User:Piusoladipupo/sandbox

'''History and tradition of the Itokos ''' Background history Settlement and spread Advent of Ijemo Advent and settlement of Ikopa Certain landmarks: streams, market, homestead, olumo Rock, Ogboni house, Certain traditions: Yam festival, Egugun festival, iyena, obalufon, Egba Alake annual cow slaughter, olumo day Songs: Villages and Boundaries: Certain prominent sons and daughters of Itoko:

Perhaps the most unsung heroes of the Egba history are the Itokos. The Itokos are a vast people spreading across all local govts in Abeokuta Ogun state (south west of Nigeria) whose ancestors literally pioneered Abeokuta. Their patriarchs include Adagba, Liperu and Famuyiwa among others. They are mostly concentrated in d Abeokuta south and Odeda local govt areas of Abeokuta Ogun state Nigeria. The story of the Itokos is on this wise:

It must first be established that Abeokuta was not a conquered place but a discovered haven. Adagba (the Itoko ancestor) was a vicious hunter. He lived in Ipagbo in d ancient Oyo kingdom. In those days, every tribe was ravaged with war of slave trade and territorial supremacy. It was therefore normal to flee from war torn areas and also to seek refuge from incessant battles. As the great hunter called Adagba journeyed in his hunting adventures, he got to a place of a mighty rock with a cave space there under. This great hunter immediately figured out that this must be a place suitable for refuge from war. He journeyed back home to give the good news of his new discovery to his family' clan and neighbors including the Ikopas with whom they lived at ipapo. While many were scheptical, his family and a few others especially the youths followed Adagba. They arrived at mile 6 Ajebo road Abeokuta where today the Itokos are said to have their homestead. The first established village in d homestead is Ayetutu. Eventually, he guided his folks through the Ifa oracle via a tree called 'Ito' tree which is near olumo Rock. They finally settle at underneath the Rock and named the entire Abeokuta then as Oko Adagba (Adagba's farm), see page ....... . They continued to live and procreate and spread several centuries before Sodeke led the rest of d Egbas to the said Oko Adagba in 1830 and thereafter renamed the place Abeokuta.

Itoko and the Ijemos It was said that the next to settle in Abeokuta after the Itokos were the Ijemos. In fact it was often said of d closeness of d arrivals that "Itoko came in the morning, Ijemo arrived at night" this may not be taken literally but the emphasis of the closeness in arrivals brought to bear the saying. While the Itokos chose and stayed on this Side, the Ijemos stayed on the other up side. The whole land as it were therefore was divided into two with the boundary at Ibarra. From Ibarra therefore to Eleweran side belong to Itokos while from Ibarra to onikolobo, ojere and the likes belong to the Ijemos. It is said that any other tribe in Abeokuta either derive their territory or villages from Itoko or from Ijemo. But out of these two prominent people, Itoko came in first.

Itoko and Ikopa The Itokos and the Ikopas can be likened to 'gari and its water'. The Ikopas were said to be relatives of Itoko back at ipapo where they both lived. Though the Itokos were more in number and in prominence. In fact up till today, this is still the case. The Ikopas are still very few and still under the shadows of the Itokos in Egbaland. The name 'Ikopa' historically was said to mean 'ikopa-Itoko' (meaning Itokos hand loggage). Their ancestors was said to be one Ladejobi. When Adagba moved with the rest of Itokos, the Ikopas refused to come with Adagba initially and that was how there was a clean break between the two for decades. In the process of time, long after the Itokos have settled and had continued to spread, with established villages like Tirinmi, Ikija, Shobe and the likes, the Ikopas on the other hand continued to be ravaged by wars. Then the Ikopas consulted the oracle at ipapo if they should journey away, the oracle answered in the affirmative but mandated the sacrifice of an infant child. Ikopa journeyed without making the sacrifice as no one was willing to give up her own baby for the sacrifice. When they arrived mile 6, the Itokos (who were familiar with and willing to accommodate them) told them to move further in. On their way around mile 8 (today's Kilmer 8.5), they heard the noise of an invading Oyo army, they immediately descended into a gorge at Olosu for a cover. Unfortunately, as the Warriors pass by, they heard the cry of an infant in the gorge which blew their cover. The Warriors responded with gun shots and heavy stones which left Ikopa with eleven survivals, ten men and one woman. Till today the gorge thereafter named 'koto awoku' (death gorge) is still there opposite OGTV studios at Ajebo road Abeokuta.

