Orile Owu is the deformed town of ancient Owu people, reported as very thickly populated (Omer-Copper estimated a population of about 40,000) and regarded in its day among the important Yoruba settlements. The walls of the town covered a circumference of about 9-12 miles. Orile Owu was formed when Olowu was crowned as a sessional leader by the founder of the Yoruba nation, Oduduwa, who was also Olowu’s maternal grandfather. Soon, during the reign of Akinjobi, Orile Owu’s prosperity had drawn the envy of neighbours who sacked the settlement and had its people scattered to Ibadan, Modakeke, Ogbomoso, Ode-Owu, and Osogbo.
People who followed their leader the Olowu, travelled southward through Oshasha Reserve where they lived for about thirty years. From this place of refuge they could view their lost town, Orile Owu. Leaving the Oshasha Reserve, now known as Erila, the Olowu and his followers moved westward to Agodo, on the bank of Omo River. From there, they shifted to Orapata, Imeleka, at last to Id’Owu near Isomu. It was from this place that they moved to the Owu town of modern times.
