SYNOPTIC HISTORY OF ODE-ETIKAN: THE CRADLE OF CHRISTIANITY, WESTERN EDUCATION AND THE MOST COSMOPOLITAN TRADITIONAL HEADQUARTERS IN ILAJELAND, ONDO STATE, SOUTHWESTERN, NIGERIA.

S. Ola Ajimisan.

The location and geographical entity hitherto known and referred to as Ode-Etikan is one of the oldest ancient and traditional headquarters in Ilaje Local Government Area of the littoral parts of Ondo State, Southwestern Nigeria.

Subsequent upon the exodus from Ile-Ife, led by Oronmakenja from Oramfe through Obamakin Osangangan, Oronmakenja established his own kingdom at Ugbo-Akete (Ugbo the cradle) and retained the name with which the Ilaje-Etikan, Ilaje-Ugbo and Ilaje-Aheri were known back then in Ile-Ife, U/Igbo. Erede, his brother of the same father and mother migrated to the "extreme western flank" of the forest, away from his brother, Oronmakenja and established his autonomous kingdom, hitherto known as Etikan Kingdom. The name (toponymy/anthroponymy) Etikan as shown and described above, connotes and derived its name from the geographical and topographic feature of the location, "eti ikangun" which means extreme western flank or extreme west end. If you never knew, now you know.

The headquarters of Etikan Kingdom was first at Ugbo-Etikan with Ugbo-Eye (forest of the birds) and Ugboroko (hinderlands of the forest), the current seat of the stool of the Osowa of Ugboroko, who derived his right to beaded crown and throne from Erede, through Princess Eti mi gbo ire( my ears have received good news at last); as Olikan's slave camp. About mid twelfth century, the 8th Olikan, Oba Olu Ajamuagba (Ajamagbalara), the hippopotamus and crocodile hunter, took hunting and fishing expeditions to another level with strong intention to discover new habitations for his seeds in future. His peregrinations saw him travelling through the forest of Abe Otobo/Abetobo (estuary of hippopotamuses) to the present day Ode-Etikan where he decided to pitch a tent, first as a hunting camp and later tenements good for permanent human habitation. He re-christened the name from Ugbo-Etikan to Ode-Etikan.

It is significant to assert that, "Ode", in this context, meant the centre/nucleus/major part or simply the seat of Etikan. This is why you names of ancient towns like Ode-Remo, Ijebu-Ode, Ode-Aye, Ode-Irele, Ode-Ajagba etc; to differentiate between the catchment communities and the kingdom headquarters. Oba Olu Ajamuagba built the first hut at the present day Idiepe Waterfront Town and subsequently surged onto the hinderlands to the location of the present day Traditional Square (Oju-Ogwa) where he built the first permanent habitations for himself and for storage of his meat till forthnight before returning to the rest of his kindreds at Ugbo-Etikan.

Gradually, people began to follow him to see the new location, which, according to him was better than the first abode and would serve as the permanent heritage and abode of his people in future with myriad of opportunities. After his death, people continued to visit the site until they moved in large kiths and kin to the live at the present day Ode-Etikan, leaving one of the descendants of Eti-mi-gbo-ire (Osowa) as the heir to the land, who constantly gave reckoning to the Olikan. The current Osowa of Ugboroko, HRH (Oba) Kolawole Beefo Arowojolu is from the lineage of Eti-mi-gbo-ire and he got the consent of the then Olikan of Etikan Land, HRM (Oba) Adedoyin Oyetakin to secure government-approved throne under the Justice C.E.T. Ajama-led Commission. Ode-Etikan is reputed for being the home to the oldest quasi-modern cemetery, church and primary school (St. Luke's Anglican Primary School, then (United Anglican School, Ereke/Agba) founded on January 12,1903. Ode-Etikan is also the home of the first Ilaje monarch to embrace Christianity and be baptized as a Christian; learn how to read Bible; worship with English Missionaries at Ebute-Ero and Badagry; Lagos; Oba Agba Oriretan Kumapayi, the 16th Olikan who reigned for 56 years (August 16, 1866 to March 22, 1922) after living for 98 years. He was baptized as John and his sons baptised as James, Matthew, Lot, Joshua etc.

Beyond the earlier loft by the founding ancestors, Ode-Etikan has recorded and still recording historical loft in Ilaje nation. It stands tall among contemporaries and indeed, really tall. Like a wonder child, Ode-Etikan is home to Late Princess Sophie Bosede Osomo (nee Ajimisan), who was the first Ilaje woman to have western education and employed as a teacher in 1957; Late Patriot Numeri Olorunsola Ajimisan, St. Festus Ogbon-Olorun Adegboruwa, the founder of Episcopal Church of Zion, Oke-Mimo, Ode-Etikan; Pa Augustus Modioluwamu Adegboruwa, the first Ilaje man to own a sawmill at Ebute-Meta, Lagos, Hosea Fola Dodo Mebawondu, the first Etikan man to own a bakery; Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN (President, West African Bar Association); Prof Ruth Iyabo Ajobiewe(nee Adegboruwa), the first Etikan woman to become a professor of Microbiology; Prince (Hon) Banji Okun-omo, the first Etikan man to bag a first class in Law and the first Etikan man to become the Chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area; Hon. Olusegun Odolo, the first Councillor of Etikan Ward.

Furthermore, Ode-Etikan also boast of these luminous Sun; Justice Orimisan James Okorisa, the first Etikan man to be appointed as a justice; Justice Ope Mebawondu, the first Ilaje woman to be appointed a justice of the high court in Lagos State, Dr. Tuyi Mebawondu, the first Etikan man to become a medical doctor and own a flourishing world-class hospital in Lagos; S. Ola Ajimisan, the most prolific writer of Literature of Etikan extraction, sterling and astute promoter of Cultural Heritage, founder of Royal Paraphernalia Press (the first Publishing Company of Etikan extraction) and the author of Forty Testaments for Our Dearest Drifting Dome; Castle Built with Spittle; Sweltering Labyrinth; Dead End of Crossroads; Where Else Do We Go From Here?; Verdicts of Money-muffled Gods; Akatanigbo and the Atlantic Verses; and Transgressive Rubrics; Bababo Ikuemonisan, Adekunle Ajasin University trained historian, is the first known sun of Etikan extraction together with his brother Olawale Ikuemonisan (Actor and the CEO of Victeck ICT Consult) in Nollywood / Filmmaking Industry and the business of visual content creation. Bababo Ikuemonisan is a filmmaker, creative director and a visual storyteller, who has his first real stinch in filmmaking with Luminous Sun which he produced alongside Parka Ukatta in 2023. Bababo believes that African has a treasure trove of remarkably rich, authentic and enthralling stories that must be told and seen on global platforms. He therefore ignores the popular currents in filmmaking and is lost in the sands of novelty, by co-writing, and directing (with Destiny Nkemjika) Luminous Sun; an epic thrill weaved around the mystery of birth, life and death, a philosophical take that stunningly interrogates the intricate entanglement between the spiritual forces and mortals. Bababo Ikuemonisan is also a fecund researcher, the CEO of iROYAL TV, IBMSignatures and Ikuemonisan Royal Film Production. His new book; "African Pentecostalism: Trajectory and Theatricality in Cherubim and Seraphim Church of Zion" whose forward is written by the Ilaje-Etikan trailblazer himself, S. Ola Ajimisan, is bid for global unveiling.

Indeed, If you are by any means linked with Etikan, consider yourself lucky.

#LuminousSun.