IBADAN: The ancient city of brown roofs

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Ibadan is the largest city in West Africa and the third largest City in Africa. This all important city with its trademark sea of brown roofs grew from being a former settlement for Yoruba Immigrants and Settlers who came from Ile-Ife to becoming a sprawling Metropolitan city and as at now, the City’s exponential growth over the years is on course towards making it a cosmopolitan city with different peoples of diverse ethnic groups and culture pouring into the city to trade and settle. Since the founding of the City, it has kept expanding on all sides, from the North, South, East and West just as prophesied by Ifa.

 

Ibadan City
The City of Ibadan

According to Yoruba Historian and Oral Traditionalist; Taiwo Olasekayo (Okin Oloja) and other verifiable historical records, Lagelu a great and powerful Ife warrior and hunter (Olode) was the founder of the City of Ibadan when he migrated with his household and entourage from Ile Ife the original home of all Yorubas, to Ibadan. It must be noted that all people of Yoruba descent trace their origin to Ile Ife and it was from Ife that Yoruba people dispersed themselves and began founding different cities across the areas surrounding Ife, in the North and South of the Yoruba country.

 

However, before Lagelu embarked on this voyage to discover Ibadan, he consulted with Ifa and the divination said the city which Lagelu founded will go on course towards expanding forever and the city has ever since been expanding on all sides with no stop to its growth. As of today, the City is densely populated, with peoples of different cultures and tribes inhabiting it. Although Ibadan is majorly a Yoruba city-state whose influence and fame as a city of brown roofs has spread far and wide.

 

Before Lagelu set out on this trip of discovery, he had to fortify himself with different charms for protection as the journey required him and his household to pass through the dreaded and large forest of Ipara which was reputed to be a forest of evil spirits and various kinds of wild animals and beasts. No one went into Ipara forest and came out alive. Nevertheless, Lagelu and his entourage passed through the forest of Ipara with no fear in their heart because Lagelu the leader of the delegation had armed himself with various powers and charms from Yoruba land. On the night of their journey, they could not make it out of the forest before nightfall. This made it necessary for them to settle in the forest that night and since there was no food available for them, they were forced to feed on African mangoes (oro). That day, Lagelu and his followers decided to settle in the forest and build their camp. That was how the first Ibadan was discovered. The first city of Ibadan was at the heart of Ipara forest which was dreaded by all across Yoruba land. When news of Lagelu’s bravery and courage in passing through and settling in the forest reached Ile-Ife, this encouraged more people from Ife to also migrate and join Lagelu in the forest. This first wave of migration of people from the heartland of Yoruba land into the Ipara forest led to the creation of the first Ibadan settlement/City.

 

When the story of Lagelu’s bravery and valour reached Oyo the home of Alaafin Sango who was one of the most powerful and most revered King in Yoruba land, Sango adored Lagelu’s brevity and made him the military commander (Are Ona Kakanfo) of the whole Yoruba country. Noted that Oyo had already existed and was a settled empire during the time of Lagelu’s migration from Ife. Oyo Empire was the political headquarters of Yoruba land as of this time. The Alaafin of Oyo was respected and feared across Yoruba land and he had powers that were only second to that of the Ooni/King of Ife who was more or less the spiritual Head of the Yoruba land. Alaafin Shango liked Lagelu and held him in high esteem. However, during the annual Egungun festival which is one of the most important festivals in Yoruba land, it was reported that one of the Egungun masquerade that participated in the festival became agitated and in the process of trying to pacify the Egungun, his mask removed and this act was considered a grave taboo in Yoruba land. Many people that came to Ibadan for the festival began to flee the city because of the fear of evil associated with the removal of an Egungun’s mask. The first wave of Immigrants fled the city because of the fear of an impending doom that will befall Ibadan. When Alaafin Sango heard this news, he was angry and the whole Yoruba land declared war on Ibadan and Lagelu for committing the crime of unmasking an Egungun. The war dragged on for long and Lagelu was undefeated. He and his household were forced to flee from Ipara forest and settle on a mountain nearby. It was there that they remained for a long time.

 

Doves began settling on that mountain to pitch their nests. That was how the war ended and the first city of Ibadan was deserted and all the first inhabitants fled to other nearby Yoruba towns. Lagelu’s settlement on the mountain became known as Eleyele which is now one of the modern day provinces of Ibadan. After some time, when the flames of war had been extinguished, Lagelu and his followers came down from their hiding on the mountain to establish the second Ibadan in the same Ipara forest.

