Asa Tepede In History

Asa tepede is a village under Owu Kingdom in Asa/Yobo Ward of Ewekoro Local Government Area in Ogun State.
The emergence of Asa Tepede village began with its ancestral link with Owu – one of those Yoruba states that could claim ancestral links with Ife, cradle of Yoruba civilization. Owu was not founded by a direct son of Oduduwa, but the dynasty founder was Anlugbua or Ajibosin who was the first ruler to receive a crown with beaded fringes from Oduduwa.
It is believed that Anlugbua was the son of a marriage between Olawunmi (Oduduwa eldest daughter) and an aboriginal Ife leader presumably Obatala. Anlugbua crown came directly from Oduduwa and apart from the crown he was given an Iron – chain (Epe), which subsequently became the totem of the Olowu and his people.
Owu traditional history of migration revealed that Anlugbua migrated from Ife and passed through present day Ilesha, stayed temporarily at Epe (near Ondo) and the family settled at a site between Rivers Sasa and Osun where Anlugbua founded Ipole – Owu which subsequently became the nucleus and administrative capital of Owu Kingdom.
After the Owu war of 1821 – 1825 the main – stream group of Owu joined their Egbaneighbours around Odo – Ona in the present day Ibadan. Their leader Amororo was tactically executed around 1828 when he was deceived to go to Ife and apologise to the Ooni of Ife over Owu attack of Ife in 1821 which led to the full scale war that destroyed Ipole – Owu. This made the Owu group at Odo- Ona led by Laara (a Prince), Olufakun and Matiku to migrate and Joined the Egbas and became guest of OluwoleAgbo of OjooGbagura in 1834.
Laara subsequently became the leader of Owu quarters in Abeokuta while Olufakun and Matiku became the Asiwaju and the Balogun respectively. Thus making Laara, Olufakun, Matiku, Orunkanbembewoja and Obamagbos notable compounds in Owu.
Jagun Akintepede was of the Orunkan Compound in Oke Ago Owu, Owu quarters in Abeokuta which consist of four townships viz Oke Ago Owu, Sokori, Erunmu and Apomu. The various quarters were allowed to participate in town administration through their respective Ogboni, Parakoyi, and Olorogun societies. The Akogun was the head of the Olorogun Society of Owu. The Oloroguns were the War Chiefs and had their meetings every 17days except if there were cases of emergency for discussion on the safety of the town.
Oral tradition history had it that Jagun Akintepede was an active member of the Olorogun Society in the 1850s when the Egbas warrior assisted King Akintoye of Lagos whose mother was from Owu to regain his throne in Lagos and also assisted in enthroning his Son Dosunmu as the King of Lagos. Jagun Akintepede was a great farmer; hunter and warrior who had his farm stead at Kurere. As he was doing his farming activities at Kurere he built his house there and practice hunting of Elephant and other big animals. Apart from being a farmer and hunter he fitted perfectly into the top hierarchy of Olorogun in Owu Egbaland.
Around 1883, the Ijebus as usual picked War with the Egbas in a commercial war which involved the control of trade routes between Yoruba land and PortNovos (Ajase) in the present day Republic of Benin.
As early as seventeenth century the Egbas had been accustomed to utilizing their nearness to (Port Novo) to trade with the Portuguese traders and on this they waged war with the Ijebus.
While the Ijebus were having their War camps at Koboro, the Egbas established their Warcamp Headquarters at AbuleOjoo near present day Owowo, this became an opportunity for Jagun Akintepede who had established at Kurere village which was about few kilometers to Ojoo war Camp to prove his mettle in the art of war.
In fact kurere was more or less the new capital city for the Owus then. The town Kurere had produced till date about Seven Olowus from the Otileta ruling house. From the Ojoo War camp under the leadership of Anoba of the IkaGbagura the Egba Soldiers set out to fight Ijanna Kingdom who had earlier supported the Ijebus to fight the Egbas.
The Egbas were at this time on a revenge mission. As the Egba Warriors set out with about 10,000 men, Jagun Akintepede flanked around Akorogbo under a Platoon Commander named Akinremi alias Asa O r’akangbe(Eagle has no capacity to prey on Crab) of GbaguraIjaofa fame.
As they moved, villages that were in support of the Egbas were spared and those that spoilt for war were destroyed. The platoon commander Akinremi finally had his operational Camp at Asa – Oniwo corrupted to present Asa – Olowo (AsaOlowo means Asa village where horns of Animals especially elephant tusk were displayed). A trench (Ogbun) was dug to cordon – off Egba Camp and Jagun Akintepede was appointed a Platoon Commander to oversee the dugged trench. He later moved his family from Asa – Olowo and settled them on Egba side of the trench.
