BRIEF HISTORY OF ARAN-ORIN
Aran-Orin originated from Ile-Ife.
Administratively Aran-Orin is located in
Irepodun Local government area of Kwara
State. It is a border town located very close
to Osun and Ekiti State to the West and
South respectively. Aran-Orin is about 8
kilometers to Omu-Aran the local
government headquarters. Other towns in
close proximity are Arandun, Rore, Ipetu,
Erinmope and Ilale all in Kwara state. Ora
Igbomina is the closest town in Osun State.
In 1971, Prince JOK Abolarin while
working on his Dissertation topic for the
awards of B.A (Hons.) in History at the
University of Ibadan went to Jaran
Compound at Ile-Ife, he went in company of
some senior chief of Aran-Orin that
included the Late Chief Abolarin Esinkin
Ilota, and Late chief Baranjoko, the Inurin
of Aran-Orin where they confirmed most of
this story. While in Ife they were hosted by
the late Prophet Elijah Jolayemi and they
all met with the Ife high chief from Jaran
compound who confirmed the migration of
Alaran from Ife to Oyo.
However, according to Adeboye Babalola
in his book titled “Awon Oriki Orile” (Yoruba
classics book 1), he pointed out that Alaran
was the son of Ologbojo who led the Aran
people out of Ile Ife to where they first
settled at Oyo. They stayed for a very long
period of time in Oyo during which they
were contaminated with some Oyo Socio-
cultural practices and characteristics such
as the Tribal marks, Egungun festival and
Drums like Dundu and Bata. This Socio-
cultural adulteration can also be likened to
the Biblical history before the Israelites
migrated from Egypt, after staying for about
Four Hundred and thirty years. It took them
forty years before they got to the Promised
Land. They travelled through many tribes
and imitated their culture and
characteristics; as a matter of fact there
were intermarriages.
At this juncture let me quickly correct the
belief in some quarters that Alaran came
from Oyo. The fact that Alaran first settled
in Oyo does not mean Aran Originated from
Oyo! In addition, If one goes to the history
of Yoruba land one would see that Ajase,
Igbaja, Isanlu and Omu-Aran Originated
from Ile-Ife. The Cognomen of these
mentioned towns are identical to Aran. For
example-Olupo Moje, Olusin Moje, Alaran
Moje. These cognomens show that there
must have been a close etymological
affinity that combined and related these
towns together as “MOJE”.
Futhermore,in the Sunday Tribune of 21 st
September 2008,page twenty-two Usi Ekiti
gave a historical information that the time
of their departure falls within pre-historic
time since there was no written records.
However what interest us most in their
historical information is that Usi-Ekiti first
settled at Aran-Orin for some years before
they finally reached their present location.
The report also said that the Egungun
Elefon was brought to Usi-Ekiti from Aran-
Orin which they inherit during their stay.
According to legend, the progenitor of Usi
people, Prince Usikorode approached his
Father ‘Oba Lafogido’ then the reigning Oni
of Ife for his blessing as he and his
followers prepared to leave Ile-Ife to go
and found his own kingdom. Oba Lafogido
gave him his blessings and some royal
paraphernalia like beaded crown, beaded
walking stick, beaded horse tail, a sword, a
brass cup and some other things.
Another point of concern from the Usi Ekiti
history is the name ‘Lafogido’ the father of
Prince Usikorode who was the reigning Oni
of Ife during that time. In Aran history we
also talk of Oba Lagodo baba Ademu osoro
baba ojo, is there not the likelihood to
mean that Lagodo and Lafogido have one
kind of relationship or the other?
Adeboye Babalola went further in his
book when he said the son of Oba Oni
Ologbojo was the Alaran who led the Aran
people from Ile Ife. Usikorode got his
approval from Oba Ologbojo and one of the
Alarans was called Oba Lagodo. This
information reaffirmed that Alaran and
Usikorode originated from Ile Ife and they
both took permission from their father Oba
Ologbojo to go and found their respective
kingdom. And the information that Usi-Ekiti
people first settled in Aran-Orin further
confirmed the suscipicion that may be
Usikorode and Alaran are two brothers who
had known themselves before they left their
father in ile Ife to found their own respective
kingdom.
WE MUST ALSO EMPHASIZE HERE THAT
‘ARAN’ HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE AND NOT
ARAN-ORIN OR ARANDUN OR ARAN-OMU
OR OMU-ARAN (THIS WAS THE ORIGIN OF
THE POPULAR SLOGAN”ARAN E SEJI”).
When Alaran and his people left Oyo, they
migrated through many places among
which is Okeya where they settled briefly
before they finally arrived and settled in a
place called “Odun”. However due to
Internecine wars, Aran moved to the edge
of his land closed to Orin river and called it
Aran-Orin.