 

Later, the Yoruba city states waged war on Owu which was also a great Kingdom/city state in ancient Yoruba land. As at then, Lagelu the founder of Ibadan had died and one of his sons took over control of the city of Ibadan. When the war on Owu Kingdom raged on, the inhabitants of Owu fled to Ibadan for refuge. The people of Ibadan accepted them and Lagelu’s son who was now the head of the city of Ibadan became known as Olubadan. He accepted the Owu refugees and also befriended the King of Owu (Olowu). This friendship led to the gifting of land as settlements for the Owu war refugees and this act of benevolence led to the settling of many citizens of Owu in Ibadan towns like Ika and Ojoo.

 

This friendship between the Olowu and Olubadan continued for a long time which made the Olubadan one of Lagelu’s sons to give out his one and only daughter as wife to the Olowu of Owu kingdom. In the course of the years, the Olowu and his warriors went to a war front and they were required to cross the Oba River. However, when they got to the waterfront, there was no way for them to pass through. Ifa was consulted and the Oracle said they must give or sacrifice something to the river deity on their return back from the battlefront. When the Olowu and his warriors became victorious and were on their way back from war, they reached the mouth of Oba river, but the river did not give them a passage way. An Ifa oracle was consulted which reminded them of their promise which they had all forgotten after long years of fighting at the battlefront. After so many sacrifices without the river giving them a passage, the Olowu was forced to give up his bride (Nkan Ola) the only daughter of Olubadan as a sacrifice to the Oba river. The river opened up and they passed through. On their return home, this news quickly reached the Olubadan, he was furious and this subsequently led to the declaration of war against the people of Owu. The Olubadan collected back the gift of land he gave to the Owu people. This war attracted other Yoruba cities whom the Olowu of Owu called to assist him in defeating Ibadan. The city of Ibadan was plunged into another war and the inhabitants of the city were forced to desert Ibadan for the second time. It must be noted that this period under study was a period of intense politicking, state formation and nation building across Yoruba land.

 

After some time, when the war was over, the former inhabitants of Ibadan came back to resettle again in the Ipara forest. This third Ibadan became the current city of Ibadan of today. This led to a saying among the people of Ibadan and Yoruba land that Ibadan is the city that was never destroyed or conquered by war. The third Ibadan has kept expanding and spreading over the years, with an influx of population and the rise of modernization which has attempted to change the aerial view of the city of Ibadan. However, the pervasive nature of the sea of brown roofs has emblazoned a lasting trademark on Ibadan which gives the city an ancient look telling its own story.

 

Before the British colonization of Nigeria, the Kings of Ibadan were known as Olubadan, but when the British conquered Yoruba land, the Kings of Ibadan became known as Baale which is interpreted loosely as Father/Owner of the Land. It was after independence that the Kings of Ibadan were once again known as Olubadan. Ibadan never grew to become an empire as Oyo, due to its refusal to embark on expansionary war campaigns; it only grew to become a powerful City-State. The city nevertheless became the birthplace of famous Yoruba Warlords and military Commanders, Baales and Olubadans like Balogun Oderinlo, Maye Okunade, Alesinloye, Adamasingba, Osuntoki, Opeagbe, Irefin, Bioku, Fijabi, Apete, and Akinyele etc. Most of the streets, towns and provinces in modern day Ibadan are named after these great warriors and military commanders.

 

Today, the modern day city of Ibadan has truly become a cosmopolitan city and the capital of Oyo state in Nigeria. Throughout time, the city’s exponential growth and expansion has never stopped.

 

Important Historical/Tourist Sites of Attraction in Ibadan

  • National Museum of Unity Ibadan.
  • Ado Awaye suspended lake which is the only natural suspended lake in the world.
  • The great University of Ibadan which is one of the best universities in West Africa.
  • Irefin Palace in Oke Ibadan.
  • Mapo Hall.
  • The palace of the Olubadan.
  • International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Forest Reserve.Ibadan is merely 45 minutes to 1-hour drive from the ruins of the ancient Oyo Empire  Empire capital (Oyo Ile).
  • Bower’s Tower.

 

References


(This essay was written by David Adejumo who is a Nigerian Writer and a talented poet.)

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