Akarigbo of Remo
Encyclopedia
The Akarigbo of Remo or Lord of Remo is a title of Kingship attributed to the Obas
or Lords of the Yoruba
town
of Sagamu
. This town and its surrounding areas are part of a larger community known as the Ijebu Kingdom.
and the arrival of the Prince Akarigbo to the western area of the kingdom roughly around the early 16th century. The title given to the Obas of Sagamu, Akarigbo, is in honor of this first prince of their line.
The original seat of the Akarigbos was in the area of Remo near Offin, two towns located further to the west of the present seat of rulership. With the advent of the slave trade
in Dahomey
and the wars between the Chiefs of Abeokuta
and the Kings of Dahomey, a mass exodus
of Yorubas from the areas of Abeokuta and western Dahomey began to migrate eastward thus enfusing the population of the area's subject to the control of the Akarigbos. Further adding to the instability, were the collapse of the Kingdom of Oyo
to the north of the Ijebus and the Jihads of the Hausaland led by the Fulani Caliph Usman dan Fodio
. To combat these threats, the Akarigbo and the leaders of various groups founded the present city of Sagamu as safehaven for persons fleeing the fighting in the north and west.
Members of four ruling families are eligible to ascend the seat of the Akarigbo, these persons descending from four of the sons of the first Akarigbo. The present Lord of Remo is His Royal Highness
, Oba Adeniyi Sonariwo.
Oba (ruler)
Oba is a West African synonym for monarch, one that is usually applied to the Yoruba and Edo rulers of the region. It is also often used by their traditional subjects to refer to other kings and queens, such as Elizabeth I of England, in their native languages.-Edo account of the word's origin:The...
or Lords of the Yoruba
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
of Sagamu
Sagamu
atSagamu or Shagamu is a city and the headquarters of the Local Government Area of the same name in southwestern Nigeria located in Ogun State near the Ibu River.The LGA has an area of 614 km² and a population of 253,412 at the 2006 census....
. This town and its surrounding areas are part of a larger community known as the Ijebu Kingdom.
Background
The Obas of Remo have been in existence since the founding of the Ijebu Kingdom by a prince of Oyo named ObantaObanta
Obanta was the first king of the Ijebu kingdom in what is now Ogun State, Nigeria.Obanta led a migration of people from Wadai, an area near the modern-day Sudan. On arriving at Ijebu, the inhabitants welcomed him warmly, shouting "oba wa nita" meaning "the king is outside" in the Yoruba language...
and the arrival of the Prince Akarigbo to the western area of the kingdom roughly around the early 16th century. The title given to the Obas of Sagamu, Akarigbo, is in honor of this first prince of their line.
The original seat of the Akarigbos was in the area of Remo near Offin, two towns located further to the west of the present seat of rulership. With the advent of the slave trade
History of slavery
The history of slavery covers slave systems in historical perspective in which one human being is legally the property of another, can be bought or sold, is not allowed to escape and must work for the owner without any choice involved...
in Dahomey
Dahomey
Dahomey was a country in west Africa in what is now the Republic of Benin. The Kingdom of Dahomey was a powerful west African state that was founded in the seventeenth century and survived until 1894. From 1894 until 1960 Dahomey was a part of French West Africa. The independent Republic of Dahomey...
and the wars between the Chiefs of Abeokuta
Abeokuta
Abeokuta is the largest city and capital of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria and is situated at , on the Ogun River; 64 miles north of Lagos by railway, or 81 miles by water. As of 2005, Abeokuta and the surrounding area had a population of 593,140....
and the Kings of Dahomey, a mass exodus
Human migration
Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...
of Yorubas from the areas of Abeokuta and western Dahomey began to migrate eastward thus enfusing the population of the area's subject to the control of the Akarigbos. Further adding to the instability, were the collapse of the Kingdom of Oyo
Oyo Empire
The Oyo Empire was a Yoruba empire of what is today southwestern Nigeria. The empire was established before the 14th century and grew to become one of the largest West African states encountered by European explorers. It rose to preeminence through its possession of a powerful cavalry and wealth...
to the north of the Ijebus and the Jihads of the Hausaland led by the Fulani Caliph Usman dan Fodio
Usman dan Fodio
Shaihu Usman dan Fodio , born Usuman ɓii Foduye, was the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate in 1809, a religious teacher, writer and Islamic promoter. Dan Fodio was one of a class of urbanized ethnic Fulani living in the Hausa States in what is today northern Nigeria...
. To combat these threats, the Akarigbo and the leaders of various groups founded the present city of Sagamu as safehaven for persons fleeing the fighting in the north and west.
Members of four ruling families are eligible to ascend the seat of the Akarigbo, these persons descending from four of the sons of the first Akarigbo. The present Lord of Remo is His Royal Highness
Royal Highness
Royal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...
, Oba Adeniyi Sonariwo.