BRIEF HISTORY OF ILAWE-EKITI.

BRIEF HISTORY OF ILAWE-EKITI.              .....Ilawe Ekiti is divided into 8 different Quarters: Okebedo, Okeemo, Irorin, Aaye, Okepa, Okeloye, Iro, and Adin.

Ilawe is a very significant town, not only in Ekiti State but also in Yoruba land. It is the third most populous community in the then old Ondo State. Ilawe have produced intellectuals, professors, medical practitioners, erudite lawyers, with three Senior Advocate of Nigeria, like Barrister Femi Falana, Dele Adesina, Olu Daramola, Hon. Yemi Adaramodu, Professor Ifedayo Akomolede and Late Bishop Gabriel Oloniyo of the Anglican Communion, the current Catholic Bishop of Ekiti Diocese and Bishop Felix Femi Ajakaye among others. The town is generally blessed. There is no way you can write the history of Yoruba land without putting Ilawe-Ekiti in a prime place. It was established in the late 12th Century by Oniwe Oriade, the son of Adegunle and Grandson of Obalufon Ogbogbodirin.  Obalufon Ogbogbodirin was the fourth Ooni of Ife, the Grandfather of Oniwe Oriade and we were actually living in Ilode in Ile-Ife and when it was time for him to establish his kingdom, the grandfather the then reigning Ooni provided him with the paraphernalia  of office for him to establish his own Kingdom.  He was highly reputed and noted for dexterity and capacity to swim. In fact, that was how his name came into being [somebody who likes to swim]. Oniwe Oriade. He was the first traditional ruler to reign in Ilawe-Ekiti. So, there is no way you can write the history of Yoruba land and you would not include Ilawe.  In fact, if you check the list of obas in Yorubaland authorised to wear beaded crown, released by Ooni Olubuse I in 1902, Alawe was listed as number 46 out if the entitled 54 obas. The list was confirmed by Ooni Adesoji Aderemi in 1931.

In 1995, the population was around 179,900. Its geographic coordinates are 7° 35' 60 N and 5° 5' 60 E. Ilawe Ekiti is divided into 8 different Quarters: Okebedo, Okeemo, Irorin, Aaye, Okepa, Okeloye, Iro, and Adin.

HOW ILAWE-EKITI RESISTED BRITISH COLONIALISTS, BY MONARCH:

In 1925, a historic incident, akin to that of the tragic sack of the Benin Kingdom, courtesy of the 1897 invasion by racist and power thirsty “whitemen”, occurred in a sleepy town now in Ekiti West Local Government Area of Ekiti state, Ilawe-Ekiti.Oba Afinbiokin Ademileka, then monarch of the town, had cause to resist the white men’s excessive quest to foist absolute and parasitic rulership on the people of the community. The monarch’s resistance to save his subjects from becoming slaves in their own land was met with superior power leading to the eventual subjugation and defeat. Oba Afinbiokin was sent on compulsory exile by the colonial warlords that year and he remained there till his death four years later.

The current King of Ilawe is His Royal Majesty Oba Adebanji Ajibade Alabi (Afuntande 1). He ascended to the throne on 21 April 2012, taking over from Oba Joseph Ademileka.

EMERGENCE OF CHRISTIANITY IN ILAWE-EKITI:

As far back as 1890, Missionaries has been founding their way into Yoruba Land which was the Western Part then. Back then, Ilawe people believed strongly in their traditional gods of the Yoruba religion. Sacrifices and obeisance were made to Ikereje, Ogun, Orunmila, Orinlase & other deities. The First contact with Christian Missionaries in Ilawe came through one Mr. Samuel Dada and Mr. Ajila both from the Okebedo Quarter in early 1903. Dada and Ajila, an Ilawean per excellence, came in contact with one Mr. Asefon who was then a Christian. Both Ilawe men was said to have been fascinated by Asefon's translation of some portions of the bible and they (Dada and Ajila) made a decision to learn how to write and how to read the bible. (Remember, there was no school in Ilawe as at this time.)

A Catechist of Church Missionary Society (CMS) at Ado Ekiti then (Rev. Sowumi) got wind of the interest of some people in Ilawe to know about Christianity, he then immediately sent another missionary to go and teach Auru & Ajila the scripture. Soon, there were more adherents, some of the pioneer adherents of the Church Missionary Society (Now known as Anglican Communion) were from various quarters of the town. From Oke Emo were Ajakaye, Oguntoye and John Afolalu; from Adin were Emmanuel Adegbolata; Afelumo came from Aaye and Apata came from Iro. Samuel Dada and Kolapo came from Okebedo Quarter.

The then Alawe, Oba Afinbiokin Ademileka granted and leased out a parcel of land in Okeloye Quarter to the Church Missionary Society (CMS) to build a church which is the present location of Holy Trinity Anglican Church.

For twelve years, the CMS (Anglican Communion) was the only Christian Church in Ilawe. By 1913, the church had been well established and between 1913 and 1915, a Catechist (Rev. Aladekomo) was resident in Ilawe while Dada become the First Lay Leader (Baba Ẹgbẹ) of the Church and remained so between 1915 and 1953.

Dada, who influenced Christianity to Ilawe, was later very influential with the Colonial Missionaries & Administrator. He ensured that Christianity became a free and legal religion in Ilawe in 1904. He was very popular with the White Missionaries who controlled the CMS in Ekiti. In fact, he later became the Lay President of the whole Ekiti State.

Years Later, the Catholic Church also found its way to Ilawe Ekiti championed by Jacob Bello. Christ Apostolic Church followed suit, championed by Joseph Ojo Ajofoyinbo. With time and coupled with acceptance of Christianity in Ilawe, many other Pentecostal Churches started coming to Ilawe.

Ilawe-Ekiti is the location of Corpus Christi College secondary school. Along with 100 other secondary schools in Ekiti State, the college was scheduled for renovation in 2012.

MAJOR OCCUPATION:

The people of Ilawe-Ekiti are predominantly farmers and grow cash and food crops like:

Cocoa

Kolanut

Oil palm

Citrus

Cereals

Banana

Plantain

Cocoyam

Cassava

Maize

Yam

Rice

Timber

Bamboo

Piggery

Vegetables

Cowpea

They also engage in petty trading, lumbering, pottery, matweaving and many other variations, while, some part of percentage are civil servants.

SOME TABOOS IN THE LAND:

Whistle blowing is not allowing inside Alawe Palace because it is believed that if someone blow whistle, the spirits could come out. It is like calling all the spirits for an assignment.

Also, it’s a taboo to roast yam on the street and it is a taboo for a woman to go to Oba’s market without covered her hair.

Ilawe-Ekiti is one of the fastest growing towns in Ekiti state. As a matter of fact, it has become a hub for both foreign and local investors with new infrastructures being put in place.

GOD BLESS ILAWE-EKITI,

GOD BLESS EKITI STATE,

GOD BLESS NIGERIA.

Researcher: Comr. Olamide Akinwumi James. 09068215955

Source: 

https://www.ekitistate.gov.ng/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilawe_Ekiti