According to Yoruba traditional accounts, one of the most remarkable moments in the history of the Yoruba people took place at the ancient frontier town of Otun Ekiti. It is remembered as the Yoruba/Oduduwa Treaty of 1578—a covenant of peace said to have united two great kingdoms through wisdom rather than warfare.
At the time, the mighty Oyo Empire and the Benin Kingdom stood as powerful neighbours. Tensions between them threatened the peace of the region. Before conflict could consume both kingdoms, the revered Oore of Otun Ekiti, the Oloore Oduduwa, intervened as a respected custodian of Yoruba tradition and unity.
Kabiyesi Oore welcomed both rulers to Otun Ekiti and reminded them that, despite their strength and expanding kingdoms, they shared a common ancestry. Through the guidance of the Ifa Oracle, he declared that both kingdoms traced their origin to Oduduwa of Ile-Ife, the ancestral source of Yoruba civilisation.
The Oore is remembered as saying that the greatest desire of any father is to see all his children prosper in peace rather than destroy one another in conflict.
His words touched the hearts of both monarchs. The King of Oyo and the King of Benin accepted the message of unity and agreed that their shared heritage was greater than their differences.
Together with the Oore of Otun Ekiti, they entered into a covenant of peace. According to tradition, they pledged that neither kingdom would attack the other again, that both would honour Ile-Ife as the ancestral source of their civilisation, and that peace, mutual respect, and brotherhood would guide relations between their peoples.
As a lasting symbol of this agreement, an Iroko tree was planted at Otun Ekiti. Yoruba tradition holds that this tree remains a living reminder of the covenant and of the wisdom that prevailed over war.
This account also explains why Otun Ekiti is remembered as a historic frontier town—a meeting place where diplomacy, reconciliation, and respect for ancestral heritage overcame conflict.
The Oore of Otun Ekiti has long been celebrated in Yoruba tradition as a monarch who promotes peace, justice, unity, and stability. Generation after generation, each Oore is expected to uphold these ideals, preserving harmony among the descendants of Oduduwa.
Today, the story of the Treaty of Otun Ekiti continues to symbolise the enduring values of the Yoruba people: wisdom over violence, unity over division, and respect for shared ancestry.
May Almighty Eledumare continue to bless the Oore of Otun Ekiti, the Oloore Oduduwa.
May God bless the Kingdom of Oyo and the Kingdom of Benin.
May God bless Ile-Ife, the revered ancestral source of Yoruba and Oduduwa civilisation.
May peace, unity, and mutual respect continue to flourish among all descendants of Oduduwa throughout the world.
