Ẹ́ káàbọ̀ s’ile (welcome home).
I am an Owu citizen of the Yoruba tribe in Abeokuta Nigeria. A traditional chieftaincy title holder and member of the supreme Cabinet of the Olowu, I am the Asiwaju-Apomu of Owu Kingdom*.
My mission is specifically to project the traits and historical antecedents of this intriguing, and extremely proud people, who are the first in Yorubaland to wear a crown, the first to be forcibly restrained by a joint military action of the rest of their tribesmen, the first to present a Yoruba military head of state, and democratically elected executive president, amidst many more firsts and grand achievements, and as their anthem literally lyrics, also “the first in Creation!”
They are extremely migratory haven settled widespread all over the South West of Nigeria & indeed in the neighbouring Benin Republic. As at the last count, there are 16 known crowned Olowus (Owu Kings), with numerous minor or Coronet Obas and their communities in existence. They are outstandingly organized for commerce (ancient Apomu market), defense (ancient Orile-Owu double perimeter walls), conflicts, are valiant in battles (Adubi, Gbalefa wars & Madam Tinubu’s defense of ancient Abeokuta), and have been very illustrious and high achievers (Obasanjo, Ajibola, Amosun etc) throughout the course of their volatile history… And volatile, it’s been!
Do you know that the Nigerian national anthem at Independence was composed by an Owu man, …and that Owu men have also worn the crown of the Egbas as the Alake, twice!? And also…etc etc.
At their annual Odun-Omo-Olowu celebrations, they bare it all!
This is an interactive open blog site where you may leave your comments and opinions in the appropriate comment boxes. In fact you’re encouraged to do so.
If you have any relevant articles, historical perspectives (family or general), or news for publication. Kindly feel free to insert them in the comment boxes or email to apomuowu@gmail.com (for full formating before publication).
We shall also publish your profile or biography, family genealogy or community chronology – as long as they are relevant to the Owu development theme that we represent.
Thank you and stay with me.
Ashiwaju+.
*(Full titles : Asiwaju Apomu of Owu Kingdom, and Olori-igbimo Apomu of Owu Kingdom)
OWULAKODA Blog 
Furthemore, to prioritize your request, i suggest you start a Dicussion thread of it at the Forum (link at the top Navigation bar). This will make ontributory discussions on it more specific and targeted. If you have any challenges in using the forum let me know thru ashiwaju@owulakoda.com
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Mr Anonymous, i can tell you with all honesty that it is mostly speculative (the migratory patterns) although with logic, as would be expected from any oral dissemination of history, but i believe the general trend is from the Savannah region downwards through the forest regions to the coastal towns, with most of the movements being forced by hostility or defense consolidation considerations.
If you search through the postings on this site, you should be able to fill in the details.
You may start with the discussion forum which archives virtually all the posts of the site at a glance, and follow the relevant links from there.
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i say thank you very much to you, sir asiwaju apomu owu for your initiatives have not only been uniting the owu people but also educating and enlightening the owu indigens and all other people who are interested in knowing about the owu origin. i am a student of archaeology and anthropology in the university of ibadan and discovering the origin and migatory patterns of the owu people is of interest to us. i wld appreciate it very much if more light is be shed on them. thank you very much sir. tola
http://www.google.com.ng/gwt/x?gl=NG&hl=en-NG&u=http://news.biafranigeriaworld.com/archive/2004/dec/13/080.html&q=the+owu+communities+of+the+south+west+of+nigeria&sa=X&ei=ddEoUIPsIdCxhAe03ICwCw&ved=0CCIQFjAF
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Through this post, I address the creator of this great website and the people of Owu wherever they may be, especially those of us who are blessed with Internet literacy and browsing opportunities.
First to you Asiwaju Apomu Owu:
Kare omo Ajibosin, Olugbimo Anlugbua – for this fantastic instrument of communication you have given us in Owuland, thank you. owo re o maalo soke o!
Then to you all, my kith and kin as Owu people:
I have been a silent but keen observer and reader of this laudable project of unity, Owulakoda.com, brought to us by Asiwaju Apomu for a number of years now, thinking that by now it would have grown bigger than it has done. I also observed that this could not likely have been due to a lack of effort by its creator and administrator, but more likely the lack of proper suppoert and understanding by the rest of us for whom it has been provided.
I saw the growth of this website from blog which i first discovered about 4 years ago, to magazine type which i think came up about 2 years ago. Now, a Forum has been added! My appreciation to Asiwaju who has made all these to happen.
