The Ayogo people of the Republic of Benin have traced their ancestral roots to the ancient Oyo Empire, reaffirming their historical and cultural ties with Oyo and the Alaafin.


The development was disclosed in a statement shared on Wednesday by Bode Durojaiye, Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Paramount Ruler of Oyo Kingdom and Superior Head of Yorubaland.

According to Durojaiye, the Ayogo community dates its settlement to around 1711, when it reportedly served as an administrative and territorial outpost of the Old Oyo Empire.

He said the community was strategically positioned to project the empire’s influence towards its western frontiers and facilitate the collection of tributes known as ishakole.

Durojaiye quoted the monarch of Ayogo, Oba Onaefa Oyeyemi Bolasodun, as saying the people trace their ancestry to migrants and garrison elements from Oyo who moved westward during the expansion of the empire.

“We maintain Oyo-derived oral histories, songs, and cultural identity with deep pride, reflecting the wide reach of Old Oyo’s western administrative grid,” the monarch was quoted as saying.

The statement added that the Ayogo people had preserved a distinct dialect of the Yoruba language despite centuries of separation from Oyo.
During the visit to the Alaafin’s palace, Oba Bolasodun reportedly declared Oyo as the ancestral home of the Ayogo people and described the Alaafin as their father.

In his remarks, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, described ancestral connection as an important link between generations.
“The heart of ancestral connection lies gratitude,” the monarch said, according to the statement.

He stressed the importance of preserving ancestral heritage, particularly in a modern world where migration and technology have increasingly fragmented family and cultural ties.

Oba Owoade also urged the Ayogo people to live in a manner that would create a worthy legacy for future generations.

“Perhaps the deepest spiritual implication of ancestral connection is the call to live in such a way that one becomes a worthy ancestor for future generations,” he said.

The Alaafin, who was accompanied by his Queen Consort, Ayaba Abiwunmi, expressed delight over the Ayogo community’s decision to reconnect with Oyo and prayed for divine guidance and protection for the people.

A major highlight of the visit was the presentation of a portrait of Oya, traditionally regarded as Sango’s wife, and Sango’s walking stick to the Alaafin by the Ayogo monarch.

The delegation also toured historic sites within the ancient Alaafin Palace, led by the Personal Assistant to the Alaafin, Reverend Dr. Kolade Oladele.

The visit, according to the statement, marked a renewed expression of cultural and ancestral ties between the Ayogo community in the Republic of Benin and Oyo.