ETIKANPEDIA: OGHONNE HALL OF FAME, ILAJE-ETIKAN 2025, I.

INTRODUCTION.

We bring to the global community the faces and synoptic profiles of great and patriotic personalities of Ilaje-Etikan Kingdom, who were/are illustrious ambassadors of the Kingdom in the 20th and 21st centuries. They defended Etikan Kingdom against external aggressors and also demonstrated to the world that brilliance and greatness have nothing to do with your place of birth.

1. PA. ELIJAH EMILOLA OKUN-OMO (TEACHER OKUN-OMO)

Pa. Elijah Emilola Okun-Omo, fondly called Teacher Okun-Omo, was a distinct and a devoted patriot of Etikan Kingdom. He was a principled, a diligent personality, and a strong advocate for education, particularly for the Girl Child, at a time when many communities undervalued female education. His staunch commitment to the acquisition of formal education and moral discipline shaped generations of young, brilliant and bright descendants of Etikan, who later became influential figures in diverse fields of human endeavours.

Pa. Elijah Emilola Okun-Omo played an essential role, not only in fostering literacy, intellectual growth and spirit of excellence among young minds in Etikan Kingdom, he also played an active part in the development of the Kingdom during his time on earth.

2. MICAH EYIANROESE OKUNOMO.

Pa. Micah Eyianroese Okunomo was one of the earliest elites and intellectuals from Ilaje-Etikan and a highly respected administrator. He retired as a senior administrative officer at the University of Lagos, Akoko, Yaba, Lagos State.

His career was an illustrious one and he played a pivotal role in mentoring students from Ilaje backgrounds; providing them with guidance and support in their academics. His commitment to community service and human development remains a point of reference for younger generations striving for excellence. This ultimately earned him a spot among Etikan Personality.

3. LAY PREACHER (EMERITUS) ABEL YELLOW ODOLO. 

Lay Preacher Abel Yellow Odolo was one of the earliest educationists of Etikan extraction. During his lifetime, he prioritized the development of Etikan Kingdom. 

He worked closely with Oba Claudius Morioloye Ikuesan in the development of the kingdom. As a teacher, and lay preacher, he instilled discipline and knowledge in his students, mentoring numerous young minds, both spiritually and academically, without throwing under an unconscious shadow the cultural fabrics of the Kingdom.

4. PATRIOT NUMBER OLORUNSOLA AJIMISAN.

Patriot Number Olorunsola Ajimisan was a profoundly remarkable and extraordinary educator, political tactician/strategist, and community leader of Ilaje-Etikan extraction. He was born to the family of Late Pa. Alfred Ajimisan and Princess Lydia Oyedele Ojabogun of Ikumapayi Ruling House of Etikan Kingdom, Ilaje LGA, Ondo State. His mother was a Mahin Princess through Ukale Abealala and Iyaomolere Royal Family of Mahin Kingdom. Patriot Number Olorunsola Ajimisan had his elementary education as an adult at the then United Anglican Primary School, Ereke/Agba now St Luke's Anglican School, Ode-Etikan. Upon completing his elementary education, he overcame educational setbacks due to the lack of high schools in the entire Ilaje axis of the Old Okitipupa division at the time, except Manuwa Memorial Grammar School founded in the distant Iju-Odo. He was however enrolled in the Modern School at Ugbonla, where he came under the tutelage of the eminent Guy Gagiulo between 1957 and 1960. He was a key member of the Orchestra Group that Gagiulo took to Akure to perform on Nigeria's Independence on October 1, 1960.

On completion of his modern school, he was employed by the then Government of the defunct Western region of Western Nigeria as a teacher. However, his determination to obtain higher education led him to Esigie College, Abdul Benin, where he obtained a Teacher Grade 1 Certificate in 1971. He returned to continue his career and that took him to L.A Primary School, Zion Pepe, St. Saviour's Anglican School, Abealala, Etugbo and Community Primary School, Abe Okun-Ipin, where he had his swansong service before his ultimate demise.

As a teacher, Patriot Number Olorunsola Ajimisan played a crucial role in shaping young minds. The current Maporure of Ilaje-Aheri, His Majesty Oba Ilesanmi Ikuemonisan-Mafo Esq Molutehin 1 was one of the pupils mentored by late Numeri Olorunsola Ajimisan. Pa. Number Olorunsola Ajimisan was widely respected for his deep knowledge and teaching prowess. He was also deeply involved in the development of his community. His rare brilliance in matters of community development earned him the nickname "the Mobile Encyclopedia" from Oba C.M.O. Ikuesan. Beyond being a teacher, and an opinion leader, Patriot Number Olorunsola Ajimisan was also a devout Christian, dexterous dancer, tenor singer and lay reader. He was one of the elites that founded the hitherto burgeoning Conference of All Anglican Churches in Ilaje Igbekun in 1971. He was also a key figure in the establishment of Etikan High School.

