Indigenes of Oba-Ile in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State have warned the Deji of Akure to desist from what they described as attempts to annex communities traditionally under the authority of the Oloba of Oba-Ile.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, the group faulted a recent advertorial reportedly published on behalf of Owode, Araromi and Eleyewo communities, which denied any historical or cultural ties with Oba-Ile. The indigenes described the claim as misleading and a distortion of history.
They maintained that Oba-Ile is an ancient Yoruba town that predates Akure by several centuries and insisted that the Oloba Oodaye remains the prescribed authority and paramount ruler over Oba-Ile and its adjoining communities.
Citing historical accounts, the group said the first Deji of Akure, Obagbeyi Adegite, was a son of the Oloba Oodaye who was sent to Akure to restore peace after consultations with the Ifa oracle. They added that several traditional chiefs in Akure, including the Ooye and Eyelogun, are still installed in Oba-Ile in line with age-long customs.
The statement further claimed that communities such as Owode, Araromi, Eleyewo, Ugoba, Isinigbo, Ugbo-Abo and Ayede-Ogbese were founded by indigenes of Oba-Ile and remain historically under the Oloba’s authority. According to the group, successive Baales and traditional heads in the affected communities were installed by past Olobas, including the late Oba Joseph Oluwadare Agunbiade, Otutubiosun III.
They also referenced past government decisions and traditional council records, insisting that Akure North Local Government has its own recognized chieftaincy structure independent of Akure, and that the Deji has no jurisdiction within the Oloba’s domain.
While affirming what they described as longstanding cordial relations between Oba-Ile and Akure, the indigenes warned that any attempt to install minor chiefs or assert control over the disputed communities could generate tension and distort established history.
They called on well-meaning indigenes of Akure to advise the monarch against actions capable of undermining traditional boundaries, stressing that Oba-Ile land “cannot be ceded to anyone for any reason.”
The group concluded by reaffirming that the Oloba Oodaye remains the legitimate ruler of Oba-Ile and its traditional territories, urging respect for history, culture and peaceful coexistence
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