After the conquest of Ijannas Kingdom in 1887 Jagun Akintepede founded Asa – Tepede village near the trench overlooking Ilaro. The Egbas had earlier colonized Ilaro in 1857 when people of Ilaro beckoned on Egba Army to come and assist them to kill their tyrannical Oba, the Olu of Ilaro then, but before the Egba Army could reach Ilaro, the Olu had ran to Itoro his mother’s town for safety. The Egbas stayed back in Ilaro district till 1893 when the Egbas United Kingdom was granted independence by the colonialist.
While on this expedition, he was flanked by Jinadu Ayoade Akintepede, Sodamola Akintepede, Osundeyi Ojewale (Baba nkunle), Samuel IdowuOjewale and other Tepedes and Ojewales. They all having migrated from Kurere where up till today their family houses are still standing tall. This hereby confirmed the Ojewales as the second settler in the village. It was also confirmed that Jinadu Ayoade was elderly than the Ojewales and thus his nomination as Baale. Fashina Tepede was the first child to be given birth to in Asa Tepede and it was on account of his safe delivery that the deities provided the water source in the village known as “Odo Oluweri” (River Oluweri) which is still the main river serving the village till today.
The 3rd settler in the village is the Shoroyes, when they arrived they were taken to the end of the village the present day AbuleEgba. According to history by the time Baba JinaduAyoade and IdowuOjewale got to where they wanted to allocate to him he was almost done with the weeding of the place. This earned him the appellation “Arekofefe bi emo” which till today remains the nickname of the Shoroyes thus they were the first settler at today AsaAbuleEgba. In 1893 Jagun Akintepede of Orunkan Compound, Oke Ago Owu quarters returned home to Abeokuta having been honoured with Jagun title and established Jagun Akintepede’s Compound, 60. Oke Ago Owu Abeokuta. In 1894 he became the Akogun of Owu Kingdom.
Jagun Akintepede has three Sons namely Jinadu Ayooade, Sodamola and Fashina. Before leaving AsaTepede in 1893, Jagun Akintepede nominated one of his three Sons Jinadu Ayooade Akintepede as Baale of Asa Tepede Village who thus became the 1stBaale of Asa Tepede village in 1894 and remained Baale until he died in 1963. His other siblings Sodamola Akintepede, a powerful hunter of the district became Lerinode (Head Hunter) of the district while Fashina Akintepede became the first Baba Ijo (Known then as OloriIjo) of the village Church Ebenezer African Church Asa – Tepede until 8th December 1976 when he died.
After the demise of Chief. Jinadu Ayoade Akintepede the seat became vacant till 1968 when Chief. Samuel Idowu Ojewale became the Baale and piloted the affairs of the village until 1970 when he died. It was also established that Elder Fashina Akintepede acted as Baale from 1970 through 1975 to 1976 when he died. There was no record of any one assuming the position of Baale until 1996 when Mr. Olufemi Adesanya (Big Boy) who was then staying in Agege was nominated in acting capacity. Upon Mr. Olufemi Adesanya’s death Mr. Adio Adeniran also acted as the Baale until 15th September, 2021 when he died. On the 22nd of April, 2022 Chief Akintepede Ezekiel Olawale Oluyemi was officially appointed as Baale Asa Tepede Village.
EMERGENCE OF SCHOOL
During this old Southern protectorate demarcation period, the Lagos Government tried to lure people from Egba United Kingdom to Lagos protectorate so they established a School in Asa Tepede village. The name of the School is Ebenezer African Church Primary School Asa–Tepede, which had since closed down. (The relics of the School building are still visible at its site). This development aided the establishment of the first School in the district at Asa – Tepede village in the late 1890s.
People from several villages trooped to Asa – Tepede village for Education. The Otegbeye family of Ilaro, and the Samson Ogunlade family (Samson Ogunlade of Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi International Brothers fame) were among the early immigrants to the family – village of the Tepedes. This pull – in migratory factor later turned out to be push – out factor as young teenagers in quest for higher education were leaving the village in droves to get higher Education in cities of Abeokuta and Lagos. Today indigenes of Asa – Tepede had a whole Community quarters in the City of London in the United Kingdom called Owu – Court.
ECONOMIC PROWESS
The commercial trading in palm produce in the colonial days contributed in no small way to the economy and development of AsaTepede. The relics of ‘ebu” or ‘ibasa” can still be found opposite the old School site at Asa – Tepede till today.