Patriot Number Olorunsola Ajimisan was a towering political timber and a leader of the defunct United Party of Nigeria (UPN). He was responsible for lobbying the then civilian Governor of the Old Ondo State, Michael Adekunle Ajasin and Obafemi Awolowo to Ode-Etikan in the build-up to the 1983 elections and what turned out to be the first landing of helicopter in Etikan. 

His service to the people was relentless until his passing in 1983, leaving behind a legacy of intellectual empowerment and selfless leadership. While Patriot Number Olorunsola Ajimisan didn't actually lived long enough or had died when he was most needed, his impact was tremendous and today his legacies continued to live after him. Thus, bringing to fore the saying that "a man's existence is not measured or treasured by its longevity but by his positive impacts".

5. HON. JUSTICE ORIMISAN JAMES OKORISA - FIRST ILAJE-ETIKAN SON TO BECOME JUDGE OF ONDO STATE CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL. 

Hon. Justice Orimisan James Okorisa’s journey to legal excellence was one marked by perseverance and determination. Born to an Ilaje-Ugbo father and an Ilaje-Etikan mother, he lost his father at an early age and was raised solely by his mother. To fund his education, he hawked garri and other foodstuffs to pay his school fees. Justice Okorisa attended St. Luke’s Anglican School, Ode-Etikan and Community Grammar School, Zion Pepe. He later pursued law at the University of Ibadan, followed by the Nigerian Law School. Furthering his legal education, he obtained a Master’s Degree in Law from the University of Benin. His illustrious career in law led to his appointment as a judge of the Ondo State Customary Court of Appeals, where he continues to serve with integrity. He is the first Ilaje-Etikan son to become judge of the Customary Court of Appeal.

Justice Orimisan James Okorisa remains a strong voice for justice, fairness, and legal reform. In his current position, he continues to set a high standard for future generations.  

6. HON. JUSTICE OPE OGUNBANWO (NEE MEBAWONDU) - THE FIRST ILAJE WOMAN TO BECOME A JUDGE.

Born to an Ilaje father from Etikan Kingdom and a Lagosian mother from Ejinrin, Epe, Hon. Justice Ope Ogunbanwo (née Mebawondu) is a groundbreaking figure in Ilaje-Etikan history as the first female judge from Ilaje-Etikan and Ilajeland. Born into the Aropeda Ruling House, she exhibited exceptional brilliance from a young age. She studied law at the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and Nigerian Law School, Lagos, and was called to the Bar as Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Since her post-qualification, Hon. Justice Opeloye Ogunbowale has continued to put in years of sterling services and risen through the ranks in her judicial career. First, she served as Magistrate Grade 1 Lagos State Judiciary and rose to become a Chief Magistrate Grade 11.

In the course of her career as a Magistrate, Hon. Justice Opeloye Ogunbowale served meritoriously in various capacities such as the Co-Ordinating Magistrate of the Special Offences Court, Alausa, Lagos; Coroner for Epe and its environs; Chairman, Family Court covering Adeniji Adele, Lagos Island, Ikoyi and its environs and Chief Magistrate in charge of administration in Epe Magisterial District. 

As a dedicated member of the wing and gown, she has worked virtually in all the Magisterial Districts in Lagos leaving a trail of diligence, uprightness, competence and integrity. In 2017, Justice Ogunbowale was sworn-in by the then Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen as a Judge of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.

Presently, Hon. Justice Opeloye Ogunbowale works at the Ibadan Judicial division of the Court, seamlessly blending her happily married life with blessed children and her professional career.

Princess Opeloye has shown that excellence in any career has nothing to do with gender and lowly beginning, by rising to become the first Ilaje woman to become a judge and also the first and the only Ilaje-Etikan woman to become a judge of the high court of justice.

As a Princess of Etikan, Hon. Justice Opeloye Ogunbowale continues to stamp her footprint in the developmental fabrics of the Etikan Kingdom.

7. PROF. RUTH ADEFOLAKEMI GABRIEL-AJOBIEWE - THE FIRST FEMALE PROFESSOR IN ETIKAN LAND.

Professor Ruth Adefolakemi Gabriel-Ajobiewe is a distinguished academic and the first female professor from Etikan land. She was born at Ode-Etikan to the prestigious family of Pa. Augustus Modiolorunmu Adegboruwa, an influential timber merchant also known as Baba Kogb'Oyinbo of the Aropeda Ruling House of Etikan Kingdom. 

Prof. Ruth academic career spans decades of impactful teaching, research, and mentorship in higher education. She has authored numerous scholarly publications and has contributed significantly to the advancement of knowledge in her field.

Prof. Ruth Adefolakemi Oluwagheyinmi Gabriel-Ajobiewe story is a great inspiration to every girl-child that gender is not a barrier to academic excellence.

