Ogedengbe The Itinerant Warrior

Ògèdèngbé is one of the most important men in the history of the Yorùbá. Ògèdèngbé was the Ìjẹ̀ṣà warrior who was the Commander-in-Chief of the Èkìtì-Parapọ̀ Army. His name at birth was Ọ̀rìṣàráyíbí Ògúnmọ́lá. He was born at Ijọka but taken to Atorin, near Iléṣà in Osun State in 1822 after he was named. He earned the name Ògèdèngbé for his dexterity in wrestling and fearlessness. Agbógungbórò was added when his war credentials soared. Growing up, Ògèdèngbé exemplifed valor, courage and industry. He was tall, intimidating, with piercing eyes. He grew up at a time of great unrest between

Yoruba sub-ethnicities. In his youth, he was reckless, commanding and charismatic. Ògèdèngbé was involved in several campaigns against the Ìbàdàn who often attacked the Ìjẹ̀ṣà. In one of such during Ìgbájọ war in 1867 Ògèdèngbé was captured. It was said that, at Ìgbájọ, a young Ìbàdàn soldier severed his head, Ògèdèngbé staggered back and picked up his head, fixed it back. This terrified the Ibadan. Baṣọ̀run Ògúnmọ́lá captured him and took him to Ìbàdàn, where he fought for Ìbàdàn army and rose to the position of senior military commander. To make the ridicule complete he was given Ìbàdàn tribal marks. The Ìbàdàn thought someone might take him for an Ìbàdàn man and kill him in battle. 

After the fall of Ọ̀̀yọ́, Ìbàdàn, a new city founded in the 1820s began its quest to  rule and dominate the rest of Yoruba sub-ethnicities. The struggle for power, influence and survival led to a sixteen year internecine war among the Yoruba. That war was named Kírìjì - an onomatopoeic play on the thunderous sound of cannons fired by the Èkìtì and Ìjẹ̀sà, under the command of Ogedengbe. Kírìjì war was fought between the Western Yoruba (Ibadan, Modakeke Oyo and Ọfà forces ) and Eastern Yoruba (Ìjẹ̀sà, Èkìtì, Ifè, Àkókò, Ìgbómìnà, Kàbbà, Egbé and Lọ́kọ́ja). During the Kírìjì war, Ìbàdàn was fighting on five fronts. The first battle in Kírìjì war between the Western and Eastern forces called Ogun Jálumi (battle of waterloo) fought at Ìkìrun on 1st of November, 1878 ended in ignominious for the Ekiti. This defeat led the Èkìtì to Ògèdèngbé, who had been reluctant to lead the Ekiti-Parapo against Ìbàdàn under whom he obtained his infantry training. Ògèdèngbé led the Ekiti Parapo front, assisted by the Ẹ̀gbá, Ìjẹ̀bú and Èkó (Lagos) against Ibadan imperialism. Ìlárá-Mọ̀kín served as the military and reconnaissance headquarters where Ekiti War generals reviewed and perfected war strategies. The Èkìtì and Ìjẹ̀sà purchased cannons in abundance and that gave them advantage over Ibadan. During the Kiriji war, it was said that Ògèdèngbé would shoot arrows from his room to the battlefield. He was also known for making himself invisible. Ògèdèngbé trusted no one but his dog who is rumored to be more of a wild canine beast. People ran at the sight of the beast. Ògèdèngbé tied cowries on his dog on market days and the dog would walk into the Ìyálọ́jà stall. She would load supplies on the dog and the dog would return home. 

After the armistice was signed to end Kírìjì war, Ògèdèngbé returned to a hero's welcome in Iléṣà. He was honoured with the highest chieftaincy title of Ọbańlá of Ìjẹ̀ṣà, second to the Ọwá-Obòkun of Ìjẹ̀sà in 1898. After Kiriji war, Chief  Ògèdèngbé lived peacefully until he died on the 29th July, 1910. Mysteriously, Ògèdèngbé's dog disappeared immediately he died. Other notable war heroes of the 19th century Yorùbá were Baṣọ̀run Olúyọ̀lé, Ìbíkúnlé and Ògúnmọ́lá of Ibadan, Ọ̀náfọwọ́kàn of Ìjẹ̀bú, Ṣódẹkẹ́ of Ẹ̀gbá and Fábùnmi of Òkè-Ìmẹ̀sí.

It is hard to write about Ògèdèngbé without delving much into Kírìjì war. It was Kírìjì that cemented his legacy as a fearless warrior with remarkable skills in war strategy and weaponry. This defining Yoruba civil war will be discussed on Òbíríkítí some day soon.

Narrated by Bamidele Ademola-Olateju

Brief History Of IGBAJO.

In Igbajoland,we don't boast,history especially distinguished us from other towns in Yorubaland.

