Adefeso Family History & Genealogy

History

Copied from the wall of Elder Deji-Abdul Ayodeji
ADEFESO @ AGO IWOYE.

Ago Iwoye is a town in Ijebu North Local
Government Area of Ogun State , Nigeria. It is one of the most popular towns in the state. The town is made up of seven strategic districts which include Idode, Imere, Isamuro, Ibipe, Imososi, Igan and Imosu. Oba Abdulrazak Adenugba is the current Ebumawe of Ago- Iwoye . The state-owned university, Olabisi Onabanjo University , 1982, is here.
Amongst the prominent indigenes of Ago Iwoye are Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe , former Chief of Staff at the Supreme Headquarters under Aguiyi Ironsi, Senator Jubril Martins-Kuye , former Minister of State for Finance from 1999-2003, Mr. Olusola Ogundipe, former Comptroller-General of the Nigeria PrisonsbService and Prince 'Segun Adesegun, former deputy governor of Ogun State. It has a population of about 120,000 inhabitants.
Ago Iwoye is a remarkable city in Ijebu and
Remo parts of Nigeria . What marks it out is
not its spatial size or the quantum of its
population but the high level of education of
its people. They are one of the very first groups in Nigeria to embrace Western
education.
These facts and more are comprehensively
and lucidly explained by one of the most
distinguished and celebrated sons of Ago
Iwoye, Senator Jubril Martins Kuye (JMK ).
Kuye is a two - time minster of the Federal Republic and the Asiwaju of Ago- Iwoye.
The author is of noble parentage (in Ago-
Iwoye) being a grandson of Alase Osikolade
Osibule , the first Chairman of Ago-Iwoye
Native Court ( 1911- 32) and the Supreme
Head of Alawori Community . His father, JG
Kuye ( 1907- 1974) was twice elected
councillor in colonial Ago- Iwoye Town
Council ( 1940- 45) and ( 1952- 55) . His
mother , Alimat Aderonke Kuye, was a
princess of Ijebu - Ode, being a grand daughter of Awujale Fesengbuwa 1790 -1819 . Kuye is the first indigene of Ago-
Iwoye to graduate in Economics Sociology
and Politics almost fifty years ago from the
University of Ibadan and in 1983 he obtained a Masters Degree from the prestigious Harvard Business School in Economics and Investment . With such a sound academic background, little wonder that the book is written in an academically stimulating style.
The original name of Ago- Iwoye is Orile-
Iwoye or Wojaiye and the first Ruler or King
is Prince Kehinde Akingbade, with the title
Ebumawe. That, the author posits, was
around 1515 AD. Oba Akingbade was a direct son of Oduduwa . At that time multiple births such as twins or triplets were seen as Evil or harbingers of misfortune and as such the children were instantly killed.
After the birth of the twins ( One boy & one
girl ) their mother was assisted to escape
from Oduduwa ’s palace and she left with
some palace aides and relatives. They
settled at a village near Ondo called Idoko
where the twins were brought up to maturity . The female was named Adebela Taiwo ( Osemawe) and the male was Kehinde Akingbade (Ebumawe ). The female soon married in Idoko and , having been tutored about her royal status, was installed as the ruler of Ondo Kingdom ( Ode Ondo ) with the title Osemawe. She advised her twin brother , Kehinde, to move further a field to find a kingdom of his to rule.
Kehinde left with an entourage that included
their mother , Olu - Ojam , who died shortly
after they left Idoko at a spot near Ondo. The place was named Ile- Oluji meaning in Ondo dialect the place where Olu -Oja slept and did not wake up .
Prince Akingbade wandered for several
years with his team until they reached Ijebu
Forest territory where they met
descendants , relatives and servants of the
Awujale. Prince Akingbade first settle at
Isamuro where three of his close associates died suddenly from Evil Spirits. The Prince decided to stay for a few years to recover from the shock and see how things would turn out, i. e. Wooju Aiye or watch and see .
The place was later named Wojaiye. Prince
Akingbade then moved to Orile Ibipe where
the people readily accepted him as their
Oba. About 1515 AD, Prince Akingbade was
installed as the first Ebumawe or Orile-
Iwoye or Wojaiye. It is clear from the
foregoing that the Ebumawe or Wojaiye or
Orile Iwoye is a direct son of Oduduwa and
that the first Osemawe of Ode Ondo is a
woman ( Adewale Taiwo) otherwise known
as Pupupu . She reigned from 1510- 1529 .
The kingdom of Wojaiye was made up of five communities , with each community having a Head Chief who had allegiance to the Ebumawe. It was a confederal system and it ran smoothly for almost three centuries under seven kings , the last being Ebumawe Adan bi Ide Loorun i.e ( One that shines like silver in the sun ).
The peaceful and successful administration
of Wojaiye or Orile Iwoye kingdom was
suddenly destroyed by the Egba in 1831.
Having been dislodged from Ibadan by the
combined forces of Ijebu, Ife and Oyo, the
Egba felt very insecure in their new abode,
Abeokuta . This sense of insecurity was
heightened by the attacks on them by the
Dahomey from the west , Remo on the east
