The contemporary Akure is a city in south-western Nigeria and is the largest city and capital of Ondo State while the people are of the Yoruba ethnic group.Akure is geographically located on latitude 70°20’N and longitude 50°E and is easily accessible to other major urban centres in the state,such as Owo in the East,Ado-Ekiti in the North and Ondo in the South,all within 50km radius.Within 100 km radius are the towns of Ikare,Ikole,Ekiti,ljero Ekiti to the North and Okitipupa in the South.
The topography of the town is relatively flat while Akure is connected to other parts of the country by road network system.
The date of founding of Akure cannot be asserted,however,history has it that the town had been firmly established by AD 1440.Like other Yoruba Kingdoms,a history of Akure is linked with Ife.To the people of Akure,Ife is the sacred spot where ruling classes evolved from,to inhabit the present location.
Ife was regarded as the fountain and sources of culture and civilization between the ethnic and sub ethnic groups in Yorubaland.
There are different sources of origin of Akure history.One of the oral traditions state that Akure was founded by a prince named Omoremilekun son of Ekun and grandson of Oduduwa Omoluwabi,the royal progenitor of the Yoruba tribe.
The Prince left Ile-Ife,his grandfather’s kingdom,in search of place to settle.At the point where the prince and his party arrived at the exact location of the modern Akure city,the stringholding the heavy royal beads on his neck is said to have snapped,thus causing the people to exclaim “Àkún re” (meaning: the beads have snapped).
This later becomes the name of the settlement they established on the site.Over time,the phrase was whittled down through its constant use to become Akure.
Another Akure legend asserted that Asodeboyede,the first Deji of Akure was the post-humour’s son of Ekun,who was the son of Oduduwa,the progenitor of the Yoruba group.Asodeboyede,after the death of his father,(Ekun)continued to live with his grandfather Oduduwa at Ife where he was thought the intricacies of kingship.Being a hunter,Asodeboyede,on his adventure in search of a kingdom,was informed by Ifa oracle that he would permanently settle down wherever he would kill an elephant.Subsequently,he killed an elephant at a distance of six kilometres from the present location in Akure and he promptly remembered the words of the Ifa oracle and settled there.However,the name Akure came into being when Asodeboyede butchered the elephant and the thread that knitted the beads on his wrist (which was the symbol of princehood) snapped.Therefore,he called the place Akure (Akun-re) meaning,the place where my bead was snapped.Akun-re was later shortened and translated to Akure.However,there was no convincing evidence to support this genealogy.
This claim has been controversial and it had led to much argument in some quarters. The reason given was that the name Ekun has not featured prominently in Yoruba history.
AKURE INDEPENDENCE AND MODERN AKURE
PRE 1914
Rock engravings dating back to the Mesolithic period,have been discovered on the outskirts of Akure.Also the oldest Homo sapiens fossil ever found in West Africa thus far was discovered there,dating back to around 11,000 years ago.
Akure had regained its independence by the early 19th century,but around 1818 it was recaptured by Benin forces and the Deji was executed.This set in motion a chain of events that culminated in the reign of Osupa I.After 1854,Akure and other Ekiti towns came under the rule of Ibadan,which lasted until a rebellion in 1876 followed by a prolonged war between the Yoruba states.
Towards the end of the 19th century the British based on their Lagos Colony had established a protectorate over the area,although they ruled through “native” administrations.The British sought to combine the Ekiti kingdoms of the region into a single administrative unit against resistance by the Ekiti people who preferred local autonomy.
In 1899 Ekiti and Ilesha formed the northeastern division of the protectorate.In 1915,Ekiti,Owo and Ondo were combined to form the Ondo Province with headquarters at Akure.Ondo Province later became part of Western State.
In 1976 the old Ondo State was formed,and in 1996 Ekiti State was split off from the modern Ondo State,which has Akure as its capital.
