History of Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́
Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́ town was founded in the mid-17th century by Ogunlola, a brave hunter of lbariba descent Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́ lies between llorin and Oya Town in the southwestern region of Nigeria. Sọ̀ún Ogundiran Ogunlola founded the over 400-year-old Sọ̀ún dynasty.
Ogunlola migrated to the present site of Ògbómòsọ around 1650 in pursuit of his hunting career. He arrived at the site, which was then a dense jungle, with his wife Esuu, and together, they camped beneath an Ajagbon tree, which can still be seen today near the Soun’s palace. Later, Ogunlola and his wife built a hut near the tree and settled there permanently.
Shortly after they settled in the forest, Ogunlola noticed that smoke was emitted daily from nearby places. He decided to check the places out, and to his surprise, he discovered that four other hunters were also dwelling in the jungle.
The first hunter was a Nupe elephant hunter named Aale, who camped in a place now known as Oke-Elerin (Elephant Hill). The second was an Otta prince named Onisile who left his town because of a title dispute; he settled in a place now known as ljeru. The third hunter was Orisatolu, who camped at lsapa, and the last hunter settled at Akande, which no longer exists. Ogunlola established his dominance over the four hunters with his unmatched hunting skills and the help of his wife, Esuu, who was very good at making tobacco snuff and guinea corn wine, which the hunters liked so much Ogunlola and the hunters formed a society called Alango with the aims of protecting the settlement from slave traders, hunting wild animals together, helping one another and so on. The settlement began to expand as people moved in till it became a village.
Ogunlola gradually became the head of the new village as his hut became the administrative centre where important issues were discussed and a court where disputes were settled.
The history of Ògbómòsọ has it that Ogunlola was later imprisoned at Oya-lie, the capital of the old Oya empire, for an alleged crime caused by his wife, Lorungbenkun. While in prison, Ogunlola heard about a warrior named Elemoso who had been terrorising Oya-lie. He pleaded with the Alaafin (traditional ruler of Oya) to let him out of the prison to fight and kill Elemoso.
After much persuasion, the Alaafin granted Ogunlola’s request to hunt Elemoso down. Elemoso was a mighty, brave, invisible warrior who fought with a sword and arrows. Ogunlola was shown Elemoso’s camp. However, it took him some days to study Elemoso’s tactics. One night, Ogunlola crept upon Elemoso’s camp and shot him down with an arrow. He beheaded him and took his head to the Alaafin, who was very happy. The Alaafin granted Ogunlola freedom and even persuaded him to stay in Oyo-lle, but Ogunlola refused; he said to the Alaafin: “Ejé kí á ma se óhún” meaning “Let me stay far away in my land”,. This is where the title ‘Sọ̀ún’, the traditional ruler of Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́, was coined.
Ogunlola returned to his village and was made the paramount leader with the title of Sọ̀ún. He became the first Sọ̀ún of Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́. The settlement was subsequently called “Eni ti Ogbori Elemoso”, meaning “the one who carried Elemoso’s head “. This was shortened to Ogbori Elemoso and, later, Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́, which it is still called today. This was how Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́ got its name from Ogunlola’s bravery. Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́ lat er rose from its mere village status to a strong town due to its role in the history of Yoruba land.
Alagba of Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́ Land: The Story of a Legendary Tortoise
Alagba was a giant male land tortoise believed to have lived in the palace of the Soun of Ògbómòsọ for 324 years. In deference to its age, it was called Alagba, which means “the elderly one” in Yoruba. In Ògbómòsọ, where the legendary tortoise lumbered about in the palatial grounds of the king, it was almost a sacrilege to refer to Alagba as a mere tortoise. Since Alagba is believed to have been older than everyone in Ògbómòsọ, per mutations about its actual age rely heavily on oral history. Its age was arrived at by situating it with the period of the Soun who reigned then. Alagba was allegedly brought to the palace by Sọ̀ún lkumoyede Ajao, the third Sọ̀ún of Ògbómòsọ, who is believed to have been born sometime in the late 16th century and reigned in the 17th. The sacred tortoise, which was thought to be the oldest in Africa, was sick for a few days before her demise on October 5 2019.