MINERAL DEPOSIT AND WATER AVAILABILITY
Asa Tepede is one of the villages in the limestone – rich district that would never experience seasonality in the flow of its stream. The all the year round water supply had even encouraged many families from nearby villages to migrate to Asa – Tepede village where people had water all the year round. Such families includes but not limited to that of Soroyes from present day Asa – Egba, the Adesanyas from Ilobi and the Jegedes from Ibese. Some non – Yorubas like Agatus and Ebiras during the Cocoa boom of the Western region were usually employed as yearly labour to take care of the farm and pay in return. When they were coming they came with their entire family as farm labourers. A few of them always go back with radio, bicycles etc as a sign of success. When next they are coming back they come in multitudes, as times goes by having realized the hospitality and progress achieved in Asa – Tepede village many decided to stay put.
In 1918 Adubi Tax war broke out in Elere – Adubi, an Owu settlement in Egba kingdom between June and September of that year many Owu indigenes from AbuleOwu, ElereAdubi, Onigbedu, Akorogbo, Ilobi fled as refugee down to Asa – Tepede village to evade prosecution. Hence the once family – settlement of Akintepede became peopled by other Owus like Akinkunmi, Adesanya and others too numerous to mention.
HOW JAGUN AKINTEPEDE FOUNDED ASA TEPEDE VILLAGE
Jagun Akintepede founded AsaTepede Village in 1887; he was flanked then by his Sons Jinadu Ayoade Akintepede and Sodamola Akintepede. Othes are Osundeyi Ojewale (Baba nkunle), Samuel IdowuOjewale, other Tepedes and Ojewales. They all migrated from Kurere where up till date their family houses are still standing. This hereby confirmed the Ojewales as the second settlers to arrive in AsaTepede village. It was also confirmed that Jinadu Ayoade was at the time very elderly than the Ojewales and this made him the most suitable for the position of first Baale of AsaTepede Village. FashinaTepede was the first child to be given birth to in AsaTepede and that it was on account of his safe delivery that the deities provided the water source in the village known as “OdoOluweri” (River Oluweri) which is still the main river serving the village till today.
The 3rd Settlers in the village are the Shoroyes, who when they came were taken to the end of the village (a part presently occupied by people of Asa AbuleEgba) to settle down. According to history by the time Baba Jinadu Tepede and Idowu Ojewale got to where they wanted to allocate to Shoroye, he was almost done with the weeding of the place and this earned him the appellation “Arekofefe bi Emo” which today remains the nickname of the Shoroyes. The Shoroyes, therefore, are the first settler in AbuleEgba, other settlers at AbuleEgba are the Adenirans (whose descendant AdioAdeniran acted as Baale of Asa Tepede recently), the Adewuyis( the immediate past Baale of Asa AbuleEgba). indeed the Shoroyes are the landlord of the Adewuyis. The Adewuyis acquired most of the land they occupied today from the Shoroyes most especially when Mr. Adisa Shoroye was the head of that family.
THE AKITEPEDES ARE AS FOLLOW: 1. Baba Ayoade Jinadu Akintepede … who later became Baale. His other sibling are: 2. Baba Janet… Father – in –law to late Bishop Adewale of African Church Cathedral Owu, Totoro Abeokuta.
3. Baba Juliana…the first husband of Oladun
4. Ayisat. 5. Moriamo 6. Baba Sodamola
7. Baba Fashina. 8. Mama Abioye
The OJEWALES ARE:
1. Osundeyi Ojewale(Baba Nkunle)
2. Samuel Idowu Ojewale
3. Daniel Toriola Ojewale
4. Abraham Owolabi Ojewale
The name of the 2nd Baale is Chief Samuel Idowu Ojewale. Ojewale remained the compound name of the family. It was learnt that in view of the fact that primary Education was part of the history of AsaTepede unknowingly when the Children get to School for registration and were asked their father’s name they usually give their fathers first name thereby leaving out their family surname, this thus led to the emergence of names like Idowu, Owolabi etc. For instance the first born of Chief Samuel Idowu Ojewale (the second Baale) ended up bearing Timothy Idowu.
The two names by which the village was well known then are 1. AsaTepede and 2. Asa OkeOko. But for the convenience of Postal mails delivery, letters were usually addressed as AsaTepede, Via Abalabi Railway Station.
