Taking A Walk To The Past

08/03/2025

Obadoke Latoosa Aare Ona Kakanfo of Ibadan.

Obadoke Latoosa, also known as Aare Latoosa, was one of the most powerful military leaders in Yoruba history. Born in the 1820s in Ilora, near the Oyo region (now in southwestern Nigeria), Latoosa came from a family devoted to the worship of a river goddess. However, he sought new opportunities and moved to Ibadan, which was one of the most influential Yoruba city-states at the time.

In Ibadan, he started as a palm-wine seller, but his destiny changed when he joined the military. His discipline, bravery, and tactical skills quickly set him apart from others.

Rise to Military Power

Latoosa’s journey to power began under Basorun Ogunmola, a prominent military leader of Ibadan. He served in Ogunmola’s army, and his extraordinary ability in battle earned him a reputation as a fearless warrior and a brilliant strategist.

Over time, Latoosa rose through the ranks and eventually took command of Ogunmola’s forces. His leadership skills and battlefield successes made him a respected figure in Ibadan's military structure.

In 1871, Latoosa was given the title Aare Ona Kakanfo, making him the supreme military commander of the Oyo Empire and Ibadan. This was the highest military title, giving him immense power over military decisions and making him a central figure in the political affairs of the empire.

When the rulership of Ibadan fell vacant following the self-exile of Balogun Ajobo, and the death of Baale Orowusi, Latoosa and Ajayi Ogboriefon were the most senior chief left. Latoosa claimed that he could not rule with the title of Baale; and opted to be the ruler of Ibadan with the title of Aare Ona Kakanfo. He thus became the Aare. In his view, the titles of Basorun and Baale were of lower ranks that brave soldiers should not take. He was a popular ruler; never afraid of war.

As the successor state to Oyo Empire, Ibadan under the rule of generals called the shots, and appointed administrators for vassal states and towns. These administrators were called Ajeles. Many of the Ajeles ruled with high-handedness, and in Oke-Imesi, in today's Ekiti State, one Ajele forcefully had carnal knowledge of a woman who was returning from the farm. The woman turned out to be the wife of an Oke-Imesi prince, Fabunmi. The defiled woman, in tears, narrated her ordeal to her husband, and infuriated, Fabunmi drew his sword, marched to the Ajele's quarters, and beheaded him and his guards. Those of the Ajele's entourage that survived the carnage wrought by Fabunmi fled for dear lives, and returned to Ibadan, where they reported happenings to the Kakanfo, Latoosa.[7] The Kakanfo saw reported developments at Oke-Imesi as an affront on his authority and declared war on the offenders, but he had underestimated the resolve of all states and towns that had Ajeles to repudiate them. Oke-Mesi, being Ekiti, sought the help of their ethnic kith and kin in Ijesaland, a famous general called Ogedengbe Agbogungboro, rallied warriors from Ekitiland and Ijesaland into a coalition of forces known as the Ekiti Parapo, jointly commanded by Ogedengbe and Fabunmi. Thus, in 1877, the series of battles that would later be known as Kiriji Wars began, and lasted for 16 years. It is said to be the longest civil war in global history. Though That is not all about the mystiques surrounding Kakanfo Momodu Obadoke Latoosa, Asubiaro Agadagudu.

To be Continued 😊

07/03/2025

in Yoruba history their are great generals and warlords like :-
Obadoke Latoosa Aare Ona Kakanfo of Ibadan
Balogun Ajayi Ogboriefon,
Balogun Babalola Ajayi Kupolu
Ogunmola, Bashorun of Ibadan
Balogun Ali of Iwo
Balogun Ajayi Osungbekun
Fabunmi of Okemesi, later Owa Ooye of Imesi-Ile
Ogedengbe Agbogungboro of Ilesa
Odu of Ogbagi-Akoko
Ogunmodede of the Ijesha
Adeyale of Ila Orangun and the Igbomina
Olugbosun of Oye
Onafowokan of Ijebu
Ologun of Owo
Ogunbulu of Aisegba
Anlugbua of Owu People
Kurunmi Ajadi igbo of Ijaye
Among many others, let's dive into their histories and personal life

04/03/2025

The Sons of Abeokuta: From FESTAC ‘77 to Political Persecution and Exile

This rare historical snapshot immortalizes a moment between General Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s military Head of State at the time, and Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka during FESTAC ‘77—the grand festival that showcased Africa’s artistic and cultural heritage.

Yet, destiny had different plans. Nearly twenty years later, both men found themselves at the mercy of military oppression. In 1995, Obasanjo was incarcerated by General Sani Abacha’s regime on allegations of coup plotting. Meanwhile, in November 1994, Wole Soyinka escaped Nigeria on a motorcycle, evading capture as Abacha’s government intensified its crackdown on dissent. With his passport seized and his name blacklisted as an enemy of the state, exile became his only option.