and Awori Iganmode from the South. They
decided to take the battle to the enemy ’s
camp under the command of Generalissimo
Lisabi.But, unfortunately , they erroneously regarded Orile -Iwoye or Wojaiye kingdom as part of Remo villages that had always attacked Egba settlements.
The military strategy employed to defeat
Orile Iwoye was deceit and it worked
effectively . The Egba sent an emissary to
Obaruwa of Isamuro that they wanted to pay a courtesy visit to Wojaiye. Obaruwa of
Isamuro was elated and instructed his
people to prepare a grand reception for the
Egba visitors . On the appointed day , Egba
soldiers in full battle gear , moved their
troops onto the defenceless and unsuspecting Isamuro people and massacred them on a large scale . Instead of receiving visitors , Isamuro received a
bloody defeat and humiliation from the Egba. That was the sudden and tragic end of Akingbade ’s Wojaiye kingdom in 1831.
After the humiliating defeat, the five
communities of Wojaiye or Orile - Iwoye
moved to a new War Camp or Ago with the
immediate purpose of planning a revenge
attack on the Egba . All the five communities of Wojaiye i. e Isamuro , Ibipe , Odosinusi , Imosu and Imere and even Awori and Idode that were not part of Wojaiye’s kingdom teamed up in their new settlement ( Ago-Iwoye) . The head chief of each community was the Balogun and all of them regarded Balogun Meleki as their leader. Thus Balogun Meleki from Igan Township was the first political and military leader of the New (Republican ) Ago-Iwoye .
The advent of Islam , Christianity and the
extension of British colonial rule to Ijebu
territory all had a significant impact on the
New Ago- Iwoye. The first mission school in Ago- Iwoye is the Wesley Primary School, established in 1893, and the Anglican Mission School followed later . The author, quoting J .O . Ajibola, said school enrolment was poor in the early stages of the schools. Annual enrolment was below 20 for several years. Those who went to school had money tucked into their school uniform pockets as an inducement for
them to keep coming ” . By 1913 , many
homes in the different quarters of Ago-
Iwoye had produced educated citizens
though they were largely pastors and
teachers . The first grammar school in Ago-
Iwoye was established in 1954 and this was
an eye opener to a wider world of opportunities for the children of the educated elite. By the 1940s , the first set of university graduates had arrived . Rev T .T Solatu BD Hons MA , BD (Hons ) 1942; the very first Ago- Iwoye University Graduate J .O . Ajibola LLB was the first Ago- Iwoye lawyer 1942 . Brig Gen Babafemi Ogundipe was commissioned into the Nigeria Army in 1943 as was the de fact. deputy to Gen. Ironsi by the time of the first military coup in 1966 . Dr S .D Onabamiro, a world renowned parasitologist obtained a Doctorate in 1951 . His daughter , Mrs Dolapo Akinsanya , is Ago- Iwoye’s first High court Judge. The author observed that Ago- Iwoye is yet to produce a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN ). This is surprising to this reporter too but we must be reminded that the contribution of Justice Dolapo Akinsanya has done a lot to put the name of Ago- Iwoye in the Hall of Fame in Nigerian Jurisprudence . She gave that landmark judgment that declared the Interim National Government null and void and thereby became the first High Court Judge (Indigene of Ago-Iwoye) to declare illegal a sitting Federal Government of Nigeria. The judgment paved the way for Abacha to overthrow the interim .
Ago- Iwoye’s educated elite are highly
dedicated to the progress of their town . They formed Iwoye Progress Union and used it as a platform for the town’ s development. Their key achievements are : (1 ) the agitation for the re- instatement of the Ebumawe throne that had been put in abeyance with the collapse of Wojaiye or Orile Iwoye kingdom in the Isamuso war in 1831 . By 1932 under the dynamic and dedicated leadership of J .O . Ajibola, the colonial government approved the restoration of Ebumawe throne to Ago-Iwoye after an interregnum of 101 years. Ebumawe Akandiri Adenugba was crowned on October 24 , 1932 .
The IPU also agitated for and got the colonial government to give Ago Iwoye a town council in 1935, much earlier than Ijebu Ode ( 1938) and Ijebu Igbo (1940 ).
The author believes this will make for
lasting unity in Ago- Iwoye. These include
the recognition of the Eyiri lineage as being
eligible for the throne of Ebumawe. Secondly, he makes a strong case for the elevation of the seven Heads of quarters in Ago-Iwoye into full- fledged beaded crown Obas as is currently done in Abeokuta and Sagamu.
Also Adefeso family is one of the eligible to the throne in Awo-Iwoye town and it was the first time have a story building as that time among the villages in Ago-Iwoye Villages. The meaning of Adefeso is The Crown Exercises Patience.
The major pre-occupations of the people of Ago Iwoye are farming, fishing, petty
trading, milling, plank selling, cow meat selling e.t.c

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