Lagelu, ''-- Oro a pata maja'' ("Oro" in

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...

means a sprite) -- was the founder of

Ibadan Ibadan (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Oyo State, in Nigeria. It is the third-largest city by population in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano, with a total population of 3,649,000 as of 2021, and over 6 million people within its me ...

, around 1829. A military legend and

s' generalissimo from Ile Ife, he founded two of the three cities (

Eba Odan Ibadan (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Oyo State, in Nigeria. It is the third-largest city by population in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano, with a total population of 3,649,000 as of 2021, and over 6 million people within its m ...

and

Eba'dan Ibadan (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Oyo State, in Nigeria. It is the third-largest city by population in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano, with a total population of 3,649,000 as of 2021, and over 6 million people within its me ...

) that eventually became the city of

. Eba Odan + Eba'dan =

. The first military commander of Ibadan, Lagelu left Ile Ife and founded

. This city was peaceful and prosperous until it was ravaged by neighbouring towns and cities. A very old Lagelu and some of his people survived this attack. He then formed another city called

on top of "Ori Yangi" (meaning rocky mountain), now known as the Oja'ba (Oba's Market) in very close proximity to the ravaged city of

. Shortly after, Lagelu died. For many years the new city enjoyed peace and tranquility until another war engulfed and destroyed it. For the third time, another set of people took over the leadership of the existing city led by Iba Oluyole, a descendant of Basorun Yamba and Basorun Gaa, which became today's

.Oke Badan Festival and Ose Meji Festival are two of the legacies of Lagelu the founder of Ibadan.

References

* Iwe Itan

(A Book on the History of

) by the late Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba I.B. Akinyele {{authority control Yoruba history Yoruba military personnel Nigerian royalty People from Ibadan History of Ibadan Nigerian city founders