Soyinka wielded his pen as a weapon against tyranny. In 1996, he released The Open Sore of a Continent: A Personal Narrative of the Nigerian Crisis, a damning exposé of Abacha’s brutality. By 1997, the regime escalated its persecution, charging him with treason.

Fate, however, had the final say. With Abacha’s sudden demise in 1998, all charges were nullified, and Obasanjo was released from prison—only to reemerge as Nigeria’s democratically elected president in 1999.

From the celebratory heights of FESTAC to the harrowing depths of dictatorship, this image stands as a reminder of history’s unpredictable turns.

📷 Source: Historylovers
Copied : Historical Africa Yoruba

02/03/2025

Yoruba New Year: A Celebration of Time and Tradition
E ku odun, eku iyedun!

The Yoruba people have long maintained a sophisticated system of timekeeping, deeply rooted in their oral traditions, long before Western influence. Despite being described as non-literate due to the absence of early written documentation, their precise understanding of time has always played a central role in their daily existence. The introduction and eventual widespread adoption of the Gregorian calendar in the 18th century, accelerated by colonial rule, led to the adaptation of this foreign system at the expense of indigenous Yoruba time concepts.

With technological advancements, online searches now primarily showcase the adapted Gregorian calendar, overshadowing the original four-day Yoruba week. Today, only in deeply traditional environments is the ancient Yoruba calendar still actively observed and applied.

The Yoruba calendar begins with the Yoruba New Year, known as Odun Ifa, a culturally and spiritually significant festival celebrated across Yorubaland, spanning Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The Yoruba calendar (Kọ́jọ́dá) commences with the final lunar cycle of May or the first lunar cycle of June in the Gregorian calendar. This new year aligns with the Ifá Festival and the New Yam Festival, particularly revered among the Yoruba people of Ekiti and Kogi states.

In 2024, the Yoruba New Year was observed on June 4, marking the year 10,066 in the Yoruba calendar.

— Mayowa Blades
Historical Africa Yoruba
Mayegun

02/03/2025

Victoria Street, Lagos Nigeria

Circa: 1950s

Source: mayowablades
Copied:Historical Africa Yoruba

02/03/2025

*Legendary Female Alaafin, Alaafin Ajiun Orompotoniyun*

The Nupe people (Tapa) invasion to Oyo-Ile (Old Oyo) during the reign of Alaafin Onigbogi in 15th century, likely around the late 1400s or early 1500s was what lead the eventual crowning of Oronpoto The first and only female Alaafin in Oyo empire, the beginning of Oyo's struggles with the Nupe forces which started during the reign of her forefather Alaafin Onigbogi.

After Onigbogi's death, his son Alaafin Ofinran succeeded him buh couldn't stop the Nupe invasion which later escalated, and by 1535, they had completely overtaken Oyo-Ile and forced the Alaafin and his court into exile in Borgu, a neighboring region. This event disrupted the Oyo Empire's political and economic systems, and the sacred capital of Oyo-Ile was left in ruins.

Alaafin Ofinran ascended the throne during a period of instability in the Oyo Empire. The empire faced external threats from the Nupe people, who launched devastating raids on Oyo-Ile (the empire’s capital). The Nupe invasion culminated in the sack of Oyo-Ile, forcing Ofinran and his court into exile. This displacement not only fractured the Oyo Empire but also left its people vulnerable to attacks from neighboring kingdoms and internal dissent.

The exile of Ofinran's court was a turning point in Oyo history. Ofinran sought refuge in Borgu, a neighboring kingdom, where he and his family—including his children, Orompoto and Eguguoju—lived in exile. During this period, the royal family worked tirelessly to maintain the cohesion of the Oyo people and prepare for a return to power.

The loss of Oyo-Ile deeply affected the young Orompoto. Growing up in exile, she witnessed the consequences of weakened leadership and the devastation of her homeland. These experiences would later shape her determination to restore the empire's glory.

To be Continued

28/02/2025

The Legendary Alaafin Ajiun Orompotoniyun

This is the only female Alaafin to have ever exist and also one of the most important Alaafin, let's check out how her reign was in out next post.

28/02/2025

I claimed it

Pls claim this👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽

26/02/2025

You thought I will run. I stood before the justice system; I spent time in jail...

I have been broken but not destroyed. And when the truth finally speaks, I pray your heart is strong to bear it.

— Naira Marley pens an emotional message to you-know-who.

