MOREMI: The Mother of Ile Ife

Moremi Status 

Picture by: Elizabeth Adewunmi

LUQMAN SHUKUROR

Moremi Ajasoro, A renowned queen. A Yoruba queen and heroine who was said to have assisted in the liberation of the Yoruba Kingdom (Ile Ife) from a neighboring Kingdom (Ugbo).

The Ugbo people were known as the forest people at that time, they captured a lot of Ile ife's citizen and made them slaves, as sad and furious as the Ile Ife people was about it, they couldn't do anything to stop the people of Ugbo.

The people of Ile Ife considered the people of Ugbo as spirits, as they raid in masquerade completely covered in Rafia.

Moremi who was the wife of Oranmiyan; a King in Ile Ife, took a courageous step in other find a solution to her people's problem. She pledged a great sacrifice to the spirit of Esinmirin River if she could overcome her enemies.

Following incessant raid by the Ugbo people Moremi allowed herself to be captured.

Moremi's beauty captured the heart of Ugbo's King and he made her his queen. This way, she was exposed to the weakness of the Ugbo's people. 

After getting to know the secret of her new husband's army she escaped back to Ile ife to reveal the secret to her people who inturn prepared for the arrival of  the Ugbo warriors and they were defeated.

After the war, Moremi went back to her first husband OBA ORANMIYAN, who took her back as his queen. She also went back to Esinmirin River to fulfill her pledge and the spirit of the river asked for her only son OLUOROGBO.

A sacrifice that was hard for Moremi and the people of ife to fulfill but she had to choice but to yield to the demand of the river. The people of Ile ife promised to be her children forever and the promise still stand till date.

Moremi's statue was erected by Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the statue is the tallest in Nigeria and 4th tallest statue in Africa.