The Iyade Royal Family of Ikeja has reaffirmed the indigene status and ancestral lineage of Prince Tajudeen Muritala Raji, describing him as a bona fide son of Ikeja Town in Lagos State.
In a statement issued by the family head, Prince Olushola Coker, the family said the clarification became necessary to set the record straight and preserve what it described as the historical accuracy of the prince’s origin.
The royal family noted that its position is supported by documented records, including an official family record dated March 22, 1966, as well as oral traditions passed down through generations.
According to the statement, the genealogy of Ikeja traces back to Jalo, regarded as the town’s earliest settler, whose lineage produced successive descendants including Ilo, Iyapo, Talabi, and Iyade, the progenitor of the Iyade Royal Family.
The family further explained that Iyade’s descendants include Ibari and Ilo, with Ilo identified as the ancestor of the royal line that produced the first monarch of Ikeja, Oba Momodu Ilo. Ilo’s son, Adeniyi Ilo, the present Oluwo of Ikeja, was also cited as affirming Prince Raji’s membership of the same ancestral lineage.
Tracing the lineage further, the statement said Ilo also fathered Ogisanyin, from whom descended notable figures including Amina Oke, Shanu, Omowunmi, Ayodele, and Kasumu Bello.
It added that Omowunmi married Raji and had two sons, Laisi and Muritala. While Laisi reportedly died without children, Muritala continued the family line and had three sons—Jimoh Muritala, Prince Tajudeen Muritala Raji, and Azeez Muritala.
The Iyade Royal Family maintained that this genealogical account establishes, in its view, Prince Tajudeen Muritala Raji’s indigene status in Ikeja.
The statement, the family said, was issued in the interest of public record and to preserve the heritage of the Iyade Royal Family.