26/02/2025

The Legendary Efọn-Ìbàdàn War of the 1850s

When Oluyole, the first Basorun of Ibadan, and Aare Kurunmi of Ijaye were receiving their titles from Alaafin Atiba of Oyo, one of the oaths taken was "to have a free hand over all Ijesa and Ekiti, to reduce them to subjection."

Fortunately for Ibadan, the towns of Aaye and Otun in Ekiti sought external aid in a boundary dispute between their two communities. The Otun requested the assistance of Ilorin, and the Aaye sought Ibadan's assistance. Ibadan sent an army under Balogun Oderinlo, while Ilorin deployed a force under a seasoned Fulani leader called Afuku.

In the ensuing encounter, the Ilorin army was dislodged and disgraced out of Ekiti. However, the Ibadan did not move out of Ekitiland once their job had been completed. They pounced on Iloro-Ekiti, Aiyetoro, Usi, and Isan and ravaged other Ekiti towns until they suffered reverses at Itaji.

The Itaji expedition opened the way for Ibadan's incessant raids into Ekitiland, which continued every year until the whole region was brought under control.

These unprovoked attacks are enough to debunk the much-vaunted claim by Professor Bolanle Awe that the Ibadan, in invading the Ekiti-Ijesa countries, were inspired by philanthropic or altruistic motives. The Ibadan no doubt had imperial ambition to fulfill, as events in Efon-Alààyè later revealed.

Any little pretext was sufficient for Ibadan to overrun Ekiti for further raids.

In 1848, some Ibadan army, led by Balogun Ibikunle, and Ilorin force combined to raid the Efon district. Though they were successful, this attack did not lead to the formal establishment of political control over Efon.

Failing to humble the Efon as they wished, even though Ajayi Ogbori Efon had succeeded in murdering an unnamed Efon war general, the Ibadan dispatched another invading force to Efon circa 1850.

The Ibadan did not initially find things easy due to the Seemingly impregnable nature of Efon and the military ingenuity of its warlords. Seasoned warriors like ARELEYEKE, AMAYAURIN, AGADA, and ELEJOFI GANGANBIRI proved their worth as experienced soldiers.

Chief OLOGUNDE AJAGAJIGI of Obalu Quarters, who was at the time one of the most redoubtable soldiers that ever lived in Efon, made things extremely difficult for the invaders.

He and his warboys, the ELEEGBE, put up a strong wall of defense which Ibadan soldiers found impenetrable for a long time.

However, the Ibadan laid a long siege on Efon. As the town could no longer bear the strains of war alone, it sought the help of her neighbors.

Most of these towns had suffered similar assaults from Ibadan and Ilorin forces and so were very weak to help.

For instance, Ogotun had been routed by Ibadan, who left only thirty-two human beings and a dog in the town.

Towns like Aramoko, Ijero, and Imesi-Igbodo (now Okemesi) were already very weak. Only Ido-Irapa, Apa-Ipole (now Ipole-Iloro), and Uwaji (villages under Efon) were able to render military aid to Efon.

But their combined efforts could not withstand the Ibadan superior military force, as Efon was completely sacked and laid desolate.

To save himself from being captured and humiliated, the Alaaye took refuge in Ugbole Aaye, his former habitat.

To compound the situation, Efon experienced a serious famine as a result of the invasion.

The Ibadan ate up every available foodstuff and green crops on Efon farms.

Even the unripe yam seeds uprooted and eaten up by the famished soldiers.

The Ibadan were said to have tauntingly joked of this episode saying:
**"Biko dun lenu Ekiti, o dun lenu awa"**
This literally translated means: *If the Ekiti (Efon) found them yet inedible, we (Ibadan) do not mind them at all*.

The prolonged conflicts between Ibadan and the Ekiti-Ijesa regions, marked by events like the Efon-Ibadan War of the 1850s, culminated in significant resistance against Ibadan's dominance. This resistance led to the formation of the Ekitiparapo Confederacy, an alliance of the Ekiti, Ijesa, Igbomina, and Akoko people, who sought to challenge Ibadan's oppressive rule. The ensuing conflict, known as the Kiriji War, lasted from 1877 to 1893 and became one of the longest civil wars in Yoruba history.

During this period, both sides engaged in prolonged sieges and battles, leading to a stalemate by 1880. The war drained resources and highlighted the limitations of Ibadan's military strategies. The influx of refugees into Ibadan further strained its resources and exacerbated internal tensions. Ultimately, the prolonged conflict weakened Ibadan's power and prestige, paving the way for British intervention. The British treaties of 1886 and 1893 curtailed Ibadan's autonomy, leading to its absorption into the British colony. This marked the end of Ibadan's imperial ambitions and the cessation of hostilities in the region.