17/04/2023
Origin of Ibadanland
Going by the historical accounts in the outline history of Ibadan by late Oba Isaac Akinyele, Ibadan was founded in the 16th century at a time when there was no title of Aare Ona Kakanfo. This timing coincided with the period when some eminent adventurers migrated out of Ile-Ife to found their own settlements according to the respected Ife historian, the late Chief (DR,) M.A. Fabunmi, the Odole Atabase of Ife.
Ibadan by then was surrounded by Egba villages like Ido, Ojoo, Ika and Owu town of Erunmu. This location gave the impression that Ibadan was one of the Egba Gbagura settlements. The first Ibadan was destroyed by the Oyo Army as a result of the unfortunate incident during Egungun festival when the secret of the masquerades was exposed. Before the death of Lagelu, he and his children left Oke-Badan Hill near Awotan Market and migrated to “Ori-lyangi” which was later renamed Labosinde market. During the reign of Basorun Oluyole, the name was changed to Iba-Market and had remained so till today. The second settlement witnessed the influx of Yoruba tribes from different parts of Yoruba land such as Isheri, Owu, Ijebu, old Oyo and Ife.
The influx of people changed the character of the town. One of the most important migrants was the Owu group led by Olowu Akinjobi after the destruction of Owu town by the allied army made up of Ijebus and the Ifes as a result of slave trade conflict at Apomu. The reigning Olubadan gave her only daughter (NKAN OMO OLUBADAN) out in marriage to Olowu to strengthen the friendship between the Owus and Ibadans but Olowu Akinjobi sacrificed Olubadan’s daughter to appease the goddess of River Osun. Consequently, the Olubadan invited the Allied Army from their camp at Iperu led by Maye Okunade, an Ife General, and Lakanle, an Oyo Leader, to avenge the death of Olubadan’s daughter. This marked the end of the second Ibadan.
Thus, Ibadan was again re-peopled around 1820 not by the original founders of the town but by the
