This is the story of how the unity of Yoruba was shattered by Kiriji war. Ibadan’s victory over the Fulani Jihadists in Osogbo in 1840, its success in subduing a rebellious Aare-Ona-Kakanfo (Generalissimo) Kunmi and the capture of Ijaye in 1862 had announced the emergence of Ibadan, a town described as the Republic of War Commanders, as the new principality in Yorubaland. Earlier, as a candle in the winds, the glory, power and eminence of Oyo Empire flickered and dwindled after the collapse of Katunga, the old Oyo capital, and the take over of Ilorin by the Fulani Jihadists, owing to the treachery and conspiratory Folly of Afonja, the Generalissimo of Yoruba Army, who stupidly handed over Ilorin to Alimi, an Islamic Scholar Ibadan, did not only become the defender, protector and champion of Yoruba nation, it had at that time the control of a large chunk of Yoruba territory under its arms and armpit. Ekiti, Ijesha, Igbomina even Akoko Kingdoms were under the sovereignty of Ibadan. Thus the warlords of Ibadan were the rulers of Yorubaland. The principality, by the virtue of its new status, posted representatives Ajeles agents to each of the kingdom under its wings to ensure proper administration and maintenance of peace and order. Ibadan was then under Aare Latosa, a Generalissimo.
A few of the Ajeles were good and disciplined, while most of them were reckless, domineering and lack a statesmanship attitude that makes peace possible in a polity. Litany of rape of wives in the presence of their husbands, of daughters in the presence of fathers, arbitrary seizure of farmland with the crops in it, farm produce among other infuriating behaviours of Ajeles were the order of the day. The Ajeles were responsible for the collection of taxes, levies which were forwarded to the municipal government in Ibadan. The duty was grossly abused. They had a retinue of people who assisted then in running each of the vassal towns. The Ajeles and those they engaged in the administering of the towns were full of themselves.
They foolishly maintained a Lord-Slave relationship.
Latosa was a powerful generalissimo. He could not be called the Generalissimo of Oyo Empire, but of Ibadan, the new power in Yorubaland. Many Igbomina, Ijasha, Ekiti, Akoko Kingdoms were under his suzerainty. The vassal people who were, however, seething with indignation under the despotic autocratic and provocative Ajeles, formed a confederation, Ekitiparapo to fight for independence.
That was after Prince Fabunmi, a leader of a private militia in Oke-Imesi was disgraced and ridiculed by the Ajele and his retinue of hangers-on when the material he wanted to use for rites were seized
The revolt in 1877, though unplanned, had just started. Other Ekiti, Igbomina and Ijesha Kingdoms under the suzerainty of Ibadan took a cue as the news of the heroic act of Fabunmi spread like a fire in a dried grassland during harmattan, inciting violence and murdering officials and agents of Ibadan in conquered towns and kingdoms.
In response, Latosa sent a messenger to Oloja Oke of Imesi, the king, who was a relation of Fabunmi to kill the rebellious prince, but Latosa’s order could not be carried out. Fabunmi, in anger, seized Latosa’s messenger, beheaded him and sent his severed head to Ibadan. There was no need for a declaration of war, any longer. The war had been declared. Immediately, Latosa received the severed head of the man he sent to Oke-Mesi. He knew the meaning. REVOLT.
Tacitly, he thundered: ‘Plunder”. The heady rebels must be mowed down and taught a lesson in obedience to a superior’s order.
Latosa called the Ibadan Council of War to a meeting where strategies were mapped and tactics to be used agreed were agreed upon. Balogun Ogboriefon was ordered to lead the attack against the rebels.
On the part of Fabunmi, he knew that he had stepped on a viper’s tail and must be ready for a snake’s fight back. Fabunmi had literally swallowed a mortal, and comfort, for him had gone to the bay. Henceforth, sitting or standing was no longer for him. No more procrastination. He must prepare for the venom-spewing Latosa and his rampaging army.
