25/10/2025
Olota Rekindles Ancestral Ties with Historic Visit to Ijeru, Ogbomoso
The ancient community of Ijeru in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, was aglow with joy and celebration as His Majesty, Professor Adeyemi Obalanlege, Ph.D. (Lanlege Ekun II, Arole Iganmode, Olofin Apesin Olode), Olota of the Ancient and Paramount Ottaland, Awori Kingdom, paid a historic royal visit to the town.
Ijeru, founded centuries ago by migrants from Otta led by Onsile, stands as one of the five(5) earliest settlements that established Ogbomoso. The town remains a deeply rooted Otta-Awori settlement in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
The visit by His Majesty rekindled deep ancestral bonds and celebrated a shared heritage that has endured through generations.
During the royal engagement, Kabiyesi Olota, accompanied by key stakeholders and leaders from Ijeru, paid a courtesy visit to the palace of the Soun of Ogbomoso, His Royal Majesty, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye (Orumogege III). The meeting was marked by warmth, and discussions centered on unity and community development.
Thereafter, Kabiyesi Olota proceeded to the Ijeru Palace, where he was received with great jubilation and cultural pageantry. The atmosphere came alive with chants of “Iganmode Afeleja!” as indigenes celebrated the visit as symbolic, a reaffirmation of their ancestral origin from Otta.
For years, the people of Ijeru, particularly under the leadership of the immediate past Onijeru of Ijeruland, Ogbomoso, Oba Elijah Popoola, have maintained this connection through regular visits to Otta, especially during the Iganmode Cultural Festival (Odun Omo Iganmode). This enduring tradition continues to preserve and honor their shared bloodline and rich heritage. The respected Iganmode Afeleja Group under the past President, Prince Elijah Ajibode, Elder Lamidi Lawal, and other notable leaders of the group have also over the years maintained a cordial and constant relationship with the people of Ijeru in the spirit of brotherhood.
In a deeply spiritual moment, Kabiyesi Olota visited a sacred point dedicated to the great Onsile, where His Majesty offered prayers for peace, unity, and prosperity in Ijeru and its environs. His Majesty also prayed for all sons and daughters of the town, invoking divine blessings and progress.
Additionally, Kabiyesi Olota urged the people to work together towards filling the vacant Onijeru stool, following the demise of Oba Elijah Popoola, the last Onijeru of Ijeruland, who joined his ancestors a few years ago.
The royal visit stands as historic, further strengthening the cultural and ancestral bond between Ijeru and Otta, and reaffirming their shared roots in Otta-Awori heritage.
Iganmode Cultural Festival
Olota Palace