Alaran had powerful armies and it was
because of his powerful armies that earn
him the nickname “Omo Abegunlegbera”. It
was this that prompted the then Olomu to
invite Alaran to move closer to Omu. The
move was further strengthened by
intermarriage. Some Chiefs among who is
Chief Esaba married from Omu. These
Chiefs were said to have moved from Odun
to Omu to help their in-laws in their fight to
restore peace. These helpers settled at
Omu and were comfortably accommodated
at Ile-Aran along Aran-Orin road at a place
called “Ogun Ajiki” where broken pots and
plates, rusty metals inform of knives and
cutlasses were found in large quantities.
Specifically, it was Olomu Efon who invited
Alaran Orii to Omu to help him ward off
enemies. After the victory, Olomu Efon
pleaded with Alaran Orii to settle at Omu.
Alaran accepted and they entered into a
treaty. Part of the agreement was that each
oba will exist side by side and rule their
people independently. Each of them has
equal rights on land
matters,
farm products etc. It was an
oral treaty.
Alaran settled at Ile-Aran and died there
but his remain was taken to Igbo Orile at
Odun for burial rites. After the death of
Alaran Orin at ile Aran, Alaran Oluyeye, the
15 th Alaran and the reigning Olomu were
disturbed by serious Ibadan raids. Both of
them had to flee to various places. Oba
Oluyeye, the then Alaran Orin Flew to
Igbaja and there he died but his remain
was also taken to Igbo Orile at Odun for
burial. They all later regrouped at ‘Ajo’ with
Olomu after the war.
However ’Ajo’ was disbanded around
1894.A group among the Aran suggested
that they should go back to their former
settlement but some were still unsure
wealther wars or Ibadan raids have ended.
The man who led the Aran group to the
present location at Aran-Orin from ‘Ajo’
was Chief Olowa of Ile Abaagba.By this
time two groups have been established
among the Aran peoples. One group at
Aran-Orin while the other group remains
with Omu peoples in Omu-Aran.
It is important to note that the good
observation and intelligence of Chief Olowa
help recollect and relocate the two
landmarks during their first settlement, this
land marks include ‘Igi Amuyan” at Ile Oja
and a Coconut tree at Ile Abaagba which
eventually helped them to identify their
former settlement.
According to the historical write up by Late
Chief Joseph Olajide Olarewaju, his
grandfather, Oba Onipede was formerly the
Chief Aro at Omu-Aran before he was made
a king over all the Aran people both at
Aran-Omu and Aran-Orin. He became the
Alaran in 1896 and ruled over the Aran
peoples for 33 years. During Oba Onipede
tenure efforts were made on him to make
Aran-Orin his residential abode but he
refused. The Aran people made several
pleads to him then on this issue because
of the likely problems that might arise
between him and the then Olomu which
eventually come to pass within the first
year of his reign. His Successor was Oba
Buoye who became the next Alaran in
1929.And the reigning Olomu then was Oba
Momolosho who felt threatened by the
popularity and richness of the newly
crowned Alaran Buoye. Olomu Momolosho
then sent an emissary to Alaran Buoye that
he could not exist together with him that:
‘Alaso Osun Meji ki igbe ibe’ meaning two
kings cannot live in the same town at the
same time. He told Oba Buoye to go and
join his people at Aran-Orin. Oba Buoye left
Omu-Aran in 1932 to join his people at
Aran-Orin. They settled at Igbesi
compound while in Aran-Orin and leave
there for over a year. However he was still
not satisfied with his continue stay in Aran-
Orin and plead to Aran-Orin people to allow
him go to the area close to Igbo Orile at
Odun. All appeals to him and his people by
his fellow brothers in Aran-Orin were still
not convincing enough to him. He then
leave to settle in the present site of
Arandun in 1935.while they were leaving
Aran-Orin to found Arandun, the Aran-Orin
people sent delegates to accompany them
to their present site. The delegates were
led by a ‘masquerade’ in person of late
baba Olanipekun Igbesi-Oke (Chief Adigbe)
who uprooted the first grass to mark the
point of their settlement. He continues to
rule over Aran people until when he died
few years later. The next king was installed
at Aran-Orin who ruled over the Aran
people until few years later that the two
brother communities agreed to be having
their own separate king.
Today the two communities still buried
their dead kings in Igbo Orile at Odun as a
continuation of the established tradition.
Conclusively, Arandun and Aran-Orin have
been very cordial and friendly. There has
never been a land boundary between the
two communities because they are from
the same progenitors.....Written by:
Asonibare Emmanuel Adetola

Hmmm, history is always rich.