Thread by @AmazingAyo

Many of you have been asking me where the Old Oyo-Ile capital is presently located.

Well, according to Emeritus Professor J.F Ade-Ajayi and Robert Smith in their book, "Yoruba Warfare in the Nineteenth Century", published in 1964, the Old Oyo capital lay approximately...

...40 miles (64.37 km) North-North-West of Ilorin at latitude 8°59'North and longitude 4°20'East.

The wall, which was an oval shape, was 15 miles (24.14 km) in circumference and about 4 miles (6.44 km) in diameter on one way and 6 miles (9.66 km) on the other way.

So, using today's map, the Old Capital must have been situated at present-day Igbeti, Oyo State, which is just 45.8 km to Igboho, the former capital of Old Oyo, home to four Alaafins, Eguguojo, Orompoto, Ajiboyede, and Abipa.

Another asked? Has there been any archaeological study on the site to ascertain whether the capital existed?

The simple answer is YES.

In August 1963, Dr. W.R. Stanton, who was Principal Scientific Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northern Nigeria, and Frank Willet...

...who was an Archaeologist at the Department of Antiquities, Nigeria, published a paper to that effect.

Willet, who had carried out excavations at the Old Oyo in 1956/1957, also wrote that "Old Oyo is 40 miles (64.37 km) North-North-West of Ilorin".

I hope I have cleared the doubts of many Thomases on the existence of the Old Oyo capital. Thank you.