The Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, strongly emphasizes that the Yoruba ancestral homeland extends beyond Ile-Ife and urges historians involved in studying the Yoruba ancestral roots to maintain objectivity in their research and documentation.
In a statement released by his media spokesperson, Alli Ibraheem, in Osogbo on Monday, Oba Akanbi believes that confining research solely to Ile-Ife imposes limitations on the extensive historical achievements and greatness of the Yoruba people.
While asserting that the Yoruba people are closely associated with distinction, excellence, and greatness, the monarch claims that the first human ever created was Yoruba.
He explains that Oduduwa migrated to Ile-Ife and established the traditional governance system with the crown as the symbol of authority.
Oba Akanbi challenges Yoruba scholars to delve deeper into the origins and authenticity of Oduduwa as a descendant of Ola Mu Iru Dudu Yi, which is shortened to Lamurudu.
“Yorubas are inherently destined for greatness. Human history began with us. We are the descendants of Lamurudu, the first immensely powerful individual to construct the tallest building. Our history goes beyond Oduduwa and Ile-Ife. Restricting our history to these two aspects is akin to limiting our ancestors’ remarkable accomplishments and achievements of the past.
“I encourage Yoruba professors to objectively trace the lineage and origins of Oduduwa. He came from somewhere before settling in Ile-Ife, implying that Yorubas are not originally from Ile-Ife.
“In chronicling the history of the Yoruba people, it is imperative to include all ancient crowns and stakeholders with a genuine interest. We are conquerors, distinguished, and affluent. Consequently, we must establish our origins as even more illustrious and prosperous than our predecessors,” he asserts.
Furthermore, he adds, “I am a descendant of Oduduwa. Empirically, the origins of humanity can be traced back to the Yoruba people. The first man created, Adamo, was Yoruba. I have conducted extensive research in books and beyond on the concept of Adamo, extending my inquiries into Yoruba religion, which involves direct access to Olodumare without intermediaries. This approach is akin to other faiths such as Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and more. It serves to comprehend the meaning of Adamo. My findings are corroborated by numerous revelations. In the Yoruba dictionary, Adamo signifies ‘created from the red earth,’ which translates to ‘Eni ti a da ninu amo.’ I welcome further academic investigation of this concept by Yoruba professors.”