25th June, 2015
Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta
Contrary to stories in many history books that Egba Kingdom was founded in 1830,the Alake and Paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Michael Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, Okukenu IV, has faulted the claim, saying that it was Abeokuta that was founded in 1830 and not Egba.
The monarch stated this in an interview with Egba News at his palace in Ake, Abeokuta the Ogun State capital in western Nigeria.
The Paramount ruler, while correcting the erroneous belief, stressed that Egba had been in existence more than two hundred years before it decided to come together under a community now known as Abeokuta.
According to him, “we did not get here in 1830,the Egbas were not created in 1830. Abeokuta was founded in 1830,we did not just drop from somewhere in 1829 to come and found this place in 1830.
“Because of the desire for a safe haven, our warriors, who have become ‘Ajagunjeun’ came down from Ibadan so that the enemies who have been taking Egba township by war could be discouraged the moment we were together; and that was what led to the founding of Abeokuta in 1830.
“All the other people have been where they are today for over 200 years. Ijeun people have been in Obafemi area, all these places for over 200 years.
“Lisabi never came to Abeokuta because there was no Abeokuta when he was alive,but he still saved the Egbas from Oloyo.”