Traditional rulers in the oil-rich Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State have rejected the inclusion of their area in the proposed Ijebu State in Ogun State, stating that Ilaje remains one and indivisible.
This resolution was reached by stakeholders and traditional rulers from the area after a meeting over the weekend. They collectively urged “persons of Ilaje origin or descent to remain vigilant and shun all forms of inducement that may compromise our inherited territorial integrity.”
In a communiqué signed by the Chairman of the Ilaje Council of Obas, the Amapetu of Mahin, Oba Olusegun Williams Akinyomi, and the Secretary, Oba Olufemi Ogbaro, the Odoka of Obe-Ogbaro, the people of Ilaje firmly rejected the inclusion of any part of Ilaje land in the proposed Ijebu State or any other state.
The communiqué reads: “The meeting was informed and took cognizance of agitations by different peoples and groups in Nigeria for the creation of states, with proposals to that effect submitted by members and published by concerned committees of the National Assembly, as reported in the media. One such proposal is the creation of Ijebu State, which, strangely, includes names of Ilaje communities.
“The meeting resolved, without prejudice to the interests of those concerned, but for the avoidance of any doubt, that Ilaje people reject the inclusion of any part of Ilaje land in the proposed Ijebu State or any other state to the east or west of Ilaje land, as hereinabove defined.
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“Ilaje shall remain one and indivisible, with no part thereof excised except by the creation of more local governments or administrative units within the same state—an option we may clearly and unambiguously support, if necessary, in the fullness of time.
“The meeting reaffirmed our unwavering commitment to maintaining, defending, and promoting Ilaje unity, territory, and culture as an integral part of the Federation of Nigeria. We urge persons of Ilaje origin or descent to remain vigilant and shun all forms of inducement that may compromise our inherited territorial integrity.”
Additionally, the traditional rulers stated that “the meeting was briefed on the unwarranted crises being instigated by officials of Ogun Waterside Local Government and Ogun State at Irokun, an ancient Ilaje town and kingdom, which lies outside the boundary with Ogun State. The Olurokun of Irokun has always been appointed under Ilaje and Ondo State authority.
“Attempts to extend Ijebu or Ogun State authority to Irokun have been rejected by Irokun Obas and even Ijebu officials since British colonial times. This was confirmed by the District Officer of Ijebu-Ode in his letter No. 71/1920, dated 9th July 1920, to his Ondo Division counterpart, in which he stated that ‘neither Irokun nor the village of Obi was in Ijebu country.’
“Olurokun Oba Joga Adejipe, in accordance with the Native Authorities Ordinance of 1924, reaffirmed his Ilaje ancestry and insisted that his kingdom remained part of the Ilaje District in a letter dated 8th October 1937, addressed to the District Officer on Tour in Mahin through the Maporure of Ihapen Agerige-Ilaje.
“A similar stance was maintained during the reign of Olurokun Oba Beniah O. Omosehin. Following a request from the Chieftaincy Department, a letter (Ref. No. CHM7/4/24) dated 24th May 1982, signed by S.O. Abiodun on behalf of the Secretary to the Ogun State Government and addressed to the Secretary of the Ijebu Traditional Council, confirmed during a meeting held on 22nd October 1982 that ‘available records did not show that Oba Olurokun of Irokun was ever a member of the Ijebu Traditional Council.’
“The meeting also noted recent actions by certain Ogun State officials in Irokun, particularly since the passing of Olurokun Oba Olowoniyi Abejoye. His daughter, Princess Adeyinka Abejoye-Ogunyemi, has since been appointed Regent. Those fueling crises are advised to reconsider their actions and uphold the age-long peaceful coexistence among our peoples.”
The communiqué further stated: “The meeting also received reports of hired armed hoodlums who invaded the Ilaje community of Eba, burning properties while claiming to be working for the Ogun State Government with the support of certain security personnel.
“It was noted that Eba, including Eba Island, which hosts one of the Ondo State Forest Reserves acquired by the colonial administration as part of Ilaje District, is not on the boundary with Ogun State.
“The meeting recalled that between 2014 and 2015, following reports by the people through Oba Molokun of Atijere, the Ondo State Government initiated an extensive investigation into reported mineral deposits on Eba Island, including at Ago Alaja and the adjoining Ilaje communities.
“The meeting called on the Ondo State and Federal Government to ensure the security of our people and to advise misguided officials, including security personnel making false territorial claims for Ogun State, to desist from creating unwarranted crises in the area.
“The meeting reiterated that Ilaje land and Local Government constitute the entire coastline of Ondo State, stretching from and including the communities of Elefon, Aba JK, Igbosere, and Olosunmeta. The immediate north of this area, along the Alape Lagoon, includes Irokun, Igbo-Edun, Eba Island, and Awodikora (boundary with Ogun State). The Atijere area (headquarters of the former Ilaje District Council) extends six miles west of Atijere, which marks the tribal boundary between Ilaje and Ijebu, with the natural feature of Ilaje white sand and Ijebu red soil by Ofara River at Efire, including Itebu Elero and Aiyetumara.
“This western boundary extends eastward along the coast through the Obe District to the Imoluma villages to Oghoye (Benin River boundary with Itsekiri Warri), then northeast to the junction of Okitimokoro and Adabrassa creeks.
“The meeting recalled that at the beginning of British colonial administration, this defined territory was incorporated into the Lagos Colony by an instrument of the Legislative Council, Colony of Lagos, dated 12th November 1895. This was further reinforced by the visit of Sir MacGregor, Governor of Lagos, to Ilaje land, as documented in his dispatch dated 23rd June 1903 to The Rt. Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, Secretary of State for the Colonies.
“This area of Lagos Colony later became part of Ondo Province in 1914 and, subsequently, Ondo State in 1976. The meeting acknowledged the eastern boundary of Ilaje as part of the Ondo/Delta boundary dispute, contained in the report submitted in 2002 by DJ Freeman consultants under the Obasanjo administration, initiated through the National Boundary Commission.
“The meeting noted that disputes over the Ondo/Ogun boundary, arising from subsequent instruments inconsistent with the established Ilaje/Ijebu tribal boundaries, particularly between Ilaje Local Government (Ondo State) and Ogun Waterside Local Government (Ogun State), led to a joint meeting of officials from both states, the National Boundary Commission (NBC), and the Surveyor General of the Federation on 21st October 2016. Stakeholders, including the Boundary Commissions of both states, affected Local Governments, Obas, and community leaders, resolved that the boundary would be determined through ethnographic surveys by the NBC.
“In the meantime, and pending the report, all stakeholders—including the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions and the NBC—agreed that the two states and affected communities should maintain the status quo, particularly in the Atijere/Makun area, at the village of Liyewu, where roads constructed by both Ogun and Ondo States meet.”
