8 MOST N0T0RI0US CR!M!NALS IN NIGERIAN HISTORY

 

1. LAWRENCE Nomanyagbon ANINI aka THE LAW

For those who grew in the 80s, the name Lawrence Nomanyagbon Anini can never be forgotten as one of Nigeria's most notorious arm*d r0bbers who reigned supreme in the old Bendel State, now Edo and Delta.

Anini was finally arrested in a major operation led by Superintendent of Police Kayode Uanreroro, who brought his reign of terr0r to an end. He was nabbed on December 3, 1986, at No. 26, Oyemwosa Street, opposite Iguodala Primary School, Benin City, in company of six women, following a tip-off by residents of the area.

Anini who was confined to a wheelchair throughout his trial following the amputation of one of his legs was sentenced to death by Justice James Omo-Agege of the Benin High Court and was executed on March 29, 1987.

Anini also known as The Law, reigned supreme in the 80s and was so bl00dy that his matter was even discussed at the State Security Council meeting in the General Ibrahim Babangida's regime. 

2. 'DOCTOR' ISHOLA OYENUSI

Naturally, 'Doctor' Ishola Oyenusi should have taken the top spot on this list going by the fact that he was the first known arm£d r0bber in the country. But Anini's exploits in the underworld took the shine off Oyenusi.

In the history of cr!me in Nigeria, Oyenusi, was a cold-blooded armed r0bber who held sway in the early 70s, stands on a very special threshold that none can ever dream of attaining.

He took the nation by storm shortly after the Civil War ended and before he was executed on Wednesday, September 8, 1971, at the famous Bar Beach show in front of 30,000 watching Nigerians, no one believed that 'The Doctor' would be captured, as he was famed for 'disappearing' or his body not penetrable by bullets. In fact, he must have had so much faith in his charms that he smiled all the way to the stake and even as soldiers aimed their rifles at him and his co-criminals, Oyenusi still radiated an aura of invincibility.

When Oyenusi reigned at the height of his regal confidence, he declared: ‘The bullet has no power over me.‘ Legend has it that Oyenusi got into active r0bbery back in 1959, but he committed his first major r0bbery when he snatched a car along Herbert Macaulay Road in Yaba, Lagos, and k!ll!ng its owner in the process, just because his girlfriend was broke and needed money to buy her make-up. He eventually sold the car for £400 (Nigeria's currency then) and handed the money to the lady. He actually snatched the first car he saw on the road. Such was the ferocious nature of his audacity. By the end of the Civil War, Oyenusi had metamorphosed into a cold-hearted r0bber who took delight in causing pains to his victims. Oyenusi’s arrogance was also legendary.

In 1970, he was arrested and handcuffed by a police officer. As the policeman was ordering him around, Oyenusi blasted him and thundered: ‘People like you don’t talk to me like that when I am armed. I g*n them d0wn.’

The last r0bbery that did him in was when he and his gang @tt@cked the WAHUM factory in Ikeja in March 1971, where they st0le the princely sum of £28,000, which was unprecedented in those days. A police officer was also killed in the process.

Doctor' Ishola Oyenusi's execution was celebrated by relieved Nigerians who trooped out en-masse to the Bar Beach in Lagos to witness the end of a man who had held the country to ransom. As the crowd thronged the Beach, jeering and booing Oyenusi and his band of six convicted robbers, the man of the moment kept smiling and waving at them but shortly before his body was riddled with hot-leaded b*llets from stern-faced soldiers of the Nigerian Army, he finally screamed: ‘I am dy!ng for the offense I have committed. 

3. ABIODUN EGUNJOBI, ALIAS GODOGODO, was the modern day version of Lawrence Anini. The one-eyed monster was one of the de*dl!est arm*d r*bbers Nigeria ever had. The 36-years-old Godogodo rose from being a slum boy to the leader of a gang that defied all reasons, struck with precision, k*ll*d without mercy and terr0r!zed Lagos and the south-west with reckless abandon.

Before his arrest on August 1, 2013, Godogodo gave the Lagos State Police Command so much headache for 14 years, so much so that on the day he was arrested, the command erupted in joy: at least its men would be safe from his guns. In fact, he was at a time, on the top of the Most Wanted list of the Command with several Police Commissioners assigning the toughest of cops on his trail. Godogodo began his voyage into the deadly world of crime after spending seven years in prison for what he considered a minor offence.

As a scrap dealer in the slum of Gatankowa, Abule-Egba, he was involved in a fight and the police arrested him. With no one to bail him out, Godogodo was sent to jail and in his mind, he believed his going to pr*son was an injustice and blamed the police for it.

While in prison, he became acquainted with more deadly armed r0bbers and formed an alliance with them and took the time to understudy them. When he finally left prison, he decided that he was going to deal with the police for sending him to prison for seven years.

The Lagos State Police Command led by the then Commissioner, Umar Manko, mandated the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), led by Superintendent of Police, Abba Kyari, to bring an end to the reign of Abbey Godogodo and that began intensive investigations which led to the capitulation of his empire. Manko was given direct orders by the then Inspector General of Police to make sure the Godogodo phenomenon was quashed at all cost.

4. OKWUDILI NDIWE aka DERICO

Okwudili Ndiwe, alias Derico Nwamama, was also one of the deadliest armed robbers to have come out of the Nigeria. In the early 2000s, the 22-year-old Derico Nwamama was probably the King of the Underworld in the Eastern parts of the country; a clear replication of the likes of Lawrence Anini and Ishola Oyenusi. Derico had risen from a street urchin and pick pocket to a dreaded crime king and the mere mention of his name sent shivers down the spines of traders and residents of Onitsha, the commercial capital of Anambra State, and other parts of the east.

The traders could not display their wares with peace while many slept with one eye open. Derico sacked commercial banks in Onitsha, carting away millions of Naira. Travelers who had to pass through the state held their breaths, expecting the hoodlum to strike at any time. The then Governor of the state, Chinwoke Mbadinuju, became an old man over night with worries on how to handle the menace of Derico. He was described as the personification of terror. From Nnewi to Nkpor, from the villages in Umuleri to towns in Ihiala, the old and young were terr!f!ed at the mere whisper of Derico Nwamama. At that time, he was said to be invisible and could not be arrested. The dreaded Bakassi Boys went on a manhunt for the man known to kill without batting an eyelid. With the police and other security forces unable to bring Derico Nwamama and his terror regime to a close, the onus fell on the Bakassi Boys, the militant wing of the Anambra Vigilante Services (AVS), a local vigilante group set up to curb crime and criminality in the South East.

The group were then at the forefront of the hunt and capture of Derico Nwamama and on Tuesday, July 3, 2001, the hitherto invisible criminal was nabbed on his way to Onitsha from Agbor, ostensibly on one of his cr!me spree. On July 9, 2001, six days after Derico was captured at the Niger Bridge, the Bakassi Boys did to him what many had earlier predicted. Chanting war songs, they drove in their convoy around the town and ended at the Ochanja Market Junction along the popular Upper Iweka Road in Onitsha.

Derico was dragged out from the bus, looking gaunt and severely beaten, a trademark of the vigilante group. His body bore cuts and gashes, a testament to what he must have gone through in their hands. He must also have known that the day of reckoning has come.

He was in obvious pains but no one seemed to care. Still chanting war songs and egged on by the enchanted crowd, one of the commanders of the Bakassi Boys named Okpampi, addressed the crowd, telling them they were in the state not for politics but to fight crime.

He handed over the microphone to the now trembling Derico who, like a cornered fox, began begging for his life to be spared. He made feeble attempts at declaring his innocence: “My name is Oddy, alias Derico, alias Nwa Mama. I appeal to you the people of Anambra State, please don’t kill me, I don’t like evil. It was when I killed Chiejina that people thought I am a strong guy, you know. I trust Bakassi Boys. They are strong. Please, mercy for me. Nobody can identify me as having robbed him. People just believe that I am a strong guy.” What was to follow remains one of the most macabre displays of public executions in Nigeria. With the speed of a guillotine, a cutlass handled in the strong arm of one of the Bakassi Boys flew and came down with an unforgiving thud, landing on Derico’s slim neck.

In a flash, Derico was beheaded. His severed head rolled on the floor before the crowd while his convulsing botdy collapsed on the ground, with bright-red bl00d gushing from his carotid arteries. 

5. KAYODE WILLIAMS 

Before he became a man of God and the Director-General of Prison Rehabilitation Mission International (PREMI), and the Presiding Bishop of Christ Vessel of Grace Church, Bishop Kayode Williams was one of Nigeria most notorious armed robbers.

He was a member of the Ishola Oyenusi gang who stood out when his boss was captured. He was known to be a dreaded robber who wasted no time in killing his victims.