What amazes me however is that you and me are not making the best use of all these services. I am surprised that the new Owu Forum has only had a handful of registered members after nearly 2 months of being introduced. We do not seem to recognise what has been given us, for once again, the Owu people are now among the first of their tribe to embrace modern communication in their history, and definately the first to boast of an internet discussion forum through which they can discuss and chat like one big family spread all over the world, what some call the Jews of the Yorubas.
I dont think this is an accident, because as we are told, Asunkungbade Ajibosin, the first Olowu was the first of Yoruba to wear a crown after Oduduwa, Owu was the first regional power in Yoruba when they were living near the River Niger in what was then Nupe country. And once again, one of our own has given us the opportunity to be first again in modern communication. Let us all use this grace before other tribes do and do it more successfully than us.
I for one has now come out of the shadows to practice what I preach. We must not loose an important momentum for the Owu people. Join me at the Owu forum and let us talk!
This is my message to you my kins from Ajibosin ancestry.
By the way, i and the administrator of this site have never met. I am just moved to support a good initiative which needs to be better used by all of us.
Owu crown – Great Heritage!
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You can follow the comment of Ajifepesere, and my reply to it at the Owu Forum (http://owulakoda.com/forum/discussion/93/owu-people-use-owulakoda-websites) where he has reposted it after his registeration to become a forum member!
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Awofe.
If only i was a woman, i would marry you instantly!
Thank you for your compliments. They have given me further strength, and you have also glorified the high calling of your compound as king-makers.
Take this further by going to the Owu Forum (http://owulakoda.com/forum), and The Yoruba Forum (http://yoruba.apomu.com) where you can positively contribute in the new sites with your discussions and comments to further improve the Owu advantage. Get your friends and family involved too.
Once again. Thank you.
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Iam deeply attached to my root and will spare no effort in discovering historical fact regarding the children of Ajibosin.The discovery of this site online had again prove the resourcefulness and never-die spirit of this special breed amongs the Yoruba nation.Indeed OWUS are the Jews of the Yoruba nation and carrier of the blessing of the first born. As an OWU son from Osupori compound of Abeokuta I want to say a very big thanks to you Chief for the wonderful job that you have done and still doing. May the Almighty God who in his infinite wisdom had commited into your hands the burden of educating, enlightening and setting straight certain misconception regarding the Owus all enablements. You have brought illumination to so many dark shades that had hitherto beclouded my understanding of some aspects of our evolution as a distinct Yoruba sub-group. Though young, I will not hesitate to furnish through this medium any information that will further enrich this site. Chief Iam very proud of you and this accomplishment. May God continue to bless you abundantly SIR!
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Asiwaju,thanks tanks opening dis page in a bid to unite all desendant of Apomu,i don’t know that there is another Apomu apart frm the one beside Ikire,sir in history,u didn’t mention where d first settler are coming frm,why they leave and where are they heading to b4 they finally settle down there.
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Thanks Saliu for your comment. Please go to the Owu Forum http://owulakoda.com/forum/discussion/95/apomu-settlers for the reply (click on link). You can use the forums for future comments and discussions to get a better response.
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What an educative history. We implore you to do more in order to help those of us that are indigene but have little or no knowlegde about Owu most especially in oriki aspect.
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Thanks for the heads up, Ms Funke Ogunleye. i will try my best, but then orikis are personalized poetry with umpteen versions available for the same ones.
Please encourage others and yourself to post whatever you know about Owu, no matter how scanty at the new Owu Peoples Forum which is designed to become an Owu knowledge database and is hosted at Owulakoda.com/forum (click here to go there now and register)
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i have often wondered why nigerians, and indeed yourba people with such rich culture and heritage dont have documented information about their history. Or why it is that young people have not taken on themselves to study about their rich culture. But upon my visit to Oluma last month, i decided to do research on the Egbas. And being from Owu, ultimately owu people. I must say your blog has provided me more information, and it has encouraged me to preach this gospel of Owu. Of a truth we are a great people. With sons and daughetrs who have achieved great things. I would like to be a part of this Owu-Project, and ambassador of our people. I am motivated to do great things. Thank you Sir
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Pls i want to confirm if Owu
people have quarters or
homesteads or really reside
in Ijebu Ode. Is it through
that one of Oba Awujale of
Ijebuland Or Dagburewe of Idowa begat Oba Omu of
Ijebu? Is there any
relationship between The
Past Oba Awujale’s of
Ijebuland OR Past
Dagburewe’s of Idowa with Omu Ijebu people if any? It is
on record that Odeowu and
Onakanrende are blood
brothers and a native of
Ijebu Ode,pls can u help us
out? I have not been to Omu Ijebu but my father
told me that we are from
there. My great great
grandfather is the founder
of Odo-Senlu,but through http://
http://www.omuijebuomueleni.org I can see that their is Senolu
family in Ramuja Ruling House
of Omu-Ijebu,pls can u kindly
help me out maybe this
Senolu was coined to Senlu
or not bcos there was a claim that Prince Senlu
migrated from Ile-Ife to Ijebu
Ode,from Ijebu Ode to found
Odo-Senlu formerly EHIN-ERI.
