Ilesa () is an ancient town located in the

Osun State Osun State (; yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Ọ̀ṣun), occasionally known as the State of Osun by the state government, is a state in southwestern Nigeria; bounded to the east by Ekiti and Ondo states, to the north by Kwara State, to the south by Ogun S ...

, southwest

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

; it is also the name of a historic kingdom (also known as

Ijesha The Ijesha (written as Ìjẹ̀ṣà in Yoruba orthography) are a sub-ethnicity of the Yorubas of West Africa. Ilesha is the largest town and historic cultural capital of the Ijesha people, and is home to a kingdom of the same name, ruled by an ...

) centred on that village. The state is ruled by a monarch bearing the title of the Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland. The state of Ilesa consisted of Ilesa itself and a number of smaller surrounding cities. The Ijesa, a term also denoting the people of the state of Ilesa, are part of the present

of Nigeria. Some of the popular towns of the Ijesa are Odo-Ijesa, Ilaje, Igbogi, Ise-Ijesa,

Ibokun Ibokun (''also'' IIemure, Ilu Obokun, Ilu'bokun) is a town in Osun State, Nigeria. It is 416 meters above sea level. Ibokun is the headquarters of Obokun. The postal code of the area is 233. History Ibokun (at that time Ilemure) was named after ...

, Erin Ijesa, Ijeda-Ijesa, Ipetu Jesa,

Ijebu-Jesa Ijebu-jesa is the capital of Oriade Local Government area in Osun State of Nigeria. It is a commuter city with connections to Ekiti State on one side, Ondo State on another and it has a border with the famous Ilesa the surrounding towns area Iwoy ...

Esa-Oke Esa-Oke is a Yoruba town located at the Obokun Local Government Area of the Ijesa North Federal Constituency of Ife/Ijesa Senatorial District of Osun State, South-West of Nigeria. It is a native Ijesa (Ijesha) community and shares boundaries wi ...

,Esa Odo, Ipole Ijesa, Ifewara Ijesa, Ipo Arakeji, Iloko Ijesa, Iwara Ijesa, Iperindo Ijesa, Erinmo Ijesa, Iwaraja Ijesa, Oke-Ana Ijesa, Idominasi, Ilase Ijesa, Igangan ijesa, Imo Ijesa, Alakowe Ijesa, Osu Ijesa, Eti Oni, Itaore, Itagunmodi, Iyinta, Itaapa, Epe Ijesa, Omo Ijesa, Eti-oni, Ibokun, Inila, Ijinla, Iloba Ijesa, Odo Ijesa, Imogbara Ijesa, Eseun Ijesa, Iloo, Owena Ijesa, Ido Ijesa, Ido Oko, Ibala Ijesa, Ere Ijesa, Ilahun, Ibodi, Ijaaregbe, Ikinyinwa, Idominasi, Ilowa, and Ibodi. The state of Ijeshaland was founded c.1300 by Ajibogun Ajaka Owa Obokun Onida Raharaha, a warlike youngest son of Yoruba Projenitor

Oduduwa Oduduwa was a Yoruba divine king. According to tradition, he was the holder of the title of the ''Olofin'' of Ile-Ife, the Yoruba holy city. He ruled briefly in Ife, and also served as the progenitor of a number of independent royal dynasties ...

Oral history

According to the historian

Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709 – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. The ''Oxford ...

: Odo - Ile was Oduduwa's Grandchild by Oduduwa's Eldest Daughter (Logun Edu's own son became the First Odole of Ijesaland - rime-Minister/Secretary of State of Ijesaland

Colonial assessment

The village was described by the Rev. William Howard Clark in 1854 in the following manner:

The Ijesa Monarchs

There are four royal houses amongst which accession to the throne is supposed to be rotated: Biladu, Bilagbayo, Bilaro and Bilayirere. Rulers, under the title of ''Owa Obokun Adimula'', have been as follows:

Notable people

*Israel Olatunde Adedeji-Orolugbagbe, JP, BA London (Erudite Scholar & Renowned Educationist) (An Odole Yoloye Descendant) *Royal High Chief Adebola Oyeleye Adedeji-Orolugbagbe (RHC Oyegbulu 1 - Odole-Owa of IjesaLand) (Prime Minister/Secretary of State, IjesaLand (An Odole Yoloye Descendant) *

T. M. Aluko Timothy Mofolorunso Aluko (14 July 1918 – 1 May 2010) was a Nigerian writer. Biography A Yoruba, Aluko was born in Ilesha in Nigeria and studied at Government College, Ibadan, and Higher College, Yaba in Lagos. He then studied civil enginee ...

