BRIEF HISTORY OF IBARAPA

The Ibarapas are a Yoruba people group located in the Southwestern corner of Oyo State. The name of the group is derived from a local cultivator of the melon plant, known locally as "Egusi Ibara", which was historically acknowledged by neighboring peoples such as the Egbas, Ibadans and Oyos to be extensively cultivated in the area. Ibarapa is the neighboring city of Ibadan. They border Yorubas of Onko extraction to the North (Iwajowa, Kajola and Iseyin LGAs) and Yorubas of Oyo extraction to the East (Ibadan). The Yewas or Egbados to the West, and the Egbas to the South. The Ibarapa people are said to have migrated into the area, either as dissidents of the Old Oyo empire, during the periods of constant internecine warfare between the different Yoruba states, as well as refugees escaping the trans atlantic and trans-Saharan slave raiding business of the day. The Tapa segment of the population is said to have been formed by the Jihad ridden Nupe refugees from the northern Nigeria, who had lost their traditional state to Fulani jihadists. The predominant occupation of people in Ibarapa is farming. The Seven Ibarapas has a total populations of 400,000 as at 2011 according to the last population census in Nigeria.

In year 1960, Shortly after the dissolution of the old Western region, and the creation of the new Oyo, Ogun and Ondo states, some Ibarapa demanded that their communities be excused from Oyo and merged with Ogun. Those who favoured the merger said most Ibarapa historically hail from their Egba neighbours, and that they stood a better chance of rapid development in Ogun, which had just Four divisions, unlike Oyo which had a massive Twelve divisions. The pro-Oyo elements amongst the Ibarapas denied any ancestral links with the Egbas, and that only one of the six quarters in the Igbo-ora township descend from the Egbas. in addition, they pointed to the fact that never in their history have they been administered jointly with, or from Abeokuta. The commission later found out that the sitting of the local police divisional headquarter in the town of Eruwa was the root cause of the demands, with those on the east favouring a merger with Ogun, while those on the west were satisfied with the status quo. Eventually, it was decided that Ibarapa land remained where it was (Oyo State), and this was the final resolution accepted by the federal government in year 1976.

THE TOWNS AND VILLAGES IN IBARAPA*
Ibarapa land is traditionally made up of seven principal towns known as the Ibarapa Meje (the seven Ibarapas), and their surrounding villages and farmsteads. These towns include ¹Eruwa, ²Lanlate, ³Igbo-Ora, ⁴Idere, 5.Aiyete, 6.Tapa and 7.Igangan. Aiyete, Tapa and Igangan are in Ibarapa North local government area, Igbo-Ora and Idere are in Ibarapa Central, while Eruwa and Lanlate are located in Ibarapa East local government. The three local governments were created by the federal government of Nigeria authorities since 1996 when Ibarapa East was carved out from the old Ibarapa Local Government while Ibarapa Central and North were carved out of the former Ifeloju Local Government area. The seven principal towns can be subdivided further, based on the villages that are organized around each of them. In totality, about 30 different villages litter the landscape.

*THE HIDDEN SECRET BEHIND THE TWINNING AMONG THE IBARAPA*

In the 60's, Professor PPS Nylander, obstetrician and gynaecologist conducted a series of research into the phenomenon of twinning and multiple birth in Ibarapa district. According to his research and investigations He found out that the Yoruba of Ibarapa had the highest twinning rates in the world (45.1 per 1000 live births) and the twins were usually of the fraternal (dizygotic) type. This meant that the women were having multiple ovulations/egg releases in their menstrual cycles, and could be triggered by environmental factors. He further suggested that these factors might be in the local yam being consumed by the people in the area.

IBARAPA IS A GREAT CITY BLESSED WITH SO MANY THINGS

IBARAPA MEJEJE KONI BAJE Oooooo!

Proudly IBARAPA

kudos! thanks for this expository information about our land!