Onpetu’s factor in Yoruba history

Onpetu of Ijeru, in Ogbomoso South Local Government, Oyo State, Oba Sunday Oladapo Oyediran, Lagbami Osekun III clocks 20 Years on the throne of his forebears on December 18, 2019. The first class monarch sits atop one of the most ancient thrones in Yorubaland. Although, Oba only reigns but not rule nowadays, but in the pre-colonial period, the monarch had the power of life and death in his domain which cuts across four local government councils in Oyo and Osun States today. This piece is an examination of the role of the Onpetu in the evolution of Yoruba civilisation and to what extent has the occupant of the throne fared in protecting the noble legacies bequeathed Yorubaland by his forebears.

Onpetu is one of the five traditional rulers in Oyo State who can lay claim to Ife origin, who possess original Ife crown, and from whom other Obas in the state and beyond originated. These traditional rulers are Alaafin, Olugbon, Aresa, Onikoyi and Onpetu. Aside the Alaafin, who inherited the palace of Ife, other four were traditional rulers in Ile Ife, with domains. All of them including the Alaafin emigrated out of Ile Ife on an expansionist campaign to occupy Yorubaland and save it from being seized by interlopers. The five of them along with Eleruwa, Aseyin, Okere, Oluwo, Alapa, Olofa, Timi, Soun of Ogbomoso land, Olubadan and a few others occupied the whole Western side of Yorubaland and had the land divided among themselves in the Old Oyo Empire under the emperor, Alaafin.

Onpetu at Ile Ife was the monarch at Ido (see Fabunmi M.A. Ife: The Genesis of a Race, Lagos 1985, p. 8). The title and the domain is extant in Ife till date with another nomenclature, Olojudo. Onpetu was the custodian of Ade Isembaye or Ade Are. According to oral tradition in Ijeru, it was he that presented one to the Ooni on his installation and during the Olojo Festival, the role being performed by Olojudo till date. This is why the Onpetu is inpossession of an Ade Aare is in possession of Onpetu till date. He brought it out of Ile Ife among other paraphernalia inherited from the house of Oduduwa. He later founded Obandi, Ile Oje and Ijeru from where his children emigrated in search of greener pasture, because of succession disputes, or on war adventure to all parts in Yorubaland and beyond.

Beside Ife origin and possession of original Yoruba crown, Onpetu is among the original lineages in Yorubaland. The feature of original and ancient lineages in Yorubaland is the possession of an Orile – lineage code for identification, and Oriki, lineage poetry. Adebayo Babalola, C.L. Adeoye and J.A. Ayorinde have so far identified 27 Orile and Oriki in Yorubaland. The two are for lineage or race identification in Yorubaland. Those who do not possess the two are not bonafide Oduduwa blood. As a matter of fact, those who do not possess adopted from maternal or paternal lineages. Aside being means of identity, they are sources of history or town, community or compounds in Yorubaland. Through Orile and Oriki, people of common blood could be traced. Leading traditional rulers including Alaafin, Ooni, Oyo-monarchs mentioned above possessed Orile and Oriki. This shows their enviable status. Onpetu’s Orile or lineage code for identification is Aro. Consequently, anyone having Aro added to his pet or praise name worldwide belongs to the Onpetu lineage in Yorubaland. Equally, Alaafin’s Orile is Erin (Elephant which signifies strength, royalty and nobility) and like that of the Onpetu, any one having Erin added to his praise name knows that he is from Oyo royalty.

Another prominent feature of Oluoje or Onpetu lineage in Yorubaland and right from Ile Ife is that they are lineage of warriors. Their progenitor Olurefe or Obandi was well versed in manufacturing of poisonous arrows with which he fights wars and earned a living. He was a warrior and produced warrior children who contributed immensely to the defence of Yorubaland and later Nigeria. During the Yoruba civil war, many Onpetu’s children distinguished themselves, an example was Lasinmi, who was the Balogun of Toyeje, the successor to Afonja of Ilorin as Aare Ona Kakanfo of Oyo Empire. He was the one who was reputed for laying siege on Ede town now in Osun State over Ede’s refusal to pay tribute to Ogbomoso monarch, (see Lasinmi war, in Samuel Johnson, the History of Yoruba, CSS Bookshop 1921, p. 121-124). Aside Lasinmi, Oluyale, Lasemi and Oyeniya proved their mettle during Ilorin-Oyo wars between 1830 and 1840, other warrior sons of Oluoje like Babalola, Lajubutan, Ogidi, Delesolu among others were leading Oyo warriors who fought on the side of Ife-Ijebu-Oyo alliance against Owu in Owu war between 1821 and 1825. They left Ile Oje for the war centre. The above mentioned including Oluyedun – the son of Aare Afonja, Oluyole later Basorun, Onibudo, Abayomi, Ope Agbe, among others were the founders of modern Ibadan. They were among the mainstream Oyo elements that rebelled against the tyrannical rule of Ife elements led by Maye and took over the leadership of Ibadan. All the aforementioned Olu Oje children contributed immensely to the development of Ibadan as warriors and administrators. Lajubutan and Ogidi during Osogbo war of 1840 and Ile Bioku war fought for Aare Kurunmi of Ijaye. Also, Lasemi mentioned earlier on who was Onpetu of Ijeru between 1838 – 1848 led Ijeru section of Ogbomoso army in Osogbo war of 1840.  Delesolu, who was the Aare Ago of Bashorun Oluyole, established Oje quarter and market in Ibadan and named them after his homesteads of Oje now in Ogo Oluwa Local Government. Babalola was luckier and prosperous. He was the Asipa Balogun also of Bashorun Oluyole. More importantly, his son Atilolari Fijabi became Olubadan of Ibadan in 1893 as the first born Ibadan man, not an immigrant to occupy the enviable throne of the Olubadan (I.B. Akinyele, Iwe Itan Ibadan… Lagos, 1911, pp. 36, 248). In the modern era, Brigadier Benjamin Adekunle, the Nigerian Civil War hero was a product of Onpetu warrior lineage or children.

Above are the heritages bequeathed Onpetu aside his domain at Ogbomoso South, Ogo Oluwa and Oriire Local Government  areas in Oyo State. He has no doubt proved in words and deeds as an able protector of same.

Adewuyi Adegbite wrote through ayekooto05@gmail.com