Historian and other agents saddled with the responsibilities of keeping records of past events have become victims of misrepresentation through the antics of vested – interest in our midst. Unfortunately, the truth of the focus group of these researchers is sometimes not necessarily the fact of history and that is the main reason for those in possession of the reality of the situation of events to speak-up for the sake of posterity.

If there is any blame on these frequent distortions, it is the Awori elders and intelligentsia that are at its receiving end. According to Johan Huizinga, a Dutch historian, who lived between 1872 and 1945, “No other discipline has its portals wide open to the general public as history” and that is the reason why a nation must keep close watch on its own past and present for the sake of protecting the future. The American Author Robert Heinlein said, “a generation, which ignores history has no past and no future.”

The Awori nation must continue to challenge all the distorted information of its past if only for prestige and record of facts rather than fiction.

There are many contentious issues of historical importance that has to be resolved. One of such issue is the meaning of Ido or Idu and whether it is of Yoruba or Benin origin. In the Yoruba culture, the precinct of the homes of the most prominent citizens are usually recognised and prefixed with words such as Ita, Oju, Oke, idu, and so on to show that a prominent “son of the soil” is living in the environment. Hence, Ita Faji means Faji Square. It should be noted that Faji is a female Chief of a community in Lagos Island. Oke-Arin means the Hill of Arin, Oju-Olobun is the shrine of Olobu,that is, the shrine of Oloja, Oju – Elegba is the shrine of Elegbara ( that is -the shrine of Esu), Ojuwoye-the shrine of Iwoye, Oke-Aleji- Aleji hill, Ita-Ashafa is Ashafa Square. Another word that is commonly used is “horo” which describes an alley which represents a narrow passageway between building. Hence, we have places such as ‘Horo Ebo’ and other such horo that are around Lagos Island.

The word ‘Ido’ or ‘Idu’ is a Yoruba word which is the short form of the word ‘Iduro’ meaning ‘stand’, “where the first occupier of a place stops” or “ where a group of travelers finally stop to sojourn or reside permanently.”

[b]Erroneously concluding that this is a Benin word is similar to the serial claim that the Benin captured Lagos, which in itself is a great distortion of events. [/b]This claim by the Benin is multifaceted to the extent that the community itself is unable to pin-point the veracity of its own claim. One aspect of the history is that the Benin Empire itself founded Lagos while another claimed that the empire captured an already existing civilisation led by Olofin Ogunfunminire. However, cultural facts available today and other empirical evidence has no bearing with these distortions.

The Lagos Island which is the focal point of this story has no clear evidence that Benin Cultures are evidently in vogue because it has never happened in history that the culture of the captive would dominate the culture of the master as it is in Isale Eko where the Awori culture predominates and permeates the entire space. A visitor to Isale-Eko will have to peep deep to see a Benin culture in an environment bedecked by Awori norms and culture.

Before, one digresses too far from the matter of the moment, let it be mentioned that the place called Ido in the Lagos Mainland Local Government of Lagos State is the short form of “Iduro Olofin” or “Ido Olofin”, a place where Olofin, after leaving his wife Akesan in Isheri-Olofin Mole stopped with the second wife “ Ajayi`” who Lagos Islanders popularly refer to as Ajaye. ” It is believed by some people that all Awori odo are Omo Olofin Ajaye and the Awori Oke are Omo Akesan

Ido or Idu within the Lagos Island such as Idumoibo, Iduntafa, Idunshagbe and so on and other Oju and Oke such as Okesuna (Oke-suna is the hilly area in Okepopo where we have predominance of Muslim and the word Suna is derived from the Muslim Sunat) Okepopo (Popo is a Boulevard), Ojuirowo and others.

Also, Idumota is the Iduro Imota where the Imota people in the Ikorodu Division first settled when they arrived in Isale-Eko because of the proximity between the two communities across the lagoon. It should be noted that Isale-Eko has an admixture of the Ijebu’s although it is an Awori community. Thus, the areas surrounding the Idumota is called Obu-Eko which means Oja-Eko. Obu is the Ijebu word for Oja (that is, market). The Oju-Olobu is the shrine of Oloja. Readers should not forget that as earlier mentioned above, Oju is used prefix used to describe the shrine of a god. Hence, Oju-Egun which is found commonly in the palaces are shrines.

It is not accidental that the Iga Eletu Ijebu is located within the Obu-Eko not far from Oju-Olobu. As clearly indicated in this text, history must be placed in perspective to avoid distortions and other historical infelicities.

It is important that Awori historians begin to correct this historical misappropriation so that a neat copy of Awori history can be available for posterity.

Professor Ojikutu is of the Faculty of Management Sciences, University of Lagos

Source:
https://guardian.ng/art/revue/misrepresentations-in-awori-history-need-for-urgent-action/

Èkó

The oldest texts on its origin admit it is of Yoruba origin. E.g. D’Avezac (1845), Wood (1878), Burns (1929).

A curious dig into the language and culture of Yorubas, and the island’s traditional accounts reveal this.

This island 1st served as ‘farmland’ for the adjacent
Ọ̀tọ̀-Ìdó —the then actual town & seat of govt. in the area.

