The origin Of Isin

THE ORIGIN OF ISIN

The Isin people are a stock of the Igbomina. Although the Yoruba language is spoken in Isin, their dialect concurs with major Igbominas. They also migrated from Ife and Oyo. However, there are some Isin Towns whose founders migrated from outside these two states. An example here is Owu. Even at the most of the towns in Isin are settled also by later migrants from other towns.

At the earliest time of Isin settlement, there were about 36 villages, but due to a series of external attack from the Nupes, Fulani and Ibadan, most of these villages have either been decimated or have fused with stronger and well fourtified ones. Today, notable towns in Isin are Isanlu, Ijara, Owu, Iwo, Oke-Aba, Oke-Onigbin, Alla, EDidi, Odo-Eku, Oba, Iji, Pamo, Oponda, Igbesi, Eleyin, Kudu-Owode, to mention but few. Collectively, these towns are today located in Isin Local Government area of kwara State. To the north of Isin are Igbajaland,Oraland and Ireland; to the west are Ajase-Ipo and Oro; to the east are Oro-Ago and Olla and Osi in Ekiti LG; while to the south are Apaland, Arandun and Omu-Aran.

Investigations unto how the area came to be called “Isin” have been carried out because for many villages with diverse origin as Isin nvillages to bear the all binding name “Isin”, tells a lot of the importance of the name. Variously, different sources have different versions of its derivation. Firstly,it is held that, the name was coined from “Igi Isin” (an akeapple tree). They said, it was so nbecause Isin people usually met under the akeapple tree to hold a general meeting of all villages.

Furthermore, another source still using the akeapple tree as the source of the name, states that Olupo of Ajase-Ipo and Aina the founder of Isanlu-Isin were cured of certain decease by a deviner, who used the bark of the akeapple tree to treat them. It was out of gratitude that Aina named Isin after the magic tree. A third version says that when Aina got to Ade after a tedious journey, he rested under the akeapple tree (Igi Isin), for the relieve which the tree gave him, he named the area “Isin”.

Moreover, there is a version that says Isin meant ‘escort’. It holds, that it was named so because the founders of all Isin villages came together. Others states that the area was called Isin after Esinkin Onigbonigbo a great warrior of Isanlu. He conguered many villages for Isanlu.In gratitude for this, the Olusin named the whole area Isin after him.Yet another source says that Isin was coined out from the cult, Agbasin. It is held that the area of influence of the god. Agbasin, was named Isin, because the god’s original name was Agba-Isin.

A last source says that it was because Aina found rest in the area, which occasioned his naming the area as ‘Isin’. To clarify this, the source said that Aina the founder of isanlu, had troubles right from his original home in Ile-Ife. It is said that he left Ife to find peace, but met several attack on the way by the Nupes, Ibadan, Oyo and the Fulanis.  When finally he got to Odo-Owa (pronounced re do-do do), he found that he had escaped all attacks  for finally he named Odo-Owa and all his acquired land around, Ile-Isimi (the land of rest). Subsequently, others who also were escaping Nupe’s onslaught came to join him at Ile-Isimi, which was later corrupted to Isin.

Among these versions, the one which seam probable is that which states that Isin was coined from the word “Ile-Isinmi” (land of rest) because Aina did experience unrest before he finally got to Igbole at Odo-Owa.