Pls help me out!
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Asiwaju Apomu Owu,
I am bereft of words when I was told about this site. Thank God someone like you who took time to educate a lot of us who would like to know more about our origin/background as well as our “Agbo ile”. I really need your help as the generation of my parents are all gone to the great beyond.
My family name is SADIPE. I don’t know the name of our “agbo ile” but my granfather’s house (General Family House) is:
If you enter Abeokuta thro’ Ita Oshin, come past Lafenwa bridge (On the left as you decend the bridge is Pa Fowosedo’s House, on the other side of the road used to be a hotel (that was where my aunt used in 1972 when grandpa (Pa Daniel Molade Sadipe) died. He was buried in the Church cementary of Ago Owu Baptist ChurOcth.
Our family House is on the left hand side (instead of turning right towards Totoro) coming from Lafenwa…Once you go uphill a little bit, the house is on the left. (there’s another church up that hill too), I wonder if you can help me.
My Paternal grandmother too is from Oke Molere, late Pa Oyedemi was her brother.
I really want to know as I am the only one in my generation, interested in my grassroots.
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Kemi. You have more than tried with your remarkable vivid description which indicates your family compound is on Oke Ago Owu, just before the palace. I believe that other church you indicated is not actually up the hill but beyond it on the other side going down hill on Agura Rd. However, I shall get on your case as soon as time permits and inform you of my findings. I believe you may be 95% there already.
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Gudjob sir.My greatgranfather is call Olugbodi which was said to come from Owu Ikija in abeokuta.Finally settle at Ilepa town at Ifo LG of today were he died.Sir i want to know which family he belong in Owu Ikija and the family impact in Owu history. Sir you as Balogun Apomu did u control Apomu?,because i believe it has King,i live there for good 8 years.Am talking of the one in osun.Sir i just discover this site and am happy.I Will like to be at this year Owu day,but i have to know the family of my forefather and the date of the OWU DAY.Sir i had of one ‘Oriki’ goes those:Arelu relumi kin lowo arelu relmi ki n bimo omo onida ko manan omo olokun esin…THANKS AND GOD BLESS YOU.
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Rafiu. Its a pleasure to welcome you aboard this thing of ours known as owulakoda.com.
Are you sure that the Owu-Ikija you talk about is not the one situated near Ijebu-Ode (about 15km away to the north east)? I am really not aware of an Owu Ikija in Abeokuta.
Whatever, all Owus are one, and the Owu Day in Abeokuta comes up in October every year although it has now given way to the Odun-Omo-Olowu which is far more exciting. If you keep in touch with this site (you can subscribe for email alerts) the exact details shall be published close to the date of the event.
Next, I am not the Balogun Apomu, but Asiwaju Apomu Owu. The Apomu highlighted here is located at Abeokuta and is a resettlement of the one in Osun State near Ikire which however is the original one and boasts of an Oba for near 20yrs now.
I hope pretty soon i shall be able to expand the scope of the Owulakoda exposé to Owu Ikija & other Owu settlements, perhaps then i shall be in a position to assist you in tracing your Olugbodi family background, but in the interim, why don’t you find time one weekend and go there for an ancestoral rediscovery quest?
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Sir am very greatful for your struggle to unit the owu’s. GOD bless u and you crew.Sir my grategrandfather(olugbodi)settle in Ilepa town of Ifo LG,sir i just want to know the part of owu where came from before settling in our present settlement(ILEPA).Thanks and God bless.OWU oni daru nigbo ibi taa tedo si amin.
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sir,asiwaju-apomu of owu kingdom ,Thank God for the discovery of this page today ,very impressed and educative, pls i want you to put more light on the family of Ajibola of owu abeokuta.
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Afolabi. I hope the light has now shone brighter on the family of Ajibola of Owu Abeokuta after the article just posted on the subject. (Click here for article)
If however you still need more light, you will have to wait for the official release of the book – ‘A Life of Excellent Service – Oba Salami Adewunmi Ajibola’ co-authored by Oladipo Yemitan & Bola Ajibola, where they bare it all!
