Why Akure indigenes are called Omo Ekun or Oloyemekun

The History Of Akure, Ondo State Capital, And why its Indigenes are Referred to as Omo Ekun or Oloyemekun

Akure, capital city of the Ondo State, has an interesting historical account. It is also one of the densely-populated cities in the country.
Akure city has a fair share of development and mineral deposits which make it a commercial hub.

Tourist sites

Some of the places frequented visit by visitors  are Deji’s old and new palaces (Aafin Deji), Aafin Oba Osolo, Aafin Oba Iralepo, Oba’s Market (Oja Erekesan) in Oke Eda, the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), the Old Colonial Secretariat, among others.

Akure personalities
In addition, Akure, popularly called the city of Oloyemekun, has prominent sons and daughters that have excelled in all spheres of life. Among these are Dr. Olu Falae, Secretary to Ibrahim Babangida’s Military Government and one-time presidential candidate; Reuben Fasoranti, leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere; the late Akinola Aguda, former Chief Justice of Botswana; and a host of others.

Akure Oloyemekun

Akure Oloyemekun is derived from the name of the first monarch of the town called Asodeboyede, who was referred to as Omo Ekun Asodeboyede, later shortened to Oloyemekun.

It was, however, gathered that Asodeboyede’s bravery and doggedness prompted his descendants to adopt the name Oloyemekun which is synonymous with Akure till today.

Asodeboyede, according to oral tradition, means “he who hunts has arrived from Oye”. The people of Akure were said to among the beneficiaries of the early missionaries that came to introduce education in the South West geo-political zone of Nigeria.

Omo Ekun

TheNiche learnt that in the past, Akure was an independent region, until the 19th century, when it was included in the Benin Kingdom. In 1894, the control over the region passed on to Britain.
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The city connects to other Nigerian cities such as Ibadan, Lagos, Benin, Osun, Ekiti, Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Abuja. According to the history of the town, Akure, like other towns in Yoruba land, has its origin traced to Ile Ife, the cradle of civilisation of the Yoruba. The town was founded by one of the sons of Oduduwa who was described as very brave, bold and courageous.

 Akure indigenes are fondly called “Omo Akure Oloyemekun a mu ida s’ile m’ogun enu pani” (meaning sons and daughters that sheathed the sword and kill with mouth). It is also a common knowledge for an Akure indigene to regard himself as Omo Ekun (son of a tiger). Till his death, Wunmi Adegbonmire, an indigene of Akure, was popular with the name Omo Ekun like others. He even gave the name Omo Ekun to his column in the Nigerian Tribune at that time.

Nomenclature

Kanye Eleko, a renowned septuagenarian journalist and secretary, Deji-in-Council, who narrated how the people came about the name and other mystical things being associated with them till date, explained that the history of Akure, like other Yoruba towns, is traced to Oduduwa, the great ancestor of the Yoruba race. According to him, the actual date when Akure was founded is unknown, adding, however, that Omoloju, the son of Iyangede of Epe, a village of about 10 kilometres north of Ondo, was the first person to settle in the town.
According to him, Omoloju, while trying to clear a bush-path on a spot between Isinkan and Oke-Aro junctions on Arakale road, had the wrist beads (akun) on his hand cut. “The spot on which the beads broke was named ‘Akun-re’ (meaning ‘beads cut’). This was later contracted to Akure.
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When he settled at the place, Omoloju installed himself as Alakunre. The people in other two sections of Akure – the Isinkan, whose head is Aralepo, and the Isolo headed by Osolo and whose tradition are distinct from those of the majority inhabitants – also represented earlier settlers on the site of the present Akure,es the history of Akure, Ondo State capital, and why its indigenes are referred to as Omo Ekun or Oloyemekun


Akure, capital city of the Ondo State, has an interesting historical account. It is also one of the densely-populated cities in the country. The city has a fair share of development and mineral deposits which make it a commercial hub.







Tourist sites

Some of the places frequented by visitors to Akure are Deji’s old and new palaces (Aafin Deji), Aafin Oba Osolo, Aafin Oba Iralepo, Oba’s Market (Oja Erekesan) in Oke Eda, the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), the Old Colonial Secretariat, among others.


Akure personalities

In addition, Akure, popularly called the city of Oloyemekun, has prominent sons and daughters that have excelled in all spheres of life. Among these are Dr. Olu Falae, Secretary to Ibrahim Babangida’s Military Government and one-time presidential candidate; Reuben Fasoranti, leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere; the late Akinola Aguda, former Chief Justice of Botswana; and a host of others.


Akure Oloyemekun

Akure Oloyemekun is derived from the name of the first monarch of the town called Asodeboyede, who was referred to as Omo Ekun Asodeboyede, later shortened to Oloyemekun.



It was, however, gathered that Asodeboyede’s bravery and doggedness prompted his descendants to adopt the name Oloyemekun which is synonymous with Akure till today.



Asodeboyede, according to oral tradition, means “he who hunts has arrived from Oye”. The people of Akure were said to among the beneficiaries of the early missionaries that came to introduce education in the South West geo-political zone of Nigeria.




Omo Ekun

TheNiche learnt that in the past, Akure was an independent region, until the 19th century, when it was included in the Benin Kingdom. In 1894, the control over the region passed on to Britain.



The city connects to other Nigerian cities such as Ibadan, Lagos, Benin, Osun, Ekiti, Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Abuja. According to the history of the town, Akure, like other towns in Yoruba land, has its origin traced to Ile Ife, the cradle of civilisation of the Yoruba. The town was founded by one of the sons of Oduduwa who was described as very brave, bold and courageous.

Akure indigenes are fondly called “Omo Akure Oloyemekun a mu ida s’ile m’ogun enu pani” (meaning sons and daughters that sheathed the sword and kill with mouth). It is also a common knowledge for an Akure indigene to regard himself as Omo Ekun (son of a tiger). Till his death, Wunmi Adegbonmire, an indigene of Akure, was popular with the name Omo Ekun like others. He even gave the name Omo Ekun to his column in the Nigerian Tribune.



According to him, Omoloju, while trying to clear a bush-path on a spot between Isinkan and Oke-Aro junctions on Arakale road, had the wrist beads (akun) on his hand cut. “The spot on which the beads broke was named ‘Akun-re’ (meaning ‘beads cut’). This was later contracted to Akure.



“When he settled at the place, Omoloju installed himself as Alakunre. The people in other two sections of Akure – the Isinkan, whose head is Aralepo, and the Isolo headed by Osolo and whose tradition are distinct from those of the majority inhabitants – also represented earlier settlers on the site of the present Akure.