OMO AKURE OLOYEMEKUN
Akure’s King is known as the Deji of Akure and is supported by six high chiefs or iwarefa in his or her domain.The totem of Akure is the Leopard and the father of Omoremilekun Omoluabi was himself called Ekun (this was his regnal name).It is for this reason that every descendant of the Akure clan has been addressed by outsiders as Omo Ekun during the recitation of his or her praise poetry or,alternatively,as ‘Omo Akure Oloyemekun’,since Omoremi was said to have stayed for a while at Igbo Ooye before coming to the Akure region.After the death or removal of an Oba,a princess regent is appointed under the title of Adele,who is expected to oversee the day-to-day administration of the kingdom while the kingmakers select the next Oba from one of the royal houses.
Although the Oba has relocated to a more modern palace,the old building from 1150 AD is still used for all ceremonies.The place has over 15 courtyards,with each having its unique purpose.Ua nla,Ua Ibura, Ua jemifohun,Ua Ikomo are some of the names of the courtyards.For example,in the Ua ubura courtyard,oaths are taken, and the ua Ikomo is used for naming ceremonies.
RULING HOUSES
It is pertinent to know how the ruling houses has been designed in the beginning before going to the emergence of Ojijigogun and Osupa ruling houses as part of the ruling houses of Akure Kingdom.
On the arrival of Omoremilekun Asodeboyede Ajapada to Akure,he met Omoloju Alakunre,who was later called ALAKURE as the Head of Akure people.
Due to some reasons which will be told in the future,Asodeboyede became the first King in Akure.His emergence caused a serious fight between him and Alakure but the elders were able to settle it for them.It was agreed that the the stool Will be rotated between Asodeboyede and Alakure.This was done in order to appease Alakure because it was obvious he had been cheated.
Alakure was fortunate to succeed Asodeboyede as the second Deji.After the death of Alakure,Asodeboyede son,Ogbolu became the third Deji.Then Alakure son,Odoro became fourth.That’s how it has been until it got to eleventh Deji,who was a descendant of Asodeboyede,Oba Obagbeyi Adegite.Since the Asodeboyede descendants have been becoming the Deji of Akure while Alakure lineage went into extinction.
ROYAL HOUSES
As said earlier,Originally there was only one ruling house of Akure,Omoremilekun Asodeboyede,founded by the first king in the kingdom,Omoremilekun.The kingship passed down through an essentially ambilineality descent line(due to the fact that the kingdom had a few female monarchs)until the 29th king,Oba Arakale(r.1768-1818),who had two sons,Oba Osupa and Oba Ojijigogun.
These two kings are the progenitors of the cadet branches of the Asodeboyede ruling house,Osupa and Ojijigogun.It was the Ado Ibini war that took one of the son of Oba Arakale,Omoba Adesoro(later Osupa 1)who was the Asafinrin and others to Benin.
It was Adesoro that was ordained from Benin to go and be the king in Akure and he was name OSUPA because a king is coming from Ado-Ibini OSUPA-T’ADO-LA A.This is the beginning of Osupa but still Asodeboyede lineage.The main royal family of the Osupa house is Odundun,whose progenitor is Oba Odundun,one of Osupa’s sons and an ancestor of the current Deji of Akure,Oba Odundun II.
The three royal families of the Ojijigogun ruling house are Arosoye,Adesida,and Ifaturoti,two of which were founded by ruling kings of Akure.Omoba Alebiosu Obadua(later Arosoye I) and Omoba Olofinlade Afunbiowo(later Adesida 1)Omoba Ifaturoti Adegoroye never became king,but his progeny is nevertheless recognized.
STORY BEHIND WHY AKURE KING IS CALLED DEJI
Originally,the kings of Akure were referred to as Ajapada.The title Deji of Akure started with Oba Ogunja(r.1533-1554),whose father,Oba Olofinleyo(r.1434-1474)took the daughter of Oba Atakunmosa,the Owa of Ijeshaland, as one of his wives while the latter was on his way to Benin.By the time Oba Atakumosa was returning to Ilesha from the pilgrimage,his daughter Omoba Owawejokun had given birth to a son.
While other dignitaries gave the little baby common gifts,Oba Atakunmosa was said to have presented his grandson with a small diadem.Owafadeji (i.e.Owa gave him a diadem) became the praise name of the young boy,and by the time he reached his adulthood it had become his de facto name.When Owafa’Deji became Oba,the appellation assumed a titular importance and because of his prominence as an Oba,subsequent Obas or kings assumed the title while the advent of the modern era has formally made Deji the official title of the Obas of Akure.However,the original title of Ajapada has remained a significant part of the Deji’s ceremonial style till the present day.
