Irele
About
Irele is a local government area in Ondo State, Nigeria, with its headquarters in the town of Ode-Irele. It was originally part of the old Ikale LGA, which was later split into Irele and Okitipupa LGAs. The area covers 939.6 square kilometres and had a population of 144,136 at the 2006 census.
History
The history of Irele is linked to the Ugbo Kingdom among the Ilaje people, whose founders are said to have migrated from Ile-Ife. After a succession dispute in Ugbo, Prince Ajana left to found Irele Kingdom, beginning at Orofun and later moving to the present capital, Ode-Irele. In 1935, Oba Aladetubokanwa (Orunbemekun VIII) was installed and enforced the final relocation of the town. On 14 May 1959 he created three ruling houses, Orunbemekun, Jagboju and Oyenusi/Opetusin, to formalise a rotational system. The throne has been vacant since the death of Oba John Feyisara Odimayo in 1993, amid continuing disputes among the three houses, and as of 2025 the Ondo State Government had not approved a new Olofun.
Source: Wikipedia: Irele
Key Facts
State
Ondo State
Headquarters
Ode-Irele
Area
939.6 km²
Population
144,136 (2006 census)