22/12/2020
THE OONI OF IFE FROM PAST - TO PRESENT
1. OLOFIN ODUDUWA – The founder & the progenitor of the Yoruba race.
2. OBALUFON OGBOGBODINRIN – History tells us that he reigned for a long time.
3. OBALUFON ALAYEMORE – was the son of Obalufon Ogbogbodinrin. He became the Ooni after his father’s death while Oramiyan was on sojourn. On the latter’s return, Alayemore went to found the town of Efon Alaaye in Ekitii State. He however returned to the throne after Oranmiyan’s death and reigned at the same time with Ajaka Dada, the Alaafin of Oyo.
4. ORANMIYAN – Son of Oduduwa. He was the only Ooni of Ife who had distinguished honour to approve the crowning of two of his sons, namely Eweka (Owomika) as the Oba of Benin and Ajaka as the Alaafin of Oyo. Obalufon Alayemore was back to the throne after Oranmiyan’s death.
5. AWOROKOLOKIN
6. EFON AYIOYE – nicknamed Ogbolajure (Ogbo – ila - ko- ju - re)
7. AJIMUDA EKUN
8. LAAMORO OGIJAN – from the family of Molodo Compound in Ilode.
9. OSEGANDERUKU – (Eni to so egan di eruku)
10. OYE – nicknamed Okukuyewu in IIode
11. LAJAMISAN - He was a descendant of Oranmiyan. Modern Ife history began with his reign. He was an ancestor of Lajodoogun, Lafogido, Otujabiojo. Owodo, Osinkola, Ogboru etc.
12. LAROOKA - He was from Moore quarter, and an ancestor of Giesi. There is one common saying: Larooka built the town wall and Giesi constructed a support for it at the bottom (Larooka mo odi, Giesi fi iregbe ti lese).
13. OWODO – He was from Okerewe quarter of Lafogido ruling house.
14. ARIRERE OKINWE
15. OTAATA- nicknamed Otaata – Kiran, Alade yo’kun s’aayo – lorun. He was the son of Owodo from Okerewe quarter of Lafogido ruling house.
16. LAPELEKE – nicknamed “oro-wuje-oluku-eti”.
17. OTUJABIOJO – He was descendant of Lajamisan.
18. LUWOO GBAGIDA – Nicknamed “Ayare” Akosulogbe. She hailed from Owodo Compound of Lafogido ruling house. She was married to Chief Obaloran of llode and became the mother of Adekola Telu, the founder Iwo town, Osun State. She was the only woman Ooni.
19. LAJODOOGUN – descendant of Lajamisan, from Igbodo in Okerewe
20. LAFOGUN - He was from Igbodo and descendant of Lajodoogun.
21. LAFOGIDO – He was from Igbodo in Okerewre quarter, descendant of Lajamisan. Prominent among his children were: Otutu-bi- osun, Okiti, Olojo Agbele, Adagba, Wunmonije (wunmonije – s’ogun), Lugbade, Olumobi, Yannigan
22. OSINKOLA – He was descendant of Lajodoogun.
23. OGBOORU – He was descendant of Lajodoogun. He founded Ife Odan town.
24. GIESI – He was father of Agbedegbede (real name: Ademilokun) in Moore quarter, Ile - Ife.
25. ADEJINLE: He was the father of Sojuolu Ogbonsegbonde and an ancestor of Adegunle Abewela. He hailed from Owodo Compound of Lafogido ruling house
26. AROGANGAN LAGBO - He was from Akui Compound of Osinkola ruling house
27. ARIBIWOSO real name Ademilu. Aribiwoso contracted from Aribiwosol’ode Akui. He was from Akui Compound of Osinkola ruling house.