THE CITY
Within the modern Akure kingdom are two other constituent communities with their separate chiefs and traditions.The more prominent of the pair is Isinkan,while the second of them is Isolo.The Baale of Isinkan is known as the Iralepo while the Baale of Isolo is known as the Osolo of Isolo.In the olden days these were separate towns,but they were brought together under the nominal control of Akure as a result of a number of wars.
Nearby towns include Isarun,Ilara,Igbaraoke,Iju, Itaogbolu,Idanre,Owo,Ikere and Ondo.The most influential Deji in recent history was Oba Adesida I who was known as Oba Afunbiowo.Several Dejis after him were his direct descendants.
STATE CAPITAL
Akure became the state capital of Ondo-State when it was created in February 1976 from the former Western State,and is the largest city in Ondo State.The city had a population of 484,798 as at the 2006 population census.Akure lies about 7°25’ north of the equator and 5°19’ east of the Meridian.It is about 700 km (430 mi) southwest of Abuja and 311 km (193 mi) north of Lagos State.Residential districts are of varying density,some area such as Arakale,Ayedun Quarters,Ijoka,and Oja-Oba consist of over 200 inhabitants per hectare (81/acre),while areas such as Ijapo Estate,Alagbaka Estate,Avenue and Idofin have between 60 and 100 inhabitants per hectare (24 and 40/acre) The town is situated in the tropic rainforest zone in Nigeria.
AGRICULTURE
Akure is the trade center for a farming region where cocoa,yams,cassava,corn and tobacco are grown.Cotton is also grown and used to weave cloth.Grains like rice,beans,and millet are very common as they are the major sources of carbohydrate.
Akure people cultivated crops,rear animals as well as other birds both for consumption and commercial purpose.The people employed different farming methods in their economic activities among which was shifting cultivation whereby lands were deliberately left alone for a longer period of time for them to regain their nutrients. More so, there were nearby farms called Oko-Etile or Oko-Aba and distance farms called Oko-Egan (Interview with Arifalo, 2009).
Hence, at the distance farm, people cultivated crops like kola nuts,bitter kola, and plantains while at the nearby farms,they planted early yams,cassava,vegetables.
There were also edible fruits for the people.The women and their children were not left out in the farming system.
The women assisted their husbands in harvesting crops and carried them home while some were either exchanged for the commodities they could not produce by themselves or sold at an amount of money. In addition, there were many local industries in the pre-colonial Akure kingdom.
These included blacksmithing,weaving,dyeing,calving,leather works and oil palm industries.Based on the fact that Akure was surrounded by large traces of tropical forest reserves,it constituted an extensive timber industry.
RELIGION
Religion also played a crucial role in the political administration of pre-colonial Akure. Akure indigenous traditional religion was and still is based on the belief in the supreme deity.
The people also believed in divinities,ancestral spirits,moral,orders and life hereafter.The divinities that were common among Akure and her neighbours were Ogun(god of iron) and
Egungun(masquerades).However,it is important to know that the number of adherents of traditional religion in Akure has reduced drastically due to the advent of foreign religions like Christianity and Islam coupled with Western civilization and modernization.
Why do some people demand respect from everyone while treating others with disrespect?**
There is something deeply wrong with a society where people believe that respect should flow in only one direction.
Some people want to be respected because they are older, wealthier, more educated, more influential or occupy positions of authority. Yet they feel entitled to insult, intimidate, humiliate and belittle those they consider beneath them.
They want people to bow before them, but they refuse to treat others with dignity.
They want their opinions respected, but they dismiss the opinions of others.
They demand loyalty, but offer betrayal. They demand kindness, but practise cruelty. They expect understanding, but show little consideration for anyone else’s feelings.
**Is that respect, or simply an abuse of power?**
## Respect is not determined by wealth, age or status
Having money does not make you more human than someone who is struggling financially.
Being a boss does not give you the right to humiliate your employees.
