The Ijebus were the first Yoruba-speaking people to have contact with the Europeans in the early 14th century. By the 15th century, Ijebu emerged a highly organized and powerful nation and defended itself against its enemies. Ijebu Empire was 2nd to Oyo’s empire in the 15th century. Today, The Ijebu Empire remains intact and is the largest ethnic group in the Yoruba land. Ijebu, as a prime brass-importing kingdom, highlights the early importance of metalworking in Ijebuland. They were the first set of people to manufacture gears of wars in the history of Nigeria. The Ijebus are the first Yoruba to have invented money made from cowry shells called “OWO EYO,” which was accepted throughout the kingdoms of Yoruba land until the European culprits came and destroyed it. After that, they made legal tender coins called “PANDORA,” made from silver materials, which were acceptable throughout Africa and Europe.

These coins were popularly known as “OWO IJEBU” in the Yoruba language. The Ijebu nation consisted of 6 divisions:

a. Ijebu-Ife

b. Ijebu-Igbo

c. Ijebu-Ode

d. Ijebu-Ososa

e. Ijebu-Remo

f. Ijebu Waterside

The Ijebu boundary extended as far as Dahomey, now known as the Republic of Benin, and inside Oyo, Ondo, Edo, and Delta States in Nigeria. Ijebu established one of the best doctrines of laws in human history. This law was used in their system of government. They practiced democracy before modern-day democracy and before the Colonialists knew Africa. Ijebu Land is blessed because it has access to the Atlantic Ocean, the lagoons, rivers, streams, and several natural resources, including natural gas, petroleum, tin, limestone, gold, and arable land. Ijebu’s climate is friendly and varies from the equatorial east and west to the tropical middle belt and the arid north. Ijebu used the mighty waterways to establish the most popular trade route that put the entire region on the world map.     

THE Ijebu People inhabit the South-Central part of Yoruba land. This territory is bounded in the North by Ibadan, in the East by Ondo, Okitipupa, and in the West by Egbaland. The Southern fringe is open to the sea with the coastlines of Epe, Ejinrin, and Ikorodu. Despite the political division which has these three towns in Lagos while the main part of Ijebuland is Ogun State, the people have always regarded themselves as one entity even when the immigration ­legends which have often been cited, point in dif­ferent directions.

There are immigration legends that tend to link the Ijebu with the biblical Jebusites and Noah (hence Omoluwabi -- omo ti Noah bi -- the children of Noah), but these are farfetched. Other immigration legends trace the origin of the Yoruba people and, by implication, the Ijebu to Mecca, where Oduduwa, the legendary ancestor of the Yoruba, was said to be the son of King Lamurudu. Oduduwa, according to the legend, had to be expelled from Mecca when he resorted to idolatry. This is another unacceptable story in that it implied that the Yoruba must have come into existence after faithful Muslims expelled Oduduwa some 1,500 years ago. Ijebu traditional historians tend to stick to the migra¬tion legend that the people migrated to their present territory from a region of Sudan called Waddai, which means that the Ijebu had a parallel migration wave just like other Yoruba who believe they came to their present abode via Oduduwa. 

That claim seems to be corroborated by a publication by one Hailemariam, which states that "the most powerful people that the Negede Orit (ancient Ethiopian immigrant into Africa) met in East Africa were the Jebus." Their King was claimed to be so influential that he appointed the gover¬nors of Yemen. If that King was the same Olu-Iwa, the legendary first Ruler of Ijebuland, we do not know.

There is much evidence in support of the fact that the Ijebus migrated to Nigeria from Sudan. The most ob¬vious is the Sudanese tribal mark which, though varied, is duplicated all over Yoruba land. In particular, the three ver¬tical marks on both cheeks are the national marks in Ijebu. 

