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Causes of Awori Migrations
Awori migration to coastal Yorubaland especially to the region of Lagos state was induced by political, economic, social and spiritual factors. These factors could be discussed under the sociological “Push” and “pull” factors of migration.
Ife Migrations
The most common important migrations from Ile-Ife ever recorded from the period of Oduduwa dynasty was the one associated with the dispersal Oduduwa’s children. Akinjogbin and Ayandele (1980) recorded:
When Oduduwa was old and blind, his children were called together and ordered to go and found their own kingdoms and each was given a royal symbol. During this period, Ile-Ife was hit by a prolonged drought which lasted for many years, causing faming and diseases. Finally Agirilogbon, a babalawo of Oke-Itase in Ile-Ife, counseled emigration.
According to tradition, the children went northwards and southwards. Those who went south eastwards finally settled at Ado, Owo and Benin. In addition, some of the migrants had a change of rulers in their new homes. The date of this emigration is still a subject of academic controversy. However, it is clear that it was not later than 11th century A.D. It is also difficult to know how many kingdoms resulted from this exercise. As new kingdoms grew out of the old ones, descent from Oduduwa became the test of legitimacy among the old new kingdoms.
From this period of Oduduwa, migrations out of Ile-Ife became a permanent feature of the kingdom, Migrations also took place during the reign of Ooni Luwo who was a female ruler. Luwo was considered a disciplinarian and her rulership did not go down well with the people which led to migration. Also, the success of Lajamisan, a rich Ife bead trader to the Ooniship created political crisis which was some migrations. In addition, the deposition of Ogboru, a descendant of Lajamisan, who was barnish to Ife Odan for reigning too long but more probably for cruelty, led to emigration. Migrations southwards continued till the end of 19th century. These early southward migrant were the founders of Ife-Awori settlements in Lagos state.
Early migrations to the region of Lagos were political and economic in nature. For instance, Ogunfunminire the founder of Isheri and most other migrants from Ile-Ife were farmers. It was in the course of hunting expedition that some of them finally journeyed to Lagos. But the fact that some of the migrants were not alone but in groups, suggests political organizations which could be explained in terms of inland internal political crisis and population pressure. Before migrating to Isheri, Ogunfunminire consulted Ifa oracle which counseled migration. One of the traditions suggests that Ogunfunminir and his friend Adeyemi Onikoyi left their homes on a hunting expedition and overstayed, thereby absenting themselves from the funeral of their father. Their relation thinking them dead, put their junior brother on the throne and this annoyed the two powerful princes, when they arrived. However, they were afraid of the great damage they might cause if they decided to fight, hence Olofin took the calabash which was willed to him by his late father. The tradition continued that he followed the movement of the ritual pot placed on water until it sank and they settled in the region.
Another tradition pointed out that Adeyemi Aole Onikoyi of Lagos, was given in the will of their father, a crown of beads, Ifa oracle Olokun deity, Awo Opa, Osugbo, and the gods of his father Lakaba. On getting to Isheri, Adeyemi consulted Olokun the goddess of the ocean, which counseled another migration for him, and he moved until he got to Ikoyi. He passed through Okepa, Moba and Ajiran, he finally named his settlement Ikoyi after Ikoyi Ile in Igbeti, it would appear that it was political disorder that led to the migration of these people.
The Benin soldiers soon bombarded the Isheri settlement. One account suggests that the Olofin was once captured and taken to Benin before he was later sent back only to his Benin resistance. Until the arrival of Aseru, a Benin warrior who made social alliance with Ashipa from Ijebu-Ibefun that should he die, his corpse should be taken back to Benin. Asipa did this to the pleasures of Oba of Benin, who presented him with keresimesi –tophat, cowries, beads and a woman. Before the arrival Ashipa Ogunfunminire had moved to Iddo and shared the lagoon islands with his children. Ashipa and his sons Ado and Gabaro settled in Isheri, iddo, isale Eko. Gabaro eventually accepted the children of Ogunfunminire such as Aromire, Oluwa, Onisiwo, Ojoro, Oloto, Onitana, Olumegbon and his friends Onikoyi, Oniru, and Elegusi. The marriage of Ashipa with a Beninwoman and the settlement of other Benin warriors laid a permanent Benin imprint on the character of Lagos.