Being a parent does not mean your children have no feelings or deserve no consideration.
Being older does not automatically make every decision you make right.
And holding a position of authority does not give you permission to treat people as though they have no value.
True respect is reflected in your character, behaviour and treatment of other people.
## Stop confusing fear with respect
This is where many people get it wrong.
Some people believe that because others remain silent around them, they are respected.
Sometimes people are simply afraid of your anger, your influence, your financial power or the consequences of disagreeing with you.
You may command obedience through intimidation, but you cannot force genuine admiration.
**People may fear your power without respecting your character.**
## Respect begins with how you treat people
If you want people to respect you, start by examining how you treat them.
Respect the poor. Respect the vulnerable. Respect people who cannot offer you anything in return.
Respect those who disagree with you. Respect people’s boundaries. Respect their dignity, even when you have more money, authority or influence than they do.
You do not have to agree with everyone, but disagreement should never become an excuse for humiliation.
Respect does not mean tolerating abuse or surrendering your boundaries. It means recognising that every human being deserves basic dignity.
## The question we must all answer
Before demanding respect from others, take a moment to examine yourself.
Are you the kind of person who gives the respect you constantly demand?
Do you treat your domestic workers, employees, relatives, neighbours and strangers with the same dignity you expect from those around you?
Or do you believe respect is something other people owe you simply because of who you are?
**Remember: Respect is reciprocal. You cannot continuously disrespect people and expect genuine respect in return.**
### NEWSBREAK365 FINAL THOUGHT
The true measure of a person’s greatness is not how many people bow before them, but how many people they treat with dignity.
Having money does not make you superior. Having power does not give you the right to intimidate others. And being in a position of authority does not make you the owner of another person’s dignity.
There is something deeply troubling about a society where some people believe that having money, connections, influence or authority gives them permission to treat less privileged people like they are worthless.
Some wealthy individuals look down on the poor. Some employers intimidate their workers because they know those workers depend on their salaries to survive. Some people in positions of authority exploit the vulnerability of those who cannot afford to challenge them.
Others use their financial advantage to humiliate, manipulate and silence people who have fewer opportunities.
But let us ask an important question: **When did having more become a licence to mistreat those who have less?**
## THE POOR ARE HUMAN BEINGS, NOT YOUR PUNCHING BAGS!
Being poor does not mean someone deserves humiliation.
A person struggling financially still deserves respect. Someone working for you is not your slave. A person who cannot afford to challenge your decisions is not someone you have the right to exploit.
Whether someone is a cleaner, security guard, domestic worker, factory employee, labourer, driver or street vendor, their dignity matters.
You may have the money, but they have feelings. You may have influence, but they have families to feed. You may have power, but they deserve justice.
Never confuse someone’s inability to fight back with permission to mistreat them.
What is the purpose of becoming wealthy if your success comes at the expense of other people’s suffering?
Why intimidate an employee who is already struggling to survive? Why refuse to pay someone what they have legitimately earned? Why use your position to frustrate someone simply because you know they cannot afford to challenge you?
True success should create opportunities, encourage fairness and improve lives.
Pay people fairly. Respect their contributions. Treat workers with dignity. Help vulnerable people when you can.
You do not have to become poor to show compassion to the poor.
## REMEMBER: LIFE CAN CHANGE
The person you humiliate today may not remain in that position forever.
Financial circumstances can change. Positions can change. Businesses can collapse. Opportunities can disappear. The person who appears powerless today may become successful tomorrow.
Nobody knows everything tomorrow holds.
That is why humility matters.
Do not allow your present success to make you arrogant. Do not allow your wealth to destroy your humanity.
## THE MESSAGE IS SIMPLE
If you have more than others, remember that your advantage comes with an opportunity to make a positive difference.
Stop exploiting the poor. Stop intimidating vulnerable people. Stop using money and authority to silence those who have less.
**Be wealthy, but remain humane. Be powerful, but remain humble. Be successful, but never lose your conscience.**
Because at the end of the day, your bank balance may reveal how much money you have, but your treatment of other human beings reveals your character.
