Ido-Osun is an ancient town located in Egbedore local government of Osun West Senatorial district of Osun state that was established by Obalufon Alayemore the 4th Ooni Of Ile-Ife around 1300c. Ido-Osun’s Oldname was reffered to as Igbo Oyiowo (Oyiowo Forest)long before the invasion of the Ijebu slave traders.Thetown is bleesed with different beutiful land geopraphy of flat plains, valleys, hills, mountains and Riverprominent of such hills is the Obalufon hills at Akoto area of Aga and the Alayemore mountain at the currentIdo-Osun Botanical Garden and resort at Aga Iwaju now Aga phase 2. Prominent of the rivers sorounded by Ido- Osun are the popular Osun river that hosts thousands of tourists every year for the Osun osogbo Festival whileOdo (River) Osun is in turn celebrated in Ido-Osun, as well as where the Osun state name is derived from andknown as the state of the living spring. Also is the Olojo, Iyalupo, Kuse, olokun, Osu, iyemoja, ojutu rivers arealso amoung the popular river. No wonder the town is know with the euology of Home of Fish and Prawsestablishing the coastal values. Osun river is a long river line that link with the Oya river in the north which isopen to the Atlantic. Osunronke the untold Heroeine;Osunronke is an heroen that is highly respected as the mother of Ido-osun Princes and from her thetown Ido-Osun coined her name as Ibudo Osun ‘ where Osun Resides” which metamophosided from the oldname ‘Igbo Oyiowo’ this came after Osunronke was captured along others to efon Ekiti by the Ijebu slavetraders after her defensive act in protecting the great hunters that found osogbo Timehin and Laro who sheusually reffered to as Oso-Igbo now known as Osogbo whenever they approach her farm. She was able tomystically kill the invaders who were in search of bounties while tracing this hunters but with her female skillshe was able to kill the strange emesaries which caused the Ijebu armies to come to Igbo Oyiowo in search oftheir lost soldiers and eventually they raided the kingdom at that time. But on getting to the camp of the Ijebusoldiers at Efon in today’s Ekiti state, she was able to infilterate the camp and beign a close favorite of thecamp leader, she already knows their intinery and that’s how she poisioned the soldiers and freed the captives. While they started heading back home she instructs them to follow her lead after using a mystic power to paythe ultimate price, she turned into a flowing water and this was how she lead them till they got back to IgboOyiowo at a connecting river known as Erinle where the Osun river connected to the Iyalupo river a place that isnow as Erinle water Dam that provides water for all Osun people today. Most of the people who couldn’t makeit back to Igbo-Oyiowo (Ido-Osun) are now today identified in several ido towns where they settled today suchas Idoanni, Ido-Ajinare, Ido-Osi, Ido-Faboro and many others and they still reconnect to their main source Ido- Osun till date. Erinle RiverIs a very important River to the people of Ido-osun and Osun state people at large as the River housesthe water dam that is a major source of portable water for the habitant of the state aside from the historicaffiliation it has with the people of ido-osun. Erinle is an ancient areana in Ido-Osun, this place is knownto house large numbers of Elephants and Hippos in the old times. The area is highly significant inIdo-Osun as this is a spot or confluence where the Osunronke the ancestral mother of Ido-Osunprinces who turned to river to show the route back home after the slavery voyage of the Ijebu- Ekiti invasion of Ido-Osun whose Old name was Igbo Oyiowo (Oyiowo Forest) when the mysticOsun river line lead the people back home, it connected with the Iyalupo River which was a linkriver from Otin and Oba river. This is also a known all over Yorùbáland.This is where Osun stategot it’s name, also the source of the popular Osun festival and a major part of Ido-Osun Kingdomhistory[1] The cult of Erinle is found in towns throughout the former Oyo Empire. Due to the prominence of Elephants in this area at that time, it’s referred to as Ile Erin (Elephant’s Land) which became Erinle (Erin “Elephants” and Ile “Land”) Till date, Osunronke is hold dare to people of Ido-Osun, Osogbo and many other Osun Indegenes hence the connection with Erinle River.
The name may be derived from erin (elephant) and ilẹ (Land). Erinle river is the confluence point where the Osun river and Iyalupo river met a point where the Ido-osun got reconnected with their homes after the ijebu-Ekiti escapade. Erinle river is a major source of the fishing activities of Ido-osun people including the Urobo community that have resides in Ido-osun in almost all their lives, as well as a source of water for the irrigation farming. It also host the Tourism and recreative activities where Ido-Osun Botanical garden and resort is located. Also another point of attraction around Erinle the Iganrin Cave located at the Alayemore Mountain. Monarchy The Traditional Tittle of all Obas in Ido-Osun kingdom from time memorials go by the Title Onido, Alayemore, Olojudo and as well Obalufon which is still the names the Ido-Osun kings are addressed as until today which the 48th Alayemore of Ido-Osun kingdom is Oba Aderemi Adedapo. It is a known fact all over the Yoruba land that Kingship of Ido-Osun Kingdom is ascended majorly by the descendants of the Obalufon Ogbogbodinrin lineage and as such Ido-Osun’s strong affinity with their ancestral home Ile-Ife. The Ooni of Ife holds all Ido-Osun princes dearly knowing that they are his direct defendants. Ido-Osun played a very big role in hosting the Offa people during the Ilorin-Offa war and they lived in Ido-Osun for over 19 years until the war was over and they all returned home to Offa in kwara state except a few of them who did not return and lived in a community reffered to as Ofatido in Ido-Osun till date. Osogbo was also a product of Ido-Osun’s benevolence and accomodative nature as the Owa sent in his emmesaries to serve the river goddes and reffered to him as atewogbeja now known as Ataoja of Osogbo. The term Osogbo Ilu Aro (dye) was as a result of the communication of the Osunronke pot of dye at the water bank of the Osun river around Oke Osun where the spirit was made to have caution them to be watchful of her pot of Dye (Oso-Igbo, Ema wo Ikoko Aro mi). Ede was Established sometimes around 1830s during the reign of Oba Adegbiji the then Alayemore of Ido-Osun after he sent a message to the Alaafin of Oyo to send his soldiers to protect the Caravans going to apomu to prevent them from further attack by the Ijesha soldiers and in return Alaafin responded by sending the Timi Agbale Olofa Inna which became the first Timi of Ede after he established himself as a kinglet in an area given to him to reside in and afterwards Alapotiemitiemi was also sent.
Religion
Ido-Osun consist of the Muslims, Christians and the Traditionalists with predominance of Muslims and also christians. The first mosque in the town was dated around the 1880s during the reign of Oba Adejumobi and the church also was established around 1920s. Before this time, majority where basically traditionist and Oba Isola Jokotola gave the old Othrodox Anglican Church its beautiful achitectural look which still stands till date.
Festivals
Ido-Osun major festival is the Obalufon and Osun festival which is usually a yearly festival and the tradition towards this festival is that it’s forbidden to publicly display Yams for sales or eating publicly until after the festivals. This festivals are basically made to celebrate our ancestoral parents for their heroeic existence, just a time to reflect love and sacrifice for existence of humanity. The Osun festival comes immediately after the Obalufon festival and it’s reffered to Odo (River) because we believe Osun is our mother and it’s not for us to still stress the point of going to Osun but raher River cause the actual festival is Osun festival. Ususally in the old time, Osogbo comes to Ido-osun to get a date for the Osun festival before they celebrate the Osun festival in Osogbo, although times are changing and so is traditions manipulated. Other festivals such as Ayaba, Ogun and other religious fastival such as the Eids and Christmas are as well observed in Ido-Osun.