Ekiti State - History

History

Ekiti was an independent state prior to the British conquest. It was one of the many Yoruba states in what is today Nigeria. Ekiti as a nation and districts of Yoruba race had her progeny in Oduduwa, the father and progenitor of Yoruba race. Just like every major subethnic division in Yorubaland. Ekiti has her origin from Ile-Ife (the cradle land of Yorubaland). The Olofin, one of the sons of the Oduduwa had sixteen (16) children and in the means of searching for the new land to develop, they all journeyed out of Ile-Ife as they walked through the Iwo - Eleru(crave) near Akure and had stop over at a place called Igbo-Aka(forest of termites) closer to Ile-Oluji.

The Olofin, the sixteen children and some other beloved people continued with their journey, but when they got to a particular lovely and flat land, the Owa-Obokun(the monachy of Ijesha land) and Orangun of Ila decided to stay in the present Ijesha and Igomina land of in Osun state. While the remaining fourteen (14) children continued with the journey and later settled in the present day of Ekiti land. They discovered that there were many hills in the place and they said in their mother's language that this is 'Ile olokiti' the land of hills. Therefore the Okiti later blended to EkitiI. So Ekiti derived her name through hills.

These are direct children and founder of Ekitiland, Igbominaland and Ijeshaland:

  1. Alara of Aramoko
  2. Alaaye of Efon Alaaye Kingdom
  3. Ajero of Ijero Kingdom
  4. Arinjale of Ise
  5. Ewi of Ado
  6. Elekole of Ikole
  7. Ogoga of Ikere
  8. Atta of Ayede-ekiti
  9. Elemure of Emure
  10. Oloye of Oye
  11. Olojudo of Ido
  12. Onire of Ire
  13. Onitaji of Itaji
  14. Onisan of Isan
  15. Oore of Otun Moba
  16. Owatapa of Itapa
  17. Orangun of Ila-Orangun
  18. Owa -obokun of Ijeshaland
  19. Ologotun of Ogotun

The modern Ekiti state was formed from part of Ondo in 1996.

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