Ota Was Never Under Egba, Olota Of Ota Was Crowned 200 Years Before Emergence Of First Alake- Olota Rubbishes Alake’s Claim

The Alake and Paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo had reiterated that the Olota of Ota, Oba Abdulkabir Obalanlege and residents of Ota were under the prescribed authority of Alake.

Responding to the asssertion in a statement, which he personally signed, Oba Obalanlege said that “Though I am presently on official assignment in Switzerland, I need to remind Alake of Ake that in Ogun State, the settlement of Awori people preceded the establishment of Abeokuta as an Egba Kingdom in 1830. Otta, the foremost Awori town within the present Ogun state and which is the industrial nerve centre, for instance,  has been existing since the 15th century.”

The Ota monarch added in the statement that the first Olota, Oba Ikoriku Toribo was coronated in 1621, while the first Alake in Abeokuta,  Sagbua Okukenu was crowned on 8th August,  1854.

According to him, “it goes without saying that putting an Olota under an Alake is both a traditional misnomer and historic fallacy.

“The Ife palace, where the crowns came from knows better! Never  in history has Otta been captured by the Egbas, rather we rescued them from Oyo invasion.”

While arguing that all Ota territories were under his authority, Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo stressed that Ota land was a conquest territory by Egbaland in 1917, and that Ota and it’s environs were under the then Egba Native Administration and the Alake.

It would be recalled that, the Olota of Ota, Oba Abdulkabir Obalanlege had penultimate week through the Olota-in-council accused Alake of Egbaland of installing non-Aworis as royal fathers in Aworiland of Ogun State.

Oba Obalanlege through the Seriki of Ota, Bashorun Olanrewaju argued that, the Olota of Ota is the prescribed traditional authority over all lands, towns and villages with the suffix, Ota, including Sango, Gbalefa and all others.

But the Alake-in-council on Friday emphasized that, Ota, Sango, Iju, Gbalefa, Abule Lemomu, Oke-Ore, Adekoyeni, Atan among others were part of lands and settlements captured by the Egbas during war against Ado-Odo in 1843.

He added that, between 1853 and 1900, Ota was ruled by the Egbas through their Residents representatives which till date made the Olota of Ota a member of the Egba traditional council.

He said that despite series of courts’ decisions on issues brought against Alake’s position in all Egba physical and geographical areas which reconfirmed the legal and traditional jurisdiction of Egbaland on Ota districts, the Olota of Ota and his chiefs resorted to self-help.

“For those who have little or no knowledge about Ota and its environs or district, between 1900 and now, the Ota people were within the prescribed authority of the Alake. For instance, it was Oba Gbadebo I, the Alake, that appointed Oba Aina Ako, the Olota in 1901.

“So, Ota and Gbalefa districts from the early time were all under the then Egba Native Administration and the Alake. Ota historically, administratively and through right of conquest of 1841 fell on Egba Administration as part of Egbaland. The Olota of Ota, Oba Abdulkabir Adeyemi Obalanlege, is currently an active member of the Egba Traditional Council.

“We are worried that, the Olota and his Chiefs have been involving themselves in self-help by engaging in violent visits to Egba towns and villages within Gbalefa, Iju, Atan, Ijoko, Itori, Sango and others. “

Alake therefore called on the Ogun State Commissioner of Police to intervene in the excesses and one-sided activities of the police instigated harassment of the Egba indigenes.