OBE OON *

Akinloye Akinyemi Akinloye Akinyemi, (1954–2012), also known as Sergeant Carter, was a Nigerian retired Major who was arrested, tried and sentenced in 1987 and 1995 for alleged coup plotting. During his military career, he served in the Nigerian Army Signal Cor ...

, Nigerian major *Chief Lawrence Omole, Business mogul and industrialist *Tosho Obembe, Business mogul and industrialist *L.O Ayeni Rational, Business mogul and industrialist *Dr. Fajemisin, Medical Doctor *Prof Wale Omole, University Lecturer and Former VC OAU Ile Ife *Olu Abiola, Business mogul and industrialist *Prof Ibidapo-Obe, University Lecturer and Former VC University of Lagos *

Samuel Olatunde Fadahunsi Samuel Olatunde Fadahunsi (17 March 1920 – 12 August 2014) was a Nigerian civil engineer and former President of COREN, an engineering regulation body in Nigeria. Life and career He was born on 17 March 1920 in Osun State, southwestern Nigeri ...

, Commander of the Order of Niger, CON and President of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) *Hon. Justice

Kayode Eso Chief Samuel Obakayode "Kayode" Eso, CON, CFR (born 18 September 1925 – 16 November 2012) was a prominent Nigerian jurist. He served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Early life Samuel Obakayode Eso was born on 18 September 19 ...

. Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria (An Odole Gidigbi Faloju Descendant) *Hon. Justice Samuel Omotunde Ilori. Chief Justice of Lagos State of Nigeria (An Arapate Descendant) *Professor

Bolaji Akinyemi Akinwande Bolaji Akinyemi (born 4 January 1942) is a Nigerian professor of political science who was Nigeria External Affairs Minister from 1985 to late 1987. He is the chairman of the National Think Tank. Early life, academic career, and pers ...

, a Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs and a professor of political science *

Moses Olaiya Moses Olaiya (18 May 1936 – 7 October 2018), better known by his stage name "Baba Sala", was a Nigerian comedian, dramatist, and actor. A Yoruba from Ijesha, Baba Sala, regarded as the father of modern Nigerian comedy, alongside other drama ...

(also known as ''Baba Sala''), a famous comedian *Ogbeni

Rauf Aregbesola Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola (born 25 May 1957) is a Nigerian politician who is the current Minister of the Federal Ministry of Interior of Nigeria. Before that, he served as the fourth civilian governor of Osun State. He is a native of Iles ...

, a Governor of Osun State * Isaac Folorunsho Adewole, a Nigerian Minister of Health and a former

Vice Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor is ...

University of Ibadan The University of Ibadan (UI) is a public research university in Ibadan, Nigeria. The university was founded in 1948 as University College Ibadan, one of many colleges within the University of London. It became an independent university in 196 ...

*Pastor

Enoch Adeboye Enoch Adejare Adeboye (born 2 March 1942) is a Nigerian pastor and General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God. Early life Enoch Adejare Adeboye was born on 2 March 1942 in Ifewara, near Ife, in the then Southern Region, British Nig ...

, general overseer of the

Redeemed Christian Church of God The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) is a Pentecostal megachurch and denomination founded in Lagos, Nigeria. The General overseer (most senior pastor) is Enoch Adeboye, ordained in 1981. The church in Lagos had an average church attendanc ...

*Pastor Timothy Oluwole Obadare, of CAC WOSEM. *Pastor

William Kumuyi William Folorunso Kumuyi (born 6 June 1941) is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry situated at Gbagada, Lagos, Nigeria. He is the author of several Christian books and devotionals. William Folorunso Kumu ...

, General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministries * Prince Adegoke Aromolaran, Business mogul and industrialist. * Yinka Jegede-Ekpe *Chief Ogedengbe Agbogungboro of Atorin, IjesaLand, First Obanla of Ilesa

References

External links

*http://osun.gov.ng/about/major-towns/ilesa/ {{authority control Populated places in Osun State Cities in Yorubaland Cities in Nigeria 14th-century establishments in Nigeria