In the 18th century, in the Southwestern part of Nigeria, a particular warrior and king, Iresa, was getting old and he was concerned about how to share his property among his wives and children. However, Iresa was concerned that none of his children was showing the traits of a warrior that he was, so he sent for his trusted Ifa priest to explain what he was to do.
As Iresa was discussing this issue with the priest, his last wife, who happened to be the 12th wife, and who was among the slaves who had been captured during his last war, eavesdropped the king’s discussion with the priest.
She heard that the priest promised to return on the seventh day to inform the king who he would hand over his kingdom to.
Iresa’s last wive, Abike, not minding that she used to be a slave before the king married her, decided to use cunning ways to get Iresa will his kingdom to her yet-to-be born child (children).
Very late in the night, Abike sneaked to the Ifa priest’s house and promised if he could help her to get Iresa’s kingdom willed to her and her unborn child (children), she would be willing to share bed with him anytime he called her, as well as share part of the king’s wealth with him.
Abike, despite the fact that she was pregnant at this period, was still a very beautiful and tempting woman, and it was very difficult for the priest to resist her proposal. So he accepted.
The plan was that he would tell the king that the child/children who would inherit his kingdom was yet to be born, to make Abike’s yet-to-be born child (children) automatic candidate(s).
After seven days, the priest returned to the king and informed him that the child who would inherit his kingdom was yet to be born, and when that child is finally born, he/she would be different.
When Iresa asked the priest to explain what he meant by different, he said he also could not explain what it, as that was what Ifa had told him, and that when the child was born, they would immediately know.
After the priest successfully convinced the king (Iresa) that the child who would inherit his kingdom was yet to be born, he and Abike started thinking of how to make Abike’s birth “special” in order to convince the king.
There plan was that every morning and night, Abike would drink a bowl of palmoil that had been mixed with grinded charcoal. They wanted this to change the complexion of the baby Abike was carrying.
After four months, Abike put to bed a set of twins, and due to the palmoil and grinded charcoal she had been taking, one of the twins was dark in complexion while the other one was light.
Upon sighting the babies, Iresa quickly sent for the Ifa priest, who also expressed shock at the birth. He then reminded Iresa that Ifa had earlier predicted that the person(s) who would take over his kingdom, would shock people at birth.
So, with what Iresa had seen, he immediately proclaimed the twins the inheritors of his kingdom, which he divided into two.
Today, there is Iresa Adu and Iresa Apa in Oyo State. The king in Iresa Adu is normally dark in complexion, while that of Iresa Apa is normally fair.
This is what Abike, who had been captured as a slave, did to give the warrior’s kingdom to her children. Also, they celebrate Odun Abike in these two towns annually to honour Abike, the slave who later became a queen-mother.
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