Oro, Kwara
Oro Kingdom | |
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| Coordinates: 8°13′33″N 4°53′32″E / 8.2258°N 4.8923°E |
Oro is a Kingdom, originally made up of nine communities. However, two additional communities have since been added, bringing the total communities that currently made up of Oro Kingdom to eleven communities. Oro is a kingdom located in Kwara State, Nigeria, and one of the largest in the Irepodun Local Government Area. It lies on the Ilorin-Lokoja highway and is about fifty-four kilometres from Ilorin, the state capital of Kwara.
History
The history of the Oro Kingdom can be traced to the Old Oyo Empire. Many centuries ago, a chieftaincy dispute in Old Oyo led to the progenitor of Oro Kingdom, Prince Olakanmi, leaving the Old Oyo Empire with his wife and some members of his family, friends, loyal warriors, and salves in dissatisfaction and establishing what is now known as Oro Kingdom. The name "Oro" is derived from the Egba phrase “Eje ka ro sibi,” which means "let us sojourn here." This reflects the Egba heritage of Prince Olakanmi's wife, who was from Abeokuta (Ogun State), while Prince Olakanmi himself was a prince of the Royal palace in the Old Oyo Empire in the present-day Oyo State.
Prince Olakanmi, with the advice of the “Ifa Oracle,” moved southeast of old Oyo with his contingent. This Ifa Oracle had earlier instructed Olakanmi to settle wherever he met a blacksmith. Olakanmi later moved to Idofin Odu, the present-day Ibode town. At Idofin Odu, Olakanmi, and his followers stayed for a short period.'[1]
The foundation of Oro Kingdom is rooted in the nine children of our forefathers, each of whom established one of the generic nine towns that constitute the kingdom. These towns are Afin Oro, Agbeola Oro, Iddo Oro, Ijomu Oro, Iludun Oro, Irebode Oro, Okeola Oro, Okerimi Oro, and Otun Oro. Over time, two additional towns were incorporated into the kingdom, bringing the total to eleven. These additional towns were granted permission to settle on Oro land. Today Oro Kingdom is known as Eku Mokanla Oro as against the old Eku Mesan Oro. The descendants of our progenitor, Prince Olakanmi, are referred to as Mokin-Oro, and they are present in each of the nine generic towns of Oro Kingdom. These Mokin-Oro are the direct descendants of Oloro, and no town among the generic nine is without members of Oloro’s lineage. This shared ancestry forms the foundation of the unity and heritage of the Oro Kingdom.
Demographics
The people of Oro are Yoruba of the Igbomina subgroup.[2]
Communities in Oro
- Afin-oro
- Agbeola-oro
- Iddo-oro
- Ijomu-oro
Notable house in Ijomu Oro Ile Okẹkẹ, cheiftancy tittle Ọdọro Ile Ibba, cheiftancy tittle Ibba
Notable People
John Oyinloye. Professor of Physics and former University of Ilorin Vice-Chancellor
References
- ^ "History of Oro: the Igbomina stock". Yoruba Traditional & Cultural Renaissance. 2012-10-06. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
- ^ Alao, Moses (October 17, 2010). "Oro: The edifices, the myth of a town". thenigerianvoice.
- ^ IPROJECT, Final Year Research Project Topics & Materials In PDF & Doc | project from. "THE ROLE OF OKERIMI-ORO IN THE CO-ORDINATION OF ORO FEDERATION IN THE ..." iproject.com.ng. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
- ^ Rasak, Adekunle (2021-04-14). "Heavy rainfall renders many homeless in Oro, Kwara". Tribune Online. Retrieved 2023-06-07.