The story of Orangun Fagbamila Ajagunla,The powerful warlord in Ila Orangun and Yoruba land entirely
Samurano
The ancient city of Ila-Orangun is situated on latitude 8 Degree North of the equator and longitude 4 Degree East of the Greenwich. It’s about 145km northeast of Ile Ife the cradle of Yoruba race. It’s a gateway to both Ekiti and Kwara State and share boundaries with Ora and Oke-Ila Orangun to the north-east, Agbamu, Arandun, Rore and Aran-Orin to the North, Oyan to the West, Otan-Ayegbaju to the South West and Oke-Imesi in Ekiti State to the east.
The principal rivers of the town are: The River Osin, rising in Ila-Orangun along Ajaba road and flowing north-eastern path into the river Niger through many Igbomina towns. The River Aketi, rising behind the Orangun’s palace and flowing to the north. The river Isinmi which flows across Ora road and serves as the source of water for Ila water works which is being treated and sent to the town for drinking. Other rivers include Ogbun, Opopo, Oyi, Omifunfun, Magbon, Aloyin, Takiti, Owada etc.
That Ila-Orangun was founded by Orangun Fagbamila Ajagun-nla, (the progenitor of Igbomina race) a son of the legendary Oduduwa is not a matter for debate. Opinion differs as to how the people got the name “Ila-Orangun”for their settlement. Lets us examine some legends. A version goes thus: the name “Ila-Orangun” was derived from the two settlements, which resulted from two separate events in the life of the founder. When Fagbamila Ajangu-nla was about to leave Ile-Ife to found his own kingdom, his father, Oduduwa gave him half (Ilaji) of his property. Also, the Odu Ifa that directed his exist from Ile Ife was “Ose meji” meaning “Oro mi gun” which when translated means my life plans are straight forward. Thus, the statement “Ilaji ni mo pin, Oro mi gun” later became “Ila-Orangun”.
Another version says that Oduduwa has rarely been blessed with male children; he therefore consulted Ifa which advised him on what to do in order to have a male children. This account goes further that, having carried out what Ifa advised, Oduduwa was blessed with a male child whom he named Ifagbamila (Ifa has saved me) which brings to memory that he offered placatory sacrifice to Ifa before the child was conceived. Also Oduduwa was overwhelmed with joy by this development which he saw as a victory over his enemies. He therefore added other tell-tale names to the one already given to the lucky child. He called him ‘Oran-mi-gun’ (lit. means my cause is straight forward) which was contracted to ORANGUN. Young Fagbamila was born on a day known in the Ifa oracular calendar as “Ojo Ila-ye-fun”.It holds this out as explaining why ILA has come to be the name tag of his ultimate seat of government. (Adebayo 1996).
Anothetr tradition holds that ILA was corrupted from NLA (big). This has been rationalized by calling the fact that Fagbamila inherited all the wives of Oduduwa who were then housed in a mansion. (Johnson 1973:8) Fagbamila was thereafter referred to as ‘ORAN-MI-GUN-ILE-NLA’, the origin of the full title ORANGUN ILE NLA (Adebayo Ibid). Fagbamila Ajagun-nla was a brave, powerful and Great War leader. He led olugbon, Aresa, Onikoyi and Olomu Aperan in various wars, to help his younger brother, Oranmiyan the first Alaafin of Oyo to conquer the Ibaribas and the Nupes. He reigned at Igbo Ajagun-nla on Arandun road. Fagbamila Ajagun-nla according to traditional evidence didn’t die but sank into the ground. In asserting this claim, the existence of a deity called ‘EBORA ILA’ which is in the custody of the Abodiyo, a chief of Ila-Orangun is believed to be Fagbamila’s spirit. However, Fagbamila was succeeded by one of his sons, Amotagesi who reigned for a short period at Igbo Ajagun-nla before migrating with his people to a new settlement christened Ila-Yara. The rationale behind the migration is yet to bne explained by available accounts. However, Orangun Amotagesi was succeeded by Orangun Ogboye, who was succeeded by Orangun Oboyun.
On the death of Orangun Oboyun there arose a serious tussle on the succession bid between Apakiimo (the father of Oke-Ila-Orangun) and his younger brother, Oluokun (who later reigned as Orangun Arutu at Ila Magbon) which eventually led to the ruins of Ila-Yara. On leaving Ila-Yara, Ifa had divined that the spike of ‘Opa Orere’ being carried along their route to a new settlement should not be allowed to touch the ground until they would have got to such spot that they considered suitable for permanent abode. Incidentally, Adegbiji Oluokun’s younger brother who was holding the staff inadvertently dropped it at a point when he was pressed to answer the call of nature; an incident but which was unknown to other members of the entourage. With the menace of earthworm in their later settlement, Ila Magbon, they knew something was amiss and shifted their base on a simple confession by Adegbiji after Ifa has revealed the truth of the matter. Enroute their journey to the settlement, Arutu Olokun got bored with age and commanded the ground to open up, and he disappeared in to its vault together with his Olori and his Babakekere. The spot where this historical phenomenon occurred is known as “Para Oke” and it’s being worshipped by the descendants of Arutu to date. Sequel to this historical event, the leadership fell on Adegbiji who became the Orangun Igbonnibi in the present site now.