Initially there were 5 Asa Villages:
1. AsaOlowo
2. AsaObintin
3. AsaAkekara
4. AsaTepede
5. AsaAbuleEgba
The other addition to the 5 original Asa Villages are:
6. AsaApalolo
7. AsaYobo
Asa Tepede village was the first place where Primary School was established in the environ, unfortunately the School is now defunct. The name of the School is Ebenezer African Church Primary School, AsaTepede named after the Church Ebenezer African Church Primary School, AsaTepede. Available Classes in the School then were: Pry. 1, Pry. 2, and Standard 1. After these classes young ones from the village are relocated to Abeokuta, Lagos and Ibadan to further their studies.
From the available records only two families can be referred to as bonafide ruling houses in AsaTepede Village. These are:
a) The Tepedes ( 1stBaale)
b) The Ojewales ( 2ndBaale)
Ojewales were the last bona fide. Baale of AsaTepede village, it now infer that next to produce Baale are the Tepedes. Dr. Titus Owolabi during a chat with him recalled one of his visits to the village during which Mr. Adisa Shoroye requested his family to present someone for the position of Baale( while Chief Adio Adeniran was acting). He recalled informing him to get in touch with the Tepedes as it is their turn to produce the next Baale. Dr Owolabi also recounted his efforts in the late 90s to persuade Mr. SaliuTepede to accept the position of Baale of the village which was offered him then.
Dr. Titus Owolabi (Olunuade) recalled that his decision to encourage Mr. Saliu Tepede then was because he was a good brother to all indigenes of AsaTepede that came his way while they were in School and were navigating life. But alas Mr. Saliu Tepede declined.
He also recalled that Mr. Adisa Shoroye requested him to facilitate the rebuilding of Ojewale family house and not to stay away from the village. Dr. Titus Owolabi submitted that the History of; AsaTepede Village, The Tepedes and The Ojewales were interwoven and that there is no way the story of one could be told in isolation without delving into the others. The Owolabis were reported to have arable land at Ijoun 1 & 2, Atola and Ile Kata. Tepede Owns all the land from Ijoun to Kata up till AsaAkekara
That people of AsaAkekara are of Ekiti extraction and can not claim they have land at kata. The Adesanyas are from Ilobi.
On naming of the village Church as Ebenezer African Church, Dr Titus Owolabi submitted that all the Churches that were founded then was named Ebenezer African Church and that this only coincided with the name of Bishop Adesanya’s father and not that the Church was named after their father as was being speculated by the Adesanyas. He informed that he withdrew from contributing to the construction work of the new church after the initial N50,000 he donated because no account of the construction was rendered and The sudden change of the name of the Church from Ebenezer African Church to Emmanuel African Church which was the unilateral decision of Bishop Adesanya. Dr Owolabi in his response to why the Adesanyas left Ilobi for AsaTepede informed that this was because there was a lot of farming land in AsaTepede and that the village has a lot of children who are Heroes and are blessed which every one wish to identify with.
BOUNDARIES DEMARCATION OF EGBA UNITED KINGDOM (WITH ASA TEPEDE)
The demarcation of the boundaries of Egba United Kingdom is an agreement signed between G.T. CARTER the Governor of Lagos and the king and Authorities of the Egba Nation on the fifth day of January 1894; this gave birth to the term Oke – Oko. (On the other side of the boundary). Following the completion of the intelligence map of Southern Protectorate in 1888 and the creation of Egba United Kingdom on 18th January 1893, a map demarcating Lagos Government area of influence from that of Egba United kingdom was drawn. Ilaro had earlier protested in 1891 not to be included in Egba United kingdom. Ota was put under Egba jurisdiction and from Ota the boundary line of Egba United Kingdom follow the main road leading through Ilogbo, Ilugboroand Epoto to Ilaro.
Along this divisional boundary a pillar went through Asa – Olowo down to Aga – Olowo. In this wise, it was stated that all towns which may be sited from Ota to the town of Ilaro shall be considered to be outside the sphere of Egba influence, but any Egba who may have farms on the Southern or Lagoon side of the said road may continue in their occupation without molestation from the Lagos government, and similarly all Lagos subjects who may have farms on the North of the said boundary shall be accorded the same privileged by the Egba Authorities. With this proviso of all towns to the North of the said road shall be considered as belonging to Egba territory, all towns to the South shall be liable to be included in the British protectorate of Lagos. With this treaty of 1894 Ilaro and consequently AsaTepede on the Southern end of this road now found themselves in a protectorate in the Western waters of Lagos. This was how Asa – Tepede was nicknamed Asa – Okeoko in 1894.
Written by Chief Oluyemi Olawale Akintepede