The 19th-century Yoruba wars between 1825 and 1893, as well as the military jihad from Sokoto instigated a southward move of many Yoruba communities in search of more secure locations. This brought about the dispersal of some ancient cities like Old Oyo and Owu, leading to the emergence of new ones, such as Abeokuta and Ibadan. While the Egba found safety under the Olumo rock in where they described as Abeokuta, warriors from Oyo, Ife and Ijebu found safety within the hill ranges at the interface of the forest and the savanna –…