During a confession years ago, Bishop Willams narrated how he pounded little babies and used them for spiritual fortification play. He was converted to Christianity while serving a 10-year jail term and since then, he has not looked back in preaching to prisoners and trying all he can to rehabilitate them. 

6. MONDAY OSUNBOR

Legend has it that Monday Osunbor was the main man behind the dreaded Lawrence Anini gang. He was known as the executioner and sharp shooter. Though not much was known of him during the Anini trial as his leader took the shine off him, it was gathered that he was a short-tempered stammerer who did not hesitate in killing their victims. He was executed alongside Anini in 1987.

7. SHINA RAMBO

The name Shina Rambo has refused to go away from the consciousness of Nigerians who either witnessed his crime spree or were unfortunate to live in that era.

The Abeokuta, Ogun State-born Rambo was a terror in the 90s and the brain behind many crimes in the Western parts of the country where he robbed and killed with impunity. He was so feared even by the police that many thought he was invisible as he was thought to disappear anytime the police closed in on him. It is believed that the policemen who killed him did not even know that it was Shina Rambo.

He was said to be on his way to Lanrewaju Motors to buy a Pathfinder SUV when he was apprehended by the police on the Ojota New Garage Long Bridge.

Rambo was not the one driving when the police stopped him and his gang, they discovered a lot of money in a cartoon in the trunk of the Datsun car. When they started questioning him on the possession of such huge an amount, an argument ensued and he attempted to disarm one of the policemen. It was one of the policemen at the other side of the road who shot Rambo down. It was said that it was easy to shoot him because he was not with his charms since he was not going for an operation. However, another account has it that the person killed was not the real Shina Rambo as another ex-bandit who claimed to be the real Rambo, is now a man of God by the name Mathew Oluwanifemi.

In his confession a few years ago, pastor Oluwanifemi described himself as a hardened criminal, a terror, and killer. He narrated how he specialized in robbing exotic cars on highways and banks and that nothing could stop him, not even security operatives as he was totally invincible

8. ISIAKA BUSARI aka MIGHTY JOE

Shortly after the notorious kingpin of armed robbery in Nigeria, Ishola Oyenusi was executed, his second in command, Isiaka Busari, better known as Mighty Joe, took over the scene and became the defacto king of the underground.

Nigeria was still coming out of the pangs of the civil war and with the death of Oyenusi, they thought the era of violent crimes had been nipped in the bud but little did they know that another hoodlum would spring up and become deadlier.

In Mighty Joe's gang were ex-soldiers who were demobilized and with their know how in the handling of guns and other deadly weapons, they held the nation, particularly the South West, to ransom, robbing and killing with reckless abandon. Mighty Joe was even deadlier than Oyenusi and was known to operate at anytime he felt like and taking a human's life was nothing to him. For many years, he constituted himself a big terror to the people of Lagos, the then Federal Capital, especially around Mushin where he lived and practiced his trade. He strode the hemisphere like a colossus from 1971 when his boss was killed, till 1973 when he was nabbed after robbing a hotel bar attendant, Michael Osayunana, of the sum of ₦10.

Arimoro

  

Farotimi Okunade was a Yoruba prince of the Egbedi Quarters and a direct descendant of Owa Ofokutu ( 27th ruler of Ilesha)…. His drummers sang of his military feats and sang in his praise saying : a re omo ro L’ese oke.’… ( one who takes off his enemy’s head at the foot of the sacred hill)….the cognomen got him his name “Arimoro.’

He was a sworn enemy of Ibadan… reason being that during previous campaigns including Ijebu Ere and Ara expeditions, Ilesha always fought against Ibadan…. twice in the past, Ilesha was on the losing start and Ibadan wariors raided Ijesha in reprisal…. In these two raids, all his possessions and family were carted away to Ibadan as booty of war. With the painful loss, he swore to avenge the humiliation and resist Ibadan till his last breadth. To better prepare himself for future engagements, he formed a band of warriors and built a private militia.

His first opportunity came at the Igbajo war. Igbajo was a cosmopolitan city of many Yoruba factions ( hence the name Igbajo,

Alaafin Aole Surnamed Arogangan

 

After the reign of Alaafin Abiodun, none of his children succeeded him on the throne.

Aole, a tall and handsome Prince, a cousin of the late King was elected in his stead. But unfortunately, his reign was a very unhappy one; it marked the commencement of the decline of the nation until it terminated in the tragic end of the fifth king after him. The cup of iniquity of the nation was full; cruelty, usurpation, and treachery were rife, especially in the capital; and the provinces were groaning under the yolk of oppression. Confiscation and slavery for the slightest offence became matter of daily occurence, and the tyranny, exacutions and lawlessness of the Prince and other member of the royal family, were simply unsupportable. Oath were no more taken in the name of the gods, who were now considered too lenient and indifferent; but rather in the name of the King who was more dreaded. "Idà Oba ni yio je mi" (may the King`s sword destroy me) was the new form of oath! Aole was unfortunately saddled with the ill fate of the nation, as the following ditty commonly sung would show: "Laiye Abiodun l`afi igba won wo, Laiye aole L`afi adikale" (in abiodun`s reign money we weighed by bushels Lit with Calabashes, in Aole`s reign, we packrd up to flee).

but there was nothing more in his actions than in those of his predecessors to warrant this saying, on the contrary, he was probably too weak and mild for the times. The Nation was ripe for judgement, and the impending wrath of God was about to fall upon it; hence trouble from every quarter, one after another.

On the King`s accession, according to custom when the time came for him to send out his first expedition, he was asked who was his enemy, that they should fight him. He named Baale of Apomu, and hence Apomu was doomed.

The alleged cause of offence will clearly show how much of corruption there was at the fountain head in those days.

Apomu was the market town where Ọ̀yọ́s, Ifes, Owús and Ìjẹ̀bús met for trade. It was situated in Ife territory, and in the border of the Olowu's dominion. raidingand man-stealing were rife at those times. Ọ̀yọ́s particularly were in greater danger, as they came from afar. During the last reign several Ọ̀yọ́s were stolen and sold here, and hence King Abiodun sent order to both the Olowu and the Owoni of ife to keep a strict watch and prevent turn sent strict orders to the Baálẹ of Apomu to be on the watch, and arrest any offender.

Aolẹ who was then a private man used to trade in these parts with a friend who was also his attendant; and one occasion, he bartered away his friend for merchedise! So faithless and heartless were the princes in those days. The Ijebus were actually taken him away when it was reprted to the Baale of Apomu that an Oyo man was being sold away. Fortunately for the man by the prompt action of the Baálẹ he was rescued at a certain spot named Apata Odaju (the rock of the heartless), perharps so named from this circumstance, and brought before the Baálẹ. Investigation soon showed who the slave dealer was; but as Aole was an Akeyọ́ (Prince) and could not more severaly be dealt with in order that justice may not miscarry, he was ordered by the Baale to be severely flogged. This was the reason why Aole now named the Baálẹ of Apomu as his enemy.

When the Baálẹ of Apomu heard that war was declared against his town on his account he took refuge in the court of the Owoni of ife his over-lord, and whose orders he obeyed. But as the offence was against the Suzerain, even the Owoni could not save him; so this faithful chief, in order to save his town and his people from destruction, committed suicide, and his head was cut off and sent to Oyo to appease the offended mornarch!

But an expediction must in any case be sent out, the king was, therefore, approached again and asked to name his enemy. But he replied, "My enemy is too formidable for me." being pressed, he named the pwerful chief Afonja, the Kakanfo residing at Ilorin.

The Legendary of More I and Her Son

 

Moremi Ajasoro was the wife of one of the ancient heroes of Ile ife. Probably Oranmiyan. She was a woman of great beauty and virtue, and had an only son named Ẹla or Oluorogbo.

It happened that the city of Ìfẹ́ was at one time in a state of frequent commotion and unrest, owing to the repeated raids of a tribe of people called the igbos. This continued for a series of years. The Ìfẹs attributed this affliction and distress to the displeasure of their gods, because those that attacked them from the igbó territory appeared not to be human beings, but gods or demi gods, consequently, the Ìfẹ́ felt they could not withstand them, and so these raiders use to make way with easy plunder, including their valuables, with their women and children. For this, they propitiated and called upon their gods for help, but received no response.

Now, this Moremi, fired with zeal and patriotism was determined to do whatsoever she could, to free her country from this calamity. She was resolved to find out what this igbós really were, and how to fight them. To this end she repaired to a stream called Esinmirin, and there made a vow to the deity thereof, that if she was enabled to carry out her plans, they proved successful, she would offer to the gods, the most costly sacrifice she could afford. Her plan was to expose herself to the raider and get caught, and be taken to their country where she could best learn their secrets. But she said 'if I perish, I perish'. At the time of the next raid she undertook to carry out her plan, she was caught by the igbos and taken to their country; and being a woman of great beauty, she was given up amongst others, and sundry booty to their king. Her beauty and virtue soon won her a place in the country and the confidence of the people. She became familiar with with all their customs, and learnt all their secrets: then she also learnt that those who were such objects of the terror to her people were mere men, who covered themselves from head to foot with Ekan grass and bamboo fibers, making them appear extra human, and are nicknamed Eluyare.

