The Perceptive: Modakeke’s

Ile Ife (Aftermath of Modakeke war)

History makes man, man does not exist without history. Putting history in the right perspective should be applauded by the historian or researcher.

The history of MODAKEKE has attracted a lot of documentary evidence and this is just an empirical fact by Aiyekooto Reporters historical gathering. It is faultlessly scripted.

The sacrosanct truth is that, with the fall of the Oyo Empire to the Fulani, the Yoruba kingdom was thrown into confusion and the inhabitants of the Old Oyo were dispersed and started new settlements all around Yoruba land.

Fleeing southwards in search of new abodes after the fall of the Oyo Empire, the Oyo’s started settling among the Ifes in 1834. As the Romans of old, they were soldier-farmers. They were hardy as soldiers and industrious as farmers. Having lost all their possessions in their hasty flight, they started life in Ife by doing menial jobs to enable them eke out a living.

The reigning Ooni of Ife, Oba Akinmoyero was said to have received them well. They started growing and producing different types of food crops on farmlands given to them by their hosts. A good number of them got recruited into Ife’s weak army and it was through their gallantry that Ife had its territory extended to Alakowe, its present boundary with Ilesa.

Prior to the arrival of the Oyo’s, Ijesha land extended to the present location of the Palace of the Ooni of Ife. This is why the Palace area is known as Enuwa (Enu Owa) till date.

Ooni Akinmoyero gave the displaced Oyo an expanse of land to stay outside the walls of Ife,the place given to the Modakeke’s was home to a species of bird called Ako (Stork), Hence the origin of the appellation AKORAYE (The stork found a space). It was also customary for the storks at the location to chirp and sing the rhyme “Mo-da-ke-ke-ke-ke” which was most of the time heard by the Ifes and it was decided that the new settlement would be called

MODAKEKE.