8. EBUN-OLU ADEGBORUWA, SAN - FIRST ETIKAN SON TO BE ELEVATED TO THE STATUS OF SAN.

Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, was born on March 21, 1965 to the pious family of Most Reverend Father Festus Ogbon-Olorun Adegboruwa of Ode-Etikan. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa is a fearless human rights lawyer and the first Ilaje-Etikan indigene to attain the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). He studied law at Obafemi Awolowo University and trained under the legendary Gani Fawehinmi, who shaped his passion for justice. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa has been named "Senior Advocate of the Masses" subsequent upon his continuous challenge of government policies that are oppressive to the masses. He has face arrests and persecutions. However, he remains dogged in his fight for justice, protecting the masses and for public good.

Without fear, he has been a courageous and unbiased critic of the Lagos State government. Some landmark legal cases he has fought and won for the masses include “Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa v. Attorney General of the Federation & 3 others” which borders on the Ikoyi-Lekki link bridge and recently the case of NCP v Lagos State Govt. 

Other cases that are public oriented, pending before the courts are: “Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa v. Lekki Concession Company and 4 others” which borders on the illegal toll-gate fee collection by the Lagos State Government; “Adegboruwa v. NCC & others”, which borders on inefficient services and the exploitative pricing of telecoms service operators in Nigeria. 

And then there’s “Adegboruwa v. Lagos State Government & others” which bordering on Lagos State House of Assembly’s moves to excise, remove and privatise the probate registry of the High Court of Lagos State. 

In addition is “Adegboruwa v. Lagos State Government & others” which over the arrest, detention and prosecution of individuals during the monthly sanitation exercise which the federal high court, on Monday, 16 March 2015 in a considered judgment declared unconstitutional. 

Adegboruwa has been an activist and rights crusader for most part of his life. He was the Public Relations Officer of the Student’s Union of Obafemi Awolowo University, and later President of the same union. 

He was a member of the Senate of the National Association of Nigerian Students and member of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights; Civil Liberties Organization; Campaign for Democracy; president, GSM Subscribers and other Phone Users Association of Nigeria and founder of Law and Justice Forum and Millennium Legal Support Services. 

According to some of the staff and lawyers under his tutelage such as Mrs. Benedicta Lawrence; Mrs. Grace Omotosho; Mr. David Fadile; Mr. Gbenga Awoseye, and Mr. Kingsley Ezenwa Izimah, Adegboruwa has a stake in the way and manner Lagos State and Nigeria are governed, having suffered and sacrificed for the enthronement of democratic rule in Nigeria. 

Just to mention again, during the course of his campaign to enthrone the rights of the masses both in Lagos and across several states in Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa has been arrested, detained and prosecuted. Even when his opponents thought that arrests and detentions could slow him down, Adegboruwa has remained undaunted. 

For instance, he has been arrested and detained in various police stations in Enugu and Lagos during the struggle for the actualisation of the June, 12 1993 presidential election, at the Directorate of Military Intelligence for more than six months. On June 30, 2014, he was on his way for a Television Interview when he was arrested. 

It was this arrest, in respect of the monthly Saturday sanitation that inspired him to take the State government to court, in the case “Adegboruwa v. Lagos State Government & others” which the federal high court has declared illegal. 

Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa is also a pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God. He perfectly combines legal activism with spiritual leadership. His fearless advocacy for social justice has concretized his place as one of Nigeria’s leading Legal pundits and luminaries. Apparently, earning him a notable place in the maiden edition of Oghonne Hall of Fame as Etikan illustrious Sun.

9. S. OLA AJIMISAN - LITERARY SCHOLAR AND CULTURAL ADVOCATE.

S. Ola Ajimisan was born Stephen Ola Ajimisan. However, as a way of downplaying his English name, Stephen, he deliberately foregrounds his native identity by emphasizing his Yoruba name, Ola.

S. Ola Ajimisan hails from the Ojabogun Kumapayi Ruling House of Ode-Etikan, Etikan Kingdom, and the Poroye/Olowofoyeku lineage of Mahintedo, Mahin Kingdom, both in present-day Ilaje Constituency 2, Ilaje Local Government Area, Ondo State, Nigeria.  

His father, Late Prince Number Olorunsola Ajimisan, was a revered teacher, politician, community leader, and traditional nationalist, notably active in the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN). Sequel to his father's rich knowledge of history and folklore of the people, the 20th Olikan of Etikan, Oba C.M.O. Ikuesan, nicknamed his father “the mobile encyclopedia.” S. Ola Ajimisan lost his father at the tender age of two, leaving his mother, Mrs. Esther Semilola Ajimisan, to raise him.