Moreover, on the border between South Sudan and Ethiopia, the original language, which the Arabic language has super¬seded, is very similar to Ijebu dialect. Names of people such as Saba, Esiwu, Meleki (corruption of Menelik), and many others are still common in Ijebu and the South of Sudan. A kind of flute that was formerly used during the coronation ceremony of the Awujale is still used in Ethio¬pia and South of Sudan. In the second place, the passage quoted from 'Ethiopian History' by Hailemariam at the beginning of this essay shows that Negede Orit, which entered Ethiopia several cen¬turies before King Solomon and the famous Makida, Queen of Sheba (about 900 B.C.), met the Ijebus on the east Coast of Southern Sudan. 

The ancestors of the Ijebus who now inhabit Ijebu-Ode and its districts came to Nigeria from the ancient Kingdom of Owodaiye of Ethiopia, which came to an end as a result of Arab supremacy in the Middle East and the Sudan, where Owodaiye was situated. The Kingdom of Owodaiye was bounded in the North by Nubia, East by Tigre, and the Kingdom of Axum; in the West, there was no clear boundary, while along its South-Eastern border, it was bounded by the land of Punt. With these people, the Ijebus share their culture and religion. With the Tigrians and ancient Axumites, the Ijebus share their tribal marks, which are made up of three vertical marks on the cheeks. In contrast, with the Egyptians, the Nubians, and the Puntite people, the Ijebu share many of their funeral rites, the Agemo cult, and the Erikiran.

The Yorubas in Nubia were the nearest people to the Ijebus in Owo aiye. Even the Ijebus differ from the Yoruba in many respects. For example, while the main Yoruba group practice circumcision on both male and female members of the family, the Ijebus never practice it on the female members; the Yorubas used to bore the lower part of the ear in both male and female while the male never bore in Ijebu.

The first significant wave of Sudanese that entered Nigeria was led by Iwase, who came to Ife several centu¬ries before the major Sudanese immigration under Oduduwa and Olu-Iwa. The Iwase group of immigrants came during the reign of Esumare of Ife Erinrin. The following groups of Sudanese immigrants were the Ijebus and the kindred peoples under Olu-Iwa, who entered the country at about the same time as the Yoruba under Oduduwa. There are many reasons to believe that they arrived before the main Yoruba group. 

The most important reason was stated in a Yoruba tradition that when Oduduwa was alive, he became partially blind and went to consult Agbonniregun, an Ife Priest, intending to find out what he must apply to his eyes to regain his sight. Agbonniregun recommended brine, and so Oduduwa had to send one of his sons, Obokun, to the sea to bring him seawater. The latter wandered for many years in vain until he came to the King of Ijebu for help. This King sent a messenger to guide him to the sea, and on Obokun's re¬turn to Ijebu, the King of the ljebus (Lewu Legusen) gave Obokun medicines for Oduduwa's eyes. When Oduduwa applied the brine and the medicine, he regained his sight. 

The above tradition shows that the ljebus were in Nigeria before the main Yoruba stock because the King of Ijebu referred to was the fifth Awujale. In appreciation of this service, Oduduwa determined to visit the King of Ijebu, but he died about fifteen miles east of Ijebu-Ode. His followers settled down at Idofe, a town that has now become extinct.

The Ijebu legend tracing their origin to Waddai must have brought the known rivalry between them and other Yoruba people. 

If, indeed, Lamurudu and Oduduwa de¬scended from Omu, the younger brother of Olu-Iwa, there is some sense in the claim that the Ijebus are senior to other Yorubas and cannot, therefore, accept the junior position that put them under the Ooni of Ife or Alaafin of Oyo.

The bulk of Yoruba people regards the ljebus as peripheral Yoruba, while the ljebus themselves do not hide the fact that the cohesion between them and others who call themselves central Yoruba has been the result of cultural and political interaction over the centuries. Time itself has taken care of these legends as the various groups of people in Western Nigeria have come to accept a common Nationality as Yoruba, be they Ekiti, Ijesha, Egba, Ondo, Ijebu, etc. Even among the Ijebus, there are conflicting claims to the source of origin depending on the political intention of those concerned. Irrespective of these claims, the Ijebus are united under the leadership of the Awujale of Ijebuland. This unity is the strength of the people, as exhibited by their achievements in the past 48 years of the reign of Oba Sikiru Adetona, Ogbagba II.

