The present day United Kingdom of Olla land situated in Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State in Igbomina Division without doubt with evidences available, has been in existence in time immemorial. Oral tradition has it that DADA AROKOLETIOPON, popularly called AGBEDE-IYANJU-OGUN the first settler centuries ago came from ILARE Compound in Ile-Ife, via Egba land. Tradition also has it that he departed from Ile-Ife, with a couple of loyal people after he contested the vacant stool of OONI of Ife but lost to his younger brother to a place where they could settle as independent people.He took some of the family royal belongings of beaded crown, Opa Oye (royal staff) and ileke iyun, a high-quality bead worn by Ooni.

BEFORE ARIVING AT THE PRESENT OLLA

            Dada settled at various locations such like in Ipetu-Modu, also in Egbaland where he learnt local black smithing from where he got his nickname AGBEDE (Blacksmith) and Omu-Aran due to series of wars and the fear of been arrested by the Ooni/s messenger sent to arrest him dead or alive and decided to run for savety before finally settling down at Olla.

            The first location to be inhabited by Dada and his men after a land dispute with Aperan in Omu-Aran was at the Oje Hill. He and his men settled in the cave at the Hill and kept his crown including some broken beads (ileke iyun). Tradition has it that at the time of his settlement at Oje hill, there were no settlements around.

THE NAME OLLA: ITS MEANING

            The name Olla given to his settlement according to Oral tradition was as a result of his people back at Ife astonishment when they were surprised to see him alive again after so many years in exile and exclaimed “Daada’ laooku”! meaning, Dada, you are still alive! He replied, “Mola”, meaning ‘I am save’. He later on several occasions visits Ife one of which was to bring his wives and brothers who did not follow him while escaping from Ife to his new settlement which he called OLORE after ODU OYINRIN OLOLA and in mocking memory of his home compound of ILARE. On another occasion before his death, tradition has it that he went back to Ife to successfully settle a dispute which nearly tore Ile-Ife apart in those ancient times.

            History has it that there was a time when there was a dispute between a family which found a large quantity of beautiful beads (ileke iyun) in a cave and on top of a high mountain which happen to be the one brought by Dada from Ile-Ife. There was a sharp disagreement because some members of the family were dissatisfied with the way the beads was shared and therefore decided to leave Olla for another place to settle. They (the dissatisfied family) finally settled at a place near Ogbomosho which they also name Olla and remained there in the present Osun State till present and still have a very cordial relationship with Olla-Igbomina in Kwara State.

            It was also reliably gathered that a man named Efundere, a member of Agbede family left Olla after a dispute on sharing of farmland and secondly on a chieftaincy tussle on EJEMU migrated to Oro and became the founder of IJOMU ORO in the present Kwara State.

OUR ANCESTOR’S WORK

            From oral sources of information readily available to us, the descendants of Dada were blacksmith which was their father’s profession. They also inherited IFA (String god), Bata drum and the beaded crown. As there were frequent wars in those ancient times, it was mandatory to defend their territory. Olla then became renowned in their warfare capability, local warfare tactics and in preparation of local weapon and war instruments which lead to many towns and villages taking refuge at Olla, many to consult Ifa oracle or to prepare local weapon for war. This happened during the reign of the 9^th Ololla of Olla, Oba Aporogodo Ogun about 1760 A.D.

            There were more than convincing facts that during this time that Pasin, the Oba of Ilorin which according to I.O Kasum in his book “Itan Afonja ati Alufa Alimi Ni Ilorin” is the 2^nd Oba of Ilorin and ruled from 1789 fled to Olla for refuge because of the threat of war between Oyo and Ibadan. This was also recorded in Rev’d Samuel Johnson’s book in the “History of the Yorubas” that Pasin fled to Olla for refuge. He later died and was buried in Olla.