Nollywood actress Destiny Etiko has revealed that she lost ₦5 million after placing a bet during the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, saying the experience has discouraged her from gambling again.
The actress disclosed this in a post shared on her Instagram handle on Monday, shortly after the conclusion of the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina.
“First time betting and I lost . Will never try it again. My 5M gone . In fact am done watching football. Anxiety almost killed me,” she wrote.
Etiko, however, did not disclose the particular bet she placed or provide further details about how she lost the money.
Earlier, during the World Cup final, the actress shared a series of updates on her Instagram Story, indicating she was backing Argentina to defeat Spain.
In one post, she wrote, “Argentina all the way. Who can’t wait?”
As the match progressed, she appeared increasingly frustrated with Argentina’s performance, posting, “This ball tough o. Argentina is pissing me off.”
She also praised Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez for keeping the defending champions in the game, writing, “The goal keeper is the savior oo.”
PUNCH Online had reported that Spain defeated defending champions Argentina 1-0 after extra time to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday.
Substitute Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the second period of extra time to hand Spain their second World Cup title, 16 years after their maiden triumph in South Africa in 2010.
Argentina played the closing stages with 10 men after midfielder Enzo Fernández was sent off for a second bookable offence, while Spain dominated possession before eventually finding the breakthrough through Torres.
The self-styled Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi, was arrested last Tuesday by the Intelligence Response Team led by Chief Superintendent of Police, Moses Lohor.
It was learnt that Adeyemi was arrested between 11am and 12pm inside a building in the Ijebu-Ijesa area of Osun State.
The suspect’s arrest followed a bench warrant issued against him by a Federal High Court in Abuja after he allegedly failed to appear for arraignment on eight counts.
Giving details of the operation that led to the arrest, a senior police officer in the Osun State Police Command, in an interview with Punch, said Adeyemi’s location was first uncovered in the Aregbe-Fakule area of Osogbo on July 9 after evading tracking by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The police officer said Lohor’s team took over the tracking after the DSS withdrew from the case.
He added that the operatives eventually located Adeyemi in Ilesa and subsequently arrested him on Tuesday morning.
The source said, “The Moses Lohor team were in Osun for surveillance ahead of the August 15 governorship election. They were mapping hotspots and collating other intelligence. As a matter of fact, the Lohor team didn’t report to the Osun State Police Command. They operated from the area commander’s office at Oke-Fia in Osogbo.
“Adeyemi was already on their watch list, but they didn’t act because the case was being handled by the DSS. Adeyemi’s last known location tracked by the DSS was Ibadan, but they couldn’t apprehend him because he regularly switched off his phone.
“A senior police officer from Abuja informed the Lohor team about the DSS withdrawal on Wednesday. Lohor’s team then decided to track Adeyemi’s location on Thursday, July 9. Incidentally, he was located around the Aregbe-Fakule area of Osogbo.
“Luckily for them, late on Monday night, Adeyemi’s location showed he was around Ilesa, and the Lohor team intensified efforts, which led to his arrest on Tuesday morning. The team only informed the Osun State Commissioner of Police when they moved in to make the arrest.”
Adeyemi is reportedly being detained at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, from where he is expected to be arraigned on July 27.
Popular Nollywood actress in the Yoruba movie industry, Biola Fowosere, has opened up about the challenges she faced after her ex-husband left their marriage.
It was reports that Biola, during an interview on African A List, said her ex-husband abandoned her and their children despite not doing anything wrong in the union.
The thespian who broke down in tears during the interview said her ex-husband is the only person she would like to ask why he abandoned his family.
Biola also spoke about battling severe depression after the separation, spending one year and six months in the hospital while struggling to recover emotionally.
According to the movie star, she almost lost her sanity, adding that it has been seven years since they lost contact.
She said, “The only person I’d really want to ask a question is my ex-husband. I’d really like to ask him what I did wrong because I did nothing before he left me and the kids. I want to ask what my children and I did to deserve what he did to us,” she said.
“I spent one year and six months in the hospital battling depression after he left. I almost ran mad. We are not in contact. Since he left, we haven’t seen him. He blocked us seven years ago.”
