stories and histories BRIEF HISTORY OF OKEHO PEOPLE

Adeyemi Olajide » BRIEF HISTORY OF OKEHO PEOPLE

BRIEF HISTORY OF OKEHO PEOPLE

“In the beginning, Okeho did not exist as one entity. Instead there were eleven villages separated by hills and valleys, each living in solitude and in fear of aggression from greedy land grabbers and heartless enslavers.

“However, around 1800, more than one hundred years after Ojo Oronna, legendary founder of Okeho, first settled in Omogudu, the new Onjo, Arilesòire, made the historic move of inviting the ten villages around Ijo to amalgamate as one village.

“Onjo Arilesire was motivated by an enlightened self-interest. It was a time of uncertainties for big towns such as Oòyoò Alaafin. The Fulani had constituted themselves as a present danger to the lives and properties of Yoruba people in their towns and villages….They had the advantage of cavalry raids across the grassy vegetation of Oòyoò North. The Dahomey forces were also a threat from the West. It was therefore in the interest of small villages to combine their strength to wade off the attacks. This was the reason for Arilesòire’s invitation to the neighboring villages, which included Isia, Olele, Isemi, Imoba, Gboònjeò, Oke-Ogun, Ogan, Bode, Pamo, Alubo, and Ijo.

“Arilesire had a good strategic reason for his invitation to Ijo’s neighbors. Apart from the combination of forces, the geographical location of Ijo offered a great security advantage and this played a role in his thinking. The heads of the various hamlets and villages must have been persuaded that it was in their security interests as well. For they agreed to move and become wards and quarters in their new location.

“Okeho was inaugurated as a new village and Arilesire was the first head of the new village with the title Onjo of Okeho. In their native wisdom, without any exposure to Western ideas of governance, the leaders of the eleven villages started a confederal arrangement which has since morphed into a solid community of patriots. In Okeho, the many voluntarily became one.

“It is important to note the significance of the effort at merger and of what inspired it. From the early 1500s until the time of the Yoruba civil wars of the 19th century, Oyo was a great exporter of slaves. From the year that Ojo Oronna moved to Omogudu, to around 1750, about 60,000 Africans were captured in slave raids and exported to the New World. Chiefs and aristocrats across the land were enablers of this sordid practice as they supplied captured war prisoners to the slave raiders in exchange for firearms and other goods. It was reported that during this period, King Tegbesu of Dahomey had an income of £250,000 a year from the export of slaves to Britain and other parts of the world. That would make him a multibillionaire of his time.

“Consider the fact that Dahomey was next door to Okeho and you will begin to imagine the horror that our ancestors experienced. There was no moment of peace and they had to constantly watch their back. The physical and emotional trauma was unimaginable.

“Meanwhile, on the other side of the fear of the loss of sons and daughters to the foreign enslavers and their local collaborators was the achievement of progress and development in Britain and the New World. Africans were forced to work under inhuman conditions to develop Britain which launched its Industrial Revolution in 1750.

“The merger of the villages was thus a matter of self-interest for the villagers. However, with that experiment in voluntary merger and preservation of the heritage of each of the constituents, Okeho also taught us a great lesson in the management of diversity. This should not be misconstrued. They did not pull it off easily. They went through trials and tribulations. They were sometimes unsure whether they would survive. But they persisted.

“What should be noted is that the Okeho experiment was doing very well before the colonial invasion. There was no history of internal violence prior to the introduction of a new governance structure that eclipsed the original arrangement and rendered the heads of the confederating units powerless. It was the reaction of the people to this foreign-inspired arrangement that led to violence against Obas and representatives of the colonial government.

Please help us share this, using our share botton.
Bookmark Our website https://wap.org.ng

Author: adex3g 1 year
0 237

---

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE POLITICS OF DIVIDE AND RULE IN IGBOLAND
You Should Wonder About The Silly Boundary Adjustment Within Nigeria. I Have Not Heard That A Country Will Wake One Morning And Decide To Alter The Ancestral Boundaries Of A Certain Section Of The Country. The Indigenes Know Their Terrines And Points...

Author: adex3g 1 year
Comment 0 . Views 123

---

BRIEF HISTORY OF H.E PETER OBI
=====Curriculum Vitae

NAME : Mr. Peter Gregory OBI, (CON)

DATE OF BIRTH : 19th July 1961

PLACE OF BIRTH: Onitsha, Nigeria

NATIONALITY: Nigerian

MARITAL STATUS: ...

Author: adex3g 1 year
Comment 0 . Views 289

---

GWARI PEOPLE: A BRIEF HISTORY AND BELIEF OF THE ORIGINAL INDIGENES OF ABUJA
GWARI PEOPLE: A BRIEF HISTORY AND BELIEF OF THE ORIGINAL INDIGENES OF ABUJA

It Has Been Claimed That The Gwari People Migrated From Borno Into The Abuja Region (Thurley, 1931) Due To Conflict With The Kanuri. Additionally, Gwari Familiarity...