When Balogun Ogboriefon reached Ikirun, he set up his war camp and divided his contingent into two. He ordered Osi Balogun, Ilori, a son of the late Bashorun Ogunmola, to lead one of the contingents to attack the Fulani’s camp that was close to River Otin. and giving the revolt backing. Osi Balogun Ilori was alleged to have drunk all night without sleeping and took his troops to war early morning without awaiting other commanders such as Chief Akintola who had become the head of Balogun Ibikunle after the death of his elder brother, Seriki Iyap. Ilori unknowingly walked into the ambush of the Fulani and was capture alive.
It took Balogun Ogboriefon a reinforced contingent to take the fight to the Fulani, burnt their camp as they scampered in the face of furious fire-eating Ogboriefon. After he had put the back to the Fulani to the wall, he faced the rebellious Ekitipapo and began suppressing the revolting kingdom one after the other. When the report of his heroic deed of Balogun Ogboriefon reached Ibadan, there was an insinuation that if Ogboriefon was not stopped and quickly too, he would return to Ibadan a hero and even become a threat to Aare-Ona-Kakanfo Latosa.
Based on this envy and report of calumny Aare Latosa recalled Balogun Ogboriefon.
The war-tested commander had earlier pleaded that he should be allowed to complete the suppression of the revolt, but conspiracy deafened the Ibadan warlords especially Aare Latosa to the reasonableness of his appeal. Ogboriefon did tell them, he predicted that the revolt would bounce with a renewed. That exactly was what happened.
Balogun Ogboriefon returned to Ibadan and died a few weeks after during a sickness.
The death of Balogun Ogboriefon, Seriki Iyapo and other bold commanders had robbed Ibadan of valiant war-tested military commanders. That was the development that forced the Aare-Ona-Kakanfo himself, Latosa, to go and face the Ekitiparapo revolt called Kiriji War. Earlier in 1877, the Awujale of Ijebu-Ode had rebuffed Latosa’s plea for a trade pact that would have granted Ibadan access to the coast to obtain arms and ammunition. The refusal of Awujale was not unconnected with the fear that Ibadan might later turn on Ijebu and prey on them as Ibadan did to the Egba.
At that point, Ijesha and Ekiti emigres who returned from Sierra-Leone and resident in Lagos had formed an association of Ekitiparapo in Lagos. The association embarked on procuring arms and military wares for their people’s war efforts. They succeeded in obtaining cannons, big artillery weapon that is more destructive than a rifle. The two factors: The Ibadan’s loss of bravest, boldest war-tested commanders in the person of Balogun Ogboriefon and Seriki Iyapo and the introduction of cannons by the confederation of revolters momentarily swung the war in favour of Ekitiparapo.
It was the sound of the cannons when fired and released an Onematopoeic loud bang, Kiriji, that made the warriors and observers who were Yoruba to call the war Kiriji war. In 1879 at the time of Aare-Latosa’s entry into the war, Prince Fabunmi had relinquished the command of the confederation army to Ogedengbe, who mostly refrained at a crucial time to unleash violence on commanders of Ibadan troops. His unsoldierly attitude to Ibadan soldiers was attributed to a covenant he must have made in Ibadan when he was a captive of Bashorun Ogunmola.
As time unfolded, the war became a ding-don affair as the two sides continued inflicting destruction on each other. Blood was spilled in a large volume and properties plundered. Perhaps in 1880, the weariness afflicting the two camps made the initial verve and desperation to seek flagged. In 1881, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Aderin, appealed to the two sides to embrace peace. They agreed but neither wanted to disperse its war camp first.
The Aare-Ona-Kakanfo Latosa died in Ibadan war camp in Igbajo in August 1885. His death shattered the morale of Ibadan troops. The confederate saw the advantage that the death of Latosa would give them. Regrettably, they took new that they were already fatigued. Besides, restocking their armory became tough and challenging. Thus the stage for peace was set.
On September 23, 1886, Special Commissioner, H. Higgins and Oliver Smith announced a proclamation of peace. The moment came and the Balogun of Ibadan, Osungbekun and the Commander of Ekitiparapo came forward and sworn to be friends forever. The peace pact was signed.
–TAJUDEEN ADIGUN
