Aliu Ahmad Gold

According to oral sources, the present-day Babanla town was founded by brave hunters known as Abogunrin and Dada Ogunleke-odo alongside co-hunters Odofin, Elemosho and Akogun around the seventeenth century.

The founder of Babanla came from Ode-Oyo and they were hunters and warriors. They left Oyo and continue hunting until they stop at the present Ajase-Ipo and Igbaja, his father Ayinla Ogunleke-odo gave birth to four children who were of the same mother and they were Abogunrin, Dada, Odebode and Gbanujoke who was the only female among them.

Upon the death of their father, the three sons continued with their hunting with the expectation of looking for where they will settle themselves. During this process, they hunt different kinds of animals but the frequency of the animal they hunt was elephants to the extent that if they settled at a particular place and they found no traces of elephants they would move to another place. They continue with this until they finally found a suitable place for themselves which is now the present Babanla.

Before their settlement in this town, it is in the practice of Yoruba land to consult an oracle before settling at a particular place, this was also the practice of the founder of Babanla. They consulted an oracle where they were told that during their hunting they should take a look to their right side they will sight a big mountain, on getting there they should settle down there because there are lots of great benefits in the area which include wealth, health, children and so on. On getting to the Oseke mountain, they decided to choose one from among them who will make sacrifices for the mountain, hence Elemosho was chosen.

As time goes on, the hunters and warriors collaborated with the people of Bida, they summoned one another whenever there is time for hunting or in a case of war. Oba Dada who was the first Oba of Babanla was said to have done some great things, especially for Oba Bida.

There was a time when the king of Bida summoned all the great hunters to look for elephant teeth; fortunately, it was Dada who was able to provide the elephant teeth. As a matter of appreciation, the king of Bida decided to choose Dada as the king of all hunters, the response of Oba Dada was "Obalela" (The high king) is at home, by this he was referring to his elder brother (Abogunrin), that was where the word Babanla was derived from.

History has it that Abogunrin brought Dada, Odofin, Elemosho and Akogun to settle in Babanla. After the settlement, there was the need to have a head. Here, Odofin, Elemosho and Akogun called on Abogunrin to lead them is the oldest but he (Abogunrin) declined on the ground that he was already too old. He however recommended his immediate brother Dada be enthroned as the head. Dada was made the first Oba of Babanla, but unfortunately, he could not live long on the throne and die even before Abogunrin. At this point, Abogunrin had no alternative but to take the mantle of leadership.

When Abogunrin died, according to the Nupe culture under which they were, then the Saaba should be made the next King, but because he had already been labelling himself as the next Oba, the Kingmakers decided to opt for another candidate, resultantly they picked Muhammadu, who was Dadas son. Upon the death of Muhammadu, Yusuf who was from Abogunrin ruling class was chosen and was later succeeded by Saka.

According to an oral interview, since the inception of the Babanla community, five kings had led them in the control of affairs in the community. The first of them was Oba Dada, then followed by Abogunrin who spent nine years on the throne, followed by Oba Muhammadu who was said to have spent a longer term on the throne for a period of Fifty-three years, and it was during his reign that the religion of Islam emerges, the fourth king was king Yusuf Ajide Arojojoye 1, who spent thirty-two years on the throne, followed by Saka Usman Ilufemiloye whose tenure was said to have been short with three years on the throne. Therefore, the present king who has been controlling the affairs of the town since 1985 till date is King Yusuf Aliyu Alabi Arojojoye II.

Equally, the king has numerous high chiefs among which are Odofin, Elemosho, and Akogun who were regarded as the Kingmakers and Iyalode, Iyaloja, Balogun, Olofa, Oju, and others as subordinate chiefs. Be that as it may, history has it that Babanla originated from "Babalela" and it was sometimes called Asorope.

Aliu Ahmad Gold is a Member of the Historical Society of Nigeria (HSN).

© Aliu Ahmad Gold archives