A town whose history is specially connected with about 10 other Yoruba towns is Igbajo in Osun State.

Beyond its role in the historic Kiriji War that visibly rocked and shaped the history of the Yoruba nation in the 19th Century.

Igbajo provided the terrain and camp for the Latoosa-led Ibadan combatants against the allied forces of Ijesa and Ekiti in the decisive war which came to an end after the peace treaty signed on September 23, 1886.

Further findings revealed that Igbajo was the only town in history where ten kings had a stop-over on the top of a rock before they dispersed and went to establish their respective towns and communities. The kings included the Orangun of Ila; Ajero of Ijero-Ekiti; Alara of Aramoko; Owa of Otan Ayegbaju; Olojudo of Ido-Ekiti; Owalare of Ilare; Onire of Ire-Ekiti; Oloore of Otun-Ekiti and the Owa of Igbajo.

Till date, the site where the said royal fathers converged is preserved some metres away from the palace of the Owa of Igbajo, Oba Adeniyi Olufemi Fasade,Akeran IV,the Owa of Igbajoland.

Though the historic spot is kept under lock and key, it is open to tourism-inclined visitors to the town. The Osun State government has officially also categorised the site as one of tourists destinations in the state as evident in the signpost erected on top of the rock.

When the founder of Igbajo, known in history as Akeran, left Ile-Ife, he did not leave alone,he left with other sons of Oduduwa after Owa had gone in search of the Atlantic water prescribed to heal the blindness of Oduduwa, their father.

The site called Okuta Mewa (ten rocks) was the spot where those, who later founded different towns, paused during the journey from Ile-Ife.

“Each of them sat on one rock, hence the name ‘okuta mewa’ (ten rocks) to symbolise the event. They sat, discussed and later dispersed to different directions and locations where they are today. It can safely be said that Akeran was their host because of the fact that he settled where they converged. Let us now think of it. Do you think it is common to have the kind of privilege that we have?

How many towns in Yorubaland had the opportunity to host ten kings on their way to establishing their respective towns? What should this tell you about the importance and relevance of Igbajo to the Yoruba nation? That we are not known for showing off does not mean such significant piece of history can be written off by anybody and such history cannot be changed.

On account of its strategic location as regards to its accessibility, Igbajo became the meeting point and indeed safe haven for many Yoruba families who were victims of war or internal discontent in their respective towns and communities.

To this end, Igbajo, today, is an amalgam of sub-ethnic groups such as Ife, Ijesa, Igbomina, Oyo and Ekiti. This is also a peculiar feature from which the Owa of Igbajo takes pride, having seen its potential of making his town celebrated.

In terms of the administration of Igbajo, the kingmakers in charge of the selection of the Owa of Igbajo, are drawn from the five towns in a show of assimilation which has promoted peaceful coexistence among the people.

Evidence of this is seen in the strength of the Igbajo Development Association (IDA), a group of sons and daughters of Igbajo, which has since undertaken community development projects, including what can ‘arguably’ be referred to as the first private polytechnic in Nigeria.

An extensive tour of Igbajo revealed other places of interest, including the Oroke Shrine which hosts the annual Oroke Festival holding in May. The festival, it was learnt, brings together the ruling houses with a view to celebrating their progenitors by killing a cow which is shared among them under a lively atmosphere.

Members of the royal families are accompanied to the shrine by drummers who spice up the occasion with music and panegyrics in a spectacle that provokes nostalgia of Igbajo of old.

What we do here is to remember our forefathers who played a critical role in founding the town and made it what it is today. There is no today without yesterday. And tomorrow also lies in today because without today tomorrow will only exist in a dream.

What I am saying is that Oroke Festival, which is a major festival in the town that attracts crowds of people, is our heritage which we are doing our best to preserve. And we shall continue to preserve it for the future generation to see. It may interest you to know that somebody has done his doctorate thesis on this festival. This is to tell you about its place in our culture.

The Kiriji War theatre on the outskirts of Igbajo appears more or less a sacred entity in its entirety. It is now a farmland, but its hilly terrain.

The native power with which the warriors on both sides prosecuted the war. In the recent past, relics of war implements were still found in the axis.

The spots where major incidents occurred during the war still lay in the tropical forest. Faragbota tree, the thick said to have absorbed thousands of bullets, still stands erected on its spot. It was, however, clarified that the tree fell soon after the 100th year celebration of the peace treaty held in 1986.

The geography of Igbajo, characterised by hills, valleys and plains, makes a voyage to the ancient town an unusual excursion. Undertaking the trip to the historic town in plain language is not a task for the faint-hearted.

You have to be physically strong to climb, descend, climb and descend again until you are through with your assignment.

Endeavour to give yourself the rare opportunity of visiting the historic sites you had read about that seemed far beyond reality.