Ora-igbomina and osan ekiti are fraternal relationships in the governance and security of the area. Ilesa and Ora-igbomina are closely related since Owa Atakunmosa married Lapiti ( Akesin'S daughter) in 15 century. The Owa dynasty and the Risawe family in ilesa are related to Ora-igbomina. The Abaku compound at osogbo also realize Ora-igbomina as their source. Aba igbomina near Ibadan and isale Ora in ogbomoso are closely related to ORA-IGBOMINA and realize ORA-IGBOMINA their source and root.

Compounds in ora-igbomina

1. IPERIN compound from Ile ife. ( Omo alapameri, omo ajoyin nimoja. Senior brother to oke agbala compound )
2. OKE AGBALA compound from ile ife ( Omo alapa meri, omo ajoyin nimoja. This compound and ododa compound were from the same clan and they maintain their brotherhood till today by annual ilawa and oro obalufon festival )
3. ODODA compound from ile ife ( obalufon compound in ile ife. omo obalufon ni ife oye, omo onile abure omo amapa owo remo, omo ilu kan ilu kan ti won fi awo ekun se aketepe eti Erin ni Won fi se osan re, omo olodokan otororo, omo olodo kan otarara, omo odo kan odo kan to San lo seyinkule osin to di abata lojosi. )
4. ILE SANSANRAN.
from Igbo NLA kwara state ( omo eleju oye, Omo ayeronfe komi oge, ile baba teyin lo n be ni igbonla )
5. OKE KANGA from Oyo ile ( omo alafin ofinrin, omo amegun waye, Omo asanlu olomo )
6. ILE OBALUMO compound from isedo ( omo obalumo ni sedo, omo obalulakin. same as isedo ila orangun )
7. OLOYAN compound from oyan Town ( omo OLOYAN, Omo omi yeke abe ota )
8. ILE OBAJOKO from otun ekiti ( omo osere akinla lotun, Iran BABA teyin ni hun Ade )
9. IJASIO compound from ifon town ( omo onifon Ade,omo orolu moni iyo nile jate. omo obala aragbadu alalu, asiketa ilu)
10. KISIEKUN compound from offa kwara ( omo olalomi abisu joruko, ijakadi loro toffa, omo gbogberin gbesi alo)
11. OKE OJA compound from offa kwara ( omo olalomi abisu joruko, ijakadi loro toffa )
12. ODOMIJA compound ( omo Ogun onire, omo osolo ose eledanrin )
13. KEREJA compound ( omo Ogun onire )
14. ILE ODOGUN compound
15. ILE ARIYO compound from edidi agbe ( Omo Ariyo osu , Omo ladepa ogo, Omo eledidi agbe, omo esinkin ajagunmoruku, Omo esinkin gboniyi kekun tode. )
16. ILE ALO compound from oba Town kwara state ( omo esinkin arowomuda, Omo oloba oro )
17. ILE ELEFON compound
from efon alaye ekiti state. ( Omo abesan ogun)
18. ILE OGBARA compound from isanlu-isin kwara state( omo onisin agba, omo awobi saka ro loko )
19. ILE OBARO compound
from Erin Town ( omo elerin moje, omo arotin we bi ojo )
20. OKE AKANGI compound from Rore town kwara ( omo onirire, omo esinkin olafofin )
21. ILE ATE compound from opanda kwara state( omo oloponda, omo eran digbo layiti, anumi Iyan o bokare)
22. ILE OTILl compound
23. ODO OPIN compound
24. ILE OLUPO compound from Ajase ipo kwara state( Omo OLUPO alaelu, Omo ogudu Ajase ayole doye.
25. OKE OPO compound from oyo Ile ( Omo opomulero moji alekan, Omo OPO koro biti, Omo
opo koro biti, opo kipopo amulero niwon n pe oko won) e. t. c.

Ora-igbomina is culturally endowed with traditional religions like oro obalufon, Egungun, ogun, sango, ifa, and eleven, Osin, e. t. c.

ORA-IGBOMINA has three ruling houses, oke kanga, oke agbala and iperin who had produced the following obas in chronological order.

1. Akesin oba Adebimpe oyerinde apagunje mose
( He was a very powerful hunter who used igunnugun bird as a messenger , He established ora-igbomina in 1330 A. D together with his ojola ( python ). )
2. Akesin oba okitiimoba
3. Akesin oba Dajasiju
4. Akesin oba olojo ekundun 1
5. Akesin oba Ayapamoye
6. Akesin oba Ayemoro
7. Akesin oba oyekunle ( he welcomed kanga group in 15 A. D)
8. Akesin oba Durotoye agunloye bi oyinbo, Okinbaloye 1 ( first king from kanga group, a very powerful and handsome man)
9. Akesin oba iyaniwura pewu ni Akesin nwo ora
( very little in age when he was crowned. He normally keep calmed and watched the high chiefs to make decisions)
10. Akesin oba Agbiji gborere
11. Akesin oba Akokoniyangi
12. Akesin oba Apenigbooye
( he lived a long tenure on the throne)
13. Akesin oba Agogo Imole
( he so much like oro obalufon and ilawa festival during his tenure)
14. Akesin oba Ota biri lapo
15. Akesin oba Fanike odo orunmila died in 1881
( he welcomed okewu people with their king asaoni Awoyemi orolotimoye 1 to the fruitful ora-igbomina town around 1880 and they later and finally settled in 1882 with the agreement of taking their dead king to their first settlement called kesagbe. this asaoni orolotimoye were crowned as a king at their second settlement called ( okewu bode animo ) before they fled to oro town in kwara state during jalumi war and welcomed to ora with his few people because okewu and ora-igbomina were friends to the level of inviting each other during oro obalufon, ilawa festival and isagun festival before the attack of jalumi war. There is a statement saying ( To ija okewu kori ijabe Ora )
it means, any town that raise war against okewu people were been defeated by Ora been a neighbor town and friends.
16. Akesin oba Owolabi Atobatele ( he fought the then orangun of ila based on oke agunbelewo Land Now called oke alagbede land. During his tenure, St Stephen Anglican primary school was brought to Ora_igbomina., (1881-1937)
17. Akesin oba Olanipekun Okinbaloye 11. 1938-1989
18. Akesin oba Ololade folayan ilufemiloye awoluwarae ( the First professor to be a king in Nigeria ( 1990-2000)
19. Akesin Oba Oladoye idowu Olojo ekundun abayetumolara 11. ( 20011 date )