Abule Egba, in Lagos, was a village founded by the Egba sub-group of the Yoruba. After the collapse of Oyo empire, there was intense rivalry between various Yoruba sub-groups such as the Oyo , Ijebu, Owu, Ekiti and Ijesha. The rivalry led to civil wars which led to the destruction of several ancient towns, (e.g the Owu kingdom).
The civil war led to the dispersal of several people who later became refugees. Understandably, the refugees searched for place of security with natural defensive frontiers, which would make enemy penetration difficult. It was this search that led to the formation of Abeokuta in 1830.
The search for farmlands and trade market led to further inward push of migrants leading to the founding of several towns. This area is on the outskirts of Lagos and got its name from the early settlers who were Egba people from Abeokuta. The area was first called “Abule awon Egba” in Yoruba, which means “Village of Egba people”. It later became “Abule Egba”.
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