She extracted from her husband also the secret of attacking them successfully. 'If your people know how to make a torch and have the courage to rush amongst them with lighted torches, they cannot stand that.'

Moremi feeling she was now conversant with everything amongst the igbos, having disarmed any suspicion they may have entertained of her as a captive, suddenly escaped one day to her native land, and by making use of the secrets she had learned, freed her country for ever from the raids of the men once their terror. It remained now for her to fulfill her vows.

She repaired to the stream with her offering of lambs, rams, and goats for sacrifice, but the god would not accept any of these.

She then offered a bullock, which the god also refused to accept, then she prayed the priests to divine for her what would be acceptable; this was done, and the God demanded for her only son.

She then gave up her only son in sacrifice to the gods in the fulfillment of her vows. The Ìfẹ nation bewailed her loss and promised to be her sons and daughters, for the loss she had sustained for the salvation of her country.

Oluorogbo however, when supposed to be killed, was but half dead: he afterwards received and rose again and made a rope with which he climbed up to heaven: and all Ìfẹs to this day have a full hope that he will come again to this world, and reap the full hope that he will come again to this world, and reap the full reward of his good deeds.

We may discern in this legend a confused idea of the story of Jephtha, and that of the Blessed Virgin and her Son perverted. Ọranyan was the father of all Ọ̀yọ́s or Yorùbás proper, and two renowned sons, Ajaka and Sango, both of whom succeeded him in turns, and both of whom became famous in Yoruba history, and were defied after death.

Who is afraid of 86-year-old AKINTOYE?

By Bolanle Bolawole

As an Octogenarian inching towards becoming a Nonagenarian, Professor Stephen Adebanji (Banji) Akintoye (born 1935), should be enjoying a well-deserved retirement and rest rather than being in the trenches against retired Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s creeping fascism, complicity with, and duplicity on the vexed issue of insurgency and the Fulani expansionist aggression that have combined to lay to waste a sizeable portion of the country while also endangering the peace and security of virtually everyone else. Akintoye has laboured and deserves to have some peace and rest in the twilight years of his sojourn on Mother Earth; he deserves to look back on his many struggles and toils, his daring exploits and close shaves with death, and the comforts he had forfeited and the sacrifices made – all in the quest for a better and greater Nigeria, and a just and egalitarian society fulfilling its mantra of “where no man is oppressed” and “where peace and justice shall reign”. Alas! Akintoye’s efforts – and those of the other nationalists and patriots like him – have, in this respect, all amounted to nothing but a waste of precious time and resources. The lofty dreams, the nationalistic fervour, the patriotic zeal of our founding fathers, and the labours of our heroes past have not only been in vain, they have also all been eaten up in the same manner that Fulani cows eat up farms all over the country, causing food scarcity and an exponential increase in the cost of living never before experienced in this country.

Akintoye qualifies as one of the “last of the origins”, being, as he was, a disciple of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, as against the present-day caricature “Awoists” defined only by their Awo caps and spectacles! Akintoye remains one of those forged in the crucibles of struggle in the Awo era; a trusted foot soldier, a power-house of the intellectual fervour that set Awo and his political party apart from his contemporaries, and a reliable confidante that gave his all to the Awolowo “deutsche machine” that remains, till today, a reference point in the developmental strides it engineered way back ever before Independence in 1960. In the academic field, Akintoye leaves a formidable presence and is still counting; his curriculum vitae are, to say the least, intimidating.

 According to Wikipedia, Akintoye attended Christ's School Ado Ekiti from 1951–1955 and studied history at the University College (Overseas College of the University of London), Ibadan (1956–1961), and doctoral studies from 1963-1966 at the University of Ibadan where he was awarded a Ph. D. in History in 1966. He taught at the History Department at the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife where he became a professor and Director of the Institute of African Studies from 1974-1977. He also taught African History in universities in the United States, including the University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida; Montgomery County Community College, PA, and Eastern University, St. Davids, Pennsylvania. Akintoye has written four books, chapters in many joint books, and several articles in scholarly journals. He took a leading part for some time in the politics of Nigeria and served on the Senate from 1979–1983 during the Second Republic. Akintoye is one of the current leading scholars on the history of the Yoruba people. His most recent work, A History of the Yoruba People (Amalion, 2010), draws on decades of new findings and thinking on Yoruba studies that challenge some previously dominant notions about the origins of the Yoruba. This work dispels the Middle Eastern and Arabia origins propounded by such scholars as the late Samuel Johnson (1846–1901) and also gave prominence to the works on the Pre-Oduduwa Period by Ulli Beier, among others. Akintoye also gave prominence to the role of Ilé-Ifè over that of Oyo. A reviewer, Prof. Wale Adebanwi, notes: "...this book directly contests and shifts the focus of Yoruba history away from what many have called the Oyo-centric account of Samuel Johnson... Where Johnson avoids the creation myth that positions Ife as the sacred locus of Oduduwa's original descent and the orirun (creation-source), Akintoye, justifiably, restores Ile-Ife to its proper place as ibi ojumo ti mon wa'ye (where the dawn emerges)..."

 Scripture says from the mouth of two or three witnesses, the truth of a matter is established (2 Corinthians 13: 1); so let us consider what another source (Careerbridge Africa...serving the disadvantaged) says of Akintoye on the occasion of its appointment of the erudite professor as chairman of its Board: “Prof. (Senator) Stephen Adebanji Akintoye brings to the service of Careerbridge Foundation a dignified career of high level service in academia and scholarship, governance and political leadership, assistance to businesses and entrepreneurship, experience in international relations, and extensive travel and contacts throughout the world.

 “Prof. Akintoye attained his Doctor of Philosophy degree at the University of Ibadan in 1966, became a lecturer at the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) immediately, and rose very rapidly to the position of full professor in 1974, based on the exceptional quality of his academic work in research, publications, and impressive teaching. He was subsequently appointed Director of the Institute of African Studies in the same year. Prof. Akintoye has led an exemplary academic career spanning nearly five decades in Nigeria and the United States.

 “Prof. Akintoye was the first employee of the new University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) to take residence on the university’s new campus at Ife in 1967 and during his tenure he earned commendations for his contributions to various aspects of the development of the new campus and university community. He was appointed Hall Master of the first male Hall of Residence, Fajuyi Hall, served for several years as the Secretary of the Ife chapter of the Nigerian University Teachers Association, and as the University Orator and, on commission by the University Council, wrote the first history of the university. Prof. Akintoye has also served as Visiting Professor at a number of American universities and contributed significantly to the establishment of an African and African-American Studies Program in one.

 “Prof. Akintoye is one of the most eminent scholars of African History in our time. He has authored two books that are acclaimed as classics in Yoruba History, as well as five other books on various other aspects of African History. Additionally, Prof. Akintoye authored and co-authored many chapters in joint books, articles in academic journals, research papers for seminars and conferences worldwide, and hundreds of articles in newspapers and magazines.

 “Prof. Akintoye is also a distinguished and influential elder statesman. One of the best known intellectual leaders in the political life of Nigeria in the era of the Nigerian Second Republic, he served as one of the founders and executive officers of one of the foremost political parties of the era. He was elected to the Nigerian Senate in 1979, where he served with great distinction for four years. He also briefly served as the Commissioner for Health in Ondo State of Nigeria.

“Prof. Akintoye is still admirably busy in the task of contributing to the building of the country of his birth, Nigeria. In particular, he invests much thought and energy in encouraging start-up businesses and growth among Nigerians. It is a great honour and inestimable asset to have Prof. Akintoye as the first Chairman of the Board of Careerbridge”.

 Akintoye lived in Pennsylvania, United States for a long time before coming back home finally and was, in August 2019 at Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, elected president, Yoruba World Congress, by a conglomeration of Yoruba self-determination groups. The ovation, however, did not last long as personality clashes and differences in modus operandi between Akintoye and some other leaders of the YWC led to its splintering a year later. After efforts to paper over the cracks failed, Akintoye and his loyalists changed their name to Ilana Omo Oodua in October 2020. Incidentally, none of the Yoruba self-determination groups that fought bitterly over “ownership” of the Yoruba World Congress is making waves with the name today! Every one of them adopted new names and moved on! Akintoye’s “Ilana Omo Oodua”, however, appears the frontrunner of them all. His insistence on self-determination, and not restructuring, sounds the right chord with most Yoruba nationals home and abroad who insist on the Yoruba going their separate ways from a floundering and tottering Nigeria rendered impotent and incapacitated by Buhari and his Fulani clan. Only the unbundling of Nigeria may put an end to its arrested development.