The history of ‘push’ factor in the migrations of the Yoruba – southwards and the Awori to the region of modern day Lagos state is of antiquity. Rather than succumb to hostile neighbours and insurmountable natural forces the earlier settler to choose to migrate from their usual homes to new areas. One of the recorded Oluwo-nla (Obanikoro) traditions of origin relates that Oluwo nla migrated from Benin after causing some damages until Oba of Benin recalled him home. The Porto-Novo colonies founded by Benin warriors were threw asunder by hostile and more powerful aggressors hence, the people migrated to the region of Ologe lagoon and sea shore sides, and never to return to their original homes that were threatened by Dahomean invations, as to return home would be to risk their lives and properties, and to voluntarily send themselves to servidtude in the hands of the Egun and Aja. Thus, having been forcibly displaced from home, the new settlers were forced to seek an area which offered a natural protection and restively peaceful. Undoubtedly, the existence of numerous creeks, swamps, lagoons, Island and exposure to the forest zone and sea, offered them the needed protection. These migrations could be called ‘forced’ or ‘impelled’ migrations as the only logical choice opened to the migrants was to leave. This voluntary or induced migration is accounted for by the existence of many early Awori village settlements some of which are now town settlements. In the relationship between Ojo and Iba, Ojo tradition has it that Iba people were ejected from their early settlement near Ojo.
Also voluntary movements of adventurous pioneers and dissident individuals through interaction with former homes led to chains of migration among the Lagos State Awori. This was often the result of strong attractions to an area as might partly be exerted by letters in recent times, signs and symbols or messages in the earlier period to friends and relatives back home. The economic advantage of the land occupied by the Awori of Lagos in terms of fishes, crabs, moluscs, coconuts, adequate rainfall and conducive temperature, accessibility through inland water ways became a pull factor in later migrations among the Awori.
Awori country in general is made up of countries of varieties of Awori sub-groups. Some of which have no direct migratory history with Ile-Ife and whose sentimental attachment to Oduduwa and Awori cultural values is a product of cultural adaptation and secondary affinity. The bulk of the Awori kingdoms in Lagos State are products of mixed breed as they considerably intermarried with the Egun, Ilaje, Egba, Brazilian, Sierra Leoneans and other groups. Some of the Awori communities are product of many layers of migrations, while affinal relationship, need for political independence and prosperity in economic activities often induced most of the migrations.
In the early migrations, opportunities for game, the relative peace of coastal region at the period when political antagonism and social disorder basseted the interior Yorubaland, the way out for the Awori that were looking for peace and security was to escape to Lagos. Also, barrier to island for example, Lagos Ido and Topo provided suitable and easy defensive sites for the early growth of settlements. The surrounding creeks and swamps of Lagos lagoon offered natural protection for peace loving migrants and criminal escaping from justice. In the era of trans-Atlantic slave trade, it served as a viable depot for Awori slave dealers and raiders. In the 20th century, the pull effect of the city life and the push effects of the rural life sustained migrations of not only the Awori but Egun, Ilaje, Ikale, Edo, Ibo, Hausa, Fulani, Egba,etc. to Lagos state which is the smallest and the most densely populated state in Nigeria.
Migrations of the Awori and other groups to the coastal Yorubaland produced a complex cultural values for instance, when migrants of diverse cultural backgrounds are assimilated into a new society they also contribute to the dominant culture like Bini and the Awori-Yoruba in Lagos and Ogun depended on the migrants ability to adjust and on the receiving society’s degree of socialization process.
The movement of the Ijo, Ikale, Ilaje, Bini, Awori, Egun, Oyo-Yoruba, Ijebu and Egba at different times to settle in the region of Lagos state produced cultural diffusion and partly accounted for a variant of Yoruba uniform culture among most Ijebu and Awori settlements of Lagos State. For instance, the institution of Obaship and palace organization, festivals and ritual practices are common among the Awori kingdoms while the Bini insignia or political materials feature among some Awori kingdoms. Also, migrants from Ife, Benin or other Yoruba towns of the hinterland carried beaded crowns, white cap and keresimesi as well as other paraphernalia of office to their new homes while others imported these materials after they have acquired political authority in their new abode.
It is difficult to date in absolute term when migration first began towards the region of Lagos State. For instance, the Awori settlement in some communities constitute the final phase of series of settlements that were earlier made in the process of migration from the interior. Iba people for instance, settled in other two places within the same geographical area before finally settling down in their present abode. Literature show that the earliest migrations might have been around the 15th century A.D.
It should be noted that centralized socio-political organization in coastal Yorubaland started with the arrival of the Awori and later Ijebu sub group, while the early movement of Ijo, Ijale and Bini fishermen were predatory in nature. This political centralization was not totally devoid of Benin influence. The overall Awori and Ijebu cultures today is an amalgam of cultures. The heterogencity of origins of Lagos State aboriginal inhabitants and the influence of migrants such as the Ilaje, Ikaje, Ijo, Edo, Egba and later Ibo, Hausa, Kita, Sierra Leonians, Brazilians, Cubans, and Europeans has partly led to the erroneous idea of Lagos description as “no man’s land.’ Whatever be the extent of external influence, no authentic or adequate history of Lagos State can be written reference to the Awori, Ijebu and Ogu (Egun).
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