After this catastrophe, Itoko in compassion and spirit of brotherhood accommodated the eleven Ikopa survivals and settled them on the same per cel of land of their devastation which was later called Olosu near Tirinmi Itoko. As time went on, controversies began with the Ikopa men sleeping with Itoko women when their husbands go to the farm. This became unpleasantly rampant. This made the Itokos in the wisdom of their elders to decide to be giving their daughters in marriage to the Ikopas instead of having to travel up to Ijemo in search of women. This was how the Itokos and the Ikopas became intertwined over centuries. Today, it is difficult to see an Itoko man without an Ikopa relative and vise versa. Although, the Ikopas are still few having 5 (five) villages all on Itoko land whereas Itoko has over a hundred and twenty villages. This is why the Ikopas are called 'omi gari'. As we speak, Ikopa is neither on the map nor a specific place you can stop a taxi to go to outside of Itoko because they are embedded in Itoko land. While we have oriletoko, Isaletoko, oketoko, Obantoko on the map, Ikopa is missing because they are of only about five clans within Itoko at oketoko. They join Itoko in virtually everything including all festivals. Below are some of the sociocultural and traditional landmarks spearheaded by Itoko:

1. The Ogboni conclave : the first Ogboni house in Abeokuta was established and built at Isaletoko by the Itokos in 1830. 2. Yam festival: Itokos celebrate yam festival, Ikopas from time immemorial have never independently celebrated yam festivals but always join the Itokos. 3. Egungun festival: celebrated by Itokos accompanied by Ikopas. 4. Iyena festival: annual road marking was undertaken by Itokos who are the owners of the land. 5. Obalufon homage: annual worship of the traditional land deity was announced and carried on by the Itokos, the Ikopas join in d exercise as folks living within the land. 6. Annual Egba Alake traditional cow slaughter: every year Egba Alake slaughters a cow. The laps (Itan) always goes to Itoko, the hands to Ijemo, no part goes to Ikopa. 7. The key to d olumo cave is always in d custody of d Itokos. The Itokos are d custodians of olumo Rock underneath where Adagba and his family first settled. 8. The annual olumo day is prominently celebrated by the Itokos who are mandated to open d 'power room' and point at the Rock while Ijemo stand by in the annual blessing of d land. 9. Rivers/Streams: there are streams known to belong to Itoko, Emere, Ijemo, itesi but no stream belongs to Ikopa. 10. Markets: while Itoko has markets, Ikopa has none. 11. Homestead: while Itoko has homestead at mile six and did spread establishing villages like Tirimi, Ikija, Sobe, Oloke, Atoku and the likes, Ikopa as it were, has no homestead, they merely settled were they were allotted by the Itokos. Though recently, they began to agitate for a place they could call their own purporting the place of their devastation as their homestead. 12. In d Egbaland, Asipa Egba goes to Itoko, being d land owners and first settlers, Olori oje, to Ijemo, balogun to Igbehin in recognition of homage and prominence in Egbaland. No Egba chieftaincy accorded to Ikopa who are seen as mere squatters with Itoko. 13. Village count: today, Itoko has one hundred and twenty six verifiable villages on their heritage (majority of which are on the map) while Ikopa, the settlers have five villages with one (Olosu) extinct. 14. Google: while you see Itoko on google map, Ikopa is conspicuously missing. This is because they have not attained geographical status and may not in many years because they live with the Itokos on Itokoland raising families with Itoko. 15. Ikopa leadership: most of the 'Ikopa' traditional chiefs are Itoko indigenes. Even the present oluwo and some others are from Itoko. 16. Egba rivers. A song broke out in 1938 to portray age long ownership of rivers streaming along Egbaland. The song writer sang: Oroki omi itesi Ogbe omi Emere Odun omi Itoko Owiwi omi ijemo it will interest you that Ikopa neither has a share in the traditional cow slaughter, nor a market or stream belonging to or named after ikopas. they are simply tennants at the will of the Itokos.

Periodically however, the youths of Ikopa descent do struggle for recognition outside the shadows of Itoko. This often cause unsavory frictions between the two but history and traditional facts, (both past and present) are always too overwhelming for Ikopa to sustain their mostly false claims. Besides, the aged ones see themselves as one with Itoko and often warn their sons never to keep embarking on fruitless goose chase.

Certain prominent Itoko indigenes: 1. Chief FRA Williams SAN. (Late) 2. Chief Toye Coker SAN. (Late) 3. Captain Raji Rasheed (Rtd) 4. Ayinla Omowura Popular musician (Late) 5. Adeyemo Alakija