The family of late singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, has demanded the disclosure of the identity of a United States laboratory expected to conduct a DNA test to determine the paternity of Liam, the singer’s son.
The family also called for the postponement of the examination scheduled for Saturday, October 31, at the Mainland General Hospital/IDH, Yaba, Lagos, pending clarification of its concerns over transparency and compliance with a court order.
In a statement signed by the family head, Samuel Aloba, and sent to PUNCH Metro on Thursday, the family said it was concerned about arrangements for the tissue-based DNA examination, particularly reports that samples would be collected in Lagos and sent to a laboratory in the US for analysis.
The family said it wanted clarification on whether the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, which it claimed was designated by a court order issued on May 5, 2026, would conduct the examination or merely collect and dispatch the samples abroad.
“This raises a fundamental question that must be answered before the exercise proceeds: Is the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre itself going to conduct the examination contemplated by the court, or is it merely going to collect and dispatch samples to another laboratory?
“The distinction is material. Where a court has directed that a scientific examination be conducted at a particular institution, the parties are entitled to clarity regarding the manner in which that directive will be implemented.
“If the designated centre intends to rely on a foreign laboratory to conduct the analysis, the arrangement should be explained and, where necessary, presented to the court for clarification,” the statement read.
The family said no institution or party should unilaterally substitute a materially different arrangement for one contemplated by a subsisting court order without appropriate judicial clarification.
The family also demanded the full name and address of the proposed overseas laboratory, evidence of its accreditation and technical competence, details of the testing procedure, and documentation showing how the samples would be collected, labelled, preserved, transported and examined.
It further requested a mechanism to verify that the samples collected in Lagos were the same ones received and analysed by the foreign laboratory.
The statement added, “The family has been informed that the identity of the proposed overseas laboratory may be disclosed only to the court. While the family recognises the importance of protecting legitimate confidential information, confidentiality cannot be permitted to defeat the basic requirements of transparency, accountability and meaningful verification in a process whose outcome may have far-reaching legal and personal consequences.”
The family said its concerns were not an attempt to frustrate the judicial process or prevent a scientifically valid examination but to ensure that the outcome could withstand independent scrutiny.
It expressed apprehension about possible interference, mishandling or manipulation of the process if adequate safeguards were not established before the examination.
However, the family clarified that it was not claiming that the proposed test had already been compromised or that manipulation had been established.
“In a matter as sensitive as Mohbad’s DNA, the result must not merely be announced; it must be demonstrably reliable. The integrity of the process must be capable of independent verification, from the point of sample collection to the final laboratory report,” it said.
The family also linked its concerns to questions it had previously raised about the handling of biological samples during the post-mortem examination conducted in connection with Mohbad’s death.
It questioned the role of the pathologist involved in sample collection during the coroner’s inquest.
The family further claimed that information it received from its enquiries indicated that the laboratory to which samples from the earlier process were purportedly sent had not received them or any specimen registered in the name of Ilerioluwa Promise Aloba.
It stressed, however, that the assertions represented its account of the matter and required clarification and verification, adding that they were not findings of a court or independently established proof of wrongdoing by any individual or institution.
The family maintained that it supported a credible DNA examination capable of resolving Liam’s paternity but insisted that the identity of the testing laboratory and the chain of custody of the samples must be clear.
It called on the relevant authorities to address its concerns, provide the necessary information and ensure that the examination complied with the court’s order and accepted forensic procedures.
The family consequently requested the postponement of Saturday’s exercise until the outstanding issues were clarified, adequate notice was given to all parties and their legal representatives, and further directions were obtained from the court where necessary.
It said its objective was not to predetermine the outcome of the examination but to ensure that the eventual result was based on a credible and properly documented process.
The family added that the public interest in establishing the truth should not be undermined by avoidable uncertainty or a lack of transparency.
Mohbad died at 27 on September 12, 2023. Following his death, the Lagos State Police Command inaugurated a 13-man special investigation team to probe the circumstances surrounding his passing.
Earlier reports in 2024 indicated that Aloba, through legal representatives, filed an application at the coroner’s court in Ikorodu to determine the cause of Mohbad’s death and later demanded a DNA test to resolve the paternity dispute.
