The first Oloko, Oba Osifaderin the OLOKO OLOFIN ARANFE OKO a foremost descendant of Oduduwa left lle-lfe about 12th century A.D. to found his own kingdom. As direct son of Oduduwa the monarch of IFE-OYELA (ILE-IFE) Oduduwa decreed that a good number of the members of the most important Chiefs and Royal households must contribute men and materials to accompany the Crown prince Osifaderin on his journey.
On arrival at “IFE-OWODAYE” now known as Ijebu-Imusin these important Chiefs and Princes were directed by Oba Osifaderin, the Oloko Olofin Aranfe Oko to set up their own quarters just as it is in “IFE-OYELA” (Ile-Ife) on the extensive land already surveyed, earmarked and claimed by the Olofin’s team of hunters led by AJEBU. Thus Oba Oloko established the seat of the kingdom at IDI-OKO and the Chiefs and the Prince settled at IDOMODU, IPEBI, ODOMAGBO, ITAMARUN, IDODE, IWOYE-IKALA, ESUGBON, EWUNREN, OKE-EKELE (Now Esure), ILARE etc as is the case in IFE-OYELA the cradle of the entire Yoruba race.
This set-up was a strategy to prevent invasion by other groups or kingdoms. Hence we find till today that Ijebu-Imusin Community still largely consists of what on the face of it and to strangers are a conglomerate of distinct and in some instances distant villages bearing different names like Ipebi, Idoko Ajase, Oko-Agbore, Idoko Olowa, Idoko Aledo, Okoejo, Okeagbe, Odonisaki, Ijagbure, Idokunusi, Idona, Idode, Odomiseko, Odoaseri, Odokujegi, Odolameso, Ododeyoruwa, Iwaya, Odoayanlu, Esure Imeri, Igbaga, Itunnagba, Molorin, Isawoye, Imayan, Isewo, Togunaga, Ipako, Okeludu, Egbe, Orawa, Ipepe, Idokunusi, Idona, Iperin, Imeri, Igbagba etc
In some instances many Princes and Chiefs stayed together and built a
community with each of them having a street (Itun) named after him with some farmland. These Princes and Chiefs became the Ilamuren Class of Chiefs in Ijebu-Imusin.
Oba Oloko established a very strong, virile, viable, sovereign, powerful and prosperous empire kingdom. His importance is often reflected in the story that when Ogboroguda who became known as Otunba and the first Awujale arrived in Ijebu he called and waited to see Oba Oloko who then was Odute a son of Osifaderin while Obanta was waiting for Oba Oloko at the Ita i.e. market, his (Obanta’s) only child Ojuri died and was buried at the place where he planted the Isin Tree to mark his son’s grave. The Oba Oloko blessed Ogboroguda and asked him to proceed to Ijebu-Ode. He also wished subsequent successors to the Awujale throne to come to lmusin for blessing and a reincarnation of the rites.
Right from the time of founding our forefathers in ljebu-Imusin did communal works together like constructing link roads and their maintenance. They worshiped together at Oluweri, Omitu, Osun, Oya, Ogun, Sango shrines and when Christianity and Islam came in, they accepted together, worshiped together, built churches and mosques together. In times of wars, they fought together and together defended their settlements and made them grow and flourish. They intermarried and produced offsprings from generation to generation and thus given us in ljebu-Imusin a community and people.
Throughout the history of ljebu-Imusin there was no time when the Oba Oloko stepped down from the throne of his Community ljebu-Imusin for another Oba or Prince to assume the Headship of ljebu-Imusin. There was also no time when he cut off or suffered a cut off part of his land for any other Oba or Prince either by persuasion or conquest in war for the purpose of establishing a sovereign or independent domain in what is today ljebu-Imusin land.