THE OGORI PEOPLE OF KOGI STATE

OGORI-MAGONGO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

OGORI

Ogori is a peculiar ethnic minority that has played and continues to play significant roles in all aspects of human and national development. One of the prominent geographical features in Ogori is a chain of hills running east-west connecting Ogori and magongo.

Ogori people whos local name is OKO.

The commonly accepted position on the history of ogori is that the community is birthed by the descendants of AKINBUYI, a prince of the ILE IFE, the cradle of the Yoruba race who Migrated to the environment where the community is presently situated.

The emergence of ogori descendants’ Union have been fulfilling in the role of unifying and in promoting developmental activities corporately and through individual members.

These organisations have helped over the years in sustaining the cultural heritage of their communities like the coming of age ceremony known as OVIA OSESE and its accompanying festivals which have become tourist attractions in ogori.

The Ovia Osese is a way of extolling and sustains the virtues of a womanhood of the people of ogori.

That of males are of two sorts namely, EKON MO ORIRE and the AKARA OSI SORE, which is basically a display of skills on how to fry akara balls with very little materials. Both activities of the males are to test their dexterity and intelligence.

A lot can be said about the uniqueness of Ogori people, it will be unfair not to mention their flair for educations. This is the land of professors, doctors and academics to name a few.

Fill free to visit when in the area and most especially during the OVIA OSESE. You will be happy you came.

Oludo from Ile-Ife is the first settler in Magongo about 500 years ago. The town derived its name from Unagogo,one of the son of Oludo. After then the Land started to grow bigger and bigger. Magongo is well known to be the town that accepts visitors. And God keeps blessing us with great leders.

Magongo Community in Kogi State of Nigeria is on geographical Coordinates:7°29'N 6°13'E. Occupying land mass of about 30sq mile. The population size of 1996 census of the federal republic of Nigeria put the population figure of the local government at about 39,000.

Our culture is very rich among which are the famous Owiya Osese. 

The paramount ruler is Olumagongo of Magongo. important High and Lesser Chiefs are known as Ekekaro and Otaru in Magongo respectively. The music dance include eregba, okeni, igo,ishoko and more importantly iyaresen while the festivals include igilofifi,ikpen,eya ojija.

Origin and Migrations of the Ogori People of The Niger/Benue Confluence Area 

Ogori people are a sub ethnic group today found in the North central part of Kogi State with a projected population of about sixty-thousand (60,000).

Ogori is said to have a history that span up to about 700 hundred years. The origin of the people of Ogori is thus tied to the waves of migration of the Yoruba. The people traced their origin to Ile-Ife, the Yoruba ancestral home. According to oral tradition, the people of Ogori arrived their present location through series of migration from Ile-Ife having settled intermittently in places like Ilesha, owo, Benin, Idoma land and Ajaokuta before their present location (Akerejola 1970). 

The people of Ogori haven settled in Idomaland were said to have proceeded in their migration passing through Igalaland into Aboko (Ajaokuta) and Egori districts to Igbirra Pete, Ipesi Ate and Okejebu till their final arrival in the present area where they are now found. A section of Ogori was said to have separated in Ajaokuta (Aboko) and proceeded to Gobbo, Mozun and Toto areas of Nassarawa via Niger and Benue confluence and later to Kakanda where another Ogori settlement exists till this day (Osheidu 1980). According to oral tradition and written sources, Ogori in their migratory era consisted of many clans, many of which have been consumed by the larger ones. These clans are said to be Adu’bane, Oso’bane, Okibo, Arigo, Ogbegbe, Oturu, Egewu, Okpowo and Eni. Some of these clans later separated to establish their own settlements in different places. The Okpoowo, Oturu and Ogbegbe clans are now found in Magongo, about 3 kilometres to Ogori. Some others separated to settle with their counterparts from Ile-Ife, in places like the present Makeke, Bekuma, Oja and Ososo all in present Edo State (Holgate 1950). 

Ogori people see themselves as a descendant of Oduduwa from Ile-Ife who had contact with many other groups in their migrations. They justify this claim in many ways. For instance, in Ogori, the farewell song when a bride is being accompanied to the groom’s home depicts an Ile-Ife origin “Osimire Memek’Ado O Osimire” meaning Oh! Osimire, having bidden farewell to you, home to which there is no return, I am now in Ado (Benin). Osimire is said to be a river at Ile-Ife which the ancestors of Ogori were said to have crossed during their migration from Ile-Ife. Equally, the observance of some festivals in Ogori are identical with those of some parts of Yoruba and Benin. For example, the coronation ceremony of an ‘Oya’ title in Ogori corresponds with that of Benin.

Ogori Ovia-Osese festival is also similar with a festival called Igogo in Owo and Evieme festival in Ozalla, Edo State. Ogori type tribal marks are also similar to those of Yoruba and the Benin variety. Oduro (waiters) in Yoruba palaces also correspond with waiters in Ogori palace (Osheidu, 1980). Furthermore, in Ogori Royal palace are kept beaded crowns, the Ogoloko swords and other regalia dating to the seventh century which correspond with those found in Yoruba land (Oyedele 1982). In fact, the Oni of Ife, Oba Adesoji Aderemi in 1979 confirmed that the Ogori crown is of Ife Origin but of the Benin pattern. Another evidence of the claim of Yoruba origin is the easy adoption of Yoruba names, customs and language by Ogori people. The Ogori speak Yoruba as a second language. Also the name Oduduwa “the father of all Yoruba” has a native name in Ogori known as Odudurudu. As such the people like the Yoruba, regard Oduduwa as their ancestor.

Notwithstanding the similarities between some aspects of Ogori culture and that of the Yoruba, instead of claiming Yoruba origin, it is more plausible to infer a cultural contact between the people and the Yoruba in the past. According to Edahson (1981), the more plausible explanation for the cultural similarity between Ogori and Yoruba, is that Ogori, Ife and Edo could have had some political, social and cultural relationships in the past. And as such the myth that Ile-Ife is the centre of creation permeated Ogori, hence, like other groups, claim Ile-Ife as their home of origin. It is possible that the Ogori like most African people decided to claim descent from Ile-Ife in their bid to give themselves a more prestigious identity and recognition. 

Ogori is a confederation of Adu’bane, Osho’bane, Okibo and Eni clans. The Adu’bane, Osho’bane and Okibo are collectively known as ONU. The Onus were said to be the earliest arrival to the present Ogoriland, and they first settled in a place called Onumoba (Imoru, Pers. Comm. 2003). The Eni clan was said to be a later arrival to the area in search of their claimed lost brothers (the ONUS) who were said to have missed their way home in a hunting expedition (Akerejola 1970). The geography of the area must have influenced the choice of the area for settlement by the people of Ogori given the security situation at the time of their movement around the Niger/Benue confluence. Ogoriland is located in a valley enclosed by hills, these hills provided protection against external invasion. Ogori as a settlement became established through several waves of migration of people to the area. The different groups in the course of migrations settled in various places such as Ilesha, Owo, Idomaland and Ajaokuta area before their final arrival to the present location.

MAGONGO (CURLED FROM: A BRIEF HISTORY OF MAGONGO BY CHIEF A.O.F. ALAO)