Losi

Losii Osokale was the Egba chief from Ake, commissioned by Maye, the head of the Oyo-Ijebu-Ife coalition that subdued the Egba people prior to their migration to Abeokuta, to determine the dexterity of Egba’s intention to find a new settlement after the alienation of their villages. Losii was to do this by splitting and casting the kolanuts in a game of permutation. Losii manipulated the casting of the divination kolanut in favor of his Egba people. The consequence would have been grave on the Egba had the kola failed to turn up the way it should. Because of his brave act, the Egba were allowed to commence their exodus from Ibadan in 1829. The story of Losii’s popular maneuvering is the origin of the saying in Abeokuta; Eyi ara, Obi Losii, meaning, “How marvelous; Losii’s divination kola!”

When Losii vied for the vacant post of Alake he was favored above Ogbubona, his contender but died during the contest, and so the oldest man in his house who was also a noble, Okukenu entered the race and won, becoming the first premier king of Egba in the new city of Abeokuta.

Contributor:
Tope Apoola
Profession: Writer