28. SOJUOLU OGBONSEGBONDE (real name is Adebanle) – He was the father of Ooni Adegunle alias Abewela. He was the son of Adejinle and hailed from Owodo Compound of Lafogido ruling house
29. AGBEDEGBEDE (real name: Ademilokun). He was a descendant of Giesi.
30. OLOJO – nicknamed Agbele ‘w’oju- orun – Yannigan. He hailed from Yannigan compound of Lafogido ruling house. He was the founder of Ifewara town in Osun State.
31. OSINILADE (otutu-bi-osun). He was a descendant of Lafogido. He was the Ooni of Ife when King Abiodun was the Alaafin of Oyo between 1775 and 1789
32. AJIFADESERE real name Lugbade. He hailed from Lugbade compound of Lafogido ruling house.
33. OTUKO
34. ODIDIMODE ROGBESIN. He was an ancestor of Molodo, Awura and Lami.
35. AJILA-OORUN - He was a descendant of Agbedegbede in Moore quarter of Giesi ruling house.
36. ABIGBOOLA
37. OJIGIDIRI – nicknamed Lambua. He was a descendant of Osinkola.
38. AKINMOYERO nicknamed Odunle: 1770 – 1800. He was a descendant of Lafogido. Modakekes (war refugees from Oyo & other Yoruba towns) arrived in Ile - Ife during his reigned.
39. GBANLARE: 1800 - 1823. He was a descendant of Ogboru in Ilare quarter.
40. GBEGBAAJE: 1823 – 1835- He was a descendant of Agbedegbede of Giesi ruling house.
41. WUNMONIJE: 1835 – 1839. He was a descendant of Lafogido.
42. ADEGUNLE nicknamed ABEWELA: 1839 – 1849. He was a son of Sojuolu Ogbonsegbonde (real name Adebanle) of Lafogido Ruling House.
43. DEGBIN KUMBUSU: 1849–1878. He was a descendant of Agbedegbede in Moore quarter of Giesi ruling house. The first fall of Ile – Ife occurred during his reign in 1849. The town was rebuilt in 1859.
44. ORAYIGBA, OJAJA I: 1878 – 1880 (nicknamed Ayi-kiti-ninu –aran). He was a son of Kumbusu and descendant of Agbedegbede in Moore quarter of Giesi ruling house.
45. DERIN OLOGBENLA: 1880 – 1894. He was a descendant of Agbedegbede in Moore quarter of Giesi ruling house. A powerful warrior who never came to be crowned in Ile-Ife before he died at Okeigbo. The second fall of Ile – Ife occurred during his reign in 1882. He was the founder of Okeigbo in Ondo State
46. ADELEKAN, OLUBUSE I: 1894 – 1910. He was a descendant of Ogboru in Ilare quarter. He was popularly called Ebiti-kimo-piri. The first Ooni (king) to reign in Ile-Ife after Ifes have returned from their exile in 1894. It was during his reign that the Modakekes were evacuated / dispersed from Ife in 1909. In 1903, Ooni Olubuse on invitation went to Lagos to see Sir William MacGregor of Lagos who had just returned from the United Kingdom.
47. KOLA – He was from Akui compound & a descendant of Osinkola. A King (Ooni) elects for only two months, June to July of 1910. He died at Ilofi,
48. ADEMILUYI: 1910-1930. He was a descendant of Otutubiosun of Lafogido Ruling House. He was popularly called Ajagun Lawarikan, Agbeja-nla-bofa. It was during his reign that the Modakekes returned to Ile-Ife in 1921.
49. ADESOJI ADEREMI: 1930-1980. He was popularly called Atobatele, Ayinla Omo Adekunbi Ipetu. He was from Akui Compound and descendant of Ojigidiri Lambua.
50. OKUNADE SIJUWADE, Olubuse II (1980 – 2015). He was a descendant of Adelekan Olubuse I from Ogboru Compound in Ilare.
51. ADEYEYE ENITAN OGUNWUSI, ojaja II- He mounted the throne in December, 7 2015. He is a descendant of Orayigba, Ojaja I from Giesi Compound in Moore. It is the prayer of all and sundry that he will reign for a long time.
