EPE TOWN IN REAL ESTATE HISTORY

*Today On Real Estate History*

_FOCUS ON ANCIENT TOWN OF *EPE*

Epe was founded when a hunter named Huraka, having stayed for a long time under a Popoka tree with his family decided to proceed with fellow hunters who joined them, further into the wilderness. Huraka and his family had originally come from Ife or Isheri and their first stopover is now known as Poka town. Some people who were seeking for settlement joined this band, as well as mere adventure seekers. Families from the bigger town, Ijebu Ode also followed.

The new Epe town quickly prospered for its attractive bearing on the lagoon, thereby promoting the reputation of early settlers. By the end of 1851 the town had played host to the Lagos monarch, Kosoko who was then ousted with the help of the British for his reluctance to give up on slavery. In time, Kosoko had achieved prominence also in the town, helping them to end the ill feeling shared with their overlord, Anikilaya who was the Awujale of Ijebu Ode._

Epe continued to benefit from the influence of notable people who joined them such as Awujale Fidipote who in anger quitted Ijebu Ode to settle in Epe in 1882 with a good number of followers of Ijebu culture. In 1905, the Ijaws and Ilajes from Warri and Okitipupa came to fish here. It was the many events such as this that led to the rise in the population of the town and the cultural schism that followed. The first school in the town was established in 1894 by an Anglican Reverend. This was followed by an Islam-inspired government school in 1898.

After the British expedition of Ijebu in 1892 the colonial government organized a native authority known as Epe Central Council. This body, which attained full prominence with the introduction of the Local Government system in 1955, is composed of local chiefs known as Baale. The Western Region Local Government enactment of the following two years created Epe Division as one of the 28 Administrative Divisions of the region with an appointed Sole Administrator. With the attainment of independence in 1960, Epe Local Government Administration passed through various stages of transformation before it metamorphosed into the present day Epe Local Government._

Current Realities: The road network of Epe has fully been chained by Hi-Tech Construction Companies under the leadership of Governor Ambode who happen to come from there. Epe experienced "Gentrification" in the past 2 years by becoming an urban area

To be continued*.