Enter Sunday Ighoho! The street protests by Igboho, actively supported by Akintoye’s Ilana group, have heightened the tempo of the Yoruba or Oodua self-determination struggle. Those who point at the reported tainted pedigree of Igboho miss the point; same also with those alarmed at the sudden radicalization of 86-year-old Akintoye. US President JF Kennedy said “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable” Another speaker said when you drive discussions away from the open place; you drive them into cellars where revolutions are made. Many knew why Igboho had to run for dear life after his house was invaded by the DSS in the dead of the night, with an unconfirmed number of his aides killed in cold blood, but not many were aware that Akintoye himself had been profiled, tracked, hounded and hunted silently by the same agents of the State. Only recently did information about his likely or impending arrest filter into the open. During the COVID-19 lockdown Akintoye discretely relocated from his Magodo, Lagos home to a secret location at Ife. When Ife also became unsafe, he had no choice than to move again, this time outside the shores of the country.

Akintoye has no apologies to offer for “fleeing” Nigeria, even if that is what some have chosen to call it. And he should not be in a hurry to return. He must ensure he does not put himself in harm’s way. He has nothing to prove by hastily returning to the vice-like grip of jackals and bloody hounds who have demonstrated scant regard for justice and low respect for the rule of law.  It is to the eternal shame of the Buhari junta if an illustrious citizen like Akintoye is run out of town by fellows inferior to him in all materials in particular. In saner climes, Akintoye will be toasted and celebrated, not harried and hounded. But, then, this is Nigeria! I am sure you know what I mean! A popular saying is that he who fights and runs away lives to fight another day! I also heard the following saying from Mr. Osuolale Mustapha, a one-time General Manager of the PUNCH newspapers, to wit, “It is the cowardly General who tells the story of how the valiant General died in the battle field!” In the contest between two rams, the one that engages the reverse gear does so to muster more strength!

Need I say more? (To be continued).

Ìgbà Ìwà

 

At the commencement of every reign, the Ìgbà Ìwà or Calabashes of divination are brought from Ile Ìfẹ to the new king to divine what sort of reign his will be.

Two covered Calabashes, of similar shapes and sizes but with quite different contents are brought, one containing money, small pieces of cloth and other articles of merchandize, denoting peace and prosperity; the other containing miniature swords and spears, arrows, powder, bullet, razor, knives, etc., denoting wars and trouble for the Village. The King is to choose one of them before seeing the contents, and according as he chooses so will be the fate of the Village during his reign. 

HISTORY OF ILORIN

 

Hundreds of years ago, there was a forest called Oko-Erin, there were many elephants in this bush, that was why it is called Oko-Erin [elephant forest], only the brave and powerful hunters lives in this forest. Òjó Oníṣekúṣe [Ojo the promiscuous], who was from Ijesha, was the first hunter to arrive Oko-Erin he was a brave and powerful hunter. Ẹ̀mìńlá from Ìlá- Ọ̀ràngún also came and met Òjó Oníṣekúṣe in this forest; he was a powerful hunter too.

Both Òjó Oníṣekúṣe and Ẹ̀mìńlá does not live at Oko-Erin, they only hunt for a while and return to their family. Ọláderin arrived Oko-Erin after Ẹ̀mìńlá and Òjó Oníṣekúse. Ọláderin has a hut in this forest; he was the leader of all the elephant hunters at the time and he was the first settler at Oko-Erin. He was from Oyo Alaafin. Whenever his co-hunters returns from hunting, they took some rest at Oladerin’s hut, Oladerin was so powerful that both humans, elephants and other animals fear him. Laderin has a big pot of concoction, when he enters this pot, he can turn to any type of animal he desires. That was why he was referred to as Ola di erin[Oladerin.] There was a stone used for sharpening their machetes at Oladerin’s hut, whenever their machetes got blunt; they took it to Oladerin’s hut to sharpen it on this particular stone. while heading to Oladerin’s hut to sharpen their machete, if anybody asks them where they are going, they would say “mò ń lọ lọ irin mi lọ́dọ̀ọ Láderin” [I want to go and sharpen my machete at Laderin’s place] they used to call this stone Ìlọ irin [a sharpener]Ilorin derived its name from this stone. The stone they used for sharpening their machetes is still at Bámidélé house in Ilorin until today. Ojo onisekuse was said to have fled Oko-Erin because of his promiscuity, he was fond of sleeping with his daughter and families, and this act is forbidden when he was caught, he had to flee Oko-Erin. Eminla went back to Ila-Orangun, while Ojo onisekuse fled to Ojoku near Offa where he later died.

People started coming to Ilorin from villages around Oyo to live with Laderin, some of the hunters too decided to settle at Ilorin with Laderin that was how Ilorin started to expand. Laderin was the first chief [baálẹ̀] in Ilorin; there was no other tribe in Ilorin as at this time aside from the Oyo indigene and its environs.

After Laderin’s death, his son Pàsín took over as the second chief [baálẹ̀ ] during Pàsín reign as baálẹ̀ in Ilorin, Bashọ̀run Gáà was disrupting the peace of Oyo, Pàsín interfered in the issue because he was not pleased with the way Bashọ̀run Gaa was tormenting the people of Oyo; this was what led to Pasin’s death. Bashorun Gaa killed him in an open space. After Pasin’s death, Àlùgbìn the son of Pasin became the next baale in Ilorin. During Alugbin’s reign, Ilorin has become a big town. After Alugbin’s demise, his son Àfọ̀njá became the new baale in Ilorin. Afonja was brave, courageous, and fearless; he was a warlord who possesses supernatural powers.

Afonja became baale in Ilorin during the reign of Alaafin Abíọ́dún Adégoólú in Oyo kingdom. After the demise of Alaafin Abiodun Adegoolu, another king was crowned in Oyo, his name was Aólẹ̀ Aróganganlóyè; he was a powerful king. Before Aole was crowned a king, Afonja has become so powerful that he was feared by everyone in Yoruba land, he has waged war against many Yoruba villages, he waged war against some villages near Ilorin, overpowered them and rule over them; he has waged war against few villages like Ìdòfìàn, Òkè-Òyì, Ìbẹ̀rẹ̀-Igbọ́n, Ẹlẹ́rínjàre, and many villages close to Ilorin. Many villages near Ilorin are no longer in existence due to Afonja’s war against them. Some of these villages see Afonja as their god. Most people no longer fear the Alaafin, the only person they fear and dread was Afonja; they often say “Bí Aláàfin ó bá bínú kó bínú, bí Àfọ̀njá ò bá sáà ti bínú àbùsebùse” [If Alaafin like he can get angry as long as Afonja is not.] Nobody dares question whatever Afonja does. Aole has heard of Afonja before he became the king that he is more like a devil. After Aole was crowned as the Alaafin, Ọyábí was the Ààrẹ ọ̀nà kakaǹfò [the Yoruba generalissimo.] After Oyabis’s death, Afonja insisted that he would be the next Yoruba generalissimo [Aare ona kakanfo] meanwhile, Afonja’s mother was from a royal family in Oyo, they told Afonja that becoming the Yoruba generalissimo is ridicule to him, and the royal kingdom, but Afonja insisted that he must be the next kakanfo. Alaafin Aole agreed to make him the Kakanfo and this was the genesis of the problem in Yoruba land.

It was customary in Yoruba land that whenever a new kakanfo in chosen, the Alaafin must send him to war to ascertain how powerful the new kakanfo is, the warrior would ask the king to tell them who his enemy is, and whoever or a town the Alaafin declares as his enemy would turn to ashes my the armies. Afonja and his armies were expecting the Alaafin Aole to send them to war, but Aole did not. There was a reason why Aole did not send Afonja the new kakanfo to war; he knew that whatever war he sent Afonja, he will definitely win, and he doesn’t want Afonja’s supremacy to keep spreading in the Yoruba kingdom, he believed that Afonja was a rascal. Afonja suspected that Aole does not like him, and Aole sees Afonja as his enemy and the major threat to his throne. He thought to himself that Afonja might want to overthrow his throne. One day, the Ọ̀yọ́mèsìs who was the head of chiefs in Oyo kingdom that gives advice to the king asked the Alaafin Aole to tell them who his enemy was so they can tell the armies to wage war against his enemy. They said it is an abomination to elect a new kakanfo without sending him to war to know how powerful and capable he is. Alaafin Aole opened up to them that his only enemy was Afonja the new kakanfo that forced himself on him; he said his enemy is powerful than he is. Moreover, they are from the same royal family and he is confused about what to do.

