Akure South’s Isolo town celebrates 2025 Ogun Ajobo festival
By BASHIR ADEFAKA
The DEFENDER reports that Kibi is a grandson of Oduduwa, who migrated from Osu in Ile-Ife and travelled through Ilesha up till a point known as Aaye, where the Ifa asked him to go further as he was yet to reach his destination for settlement. Kibi then, according to our investigations, stationed his first son as king at Aaye, which remains the tradition till today.
The Isolo town, a centuries old autonomous community in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Friday June 6, 2025, celebrated the 2025 edition of its annual Ogun Ajobo Festival, reaffirming its commitment to preserving age-old Yoruba traditions.
The festival began with performance of sacred rites at the Ogun Ajobo shrine located in Umeruku, the ancestral home and first settlement of the ancient Isolo people led by Kibi.
The DEFENDER reports that Kibi is a grandson of Oduduwa, who migrated from Osu in Ile-Ife and travelled through Ilesha up till a point known as Aaye, where the Ifa asked him to go further as he was yet to reach his destination for settlement. Kibi then, according to our investigations, stationed his first son as king at Aaye, which remains the tradition till today.
Moving forward, the investigation further revealed that Kibi, the ancestral father of the Isolo people of Akure District of the old, repeated the Ifa divination at a location called Umeruku, beside Irese and was told, “This is the destination of choice for your settlement”.
He, therefore, ordered the lowering of Olo (flat headed stone used to grind pepper for food preparation), giving the order in his Ile-Ife dialect “In so Olo”.
This global online newspaper reports that ‘In’ is second person plural pronoun denoting ‘You’, while ‘so’, a verb word used to cause the happening of an action, and ‘Olo’, a noun denoting the target or object of the second person plural pronoun ‘In’ that is the subject or the point or receiving end of order in the sentence “In so Olo”.
The ordering sentence “In so Olo” has since undergone linguistic reengineering to become “Isolo”. That point, where the grinding stone was lowered on the order of Kibi, is known as Umeruku, which remains rallying point for the Isolo people – led by the symbol of their traditional leadership, Osolo – celebrate Ogun Ajobo Festival till the present.
Ogun, the Yoruba god of iron, is revered as the protector of all who use metal tools and means of transportation such as vehicles, motorcycles, and bicycles, making the festival a significant observance across Yoruba land.
Leading the traditional rites was His Royal Majesty, Oba Dr. Edward Kolawole Adejoyegbe Adewole, Akesoogun Orisa Obaluaye Mosu, Osalade II, the Osolo of Isolo Kingdom.
After the customary recitations by the chief priest, Kabiyesi offered prayers for the people of Isolo both at home, across Nigeria and in the diaspora.
He also prayed for peace, prosperity and sustainable development across Isolo Kingdom, Akure South and Ondo State.
One of the most sacred aspects of the ritual was the beheading of two dogs, performed as part of the spiritual offering. This was carried out by Chief Dare Ibitoye, the Odofin of Isolo, on the directive of both the monarch and the chief priest.
The celebration witnessed the presence of high-ranking traditional chiefs including High Chief Ibukun Ezekiel Adetoyinbo, the Elemo of Isolo Kingdom; youth leaders led by Chief Oshinle and Chief Ayodele Julius; and the spiritual custodians known as the “Awos,” led by Chief Adifase and Chief Fadumiye Segun.
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Also in attendance were community residents and cultural enthusiasts.
The Ogun Ajobo Festival continues to serve not only as a spiritual rite but also as a vibrant expression of cultural identity and unity among the people of Isolo.
