The History of Ikiran-Ile and Ikiran-Oke

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Last update June 11, 2020

Ebune-Ugbo (Ikiran-Ile) - The people of this village has a common fore-Father who was more probably an early emigrant from Benin. He settled at what is now called Ebune-Ugbor lkiran-Ile and by the middle of the last century a considerable village had grown up. About 1850 Ebune (Ikiran Ile) was sacked by the Ibadan raids taking village chief priest with them. They sought refuge on the hill top in the east of the present site of Osi (Aiyegunle). They later submit to the Nupes and accepted "ajele" through whom they paid tribute. Ebune or lkiran- Ile was later burnt by the District commissioner.

The people of Ebune came down from their hill about the same time, some remaining at the foot of it and others returning to the site of the old villages about two miles away. The village now has three (3) names; Eye is used by the older folk when speaking their own language, lkiran, used by the younger men and the people of surrounding village and Ebune used apparently only. In official records and correspondence it is recommend that the latter be now abandoned in favour of  lkiran.

Ebune  (Ikiran Ile) have been administered from Kabba, Okene, Iddo, Fugar and Auchi successively. The lkiran Ile now belong to the North Akoko-Clan and in electoral ward four (4).

Administration

Ebune is divided into two sections Ebune, the lkiran-Oke and lkiran- Ile or Ehuna ugbo  which are about seven(7) miles apart its people are divided two quarters and four families  as follows:-

ITUA, ALUKPE QUARTERS

Osiono and Okpona , Obiannke and Osioke/families. The family remains a functioning administrative units, but the quarters are at present rent by intervals dissections .

It is almost certain that the village- head in the olden days was the chief priest of (Orimosi) which was removed from Osi about 1860.The Nupe appointed a man in Alukpe quarter village head or Zaiki and the header of Irue, Dawudu

Therefore the village headship and the title of Dawodu alternate between the two quarters, until1936. There are now three claims to the post.  Arubi who claims to be the head of Irua quarter whose turn of his family Osioka of Alukpa which has not provided a Zaiki for a longtime.

None of them make any attempt to show that they could command obedience from the people without recognition and support of the district officer. Arubi probably has the largest following but has alienated sympathy for his cause by not enlisting the support of the Onibillo who is believed to possess influence with government owing to the size of the village and the fact that it is the size of the native court.

There are two age grade through each of which every man should pass every seven (7) years between 16 and 23 years are initiated into Abah members which becomes Ekunyeku. After seven (7) years in the latter grade men "UMU" by payment, ceremony and entertainment of the villagers, becomes "Eku-OKala" or elder.  As ceremonies of initiation and promotion are repugnant to Christianity and the unproductive expenditure of money universally so the system is moribund.

The Christianity is getting stronger and its influence probably would decisive in the dispute regarding the village headship and in the future administration of the village.

Women have no tradition political rights but enjoy a measure of independence which is purely social in character.

Marriage

According to Achives report Ebune (lkiran-Ile) girls are allowed or permitted to choose their own husbands. In the olden days widows are allowed to remarry without refunding dowry but, recently they are allowed to remarry or inherited by the brother of their husbands.

Bride Price: In lkiran-Ile bride price compared to the other parts of the country is believed to be one of the cheapest due to the fact that they believe  that love is what is important in marriage and that when they give their daughter to someone without taking much money, such person will take care of their child properly and they also believe that love is what they want and for that bride price is very small here. At times they take as little as 20 (Naira) and 40 (Naira) as the case may be, that does not mean that it is the only thing involved there are other things they put down like yams, palm oil, melon, fish, garden eggs, cloths for the bride, umbrella, box and other things you do for the father and mother of the bride and during courtship the prospective groom is expected to serve the bride's family by helping them in farm work most especially. But nowadays the learned or educated people use money in place of the work aspect of it During the olden days there are clans which they are forbidden to marry from because they make ammunition for war against them for their enemies, but according to the clan head in recent days, because of civilization all such customs are now extinct. They now marry from all the clans and from all the tribes in Nigeria.

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