22/03/2025
ISARA REMO, OUR HISTORY😘👍😍
Discussing:
ISE ATI ARA (ISARA)
In Advance, Celebration of Kabiyesi Odemo’s Birthday tomorrow…
He's the king and his birthday has to be enriched with historical memories of Isara
I am writing this out there for sons and daughters of Isara Remo, It is good to know our history, the authentic one before another sweet one is cooked to change the original narratives;
Awon Agbalagba Sope, B’omode o ba itan, a ba Aroba, Aroba ni baba Itan…
Tomorrow will be too busy, considering the paparazzi that have been arranged to size up the social media space for Baba's birthday celebration. Thus, I am posting this short history to celebrate Baba in advance.
The history of Isara Remo is not complete if Ise and Ara is missing in it,
The ISE AND ARA; ISARA history of Isara Remo will not go into extinction if the ISHEN ABALAIYE AT AJINA STILL EXISTS! The igi Ishen Abalaye is on its own a historical feature as far as Isara is concerned because there are a lot of traditional beliefs attributed to the tree.
The basis of the history has been thoroughly researched and thought out and can be said to be the best, confirmed and authentic history of our dear hometown Isara Remo
The founder of Isara Remo was Adeyemo Ode-Omo. Adeyemo Ode-Omo-Ooni was an Ife prince, a descendant of Oni Osikanlu. He founded Isara Remo, a town north of the Remo division. The historical assertion says that Adeyemo Ode-Omo was a hunter from his youth. He had his hunting exercises first around the areas now known as Modakeke, Ipetumodu and Edun-Abon.
To evacuate his kills, he made use of an Ifa priest whose name was Ise-Orunmila. Ise-Orunmila was from the Ilase quarters of Ile Ife. Adeyemo Ode-Omo also made use of another man who was efficient with the use of charms. His name was Ara. Ara was wise and very intelligent. He was popularly known and called Aramfe. The name was abridged to ARA.
Today, I won't talk about the history of how Adeyemo, Ise Ara and other people who joined them in the adventurous journey to settle at their first, second and third settlements I.e Okerekere Itase, Okerekere Ekeji then where we are today and the reasons.
I am writing mainly about Ise and Ara, the two powerful men who came with Adeyemo Ode Omooni who founded Isara Remo our hometown because some people said they had not heard about it before.
The assertions have made me go back to the historical archive and compare the research work of about five Isara past leaders and elders who had the opportunity to do thorough research on our history to far and near Yoruba land from 1915 to 1938 and thereafter before it was published in the early 1980s by the trio of the late Pa. Joseph Osideinde (Father of the late Oba Adeboye Osideinde, Odemo of Isara), The late Pa. Simeon Leshi and the Late Pa. JAS Talabi. All of blessed memory but their works speak volumes of truth and authenticity still.
The other notable leaders who authored a book on Isara Remo's history were Baba, the late Chief Isaac Adeyemi Ifekoya the Lisa Isara, and Our Baba the late Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, whose research work in his book, “Isara My Jerusalem” was 100% in agreement with what the trio of Pa. Joseph Osideinde, Baba JAS Talabi and Pa. Simeon Leshi.
It's from their book, “Itan Ilu Isara”, that I excerpt the short story of ISE ati ARA (ISE’ARA) and how it became ISARA that our town is named today…
There is nothing like ASARA!
Isara Afotamodi Kogun ma wolu is an ancient town fortified by rocks, a fortress impenetrable to enemies by invasion from time immemorial.
During their hunting and adventure to settle in a new place with their people, Adeyemo Ode Omo fetched some Ushen seeds from the Elegbara shrine in Ile-Ife.
Being a powerful person, many people joined Adeyemo and his people on the journey and they all migrated with him to that settlement according to history, their descendants are also part of Isara and they have significant roles and titles in the town today.
Adeyemo Odemo had settled at Okerekere Itase, the area we now call Akuro or Saapade for many years, with his people. Adeyemo had 11 children at this settlement and 7 of them were albinos, even his people are experiencing the same issues of Albinism, and that was what made him consult the Ifa Oracle again on the way forward as that's what our forefathers believe to be the solution to human endeavours back in those days and they have trust in what the Ifa says.
The Ifa instructed that Adeyemo should move with his people right towards the east at the centre of a place surrounded by four streams, and this was the reason why Adeyemo Odemo decided to move inwards from the Okerekere towards the centre of the Asongbongbon, Apo Uwo, Pele and Eri Oru-Muse.
The Odemo of Isara still goes to the Okerekere settlement of Adeyemo Odemo to pay homage till tomorrow, Isara Remo shrines are still there, it is part of Isara and it was by virtue of the Isara settlement that we have the Iledi Egungun, Ugbo Oro and other shrines at the area till date, it is called ORILE ISARA.
Not long after the Ifa message to move, one of the Adeyemo comrades ISE-ORUNMILA died, and he was buried at Ajina. Adeyemo Ode Omo was left with ARA, IBA (the man who was assigned from Ile-Ife to come with Adeyemo to his new settlement to make the first four masquerades; DENKOMI, ODE-ODE GIDO-GIDA, YAYA BILUJESHA, KOGORU) and the other people who have joined them at the settlement.
