About Ekinrin Adde

Ekinrin – Adde is town located in Ijumu L.G.A. of Kogi State, in the Western Senatorial District on latitude 7 deg 50’N and longitude 5 deg50’E at an altitude of 1000 metres above sea level.

The town is a conglomerate of contiguous villages that amalgamated to be one . The people trace their ancestry to Ile-Ife, the cradle of Yoruba civilization. Geographically, Ekinrin-Adde. The people are a sub-ethnic group within the Yoruba nationality, who speak a dialect generally referred to as Okun, widely spoken by the five local Government that make up the Kogi West Senatorial District although with slight variation from community to community. The Okun dialect is a sub-dialect of the Yoruba language.

Location:

Ekinrin-Adde is located in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi state and bordered by Iyamoye to the and Egbeda Egga to the right. Ekinrin-Adde is 20 minutes drive from Ekiti state and shares other cultures with villages on the same axis.

History:

According to oral tradition, The first settler was a hunter called “Akinrin” who was said to have migrated with his siblings from Ile-Ife. Ekinrin-Adde was separated from the present-day Ondo state by a very big mountain known as “Oluko”. Ekinrin people are the first settlers in the community, later “Adde”. People began to move from their settlement such as Ilafe, Ilaga, Abudo, Okedagba, Ona and so on to live with Ekinrin people and they all became one big great community and hence the name Ekinrin-Adde. Ekinrin-Adde was very important in the economic activities of O’kun land during the pre-colonial era. There existed some economic activities such as hunting, fishing, agriculture, trade and commerce.

Culture :

The Ekinrin-Adde people are united by several practices such as “Egungun” (masquerade) festival. Masquerades usually parade during a particular season and also when an eminent person who holds or who is in a position of authority dies. Notable masquerades includes the Olori Owo, Ona Oko, Oyoyo and the Ajibele masquerades. Another cultural festival usually carried out on the 20th day of June every year is the Emidin festival. The “Emindin” festival is usually called out by the omo agba people from Ona the Royal clan

Geography:

The general nature of Ekinrin-Adde land is predominantly savannah with undulating plains. There are deep hills, which marks the eastern and western edge. The soil is light brown, sandy and a little lateritic on the plain stony soil in the hills with rare patches of red earth. Due to the nature of the soil, most of the residents are farmers and common farm produce include yam, cassava, pepper, beans, cocoyam, melon and palm oil etc.

Natural Resources/Tourist Attraction:

Ekinrin-Adde is very rich in white marble. The marble deposit in Ekinrin – Adde, based on its chemical composition is a pure carbonate and a typical calcitic-type marble. The marble deposit in Ekinrin –Adde is suitable for the manufacture of cement, production of sodium alkalis (sodium carbonate, bicarbonate and hydroxide), pesticide, poultry feed, calcium ammonium nitrate fertilizer and as a refractory lime.

Notable tourist spot includes the Mountain Akogba and River Oyi.

Festivals

Emidin Festival is the annual new yam festival of the Ekinrin people. Emidin festival is usually celebrated in June. In the very old days, barns of yams shows the wealth of a person, someone with a large collection of yams marked prestige.

From planting till harvest, the process of farming yam is taken sacred by the Ekinrin-Adde’s culture. Around June, the first yams are harvested and celebrated by the people. Men would dig up their first yams for display and the farmers with the biggest yams are often admired. After the celebration, the yams are cooked or roasted with the women guiding the procession.

This festival also serves as a period to thank the gods for a bountiful harvest and also to ask for abundant rains for the next planting season. It’s a common practice for most indigenes of the town to return home to celebrate, meet their family members and also an age group reunion opportunity.

According to tradition, it is unacceptable for the community member to eat new yam before the celebration.

Education

Ekinrin-Adde has various primary and secondary schools. Most of the old ones were established through communal effort in collaboration with the early missionaries. Among the very notable ones is Baptist High School, established by missionary John B. Hill, and his son Baker.

Kings:

Below is the list of traditional rulers that have ruled in Ekinrin

   1. Elewa ti Agbada
   2. Elewa Adigogo Digun Jalu
   3. Elewa Fufu
   4. Elewa Iru Igbadigi Dole so, Ado Libi Ewo Dagba Hi
   5. Onare Ewuta
   6. Onare Agboko Lila Gbayin Igbe
   7. Onare Balogun Aribido Afodede Loye , A Mowo Sebi Oni o Kogbun(1943-1971)
   8. Onare Medaiyese(1974-1983)
   9. Elewa Akinyele Otitoju(1984-1996)
   10. Akinrin J.T Oni(2001-2003)
   11. Akinrin Faleke(1996-till date)

List of Obas (including Regents ) in Ekinrin-Adde from 1733-Till Date)

   1. Olu Aseje 1733-1741
   2. Olu Agbarun 1741-1763
   3. Olu Imotan-1753-1763
   4. Olu Gogun 1763-1783
   5. Olu Aroke 1783-`1803
   6. Olu Meje Ododun 1803
   7. Olu Agbarun Gbala-Gbala 1803-1804
   8. Olu Igiogun (Igogun)-1804-1805
   9. Olu Arabori 1805-1806
   10. Olu Asipatete-tere 1806-1807
   11. Olu Omumuturumu 1807-1808
   12. Olu Igbadakaramaya 1808-1809
   13. Ou Apotoloro Isahegun 1809-1810
   14. Olu Keke 1810-1830
   15. Olu Akiko 1830-1842
   16. Olu Agboraja 1842-1865
   17. Olu (Alaa) Odundun (Ahodedero)1865-1880
   18. Olu Agbaluju Lowo Idagba1880-1900
   19. Olu Arotile 1900-1912
   20. Olu Olugbami (Ayidina)1912-1924
   21. Olu Ajibulu 1924-1926
   22. Olu Aiyeniko 1926-1948
   23. Olu Babalola 1948-1974
   24. Olu D.A Olumoko 1974-1996
   25. Olu S.I Hambolu 2002-20
   26. Chief Joshua Jaiye 2015-2016(REGENT)
   27. Olu Anthony Bamigbaiye Idowu 2016 to date^[12]

Religion:

Christianity(predominantly) , Islam and Traditional

Notable people from Ekinrin Adde:

Some prominent sons and daughters of Ekinrin-Adde are and have been:

• Abiodun Faleke- Politician and a member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives of Lagos

• Prof Olayemi Akinwunmi V.C of Federal University Lokoja

Babajide Otitoju-multiple award-winning investigative journalist and political analyst

-Rt. Hon. Justice JA Fabiyi (JSC Rtd).

-Rt Hon Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye.

-Gen. J.O.S Oshanupin (Rtd)

-Navy Commander LMO Fabiyi (Rtd)

-Chief VO Faleke

-Chief Akin Obafemi

-Chief Akin Fagbemi

-Barr. Kolade Olutekunbi

-Mr Adewale Aronimoh-Adekanye

-Hon. Ade Omofaiye

-Hon Funsho Olumoko

– Prof. Shola Omotola

-Dr (Mrs) Bukola Ayeni

-Dr Kole Ibitoye-Bamisaiye

-Chief Mrs MO Ojo

-Mr Bayo Vincent Olumoko (Laboh)
– Surveyor Gbenga Collins Rotimi