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Sir can you please tell me who the progenitor and family of my surname sodeko in the owu lineage
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Asiwaju Apomu of Owu Abeokuta,thanks for these information and intrigue revelations.Am an Owu man from Ibadan and i have been attending owu gatherings for the past 20years ,i can say i have met with hundreds of men and women of owu tribes who are highly successful including our royal fathers , but the emphasis has always being made about some of men and women who are of Owu i Abeokuta extract,what about other great men and women of other extract .In addition, the joint celebrations of Owu people that are usually celebrated annually in rotations among the different owu settlement have never being given publicity as the one celebrated by Owu of Abeokita. Finally,this medium would be highly welcome to be information gathering and distribution of the entire Owu activities.
Thanks
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(Mr) Bolaji Lawal.
I respect, totally support and agree with your suggestions that Owulakoda.com should be a forum for the totality of Owu settlements and people, not just the ones from Abeokuta.
In actual fact, this is exactly what it was mandated to do when launched. But as the site is by no means institutional and I am its sole webmaster, and by hailling from that part of the Owu Nation anchored in Abeokuta which also appears to be the most populous and influential of Owu people among all Owu anchorages, it was easy for the contents of the site to become dominantly regionalised.
I lament this situation but you must understand that there is an acute limitation to the coverage capabilities of a single spare-time operator.
For instance, I had already scheduled to report the last Owu National convention of 3/12/2011 at Aiyepe Ijebu despite the lack of an official invite (in fact, Owulakoda had rarely ever been invited for any official function, but patriotism and vision keeps it going), however some last minute developments prevented that from happening.
Also there are other coverages that were actually done but are yet to be published due to conflicts in schedules and the thin-ness of time (and pocket (grunt!). eg. The 2011 Owu Akinale Day Festival (for which an invitation was actually extended).
Another example of a coverage that never came to light despite the award of an invitation was the 1992 Anlugbua festival of Orile-Owu (Owu-Ipole) due to some pathetic ‘security’ developments and conflicts, although this took place several years before the actual formation of the website!
The ideal situation is to have partner contributors from every major Owu settlements worldwide so that we may collectively have a more virile, dynamic and broad-based coverage of Owu activities and history from all nooks and corners.
I thereby in view of your apparent widespread interest and interraction in the Owu communities, respectfully invite you to join me on this philantropic quest to harmonise the ancestrial traits and contemporary aspirations of our people, scattered as they are, into one strongly united consciousness with an awesome sense of pride in our common lofty heritage!
My invitation to you in essence is for you to provide this website with a continuous stream of information of the activities and historical accounts known to you about the Owus in Ibadan…and anywhere else for that matter. I am prepared to grant direct content editorial priviledges and credits (subject to pre-publication scrutiny) for the effective realisation of this.
This is an open invitation to you, Bolaji Lawal and everybody else who may be so inclined to participate in this project of retrieving and reconstructing our hidden past & dignity in order to harmonise the present and future of all Owu people.
I can be reached privately on ashiwaju@gmail.com for further deliberations. Thank you.
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Chief Asiwaju Apomu of Owu. I am thrilled to have discovered this forum online. As you might be wondering, I am indeed of relation to Pa Oladipo Yemitan–he happens to be my grandfather. In working on a cultural project, I decided to do some studying up on my grandfather and your posting regarding Adubi War pulled up in my searches. I look forward to learning more about Owu through this as well as other forums.
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Thank you Laolu.
Pls let your grandpa know that this site is doing its bit to promote his efforts, and that he may get further exposure for more of his commendable works through this site.
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Am glad to have come across this website, infact it’s really educative and i pray that God give you all it require to make it greater than this.
Chief Oluwo of Apomu Owu, reading through some of the names you mentioned as industrious and outstanding high achievers Owu indigenes sir,it would be honorable at all time to give honor to whom honor is due therefore i will suggest that Late Chief Akin-olugbade should always be remember if not by anyone but by we his kins men because he has contributed more than anyone to make sure that Owu indigenes comes back to developed their root and he led by example by starting the palace buildings,the first social hall in Owu is owned by him,the first private hospital is owned by him just to mentioned few sir.
Finally sir, who is this Owu man that was once an Alake of Egba land ?
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I thank you for your recognition of Balogun Akin-Olugbade.
I bet there is no living soul here on earth or in the heavens who will say with conviction that the late illustrious Balogun of Owu is not being accorded all the honours he deserves…and maybe more!
