By S. O. K. Shillings
There have been misconceptions and misunderstanding by members of the public on the issue of the stool of Ajede of Ijede which facts must be laid clear at this point.
Ajede the founder of Ijede had 3 children, namely: Oreshemowo(m), Akinniwa(m) and Talabi(f). The 2 male offsprings had children but Talabi died without an issue. The offsprings have been ruling Ijede. In 1775, there was a crisis in the matter of the Obaship of Lagos. The Oba died and his remains had to be taken to Benin vide the waterways. Eshinlokun sent emissaries to hijack the corpse. The terrorists were caught and when questioned, because they could not pronounce Eshinlokun, they said they were sent by ‘Shoroko’ which the interrogators hurriedly interpreted to Shookun. Shookun was arrested and taken to Oshugbo. In the course of altercation at the groove, Shookun’s son was murdered. This led Shookun to leave in anger. He headed away from Lagos and when he got near the bank of Ijede, the people of Ijede sighted him and he was offered refuge. He was in Ijede for 4 years before he went back to Lagos.
During the period, his people sent emissaries to visit him among them, Ogunmade. Ogunmade begot Idowu Ajanaku who came back to live in Ijede. Idowu Ajanaku married Bodukale, a descendant of Oreshemowo along with other wives.
There have been 4 Obas in Ijede, all descendants of Ajede. There was crisis from 1959 when a fraudulent Chieftancy Declaration purporting to make 4 Ruling Houses all of Akinniwa to the exclusion of Oreshe was vehemently protested leading to an interregnum of 15 years before the ascension of the throne by Late Oba Ibidairo Akilo in 1975. Before then, Government instituted W. P. Kalio Commission of Inquiry which recommended 2 Ruling Houses: Oreshemowo and Akinniwa.
Upon the demise of Oba Akilo from Oreshemowo, Oba Oresanya ascended from Akinniwa. When he joined his ancestors, another fake Chieftancy Declaration surfaced suggesting 5 Ruling Houses made up of Oreshemowo, 3 from Akinniwa (Atobatele, Aniyera and Ladega) and Ajanaku. In the Declaration, Ajanaku is next. That was the beginning of the present crisis.
2 different suits were filed. One by 2 factions of Ajanaku family over the right of male and female children. The other, first to determine the right of the Claimant and majorly to determine the right to be a Ruling House with Oreshe and Aniyera insisting on 2 Houses of Oreshemowo and Akinniwa. The matters were consolidated. The Learned Trial Judge started with the matter of Ajanaku. When about to conclude it, ruling on a late preliminary objection, the Court suo motu de-consolidated the matters. The deconsolidation was appealed.
While the appeal was subsisting, the court, which ought to wait for the outcome of the appeal, went on to deliver judgment declaring Mr. Kazeem Amusa as the winner in that Ajanaku suit against Hon. Saheed Adefarasin Hassan. The Court of Appeal eventually delivered Ruling in the appeal and declared that the de-consolidation was unlawful and the matters should be heard together thus nullifying the judgment of the High Court in the Ajanaku matter. The stage is then set for the hearing of the matters de Novo (afresh) which has been scheduled for November 3, 2025.
Meanwhile, the Shookun family are also interested, moreso as Ajanaku, son of Ogunmade who came to visit their progenitor is listed in a ‘Declaration’. They have filed their suit in court after being disallowed from joining the existing suits. The suit is adjourned for October 30, 2025.
The Ajanaku family have started calling Mr. Amusa ‘Oba elect’. There is no such thing and all his messages, greetings and representations in that regard are unlawful and contemptuous.
While waiting, various interests started springing up. The Ranodu of Imota who was joined by Ayangburen of Ikorodu called a meeting for the Ranodu palace with the intention of browbeating the other families into accepting the emergence of Mr. Amusa because ‘Ijede cannot be without an Oba and must have a king urgently’. Ranodu did not allow the families to state their cases except to accept His Majesty’s decree. It was rejected. The meeting shifted to the palace of Ayangburen with a larger proposal to include Shookun as the ‘6th Ruling House’ when 5 had not been accepted.
It was a surprise therefore when the rumours filtered that Mr. Amusa would be given staff of Office on Friday 15th when matters are pending in court. It was the third time such hoax is being peddled and the ‘Oba elect’, who is not even of the Oreshemowo descent, has been making monies from well-wishers and getting donations from Egbin Thermal station and other corporate entities under the misrepresentation.
The issue is: what is the interest of Imota and Ikorodu in forcing an Oba on Ijede? 21st century colonisation? I was the youngest participant at the parley held by the Conference of Leaders of Ikorodu Division during the reign of Oba Oyefusi of blessed memory over the insistence of Constituency 2 on rotation of leadership of the Divisional Obas Council where it was made clear that the major towns in the Division had no historical relationship and none was superior or inferior to the other(s). Providence gave me the right of first talk because there would be no dews after the rains and I suggested that the status quo remained while the monarchs should go out to the state to make same case at that level and it was accepted. The 2 revered monarchs had issues in the course of their ascension and Ijede did not interfere.
The Ministry of Local Government and Chieftancy Affairs also called only to discuss the inclusion of Shookun family. The Permanent Secretary threw caution into the winds when he boasted that it was only for courtesy that he bothered to call ‘royal’ families. He was rebuffed by all including the Ajanaku family.
What will be the interest of government in forcing an Oba? No reason! The Obaship institution is one that must not be reduced to the like of local government chairmanship which the holder may be removed any time. In proper traditional setting, a deposed Oba should join the saints. Government is involved in all the matters. It should not act unlawfully!
It is worthy of note that the Chieftancy Declaration for the title of Odofin of Ijede (a title for only men from Ruling Houses) only recognizes the Oreshemowo and Akinniwa Houses. Only the descendants of Ajede are entitled to enter the Ajede groove where Obas are prepared for the stool. Also worthy of note is the fact that the head of the Ajanaku family inappropriately caused the late Alajede to instal him as unofficial Otunba of Ijede now fighting for his ward to become Alajede and 2 of them will be 1st and 2nd in the town where they met the 6th generation of Ajede.
Noteworthy still is the fact that the Oba of Ibefun, the origin of Ajanaku came visiting Ijede, met the late Oba Oresanya and in his presence, the Alajede told the Ajanaku family that as they have established their root, they should go back home to make their quest for titles and not trouble Ijede, a statement that marked the beginning of his journey to his ancestors and fact which also surfaced during the trial in the Ajanaku versus Ajanaku matter.
Now you may know why the stool cannot be stolen. We are not bastards!
S. O. K. Shillings Esq., writes from Ikorodu
