In the beginning….
History has it, with strong evidence that Melufen Opowo, a great hunter, herbalist, farmer from the Ilisa Compound in Iperu, Remo had settled in Ogijo about 400 years ago as the first settler and founder in the virgin breast now named and called Ogijo. He was later joined by the other settlers.
Evidence of Melufen being the first settler and founder of Ogijo include among others; One: the central geographical position of his village; Two: the Comparatively larger perimeter of the Melufen land occupation; Three: the glaring leadership role in the entire community development, he and his descendants and particularly Ojikoledun have played all the time.
The later settlers that joined him and settled, each in its own present village were Debolu, the progenitor of his Abafon people, Ojisimekun, the Progenitor of the Lemo/Magbo Village, Oluye, the Progenitor of the Poolo people, the Eyita people, the Lagunshens and the Molatoris.
There is no historical account of either the times most of them arrived where they are in Ogijo or the chronological order in which settled.
Melufen Opowo the progenitor of Melufen Descendants brought with’ him from Iperu, Orisa Oba Lire, Oro Olagbeyinwa formly in Ogijo and Ikorodu. They are being worshipped by a lot of sons and daughtersof Ikorodu, Ogijo and its environ. Melufen also established Esu deity and Ogun deity in Ogijo for warship.
Melufen through his Chief aid Ojikoleducewats) ogihat assisted Oluye of Poolo who discovered the source of Ogijo Rivet; tnlig out the place for the water to come out. As a result Melufen and his descendant are the people empowered spiritually to worship the river till today.
Melufen had two children — Okuselu (Female) and Rojugbuwa (Male)
Melufen was the first bale of Melufen village followed by Ogunbolu, Ogunlade, Tijani Atereko as bales from the male side. Meanwhile those from the female side i.e.
Okuselu who have occupied the seat as Head of Melufen family include Pa Oshobelo, Pa Abiodun, Iyalode — Jemi Sule and presently Chief J.G.O. AjayiBembe.
In February 2017, the history of Melufen and that of Ogijo changed when the first Ologijo of Ogijo emerged in person of His Royal Majesty Oba Kazeem Kashimawo Olaonipekun Gbadamosi, Ologijo of Ogijo (Okuselu 1). He is from the Okuselu branch of Melufen.
ABAFON Family
Ogunseruwa a great hunter and expenditure is said to lifie the first person to spend some time farming in the place now called Abafon in Ogijo. He never settled there instead he left as directed by lfa Oracle for Mosimi where he settled with his family and died of old age after visiting Ikorodu.
Debolu, another great hunter and farmer in the family of Ogunseruwa later moved out of Mosimi to the place where Ogunseruwa had farmed earlier in Ogijo to resettle. he named the place Abafon, after a big Afon tree which he met there. He is, therefore, acclaimed the founder of Abafon.
Debolu also established Oju-Olubun known as Oju Ogiju Vii, nisi. tikukei which has now became the big Ogijo community market now being use by.towns and villages between Sagamu and Ikorodu. In addition, he set up Ogun shrine, and Imale Eluku at the place. Debolu was the first bale of Abafon.
He had two children — Tanmini and Oluweni who begat Kotiku. Oluwewu reigned immediately after him, followed by Tanmini as third bale, followed by Kotiku and Chief Oduntan.
POOLO FAMILY
Odumati was one of the children of a powerful hunter and native doctor called Oduguloye from Odugu Compound Ile Ife Odumati and his father had for many years settled in at Ipoji in Ofin Shagamu hunting from Sagamu to Igode before Odumati left for Oko-Odu (Ikorodu and later to Agbo-Owa (Agbowa in Ogijo) there he settled doing his hunting and farming. Odumati had only one child named Oluye (Female). Oluye married Soranmu of Tufegboye family in Ikorodu. Her children are Efunaiya, Ekine, Aina, Odunta, Majaro and D.B. Ayaniaja.
Oluye had many slaves for her in her farm. She was a good herbalist and popular and successful maize flour `Ogi’ maker and seller.
Oluye discovered the point and source of Ogijo River. She called Ojikoledun — Malufen’s Chief Aid being a man to assist her do the digging of the place water to come out and also perform the necessary ritual to goddess of river for water to come out, Ojikoledun gladly assisted and water came out.
Seeing water, Oluye, Iya Ologi and herbalist became ecstatic. She invited neighbours and friends to see what happened and they rejoiced with her. Her dancing was extraordinary.
History tells that three things happened from the discovery. One was from her dancing and being Iya Ologi that the name Ogijo was formed i.e. Iya Ologi njo meaning Mama Ologi was dancing. Two: when Ojikoledun was performing the necessary rituals. Oro goddess charged and Oluye fled the spot being a woman and ran out of the bush to the main road. the place where she fell is today called? -11-1
Three: The rituals performed at the event were a great feat that could only be performed by a powerful medicine man. This is why the righ and authority to perform all sacrifices and worship of the river has been given to-Metofen till today.
LEMO FAMILY
It is claimed that Ojusimekun a grandchild of Oba Akarigbo Koyelu, who begot RENOLU who begat 7 children one of whom was Ojusimekun the 1st son.
Renolu married Merukube from Igbore Abeokuta for sometimes they lived in Ijomu Ikorodu.
Ojusimekun was sick and eventually treated by Merukube father and deity known as MAGBO was given to his father RENOLU to worship and appease until Ojusimekun is old enough to take over the worship.
Further instruction is that Ojusimekun must be made the Chief priest of the deity (Olumale) when he is in charge.
When Ojusimekun was of age, he and his father moved to a place known as Ewu Magbo via Ogijo and there they lived and Ojusimekun established his Magbo deity and became the Chief priest of the deity as well as the head of his village Ewu Magbo. He was later installed as the First Lemo of Ogijo.
Ojusimekun has two children — Ogunlawon (First Son) and Ogunyemi (Second Son)
TO BE CONTINUED
These communities have lived as peaceful neighbours sharing boundaries while each village remained mindful of its own security in terms of food, defence and health.
As years rolled by, and each village saw the need to interact with its neighbouring villages for exchange of ideas on how to tackle some problems and developmental desires common to all the villages, the bales started meeting and discussing. The subjects of their meeting were welfare, security, water supply, flood and area of development programmes. This is how inter-community relations began in Ogijo. For their meeting place, four prominent villages namely Melufen Opowo, Abafon, Magbo and Poolo donated bits of their land and named the place OR1TA — OGIJO. It was agreed that the Baaleship of the place ORITA OGIJO would be rotated among the head or nominees of the four villages and so it was until around the 1940’s and 50’s when Magbo village hijacked the river ship.