The Oyomesis told Alaafin Aole that they know what to do; they assured him that he would conquer Afonja, they agreed to send Afonja to a war that he won’t return. It is forbidden for any kakanfo in Yoruba land to reject any war that Alaafin sent him, and it is necessary that kakanfo win the battle or never return. They connive to send Afonja to wage war against Iwere. No one has ever dare wage war against Iwere in the history, this was as a result of two things, firstly, Iwere was located on the hill, it is difficult to wage war against them. Secondly, the mother of both Alaafin Abiodun and Aláàfin Àjàgbó who reigned in the year [1587-1624] was from Iwere, Ajagbo was the one that established the kakanfo, and it was in their agreement that no kakanfo will ever wage war against Iwere. They believed that if Afonja wages war against Iwere, he would be killed. Peradventure he won at Iwere, another plan was for the Oyo armies to kill Afonja on their way. Their plan was not to disclose to Afonja that he is waging war against Iwere, they planned to lure him to the battlefield before telling him that Alaafin Aole wants him to wage war against Iwere.

One of Afonja loyalist went to him and disclosed their plan to get rid of him, after the plan has been revealed to Afonja, he pretends as if he doesn’t know their plan. On the day he was to go for war, he was set with his armies to do the order of Aole, the Aole’s armies were leading him to Iwere, when they got to Iwere border, Afonja wage war against Alaafin Aole armies and killed them all. Afonja returned to Oyo with his armies, when he got to Oyo border, he sent a message to Alaafin Aole that their secret has been opened, he said he should commit suicide or he Afonja would wipe out his entire family. Aole knew he has no option than to do afonja’s wish; he went into his room and brought out a pot with six arrows in it; he shot one arrow to the east, one to the south, one to the north and one to the west. He started to curse the entire Yoruba race with strong incantations as he shoots the arrows. Part of his curse was that the Yorubas will never agree on one thing and they will never love one another, he said the Yorubas would become slaves under the tribes they have ruled over, and whomever the Yorubas helped will always pay them back with evil. After all the curses, Aole lifted the pot and smashed it, the put brakes into pieces; he said no one would be able to revert his curses. After the curses, Aole poisons himself and die.

After Aole’s demise, Adébọ̀ was crowned as the new Alaafin in Oyo, there was turmoil in the whole of Yoruba land during this time, Afonja withdrew Ilorin from the authority of Oyo, and he said they no longer wanted to be part of Oyo. No one dares question Afonja, except the one who wants to die prematurely. Afonja was looking for all means that the authority of the entire Yoruba race would be under him so he can rule over the entire Yorubas. It seems Aole curse was working faster on him. Afonja neglected Alaafin completely, he never takes any order from him. Afonja has the enormous armies in the entire Yoruba race then. He began to wage war to all Yoruba villages and towns; this makes him be more dreadful. Afonja wanted to rule over the Yorubas, he then sent for a man called Álímì who was a Fulani man and alfa from the north to be his herbalist who will fortify him with more supernatural powers. While Alimi was coming to Ilorin, he came with his entourage who are Hausas and most of them were his slaves. Afonja also sent for one of his rich friends called Sọlágbẹrú to settle with him at Ilorin in other to achieve his aim. Solagberu also came and settled at Òke-Súnà in the outskirt of Ilorin; Afonja was ruling over them. Some slaves will run away from his or her master and run to Afonja, and no one dares to question him that he snatches his or her slave. Most of the Muslims stay with Solagberu because he was a devoted Muslim who is rich and wise.

After Adebo’s demise, a new king called Máàkú was crowned as Alaafin Oyo, they sent a message to Afonja that a new king has been crowned in Oyo. Afonja asked them the name of the new king, and they told him his name is Maaku [Don’t die.] Afonja replied that “ìgbà wo ni máàkú ò ní kú” [he would eventually die].

Afonja began to recruit the Fulani and Hausa armies into his armies and everyone address them as Afonja armies, they call these armies Jànmọ́ọ̀ [comrades] . They wage war against Ìgbómìnà land; Afonja’s name started spreading across Yoruba land. The janmoos after waging war to towns and villages return with foods and different possessions of the people they wage war against; they were increasing in numbers as time. Whenever they don’t go to war, they torment the people of Ilorin by stealing their livestock. These Fulani armies were so enormous that Afonja himself don’t know their numbers, no one dare report this janmoo armies to Afonja. At a time, Fágbohùn who was the baálẹ̀ of Jàbàtá confronted Afonja that his Janmoo was disrupting the peace of the people and if care is not taking, the Fulanis and the Hausas he was shading will destroy Ilorin. Afonja sent for Alimi to consult for him if what Fagbohun said was actually true. Alimi told him that The Fulanis and the Hausas were gods sent to assist him, he said the Yorubas are planning to destroy Ilorin. Afonja was so furious, he wanted to kill Fagboun, but Fagbohun quickly runs for his life. This issue led to a quarrel between Afonja and his friend Solagberu because he advises Afonja to send these Hausa and Fulani armies out of Ilorin because Alimi is a hypocrite and he has compromised. Fagbohun vowed to support Afonja on this; he also told Afonja that Alimi has hypnotized him.

Afonja was happy that he has nothing to fear because he has more than enough armies, he doesn’t know that they were not faithful to him. These janmoos knew that Afonja been a Yoruba might decide that they should leave Ilorin and it’s environed any time, Afonja armies who were Hausas and Fulani went to Alimi and told him to be their godfather and Alimi accepted their offer.

It was too late before Afonja got to know that they were planning to overthrow him. He was preparing for war to correct his wrongs, he wanted to set Ilorin free from Janmoo, he told Alimi to leave Ilorin with his men, Alimi refused, he said they can’t leave Ilorin, Alimi joined hand with the Janmoo to fight Afonja, the war broke out between Afonja and Alimi his close friend.

Afonja sent for Oníkòyí and some other warriors to come and assist him but they denied his request. He sent for Solagberu at Oke-Suna, but he did not answer him, he said he started it alone so he should finish what he started. Before Afonja knew what was happening, the war he was preparing for was already with him. They started to shoot their arrows at him. The arrow found on Afonja’s body was more than five hundred thousand. Afonja died standing on his foot, they were scared to move close to him thinking he might be performing some magic; the arrows were all over his body that there was no space on his body without an arrow; it was the arrows that don’t allow Afonja to fall. The brave one amidst them moved close to him and shot him another arrow; it was then that he was certain Afonja is dead. All the Yoruba armies have fled, no one to render assistance to Afonja.

They took Afonja’s corpse and burnt it after which Alimi went to Afonja compound and lure them that there was a little misunderstanding between him and his friend Afonja, that he was very sorry for what happened. Alimi rebuilt Afonja’s house, took the post of baale away from Afonja’s family, and became a baale. He was the first baale of their tribe.

Alimi later killed Solagberun that said he is not interested in the war between Afonja and Alimi, he beheads him in the open.

❤︎❤︎❤︎ Abd Lateef Niasse agbajelola by name ❣︎❣︎❣︎

Adebayo Faleti and His Biography.

Adebayo Faleti, a Nigerian playwright and veteran broadcaster, was born on the 26th of December 1930 in Agbooye, Oyo State but he lived in Obananko, Kuranga near Oyo State.

Adebayo is the first son of his father, Joseph Akanbi Faleti and the only child of his mother, Durowade Ayinke Faleti.

Adebayo Faleti, from an early age, was passionate about drama. He could not pursue his dream at that time due to lack of funds.

As a result of this, he decided to suspend his primary education.

In order to actualize his dream, Adebayo proudly founded the First Operatic Acting Group in Oyo in 1949, with the support of his colleagues who shared the same dream.

Alagba Faleti later found his way back to school by getting a job in a primary school in which he worked for six years. During this period, he was able to raise enough funds for his secondary school education coupled with financial support from his father.

He was a pioneer teacher at Ife Odan near Ejigbo.

In 1966, Adebayo attended the University of Dakar in Senegal and obtained a Certificate of proficiency in French Language and Civilization. Two years later, he graduated from the University of Ibadan with an honours degree in English Language.

In 1971, he attended Radio Netherlands Training Centre, Holland and received a certificate in Television Production.

He was one of the pioneer staff members at the First Television Station in West Africa, Western Nigeria Television (WNTV), now known as Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Ibadan, where he worked as a newscaster and a television producer until the split of the cooperation after the creation of Ogun, Ondo, and Oyo States out of the Western Region in 1976.

Adebayo Faleti, an 83 year old poet, translated the Nigerian National Anthem from English to Yoruba when he was the General Manager of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS).

He initiated the broadcast of Islamic programmes during Ramadan period and and came up with the idea of having Mobile Father Christmas from village to village.

Adebayo, a custodian of the Yoruba culture, coined the Yoruba translation of Father Christmas to Baba Keresi. He is a successful Yoruba translator who helped to translate the speeches of military President Ibrahim Babangida, and Chief Ernest Shonekan, head of the National Interim Government from English to Yoruba.