He is simply synonymous with the modern Owu Kingdom and his banner has been flagged everywhere like the fabled Spanish Don Quixote did with his mistress’s banner! In fact this modern legend ‘resurrects’ and ‘reincarnates’ virtually everywhere in Owu daily life. For instance, one of his living radiations’ (offspring) is the Aare-Ona-Kakanfo of Owu Kingdom! The first ever and only instance of such an awe-inspiring title in Owuland that i know of!
Next. That Owu man who was an Alake of Egbaland was Oba Ademola who ascended the Ake throne in November 1869 and further ascended to his ancestors on 9 September, 1877. He succeeded Oba Okukenu as the 2nd Alake after a 6 year interregnum under Chief Shomoye, courtesy of his mother’s royal heritage in the Jibodu family. His father was however a full-fledged Owu man!
Prince Ademola was very wealthy and affluent, so he easily secured the support of the all powerful Ogboni house of Ake against Prince Oyekan who was his main rival and who was to succeed him as the 3rd Alake. The irony in this encounter however is that Ademola’s chief opposition was also a powerful Owu bloodline like him, Efunporoye Osuntinubu – the fabled Madam Tinubu, who rooted for Oyekan and was to succeed in her quest only after Ademola had served his term (Remember that this Iron Lady/’Kingmaker’ Tinubu had performed a similar feat in the Lagos royal family when she championed Akintoye against Kosoko)!
Lastly, Mr Akeem Ademigunle. You addressed your enquiry to Chief Oluwo of Apomu Owu. However, it is Chief Asiwaju of Apomu Owu who has answered you principally because it is assumed you erred in your referencing (I wonder for the confusion though?)!
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Hello Asiwaju Apomu…….As Rightly read in your prologue that you do not have ile ogboni in owu, but I am aware of a particular chief of Apomu Owu…He is Chief Bayo Babajide-Ogunseye, he answers the title Oluwo of Apomu Owu, could you please explain this or is he usurping that title?
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Thank you Bolaji for your penetrating questions.
No, Chief Bayo Babajide-Ogunseye is not a usurper. He was actually installed as the Oluwo of Apomu Owu…but not in Owu Kingdom, and not by an Olowu. His title is the product of the Alake of Ake! (sic).
Of course you must recognise the controversial implication of such a title, and you must also understand why any self-respecting Olowu must totally dis-associate with it, especially when the leaning and loyalty of the title bearer is wholly towards his benefactors in Ake. I consider Chief Ogunseye a fine lovable gentleman, but i think he has got it all wrong…and i had told him so before!
Moreover, all semblances of ogboni titles that resided in Owu have been bleached, dried and repackaged by the current Olowu inside the box of Igbimo as you may have read in the prologue you mentioned. For a complete understanding of this administrative structure, visit “7th-owu-day-olowu-speaks” (click here ).
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sir we owu student studying in the great UNIBEN wishes to pay you an homage visit
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I had made a reply to this comment many weeks ago but something went wrong and it didn’t get published. I apologize.
Thank you Mr Anonymous at Uniben. I appreciate the honor and recognition. I however suggest that such a visit should be made at the Olowu Palace with the Olowu and his select chiefs also present to receive the homage.
Good idea?
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Thanks very much for this update it is quite interesting and I am very happy that an Owu indigine has took it upon himself to educate us but let me add that Moshood Abiola’s name should have been included in the list great Owu’s personalities. Thank you and God Bless.
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Sorry Omooba Adepegba, i beg to disagree with you because to the best of my knowledge, Moshood Abiola was a Gbagura man and had no immediate traceable link with any Owu bloodline…unless you mean perhaps another Moshood Abiola outside of MKO!
For clarity Owu and Gbagura are neighbours on the same hill, and their two palaces are situated back to back, the Owu palace on the higher part of the hill – so it may be easy for an ‘outsider’ to confuse the two communities as one.
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Asiwaju-Apomu of Owu Kingdom.
I wasn’t aware of this page until today. Its very refreshing to know that these information is online and available to all to view. Most impressed and looking forward to more information. Owu people are proud of you and your efforts towards providing more briefs like this. Keep the flag flying.
Basorun-Elepa of Owu Kingdom
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Thanks Esolabi for your kind words.
Please get more involved and leave further comments and suggestions on various topics connected with the Owu people. eg. Give us a situation report or historical details of the Elepa region…or even your personal profile.
Let’s share…and progress!
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My greetings to you: Asiwaju-Apomu of Owu Kingdom. I am national of the Republic of Benin. I was told that our family, Adjibodou, originated from Ipokia, Ogun. My late father who worked in Lagos in the 1970s / 1980s told me about some people with a similar name, Ajibodu. Please tell me more about these names, if you know anything about them. I look forward to your learned feedback. Best regards.
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