At seven, he was sent to live with his maternal grandfather, Pa Johnson Arowosola Poroye, a retired principal, historian, humorist, hunter, and fisherman, who initiated him into the noble craft of tale-telling and writing at a very tender age. Under his grandfather’s influence, he developed a passion for storytelling and writing. Ajimisan had his first five years of elementary education under the guardianship of his highly cerebral grandfather. "Grandpa's Testament" is a reminiscence of the fatherly entreaties of his grandfather to him on his first day at a primary school in the heart of Ijebuland. Following his Grandpa's demise, he had a haphazard elementary education. Leading him to attend multiple schools, including St. Luke’s Anglican Primary School (Ode-Etikan), Local Government Primary School (Alo, Ogun State), and St. Philip’s Anglican Primary School (Ereke, Ondo State), where he eventually completed his elementary education. 

His secondary education at Community Grammar School, Zion Pepe, was equally challenging. At age thirteen, he became exposed to hard and child labour not because his mother willed it, but because he wished to be educated and the mother's infrequent resources of income could not sufficiently feed, foot his school bills and provide basic necessities of life.

 His mother, known for her resilience and hard work, took on strenuous jobs to support her children’s education. Her sacrifices, including selling her jewelry to pay his school fees, inspired his poems "Not Without Scars" and "Coat of Different Colours".  

After secondary school, he worked as an auxiliary teacher before continuing his education as an external student at Cherubim and Seraphim Academy, Ugbonla.

He proceeded thereof to Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, where he graduated as the best student in his class (2011). His academic journey continued at the University of Ibadan, where he earned a Master’s in Literature-in-English (2015–2016). He joined the service of his alma mater, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State in 2019. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in Folkloric Literature, which he teaches alongside Creative Writing, African Literature, Literary Criticism and Theory.

Ajimisan’s literary influences include Samuel Taylor Coleridge, T.S. Eliot, Wole Soyinka, and Niyi Osundare, whose styles shape his poetic vision. His first published poem, Fioye’s Sermon, appeared in Verses from the Sun (2010). His accolades include Campus Journalist of the Year (2010) and Best Graduating Student (2011).

Beyond academia, he has served as a palace griot and chronicler for the 22nd Olikan of Etikan, Oba Adeleke Adedoyin Oyetakin, meticulously documenting Ilaje cultural heritage. His work led to the preservation of palace history, mural art projects, and the compilation of the Ekiki (Oriki) of the kingdom’s ruling houses. As a community leader, he has contributed to educational development, establishing archives for schools and churches to preserve historical records.

A cultural nationalist and advocate for African decolonization, Ajimisan founded and currently chairs the Centre for the Propagation of Etikan Traditional Heritage (CEPETH) and the Centre for the Propagation of Ilaje Cultural Heritage (CEPICH). He has worked as a columnist for Centrepoint News and Assistant Editor of Humanism, a magazine founded by Hon. Kolade Victor Akinjo.  

Ajimisan is the author of several poetry collections, including Forty Testaments for Our Dearest Drifting Dome (2021), Castle Built with Spittle (2022), Dead End of Crossroads(2022), Sweltering Labyrinth (2022), and Where Else Do We Go From Here? (2022).

Some of his other notable works include: Transgressive Rubrics (2023), Ajala-julu: The Eco-spirituals (2024), Verdicts of Money-Muffled Gods (2023), Akatanigbo (2023), Through Children's Spectacles(2024), a children, and His HERcellency (2024), a political satire.

S. Ola Ajimisan's expertise extends beyond literature to lexicography and linguistics. Apparently, foregrounding his creativity and versatility. In 2023, S. Ola Ajimisan was among the backend translators sponsored by FCBH, ALBUQUERQUE and TEAM to translate the Holy Bible into Ilaje dialect. This enormous project is still ongoing.

In 2024, S. Ola Ajimisan unveiled the cover of the first-ever Dictionary of Ilaje Dialect, which he is currently working on. This project isn't just a groundbreaking groundbreaking project but also a significant undertaking that will further help preserve and promote Ilaje language and culture.

Between 2021 and 2024 , Stephen Ola Ajimisan has eleven books in addition to his Dictionary of Ilaje Dialect, to his credit. This arguably makes him the most prolific writer of his generation, of Ilaje extraction.

Ajimisan's staunch commitment to linguistic documentation and preservation of the richness of Ilaje culture is not only commendable, but must also be emulated. His writings, which often foreground African identity and Yoruba-morphic cultural heritage and his impeccable contribution to Literature, the preservation of culture, language and cultural advocacy earned him a place in the Maiden Edition of Oghonne Hall of Fame of Ilaje-Etikan.

S. Ola Ajimisan remains a passionate advocate for cultural revival, literature, and education, representing Etikan Land with distinction. He is currently the Treasurer of Ondo State's chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA). He is married and blessed with children.

Watchout for ETIKANPEDIA: OGHONNE HALL OF FAME II.