Alagba Faleti, a brilliant and seasoned actor, has produced a number of Yoruba folklore length plays. He has also acted, produced and written several popular Yoruba plays. He has featured in landmark Yoruba movies like Saworoide, Agogo Eewo, Thunderbolt (Magun), Ite Oba, Basorun Gaa etc.

Adebayo is also known for famous poems he has published. His poems include Ijamba Odo Oba, Alagbara Ile ati Alagbara Oko, Adebimpe Ojedokun and many more.

Adebayo, a man who is extremely knowledgeable about the Yoruba Culture, published a Yoruba dictionary showing the proper use of Yoruba names

The Yoruba Legend, who has a unique way of wearing his cap (Fila), has received several awards, both locally and internationally. His awards include the National Honour, Officer of the Order of Niger (OON), the Festival of Arts awards with Eda Ko L’aropin 1995 and the afro-Hollywood Award for Outstanding Performance in Arts in 2002, to mention a few.

He died on the 23 July, 2017.

Continue to rest in peace Baba.

Why does enemies attacked Oyo Empire but Couldnt attacked Ilé-Ifè?

Both Oyo Empire and Ile-Ife are from the same ancestors, they are brothers, they are One, they are children of Oduduwa. According to existence, Ile-Ife Kingdom existed before Oyo Kingdom.

One of the son of Oduduwa migrated from Ile-Ife to create Oyo Empire. All sons of Oduduwa adopted a name called Yoruba.This is just like forming an association. i.e. like saying "Association of Oduduwa Children". Since they're all a Traditionalist, they usually consult their ancestors and ask questions before doing anything either it will be good or harm them. So they consulted their ancestors if the name Yoruba will be good for their association. This is how they are called "Yoruba Omo Oduduwa"

Oyo empire existed between 12th century to 18th century. During its apogee (1650–1750), most of the states between the Volta River in the west and the Niger River in the east. It was the most important and authoritative of all the early Yoruba principalities.

The visitors from Mali who came for business in Oyo Empire brought them a religion called Islam (Esin Imale) in peace, and some of them started embracing the religion since it was brought to them peacefully. There was no fight, no war.

As at this time, Ile-Ife under the control of Oranmiyan whose stool title is called "Ooni of Ife" never gave a room for any foreign religion, and they only worships their ancestors. The rulers of Ile-Ife told the Oyo rulers to caution his citizens from embracing another belief that is different from their ancestors belief, but it seems it couldnt stop until the religion started spreading as they practices the religion and also worships their ancestors.

Those who practices this new religion among them were the first to receive some particular visitors called fulani. The belief and mentality of oyo people about islam was entirely different from the way their newly welcomed visitors practices it.

Those newly welcomed visitors were later the ones that launched a sudden attack on Oyo Empire after they have penetrated deeply through the alliance of some Oyo Citizens who practices same belief with them. It was later believed that no one was aware of these visitors attacked.

The fleeing Oyo citizens later regrouped and prepared his armeies who are mostly Traditionalist (ancestoral worshippers). Oyo armies retaliated and got back the control of their Territories.

When Ile-Ife heard of the sudden attack on Oyo Empire by the visitors, the ruler of Ile-Ife sent both physical and spiritual chariots to support Oyo. It was a victory for Oyo Citizens after they fought back and get back their land.

This is where a popular saying comes out "Isese Ni Agba", meaning "ancestral is the supremacy"

The story of Alaafin Oluewu

The Alaafin Oluewu is one of the most tragic as his life was messed up by Ilorin. This vibrant king made spirited attempts to recover Ilorin but things turned around along the way & it was so bad that he had to visit Ilorin to bow before the Emir, Shita (who was the son of Alimi), in homage.

It was one of the most disgraceful points in the history of Alaafinate & many even avoid talking about it or do so with great sadness. When Oluewu bowed before Emir Shita, he seized the royal Gbedu drum saying there can be no two kings in his dominion. Oluewu never wanted to pay homage in the first place but his chiefs had advised him to stoop to conquer. Ilorin was that powerful then or let me say Oyo was that weak. Shita deeply humiliated Oluewu so much so that he stormed to Oyo & flatly refused Shita's second call for homage. Basorun & Asipa told him to go, Alaafin vowed that would happen over his dead body. He then instructed his chiefs not to also go but Basorun & Asipa disobeyed & went to bow before Shita in Ilorin.

Alaafin Oluewu remained unbowed & refused to accept Islam but he decided to take decisive steps. So, in 1835, he restructured his army & formed one of the most formidable military alliances called the Oyo-Borgu Military Alliance. He reached out to leader of the Borgu (Bariba) Empire (Borgawa Eleduwe Warikura) north of the River Niger & they joined hands to face their common enemy: Fulani emirate in Ilorin.

They commenced battle & Alaafin Oluewu led the forces. They recorded tremendous victory at first, it was almost certain he was going to reclaim Ilorin. It was on the last leg of his battle to take over the northern portion of Yorubaland (particularly Ilorin) from the Fulanis that he was killed. Alaafin Oluewu's death was orchestrated by Yoruba elders like Okedare Lanloke (Chief of Ogodo), Prince Atiba of Ago, Timi the Bamigbaiye of Ede & others. They went against what they had initially planned together with Alaafin Oluewu & they leaked the battle plan to the Fulanis. Some of them even opened the corridor for Fulani soldiers to penetrate. Oluewu did not know that his army had gbabode-d. The Borgus that he formed alliance with supported him till the very end but treachery & betrayal from his own side did not allow him achieve his dream & he was killed in battle. The Bariba warrior king Warikura also died fighting on Oluewu's side.

This is not a full piece, I am just writing briefly because I think Kabiyesi Oluewu's effort is not really well-known. He is one of my favourite kings & I admire his resilience. Many Alaafins made a lot of effort to free other Yorubas, another example is Alaafin Ojigi (1724-1735) who tried to free Igbomina Yorubas who were ly by the Nupes. More history coming. Let me attend to my customers first.

THE ORIGIN OF GUDU GUDU MEJE ATI YAYA MEFA

Some Ibadan Chiefs went to a meeting with Mr Hezekiah Shunklebottom the notoriously difficult British district officer ( during the colonial days).

In the course of the meeting the district officer was happy with what the Ibadan chiefs had to report and present

via an interpreter. He kept nodding and saying *_good good good good good good good yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah._*

One of the chiefs counted the "good"s which turned to be 7 and the "Yeah" which was counted as 6.

... And so when they got back to Ibadan they reported to Ibadan folks that the "Oyinbo se gudu gudu meje ati Yaya mefa.

AKINTOLA TAAKU" (AKINTOLA REMAIN Adamant)

It was three o’clock in the morning. 

The telephone rang in the Governor’s official residence in Ibadan. 

Oba Sir. Adesoji Aderemi: The Ooni of Ife (Governor of Western Region) 

Who could be calling the Governor at this time of the day? 

 The Governor was told it was someone from Lagos and the caller insisted that he must speak with the Governor personally. The caller said it was urgent and important.

The Governor of Western Region, Oba Tadenikawo Adesoji Aderemi, the Ooni of Ile-Ife, answered the phone. 

His Royal Highness recognized the voice on the other end. It was the voice of a royalty, a prince, a jurist and a Knight of the British Empire. 

The caller was His Lordship Sir Adetokunbo Ademola, the Chief Justice of the Federation.

“Kabiyesi, may I respectfully advise Your Majesty to vacate the Government House immediately.”

Oba Aderemi thought it must be a joke, and an expensive one at that. Vacate the Government House? And immediately too? 

As if reading His Majesty’s mind, Justice Ademola assured Kabiyesi that it was not a false alarm and that the Arole Oodua might be forcibly ejected from the Government House before the end of the day if he failed to leave. 

His Lordship was calling because as a prince himself he didn’t want Kabiyesi, and by extension, the throne of Oodua, to be disrespected.

Kabiyesi did not bother to sleep again. Ilo ya, Onibode Apomu! He summoned his staff and with dignified calm and regal fortitude as befits the Oonirisa, the Arole Oodua directed them to pack his personal belongings. 

By 10 am, Baba Tejumade was on his way to his Royal Throne in the ancient city of Ile-Ife.

What could have caused the Ooni, the Supreme Representative of Oduduwa, the founder of Yoruba race to be asked to leave the Government House in the middle of the night. 

It was barely two years ago that history was made when he was appointed the Governor of Western Region, the first indigenous governor in black Africa and the Commonwealth.

It was indeed a joyous occasion for the whole of Yoruba race. 

Iya Agba told me that they were on the farm in Aba Alaro when Baba Dauda brought the news from Ife. They all abandoned the village and trooped to the Palace. 

