Brief History Of Iwoye, Ayedun

Oral tradition says that the town Iwoye in Ayedun traced her origin to the ancient city of Ile Ife, the cradle of the  Yorubas. 

However, there are many Iwoyes spread among Yoruba Communities. Uwoye near Ijebu-Jesha in Ori-Ade LGA, Osun State, Iwoye near Ede, Ago-Iwoye Ketu near Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State and Iwoye in Ayedun.

ORIGIN OF IWOYE KINGDOM

Iwoye in Ayedun according to history, is from Ijio Compound in Moore Quarters in Ile Ife. As a result of the inter tribal wars, the unity of the kingdom of Ile Ife was affected and it resulted in the creation of various hamlets or township with her own Obas.

Many princes and princesses left Ile Ife either directly or indirectly for other settlement as Obas. Oranyan and his army, as well as his brothers pushed on their conquests in every directions. The princes and the warlords stationed in various locations to hold the country and from them sprang up many provincial kings.

Atabata, the founder of Iwoye in Ayedun in Ekan-Meje District of Kwara State. During the early dispatch from Ile Ife, the people of Iwoye migrated to Ijebu-Jesha land and from there the Iwoye sub- ethnic group started to found many communities across Yoruba nation.

There, Iwoye formed Oke Ooye, Uwoye quarters near Ijebu-Jesha, Iwoye near Oyo Ile that produced the first and second Aare Onakankanfos of Yoruba Nation. The entire Iwoye Communities are of the same and bear striking features of Iwoye. In deference to Ifa oracle Atabata wanted to found a community of his own and he left Ijebu-Jesha.

Ajuan, one of his brothers settled there and became the ONIWOYE OF IWOYE in Ori Ade LGA. The Ifa gave Atabata some injunctions where he would settle and he would find a tunnel, a sweet and tasty spring, and abundant “Yunriyun” leaf. This long journey through thick and thin forests could only be at the dictates of the Oracle.

Atabata was a great hunter, farmer and herbalist. In continuation of his search for a place to settle, he passed through Obbo, met some people there and left, apparently because  he met a king in Obbo who is called Owa Lobbo in Ekiti LGA, Kwara State.

However, one of his younger brothers settled down at Ilemisi. Ilemisi is one of the ruling houses in Obbo. Eventually, Atabata settled down at Ori-Agbon where he found a big tunnel, “Yunriun” leaf and a Spring that tastes very sweet which is called ISUN IRAN.

Atabata named where he settled down as ODO- IWOYE. His entourage to Odo Iwoye include among others Olukosi, Odoba, Aro (now Obaaro), adherent of Onifon the modern day prophets and Osun worshippers. A Shrine of Onifon and Osun deities respectively is still in Iwoye till today.

Time and circumstances combined to make Iwoye of yore recognize those at Isapa and after an exchange of visits together with the crown prince of Odo Owa at Ekan. The title OBAOYE (which means OBA OF IWOYE) as the traditional title for IWOYE was adopted.

At Ori Agbon historically called ORILE, the tunnel therein leads to Ile-Ife. People travelled through the tunnel and it leads to Ife and Igbo Epa. At Ori Agbon where Obaoye settled down, his brother, Ogobiro asked him whether he could come and join him.

Atabata told him to come because “IGBOKU”, meaning land still remains. Igboku became home to Iwoye much latter known as IMOSO (ONE MIND). This is the first place where IWOYE people settled before their eventual movement to the present location. Iwoye has boundaries with Ilale, Ekan, Ajure, Erinmope and Aran-Orin towns.

Odo Iwoye was the first settlement in the present day Iwoye and the first to produce Obaoye. As event unfolded, there are three Ruling houses (Odo-Iwoye, Ile-Agbe and Ile-Asaba) in Iwoye. Iwoye is today a federating towns which traditionally comprises of six villages:

1. Moso – three  villages – from Ijio, Moore Quarters in Ile-Ife,

2. Odo Ede – from Oke-Ede, Ila-Orangun,

3. Isowu – two  relations – from Ilawe-Ekiti and Ifon Ilobu.

4. Emu – from Omu-Aran

All these villages till today subsume under the traditional Head and authority of Obaoye of Iwoye. Obaoye of Iwoye land installs all the Chiefs in his domain.

THE LIST OF OBAOYE OF IWOYE ARE:

1. OBAOYE ATABATA EYE BI OKIN

2. OBAOYE ASISE SELE SEDE

3. OBAOYE OLODE AMUNDARO (The first Obaoye who relocated from Ori Agbon to the present location)

4. OBAOYE AJIFIN OKIN

5. OBAOYE AJOKO T’ONIFON

6. OBAOYE AROJO J’OYE

7. OBAOYE AGBEDE GBEYO

8. OBAOYE ORUBULOYE

9. OBAOYE ABEGBE IROKO S’OOGUN

10. OBAOYE OGBODO SOLA OYIBO 1889 – 1903

11. OBAOYE OYIYO 1903 -1936

12. OBAOYE FALASE AULODO BI OSUPA 1936 – 1952

13. OBAOYE IPE AFARIDU J’OYE 1952 – 1975

14. OBAOYE FAYE FALASE, ALENI LOYE, 1975 – 2002

15. OBAOYE ARINDE OBAYOMI 2008 – 2012

16. OBAOYE MATTHEW ADEYEMI TUNDE-AKOSEWA OLODE AMUDARO II, 2011-2012

17. OBAOYE MICHAEL SUNDAY AYANTOLA, JP AROJOJOYE II OGBAGBA GBA OTE WOLE, 2014 

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