CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

The history of the Owu-Ikosi cannot be isolated from the history of the Yoruba speaking people in general and of Oyo empire in particular.

Owu came to lime light around 1821 and 1828 in what has been known in Yoruba history as Owu war. The war started partly as a result of the struggle between various Yoruba districts as well as the attack on Ife towns by Olowu Amororo, an action considered as sacrilegious because of the sacredness of Ile-Ife in Yorubaland, the supposed birth place of the Yorubas’s.

The result of his action became a disaster for the Owu people in their original abode and threw the whole of Yoruba land into war.

The Owu were thoroughly defeated by the combined forces of Ibadan and Ijebu. The Oni of Ife, the spiritual head of the Yoruba’s ordered with his constitutional authority that the Owu capital, Orile-Owu must be totally destroyed.

As a result of this untoward event, the Owu became scattered people and however formed substantial communities in various parts of Yoruba land.

In this study, our focus is on the Owu-Ikosi in Lagos State, were they are referred to as Owu-Eko.

Ikosi was found by some of the Owu who fled from their original abode, looking for settlement. At their arrival at Ikosi, they found evidences of inhabitant in some areas. The Owu however looked for a fresh land and decided to stay there. But later it was discovered that it was war that drove the original inhabitant.

However, some of the Owu’s later encouraged the people to come back and promised them security and since then, there had never been war. They therefore both named the area as Agbowa, hence Owu-ikosi is a district territory from Agbowa territory.

This work is aimed at reconstructing the history of Owu-Ikosi people in Agbowa community in Lagos in the 20th century. Also to show the importance of Owu-Ikosi in the content of their origin, settlement pattern socio-economic and political organization.

1.2     Aims and Objectives of the Study

The general objectives of this study are to examine the history of Owu-Ikosi town in Agbowa Lagos State in the 20th century.

The specific objectives are:

1. To examine the historical origin of the Owu people.
2. To discuss administration structure of Owu land and evaluate its consequences.
3. To examine the socio-cultural, economic and political development of the people under review.
4. Discuss the relationship between the Owu-Ikosi and their neighbour.

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