Not too long after the death of Ise, ARA the other comrade who started the journey with Adeyemo from Ile Ife also died and was buried beside Ise at Ajina
Adeyemo was deeply saddened by the death of his two powerful men who were so dear to him, and that made him consult the Ifa Oracle which instructed that a tree should be planted at the graveyard of the two important men to create a lasting memory of appreciation of the great support rendered by the two men to the success of Adeyemo Odeomo the founder of Isara.
Adeyemo Odemo planted the Ushen seed he fetched from the Elegbara shrine at Ile-Ife at the graveside of Ise and Ara.
The Ishen tree is an ancient tree that you would find at the junction of Majago/Ajina at Isara Remo today,
It is part of the ritual to the throne of the Odemo of Isara today that, any would-be Odemo of Isara would go there to pay homage and perform rituals there, and it's once in a lifetime because the Odemo is forbidden to go to the place or see some certain part of the place in the years of his reign.
And in evidence of this history, I was there when Baba, the Kabiyesi Odemo of Isara paid homage at the Ise’Ara shrine before he ascended the throne, and Kabiyesi the dutiful and culturally cautious Odemo would always avoid the place or better still look away at every time we've have the cause to ply the axis.
If you go to that axis of Ajina, Majago, and Ijabata today, I mean inside those compounds, you will respect Isara Remo's culture and tradition, you will know that truly, Isara is an ancient town which has been on the ground since ages and the history sincerely correlate with what we see live as it was written
It was where the community began to spread from, and those ancient facts are built around that axis, look at the Asogbon shrine, the Imose, the Iledi Osugbo, the Oya shrine and more like that are there till today
It was because Ise and Ara were buried there that encapsulated the name ISE’ARA before it was popularly coined Into the name ISARA!!!
None of these historians mentioned any settlement or people co-inhabitting there before Adeyemo Odemo migrated down there with his people but the history clearly stated that there are seven (7) communities from across Yorubaland who came to seek refuge under the peaceful abode of the Odemo of Isara due to war in Yorubaland in olden days, and the Odemo allocated places and farmland to them and their people to stay.
Some of them were said to have moved out due to continuous growth and family expansion, but their family, farmland, compounds and part of their traditional institutions are still in Isara to date.
Most of the towns also form part of the original Remo towns today, considering the years of their migration and accommodation by the Odeno of Isara Adeyemo Odemo was blessed with a large expanse of land, Isara Remo is a very big place by land mass, too big that he made his children to head different axis. For example, Adebimpe Erinsiba Gugu bii Ago took after their father in bravery and hunting talent, the history revealed that he was the Olumagbon before he was later crowned as the Erinsiba I, The Odemo of Isara Remo.
History is good! The history as written by Baba Aladura, Pa Joseph Adekoya Obadipe Osindeinde is deeply rooted historical research work which explains a lot about the true position of our town and Reno land as a whole,
Having read his historical manuscripts, over 100 pages of old historical documents, the one he wrote down in his handwriting, it reveals the true historical facts about Isara!
History is knowledge and as a student of the history of our dear town, I read Itan Ilu Isara for the first time in 2007, and it interests me to read further, and even research more, go to the place mentioned to confirm it, meet elders in town to confirm it and here today, having posted a lot of facts about our history
I was surprised to read that, it hasn't been heard before that Ise and Ara were later coined to ISARA.
Please, we can also confirm the history of Isara that we have in all the annual Afotamodi festival brochures! It is boldly and repeatedly cited there.
We shall continue to push, and bring you the authentic history of Isara Remo, we won't mix it or dilute it, but say it as our elders have written it. It's not prose, it is published research work, authored by notable Isara icons!
By the grace of God, I think we need a statue at Ajina, Idi Ushen, to depict the images of ISE’ARA, and the gods of the land would be happy that we do it.
We have successfully erected the statue of Odemo Adeyemo the founder of Isara Remo at Imule Eyinbo and the project is courtesy of Isara Youth Council.
Statues are good projects to represent the real historical accounts of a community like Isara Remo and to serve as a beauty to our tourism.
We won't relent and we will surely get there one day, in unity and as a people.
Together we shall make Isara great!
These historical lines are put in place to celebrate the birthday of our highly revered monarch,
Baba daada oninuure, Alalubarika
Oba Albert Adebose Mayungbe
Alaiyeluwa Oba Albert Adebose Mayungbe, Erinsiba III,
The 37th Odemo of Isara Remo turns 84th years on earth tomorrow 23rd March 2025 by the grace of God!
Happy Birthday in Advance Odemo of Isara
Here is wishing you a long life, good health and wellness, Igba Odun Odun Kan sir,
Congratulations baremi Arole Adeyemo
Kaaabiyesi oooo!
‘Lanre Fidelity
Omo Isara Afotamodi Kogun Ma Wolu.
