Okitipupa is derived from the Ikale (Yoruba) words; Okiti (hilly) and Pupa (red) which became a name used by people travelling from other communities to trade in the central market of the town of Idepe.

Okitipupa has always been the central town for the inhabitants of Ondo South senatorial district of Ondo state, comprising; Okitipupa, Irele, Ilaje, Ese Odo, Odigbo and Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo local governments respectively due to the presence of many basic amenities.

Okitipupa town is the administrative headquarters of Okitipupa local government with neighbouring communities such as: Ode-Erinje, Ikoya, Ode-Aye, Ayila, Igbotako, Ilutitun, Igbodigo, Iju-Odo, Igbishin-Oloto, Erekiti, Iju-Oke, Omotosho, Akinfosile, Igodan-Lisa, Okunmo, Ayeka, Ode-Idepe and others.

It has a University, a specialist hospital, several private hospitals, a Magistrate court, a High court, a Nigerian Police Force area command, an Army barrack, Commercial banks, Telephone exchange and numerous Primary and Secondary schools.

A large percentage of the roads in the town were constructed by the administration of Olusegun Agagu when he was governor of Ondo state.

Major industries located in the town include the Okitipupa Oil Palm Plc and the now defunct Oluwa Glass factory (both of which were listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

He gave birth to a male child in the morning but at that time, many people had gone to their places of work.

Tufewa went to Ile–Ife to learn the art of governance because he had not learnt the intricacies of palace administration in Benin.

He made him to kneel down in a circle marked with white chalk and asked him to carry out these rites in his kingdom/Domain.

This led to the use of white chalk (Efun) which is used to make inscriptions or marks on the ground (meaning) Ikale.

From the three schools of thought, we presume that the act of using a white chalk to make an inscription on the ground to mean Ikale is the most acceptable.

Two reasons were advanced for carving out the three: (i) They spoke Benin language (ii) They were too distant from Ikoya administration.

One needs to say that if the colonial masters had understood the origin of the Ikales, they would not have carved out these three areas and put them under Benin Administration.

Originally, there was; Larogbo of Akotogbo; Oluhogbo of Ujosun, Ahaba of Ajagba, Laragunsin of Iyansan, Odogbo of Omi, Olofun of Irele, Halu/Lapoki of Ode-Aye, Jagun of Idepe, Obagberume of Igbodigo, Lumure of Ayeka, Orungberuwa of Erinje, Olura of Igbinsin Oloto, Rebuja of Osooro, and Onipe of Ubu.

Today, in addition to the aforementioned Obas, we have: Norogun of Ayede, Olu of Igodan, Majuwa of Morubodo Kingdom, and Orofun of Iju – Odo.

Oba Esigie told Abodi to use the sword to ward off attacks, aggressions and insults.

In one of the wars, the Ondo warriors were decisively rooted which led to the immediate death of the then Osemawe who could not stand the defeat (O si igba).

The war we had with Larogbo was a very critical one in which Erinje was grossly affected which made them to hide in a place called Aluma.

The present chieftaincy titles practiced in Ikale was brought by Abodi Tufewa when he traveled to Ile – Ife.

The first set of Ijama were Ligha, Jomo, Petu, Yasere, Odunwo and Isowa, headed by Lema.

This subgroup is made up of fourteen communities in the southwestern part of Ondo state of Nigeria.

Ikale ccommunties include Ikoya-Ikale, Ode-Irele, Ode-Omi, Igbodigo, Ayeka, Idepe-Okitipupa, Ode-Aye, Erinje, Osooro and Igbinsin-Oloto, Akotogbo, Ajagba, Iyansan and Iju-Osun and also cover many towns and villages in Odigbo local government (Agbabu, Lafelepe, Okeoluwa, Sheba, Mulekangbo, Modebiayo, Lafe-lepa, Egbe, Ago-Lagaba, Ago-Lowo, Ayetedo, Ojabale, Ajebamidele, Ajebambo, koseru, Onipetesi, Imorun, Sokoto, Ayetoro, Basola, Agirifon, Ayetunmbo Ode-Ore.

Osooro is a conglomeration of Igbotako, Ilutitun, Iju-odo, Iju-oke, Erekiti Luwoye, Ilado, Agbetu and Omotosho townships.

The Ikale also have kindred communities in parts of Ogun state, viz; Ayede, Ayila, Arafen and Mobolorundo While some ikale communities claim direct descent from ife, others claim Benin, or Ugbo Ilaje descent, and a few others elsewhere like Akoko land.

Oral tradition confirms that there were migrations from Ife Ooye before the Benin contact of the Sixteenth century, which tend to link Ikale dynasty to Oba Esigie.

The people never settled in the same spot, when they met each other as they moved about, they exchanged greetings and asked from each other the day they left Ile-ife.

In response, they said that they left Ife ‘’ni ojo ikale’’ the day when the mats were removed from the ground.

According to history it was claimed that Ikale refers to an incident that happened during the second abodi's visit to Ile-ife.