Haruna Ishola, the father of Apala music, released an album to mark the momentous occasion in which he sang:

“Ìjoba Westan Naijiriya won n pon oba le, Ooni je gomina, Dudupariola Baba Tejumade, Kofoworola Omo Adekunbi…”

[Western Region Government of Nigeria dignifies Royalty, the Ooni is appointed the Governor, the handsome Ebony who begets Tejumade; Ooni who did't buy his honour, the son of Adekunbi]

Now, Kabiyesi was being ‘advised’ to vacate the Governor’s Lodge! 

What could have gone wrong? That midnight or early morning call was like no other call. 

It was the call that would alter both the political and legal landscapes of Nigeria forever. 

The call was the climax of events which had begun as drizzle in 1960. 

By the time the call came in 1962, the drizzle had become torrential rainfall. Let's go back to 1960.

Cracks began to appear on the walls of the Action Group immediately after Chief Ladoke Akintola became the premier. 

He was sworn in by the Governor, Oba Tadenikawo Adesoji Aderemi.

In deference to the exalted throne and position of Oba Adesoji, the newly installed Premier took off his cap to shake hands with the Governor-King. It was a vintage expression of Yoruba tradition! Oba lo ba lori ohun gbogbo!

Following series of political actions and decisions taken by the new Premier who was also the Deputy Leader of the Party, it dawned on Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Leader of the Party that Chief Akintola was “determined to run the show alone regardless of accepted Party conventions and procedure”.

These actions, according to Chief Awolowo, include the unilateral appointment of Ministers into the Cabinet of Western Region, reduction in the price of cocoa, reducing flat-rate tax from an average of #4.17.6d, exemption of women from taxation, and increases in Assumed Local Contributions in Western Nigeria’s secondary grammar schools, amongst others.

More importantly, Chief Akintola was of the view that the experiment of separating the leadership of the Party from the leadership of the Government in the Western Region had failed. 

What was left unsaid was that the Premier ought to be the Leader of the Party.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo

By the time the Party came back from its Jos Convention, it was clear to all and sundry that the festering wound of the Action Group had become an open sore.

Agba kii wa loja ki ori omo tuntun wo. Elders won't allow the neck of a newborn to go askew. 

On February 9, 1962, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adesoji Aderemi called a peace meeting of the party leaders in order to resolve the differences between the two great men. 

The Ooni was supported in this regard by some leading Obas and Chiefs in the region. The meeting however failed to conclusively effect a settlement.

It was becoming apparent that something must give. 

Àgbò meji ko le mu omi ninu koto kan naa. It is impossible for two rams to peacefully drink from the same saucer at the same time. 

On May 19, 1962, at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Action Group, Chief Obafemi Awolowo levelled three charges against Chief Ladoke Akintola. 

The Leader accused the Deputy Leader of maladministration, anti-party activities, and indiscipline. 

In support of the charges, Awolowo spoke for four hours. In his defence, Akintola denied the charges and spoke for three hours.

The jury of party executives listened to both the plaintiff and the defendant. A motion calling on Akintola to resign as the Premier was moved. 

The defendant’s group moved a counter-motion for the Premier to only be reprimanded and not removed. The counter-motion was defeated. 

The motion for the premier to resign was carried by 81 to 29! The meeting had lasted for 11 straight hours!

The party leadership waited patiently for Akintola’s letter of resignation. No letter was forthcoming. 

A ti ki òjé bo oloosa lowo, o ku baba eni ti o bo. Who is going to remove the charmed bracelet from the wrist of a chief priest? 

Akintola called a Press Conference and announced that he was not going to resign his post as the Premier. 

Instead of a letter of resignation, the embattled premier wrote two letters. 

The first letter was to the Ooni, asking the Governor to dissolve the House of Assembly. 

The second letter was to the Speaker of the House calling for an emergency meeting of the House for a vote of confidence or otherwise.

The Ooni and the Speaker were perplexed. 

How could the House be dissolved and a meeting of the House still be called at the same time? 

O pe laye, oju re ko ni ri ibi, ikan ni eniyan yoo fi owo mu. It is either you live long and witness unsavoury things or die young 

and experience nothing. It was either for the House to be dissolved or for a meeting of the House to be called.

Awolowo was a legal practitioner. Akintola was a legal practitioner. 

They were both brilliant men trained in the finest tradition of the British Bar. 

They were both familiar with the Constitution of the Federation of Nigeria and the Constitution of Western Region 

(Yes, the Regions had their own constitutions then). 

They were also familiar with the common law of England as well as parliamentary practices in the Commonwealth. 

The question before Awolowo and the Party was how could a premier be removed from office? 

The issue before Akintola and his group was whether a premier could be removed from office.

Awolowo knew that a barber needed another barber to barb his hair. He did the most natural thing. 

He requested two of the most brilliant legal minds in the Region to prepare a legal advisory for the Party. Chief Rotimi Williams, 

the Legal Adviser of Action Group and Mr. S. O. Ighodaro, the Attorney General of the Western Region accepted the assignment.

The two legal giants spent sleepless nights consulting books of laws from various jurisdictions. 

The contentious provision itself was simply worded. It was the proviso to section 33(10) of the Constitution of Western Nigeria which provides that:

“The Governor shall not remove the Premier from office unless it appears to him that the Premier no longer commands the support of a majority 

of the members of the House of Assembly.”

Simple? Not quite!

The duo of Williams and Ighodaro were of the firm opinion (your lawyer will tell you that there is a difference between an opinion and a firm opinion) that the operative words in the provision were ‘unless it appears to him’. 

The legal experts concluded that as long as it appeared to the Governor in any form or format, the premier could be removed. 

It did not even have to be on the floor of the House.

Armed with this legal advice, a form was prepared and members of the House who wanted Akintola to be removed as the Premier 

appended their signature. They were 66 in number.  

The form was sent to the Governor, His Royal Majesty, the Ooni of Ife.

Based on the signatures of 66 members out of 112 as contained in the form forwarded to the King, it then appeared to the Governor 

that the Premier no longer commanded the support of a majority of the members of the House of Assembly. 

The Governor exercised his constitutional power!

Sir Adesoji Aderemi removed Chief Ladoke Akintola as the Premier!

Akintola was in the Premier’s Office when he was served with a letter from the Governor removing him from office. 

The premier who had just been removed as the premier did three things immediately he finished reading the letter.

He called a Press Conference to inform the world that he was still the premier.

He then called on the Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, to remove Sir Adesoji Aderemi as the Governor.

Finally he filed an action in court to restrain the Governor from removing him from office.

The Awolowo group was also not idle. 

Immediately they were informed that the Governor’s letter had been delivered to the ‘ex-premier’, the party’s Parliamentary Group 

elected Akintola’s Minister of Local Government, Alhaji Dauda Soroye Ishola Adegbenro, as the new premier of Western Region. 

The Governor was informed of the new appointment. 

Oba Adesoji Aderemi accepted the recommendation and His Royal Majesty promptly administered the oath of office to the new Premier. 

Alhaji Dauda Adegbenro, the Ekerin of Egbaland and the Balogun of Owu, had become the Premier! 

The Commissioner of Police soon arrived. He pledged his services to the new Premier.

The Commissioner of Police was just leaving the newly installed premier when a signal came from Lagos. 

He was directed to ‘forthwith withdraw his services, and should take no instructions whatsoever from Adegbenro’.

The people of Western Region woke up on that fateful day in May to find out that they had two Premiers. 

On one hand was Chief Akintola who was claiming that his removal as the Premier was ineffectual. 

On the other hand was Alhaji Adegbenro who had just been sworn in as the Premier and who had appointed his cabinet members.

Akintola Ta ku [Akintola Remains Adamant] was the headline of The Daily Times.

Across the Atlantic, the New York Times came out with a banner headline: Nigerian Leader Resists Ouster: Fights Removal 

As Premier of Western Region. According to the paper: “Samuel L. Akintola has stubbornly refused to accept his dismissal as 

Premier of Nigeria’s Western Region.”

 On May 23, 1962, the Western Region High Court in Ibadan was filled to capacity. It was the case of the century. 

The Governor had removed the Premier. 

In turn, the Premier had asked the Prime Minister to sack the Governor. 

The new Premier, Alhaji Adegbenro, was however not a party to the case at this stage.

The Chief Justice of the Western Region then was My Lord Justice Samuel Quarshie-Idun. 

(At the time, head judges of the regions were also called Chief Justices. They are now addressed as Chief Judges). 

Of course you know Mr. Justice Quarshie-Idun now. That was the trial judge in the case of Adegoke Adelabu! Ha! You remember him now! 

His Lordship was however not in Ibadan at the time the suit was filed. 

The CJ was on tour of the Midwest area of Western Region. Justice Olujide Somolu quickly sent message to His Lordship to come back to 

Ibadan for the very important case. 