Author: adex3g 1 year
Comment 0 . Views 1K

---

BRIEF HISTORY OF KADUNA
The History Of Kaduna Is Generally Related With Power, Struggle, And Dominance. This Is Because It Is Considered The Headquarters Of Politics, Military Formations, And The Centre Of Learning In Nigeria. Generally, It Has Been Established That Kaduna Is...

Author: adex3g 1 year
Comment 0 . Views 273

---

A BRIEF HISTORY OF FIRST SETTLERS OF UNGWAN KAJE ABAKPA KADUNA
A BRIEF HISTORY OF FIRST SETTLERS OF UNGWAN KAJE ABAKPA KADUNA AS NARRATED BY MAMA KURAH!

Since After The Imposition Of Coronavirus Lockdown By Kaduna State Govt, Hardly A Day Passes Without Me Taken A Walk For An Hour Or So Around My...

Author: adex3g 1 year
Comment 0 . Views 316

---

BRIEF HISTORY OF MBAISE
Brief History Of Mbaise

The Name "Mbaise" Is Made Up Of Five Villages But Today Due To Increase In Population Is Now Changed To Be Five Clan In Place Of Village; Namely Oke Uvuru, Agbaja, Ahiara, Ekwerazu And Ezi Na Ihitte. Mbaise Is...

Author: adex3g 2 years
Comment 0 . Views 761

---

BRIEF HISTORY OF IKENNE TOWN.
Ikenne Is A Town After Sagamu And Before Odogbolu And Near Ilisan-Remo. It Has An Area Of 144km2 And A Population Of 118,735 According To The 2006 Census.

IKENNE REMO DERIVED ITS NAME FROM IKEN(LONG GRASS)
Ikenne Is A Town After...

Author: adex3g 1 year
Comment 0 . Views 1K

---

MYTHOLOGY AND BELIEFS OF ANCIENT EGYPT
When It Comes To History Of Ancient Egypt , Its Customs, Its Life, Its Belief System I Mythology, You May Easily Write Thick Volumes After Volumes. The History Breakdown, The 33 Dynasties Of Great Kings, Is A Subject On Different Post. Well,
Today...

Author: adex3g 2 years
Comment 0 . Views 281

---

THE YOUNGEST KING AND UP TILL TODAY DEIN OF AGBOR, DELTA STATE OBI BENJAMIN IKENCHUKWU KEAGBOREKUZI 1
The Youngest King And Up Till Today Dein Of Agbor,Delta State Obi Benjamin Ikenchukwu Keagborekuzi 1,

He Was Crowned At The Age Of 2years And 4 Months In 1979 After The Unexpected Death Of His Father Same Year.

He's Was...

Author: adex3g 10 months
Comment 0 . Views 210

---

THE BRIEF HISTORY OF IKARE
The Brief History Of Ikare: Ikare Was Founded By Agba Ode An Ife Prince Who Was One Of The Grand Children Of Oduduwa. He Migrated From Ile Ife During The Disaster Period Like Other Yoruba Princes With His Chiefs, Like The Olona, The Olokoja, Akuko, Oloyinmo...

Author: adex3g 2 years
Comment 0 . Views 312

---

BRIEF HISTORY OF ODE AYE
BRIEF HISTORY OF ODE AYE
Ode-Aye Is A Town Located On The Northern Area Of Ikale Land In Okitipupa Local Government Of Ondo State, Southwest Of Nigeria. Ode-Aye Is On Latitude 6.59°N Of The Equator And 4.74°E Of The Green Wich. The Population Of...

Author: adex3g 2 years
Comment 0 . Views 1K

---

THE BRIEF HISTORY OF IPOTI-EKITI
The History Of Ipoti-Ekiti Is Premised On The Fact That The Town Is Fundamentally Made Of Three Principal Groups Referred To As CLANS. These Are ỌWA, IPO/Idofin (from Ile Ife - Oyo...

Author: adex3g 2 years
Comment 0 . Views 1K

---

THE BRIEF HISTORY OF IGBOHO

The Brief History Of Igboho

Igboho Occupies A Key Place In The History Of The Old Oyo Empire.
Whilst Oyo Is An Integral Part In The History Of Yoruba, Igboho’s Contribution To The Sustainability Of Oyo Empire Can Neither...

Author: adex3g 2 years
Comment 0 . Views 353

---

BRIEF HISTORY OF NORTHERN NIGERIA BEFORE AMALGAMATION
Brief History Of Northern Nigeria Before Amalgamation

By Aliyu Ndagi

To Understand Nigeria You Need To Know The History To Explain The Politics.
When The British Arrived In What Became Northern Nigeria, There Were...

Author: adex3g 1 year
Comment 0 . Views 328

---

ORIGIN OF IKEJA
Etymology
From What Gathered, The Name “Ikeja” Originated From A Deity That Is Called Akeja. Akeja Is A Deity Worshipped By Oniyanru Clan In Ota. An Awori Hunter And A Famer Known As Amore Onigorun Who Once Lived In Oniyanru Compound In Ota...

Author: adex3g 1 year
Comment 0 . Views 520

---