From ‘oko’ (‘farmland’), this island gradually acquired the shape of an ‘eréko’ (i.e. a “farmstead district”).

The Awori prince Arómirẹ́ is said in the traditions to have initiated this.

The above-mentioned facts (Ọ̀tọ̀-Ìdó’s stature; ‘eréko’ on the island) are alluded to here:

Atlantic-diaspora song used ‘Eréko’ in place of ‘Èkó’ (like ‘òṣà’ contracted from ‘òrìṣà’) to be the name of this outpost of Ìdó.

By circa-1600, Èkó had become a trade-magnet, drawing different trade groups who’d come there to camp & seize trade opportunities.

The term ‘èkó’ would thus find its way (since circa-1570s) into the Edo lexis, via the Bini group which also came to ‘camp’ there then. The term ‘eréko’ derives from ‘erí’ & ‘oko’, namely: ‘atop’ & ‘farm’. Arómirẹ́’s farmhouse was built upon an ‘oko’, apparently. It is only in Yoruba that ‘èkó’ find its literal/etymological derivation.

Etí-Ọ̀sà

The Bini ‘Ẹ̀tín-Òsà’ is often thrown around by the fiction-mongers. These two are not only different in meaning but also in pronunciation.

For starters, think of how ‘house’ & ‘hose’ are unrelated. Got it? Good! They are more unrelated than that as is to be seen.

The Yoruba ‘etí’:= ‘edge’. The Bini ‘ẹ̀tín’:= ‘power’.
The Yoruba ‘ọ̀sà’:= ‘lagoon’. The Bini ‘Òsà’:= ‘God’.

NB: ‘e’ ≠ ‘ẹ’ (The LHS sounds as in ‘eight’. RHS as in ‘egg’)

NB: ‘o’ ≠ ‘ọ’ (The RHS is as in ‘old’. LHS as in ‘odd’)

Ìdú

This prefix is seen in ‘Idu-[i]ganran’ in Lagos state, for example.

As you expect, the fiction-mongers came with the “It’s from Bini” talk. This is utterly false, & it will now be exposed below how.

The Bini ‘Ídù’ isn’t merely different in tone but actually in meaning.

The Yoruba ‘Ìdú’ is a contraction of the Yoruba term ‘Ìdúó’ or ‘Ìdúró’.

Ìdúó (‘standing-posture’, etc.) also refers to place, viz. a ‘station’. A stopping-place where itinerants or migrants stop to settle at.

‘Ìdúó’ is the source for both ‘Ìdó’ & ‘Ìdú’; & they both mean ‘station’, ‘terminus’, ‘settlement’, ‘encampment’, etc.

As such, ‘Ìdú-[ì]gànràn’ means ‘the pepper* settlement’. *ìgànràn=pepper*

Idumagbo
Idu-Arogbo later shortened to Idumagbo. Settlement of the Arogbo Izon.

And there are other places with the same prefix within Yorubaland like: Idu-Jimoti in Oyo state, Idu-Soko in Osun state, among others.

Oṣòdì

This palace officer, in some Yoruba areas, is known as ‘Òdì-oba’.

In other Yoruba areas, he is called ‘Ọ̀gbẹ́ni-òdì’. In some, ‘Olósì’. Etc.

He’s an aide of the Ọba, but yet he wields some considerable power. As for its literal meaning, the term ‘òdì’/‘òsì' appears in these forms. And ‘òsì’/‘òdì’= ‘negation’, ‘antithesis’, etc.

As applied to people, ‘alter-ego’ is more apt & accurate. As such, the word-anatomy of the term ‘Oṣòdì’:=“o ṣe òdì”=“o ṣòdì”.

He is the “one who serves as the [king’s] alter-ego”.

A certain Landuji of Nupe ancestry [Pic-1] seems to be an outstanding Oṣòdì at Èkó, & in all Yorubaland.

He was Ọba Kosọkọ’s Oshodi & he remained loyal to him till the end. The Bini lexicon also attests to the Yoruba origin of ‘Oshodi’.

This is very rich. Great exposure by the Prof.

This was a delight to read even though I am not from anywhere near Lagos.

In addition, the Eko or Ereko referred to:

raskymonojendor:
In addition, the Eko or Ereko referred to:

The name of the Oba of Lagos should be changed Eleko of Eko.

All the fight over who or who didn't settle first in Lagos is totally uncalled for.

Professor Rasheed Ojikutu is a very sound and intelligent elder statesman. May God continue to preserve his life.

Hope mod will move this educative thread to front page

Ok

adamusuleiman1:
Idumagbo
Idu-Arogbo later shortened to Idumagbo. Settlement of the Arogbo Izon.

Your Ijaw (Izon) connection to IduMagbo is contrary to the known historical facts about the site.

Historically, the Idumagbo wharf was from early times the occupational site of the Ijebu trading group.

So if the term “ìdúmàgbò” has its etymology to do with an immigrant trading group, then it is the Ijebu group.

Moreover, the term could also simply have to do with some natural/geographic features of the site.

Certainly not “Arogbo-Izon”.
——
PS: You should also have referenced the writer/source from which the write-ups here on Èkó, Etí-Ọ̀sà, Ìdú and Oṣòdì were taken. It’s plagiarism to leave that out.✌🏾