DEITIES IN IJEBU

AGEMO

Foremost among the deities in Ijebu is the Agemo, which is jointly celebrated by Ijebu communities in June/July of every year. The Agemo is a ral­lying factor among the communities that make up Ijebu state.

It is believed that the idea was initiated by Obanta himself as an annual assembly of his priests (Alagemos) at Imosan to curb an unusual in­cidence of recalcitrance during the dispersal of town­ships. He was said to have summoned the Agemo priests from 16 locations to Ijebu-Ode for a heart-to-heart discussion.

The Obanta prepared well for his visitors whom he feted and had. Discussion (oro awo) with. As it was normal with them, these priests also came with their instruments of power (and defense). And to prevent a possible attack on the people, Obanta made the meeting more business-like so that none of their powers could filter to the people.

The Agemos (in the order of dancing at Agbala Imosan & Ijebu Ode) are:

Tami (Odogbolu), Olumoro (Imoro), Serefusi (Igbile), Posa (Imosan), Moko (Okun), Alofe (Ijesa-Ijebu), Onugbo (Okenugbo), Iju (Imosan), Lapen (Oru), Magodo (Aiyepe), Bajelu (Imuku), Lubamisan (Ago-lwoye), Petu (Isiwo), Ogegbo (Ibonwon), ldobi (Ago-Iwoye), Nopa (Imushin).

Other fetish Agemo Priests that do not per­form dancing rites are:

Onijagbori (Imosan), Adie (Ago-Iwoye), Ogi (Idogi, Ijebu-Ode).

The Agemo festival has since followed the format with people celebrating it with pomp and pag­eantry. The Alagemos usually follow a permanent festival route during which women are compelled to stay indoors. The Awujale is the one that now re­ceives the Alagemos through their head (Tami), whom he (Awujale will receive at Ipebi before the usual "e e ke e e" is chanted to signify the arrival of the other Alagemos.

ORO

Oro festival is also common to Ijebus, where it cleans the communities of bad omens. It usually comes up before the Agemo festival as a strat­egy of preparing the ground for the Alagemos to ensure that the communities have been rid of evil spirits and epidemics. It is believed that communities are safe after the Oro festival (Igbalu) and so "Eiye a ke bi eiye and Eran a ke bi eran." Women are not allowed to witness Oro worship which is usually a seven-day program. In Ijebu-Ode, the Oro comes out in the night when women must not only stay indoors but must equally not attempt to peep at all, while in some Ijebu villages, women are kept indoors throughout the day.

EBI (Obinrin Ojowu)

Also celebrated is the Obinrin ojowu (Ebi), which usually falls between February and March of every year (the beginning of planting season). The Olowu is the priest of Obinrin Ojowu who directs the rites and takes responsibility for its worship. Before the Obinrin Ojowu celebration, the Olowu would have had to consult with the Awujale and secure his consent on three different occasions. He will then pass a death sentence on dogs with no palm fronds around their necks. The Iroko tree at Odo-Esa is very important to the Obinrin Ojowu festival as some rites are performed under it, and a dog is usually killed and hung on it throughout the year. Also associated with the festival is the Woro carnival (which usually takes people around the community) and the practice of youths testing night and level of endurance with cane competition. They engage themselves (in twos and beat each other until one gives up (by hanging his cane).

LEGURU

The month of August is usually devoted to the worship of Leguru (although this is no longer popular) in remembrance of the bravery of the Onisemu Leguru, who volunteered to sacrifice himself to save Ijebu Ode from being taken over by the Lagoon, which then occupied some areas in the town.

Unconfirmed reports have it that the town was then faced with the threat of the Lagoon taking over the whole place, and as was predicated, the town would only become a port (not habitable as it is presently). The man, it was said, was a foremost priest who decided to brave the sacrifice when Ifa talked about the grave implication of retaining the water in the town.

Reports have it that Leguru himself performed the divination and was then not prepared to change or twist the facts, as revealed by Ifa that he (Leguru) was the one that could save the town by sacrificing himself. People still claim to hear him perform divination (underwater) around a portion of the Lagoon at Epe.