History of Isaga Orile
Isaga Orile was founded in the year 1750 by one prince Adeyemi, a son of Alafin of Oyo. He was a brave hunter with magical power and a renowned herbalist and medicine man of his time. Prince Adeyemi came across to Isaga during his hunting expedition and pitched his camp by the side of a stream through his “IFA” Divination, he found this place would be a suitable settlement. Prince Adeyemi went back to Oyo and brought back his family and other relations to Isaga. He had a pot (Isa) stuffed with herbs and water with which he healed many sick people. Prince Adeyemi was popularly called as “Oga” (Master) and anybody who was sick would be advised to go and drink from the master’s pot (Isa-Oga) and so the name “Isaga” was derived as a contraction of “Isa-Oga”
The Alafin of Oyo sent for prince Adeyemi to join the Oyo Army against the Dahomean invasion of Oyo town. In recognition of prince Adeyemi prowess at the battles, his father the Alafin of Oyo made him an Oba and sent him back to reign over the Isaga and he thus became the first Onisaga of Isaga with appellation “Obaseru” added to his original name. An Ogboni House known as “Obaseru” was built over his shrine where he is being worship till today.
Oba Adeyemi Obaseru had many children from his four wives and after his demise, each branch of his four wives reigned in succession and constituted the four ruling houses in Isaga. They are:
Alayan
Arapapatira
Oloje and
Okogan
In 1851, the Dahomean army, led by king Gezo encamped at Isaga and for the fear that the town might be attacked and destroyed, oba Asade Okogan i and Isaga chiefs made friends with them whereby the Dahomean king Gezo revealed his secrete plan against the egbas to them. Because of their friendliness with the Egbas, the Isagas manoeuvred the Dahomean army to alter their military strategies from night to noon attack. They also misdirected the Dahomean army to attack the egbas by the Aro gate which was strongly fortified against enemy aggression. The Isagas quickly sent a secret emissary to the egbas alerting them of Dahomean army’s plan to attack them.
However, the Dahomean army suffered heavy causalities at the Aro gate, Abeokuta.
On the march 15th 1862, king Gelele of Dahomey, who succeeded his father late king Gezo, launched an onslaught against the Isagas as vendetta for betraying them in 1851 during the attack, the Dahomean army destroyed Isaga town, killed over 100people including the missionaries, Oba Asade Okogan i and took over 4,000 people as captives to Dahomey. The refugee fled to different places- Abeokuta, Ilaro, Ado Odo, Ota, Iju Isaga, Isaga tedo in Lagos state and other places. The population of Isaga town was estimated at 20,000 in 1855 (history of southern Nigeria by Talbort).
The current Oniṣaga of Iṣaga is His Royal Highness Oba Tella