Otan-Ayegbaju Monarch Visits Otan-Ile in Historic Royal Reunion


 

By Abosede Ajayi


On Thursday, 10 September 2026, the Owa of Otan-Ayegbaju, Oba Lukman Adesola Ojo Fadipe, Arenibiowo II, Owa Olatanka III, paid a historic visit to the Owa Afole of Otan-Ile, Oba Adetona Aderogba . Residents and traditional stakeholders described the event as one that had not occurred in recent memory, bringing together two communities bound by centuries of shared ancestry, culture and traditional institutions.


Oral traditions preserved in Otan-Ile trace the town’s origin to about the 13th century. Prince Akindugba, a warrior of Oduduwa stock and regarded in local accounts as a senior brother to Ajibogun, founder of the Ijesa kingdom, left Ile-Ife and eventually established his settlement at Otan-Ile. He is said to have brought with him the Opa Afole, the royal beaded staff that remains a central symbol of the Olotan’s authority, along with other beaded regalia of kingship. The present Afole of Otan-Ile, Oba Adetona Aderogba is recorded as the 30th occupant of the stool.



According to the same tradition, Akindugba later allowed one of his princes to settle at a place then known as Otan-Koto. That settlement grew into present-day Otan-Ayegbaju. Otan-Ile sources maintain that the two communities retained identical customs, rites, ceremonies, taboos, street names and chieftaincy titles across generations, with social interaction continuing through funerals and other occasions.


Otan-Ayegbaju’s own traditional history presents a complementary narrative. It credits the town’s founding to Olasooye Osilokun Osiloye, remembered as a descendant of Oduduwa who migrated from Ile-Ife roughly 500 to 800 years ago. Some accounts note that the migrating party first stopped at Otan-Ile before moving to the valley site surrounded by rocky hills, originally called Otan-Koto. Today Otan-Ayegbaju is the headquarters of Boluwaduro Local Government Area and is widely known for the Oke-Maria Marian pilgrimage centre. Oba Fadipe was installed as Owa in June 2009.


Though the oral histories differ on precise genealogies and migration sequences, both agree that the communities form part of the ancient Yoruba expansion from Ile-Ife and have preserved strong institutional and cultural ties despite belonging to different local government areas—Otan-Ile in Obokun and Otan-Ayegbaju in Boluwaduro.


The September 10 gathering featured traditional drums, chants, royal greetings and colourful cultural attire, turning the visit into a living exhibition of shared heritage. For many residents, the occasion went beyond protocol. It reaffirmed that modern administrative boundaries have not erased historical bonds. The meeting of the two monarchs was widely seen as a homecoming—a royal reminder that history still has a way of bringing kindred peoples together.

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