Balogun Odunuga

Family and Legacy

Balogun Babatunde Odunuga was the first Balogun from the Odunuga family, a lineage closely tied to the prestigious Balogun Kuku dynasty. As cousins, both families originated from the Mobasoro line in the Borogun House at Apebi—a historic warrior compound in Ijebu Ode. The family produced 29 titled chiefs between 1925–1927 alone, cementing their role in Ijebu's military aristocracy .

His children included Asimu Balogun and Balogun T.K. Odunuga, continuing the family's tradition of leadership. The Odunuga and Kuku families exemplified the transition of the Balogun institution from martial leadership to modern governance, a shift documented in Ijebu's colonial-era records .

Place in Ijebu History

The Odunuga lineage represents a key chapter in the Balogun institution's evolution. From its 19th-century origins as a military command, the title had become a symbol of communal unity by Odunuga's era. Academic works highlight this transition, noting how figures like Odunuga bridged Ijebu's warrior past with its modern identity .