Chief Akintola’s legal team was led by a Queen’s Counsel, Chief Ladipo Moore, the brilliant son of the legendary lawyer, Eric Olawolu Moore. 

(You know Eric Moore Road in Surulere, Lagos? The street is named after the formidable advocate). 

Eric Moore’s daughter, Miss Kofoworola Moore (later Lady Ademola), was married to Sir Adetokunbo Ademola, the Chief Justice of the Federation. Lady Ademola was reputed to be the first black African woman to earn a degree from Oxford University.

The Ooni was also represented by a Queen's Counsel, the indomitable Rotimi Williams whose brilliance was unparalleled. 

Of him, Chief Awolowo said: "Timi's output, in any assignment, was always as big as his physical stature."

The proceedings had hardly begun when Chief Akintola’s counsel fired the first salvo. 

Chief Moore objected to the competence of Chief Williams to appear for Sir Adesoji Aderemi. The Court agreed with his submission. 

Chief Williams was refused permission to continue to act as counsel for the Ooni. 

The Governor promptly instructed another brilliant counsel, Barrister Akinyele to lead his defence.

It was at this stage that Chief Ladipo Moore advised his client on the need for them to join Alhaji Adegbenro as a Defendant. 

Immediately he was joined, Alhaji Adegbenro filed a counter-claim against Chief Akintola. 

It was now a case of Two Premiers and a Governor! Where would the pendulum swing?

Whilst the case was going on, Alhaji Adegbenro had moved into the Premier’s Office. 

He had started functioning as the Premier and he was also using the Premier’s official car. 

In fact, when he was later restricted under the Emergency Regulations, it was the official car of the premier that took him to Osogbo, 

his place of restriction.

On the adjourned day, Chief Moore argued his application for injunction to restrain Sir Adesoji Aderemi from purporting to relieve 

Chief Ladoke Akintola of his office as premier in the absence of a resolution of the House of Assembly.  

The motion was opposed by Mr. Akinyele who argued that to the extent that Chief Akintola was no longer the premier, there was nothing 

for the court to restrain. It was classical advocacy at its best.

His Lordship listened to the arguments from the two brilliant advocates. It was indeed a very difficult case. 

The Court then made two rulings. 

In respect of Chief Akintola’s motion, His Lordship granted the injunction prayed for by the man who would later become the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland. Justice Quarshie-Idun ordered Alhaji Adegbenro not to assume the office of Premier. 

In other words, Chief Akintola was to continue in office. At least, pending the determination of the suit itself.

 With regard to the substantive suit, the Chief Justice referred the case to the Supreme Court because of its grave constitutional importance.

At the Supreme Court, it became a battle Royale! 

The apex Court itself admitted that it was being “called to perform a difficult duty.” Something like that had never happened before. 

There was no precedent to be followed.

The Supreme Court then did something. It invited all the Attorneys General in the country to appear as amici curiae.

We had already explained the meaning of this expression in Sunny Ade’s story. 

It was however only the Eastern Nigeria Attorney General that sent his Solicitor General to assist the court.

Four Lord Justices sat to hear the case. 

Sir Adetokunbo Ademola, a Prince of Abeokuta and a Knight of the British Empire, presided as the Chief Justice of the Federation. 

Also on the panel was Honourable Mr. Justice Lionel Brett, a World War II veteran, who was the last expatriate to serve as Nigeria’s Solicitor General. Mr. Justice Idowu Taylor was also on the panel. 

The Magistrate Court Complex at Igbosere, Lagos is named after him. Another Knight, Sir Vahe Bairamian, was the fourth Justice.

The question before the Court was whether the Governor could remove the Premier based on a letter signed by a body of members 

of the House and not as a result of a vote of no confidence on the floor of the House. 

In other words, how would it appear to the Governor that the premier no longer enjoyed the support of the majority of parliamentarians?

After exhaustive deliberations, My Lord Justice Adeokunbo Ademola held that the Governor exceeded his constitutional powers. 

According to His Lordship: “The Governor cannot validly exercise power to remove the Premier from office except in consequence 

of proceedings on the floor of the House.” 

Justices Taylor and Bairamian agreed with His Lordship.

My Lord Justice Brett, the World War II veteran, was however unable to agree with the reasoning of the majority. 

In his dissenting judgment, the former Solicitor General of Nigeria held that: “the Constitution does not preclude the Governor 

from acting on any information which he considers reliable.”

Chief Akintola’s group erupted with happiness. Official’s Removal Reversed in Nigeria screamed the New York Times’ headline of July 8, 1962.

Chief Akintola, the master linguist, didn’t allow the moment to go without poking fun at his opponent. 

The middle name of Alhaji Adegbenro is Soroye which could be literally interpreted to mean ‘do you see honourary title?’.  

According to various accounts, Chief Akintola quipped: Sóoróyè kii je oye. Yio ma roye ni, ko ni je oye. (‘Do you see honourary title can only see title but he cannot become a titleholder.

 Adelabu’s story that the Federal Supreme Court was not the final court of appeal at the time. 

Alhaji Adegbenro appealed to the Privy Council in London.

On May 27, 1963, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council delivered its judgment. 

Five Lord Justices heard the appeal which had come all the way from the Federal Supreme Court of Nigeria.

I hope you recall that Chief Rotimi Williams and Mr. Ighodaro had opined that the Governor could exercise his power to remove the 

Premier as long he was convinced that the premier no longer commanded majority support. 

I hope you also remember that the dissenting judgment of Brett FJ agreed with this reasoning. That’s good. It shows that you are following me.

The Privy Council held that the Federal Supreme Court misapplied the law. 

The PC agreed with the legal opinion of Chief Williams and Mr. Ighodaro. 

The Council therefore allowed the appeal and reversed the majority decision of Ademola, Bairamian and Taylor. 

The council upheld the minority decision of Brett FJ. 

In effect, the Council held that Oba Adesoji Aderemi exercised his power to remove Akintola constitutionally!

Adegbenro has won!

The Privy Council did not stop there. 

It also directed Chief Akintola to pay Alhaji Adegbenro the sum of #1,140:8s: 5d as the costs incurred in prosecuting his case 

from Nigeria to the United Kingdom.

This time around, it was the turn of Alhaji Adegbenro’s group to erupt with joy!

But it was a short-lived joy. 

As the Privy Council Lord Justices were signing off on their judgment in London, something was happening back home in Nigeria. 

On the same day, the Western House of Assembly amended its constitution.

I hope you have not forgotten that the decision of both the Supreme Court and the Privy Council was based on the proviso to section 33 (10) 

which had quoted above. 

Minutes after the Privy Council had announced its decision, the provision was amended by adding the following phrase: “…in consequence 

of the passing of a resolution in the House of Assembly by a majority of the members of that House”.

That’s not all. The amendment was also backdated by three years. It was deemed to have taken effect from October 1960! 

I hope you are not becoming confused with the legal theatrics. 

In other words, the decision of the Governor taken in 1962 was now null and void because it was not in consequence of the passing 

of a resolution in the House of Assembly by a majority of the members of that House! 

The decision of the Privy Council delivered in 1963 was also of no legal effect.

The long and short of it is that Chief Akintola had never been removed as the Premier! Legally speaking!

Adegbenro had scored his goal in London. 

Unfortunately, the goal post had been moved in Ibadan. Ibadan lo mo, o mo láyípo!

That however was not the end of the story.

Alhaji Adegbenro, the Ekerin Egba, had lost the premiership but he was not about to lose the costs awarded in his favour 

by the Privy Council. 

He filed an application at the Supreme Court of Nigeria for the Court to direct the Premier to pay him his costs. 

He was represented this time by Chief Akin Olugbade. Chief Akintola was represented by Chief Moore.

Chief Akintola argued that he should not pay any costs because his government had nullified the decision of the Privy Council. 

The court disagreed. The apex court found merit in the application of Alhaji Adegbenro. 

After all, aya òle la n gba, ko si eni ti o n gba omo òle. A lazy man can only lose his wife and not his child. 

The court ordered Chief Akintola to pay Alhaji Adegbenro the costs incurred in the Supreme Court of Nigeria and the sum of #1,140:8s: 5d 

being the costs of his appeal to Privy Council in England. 

 Chief Akintola paid the costs.

The story did not end there…

You are wondering why appeals were still being taken to the Privy Council notwithstanding Nigeria's status as an independent country. 

It was because the country remained a Commonwealth Realm with the Queen as her Head of State. Nigeria was not yet a republic.

Following the decision in the Akintola case, Nigerian Government felt the time had come to become a full republic. 

Ti a ba fi agbo fun egun, a fi okun re le ni. When you give a ram to the masquerade, you ought to leave the rope. 

Why was Her Majesty still holding on to the rope after giving us the ram? The time had come to cut the political umbilical cord. 

The 1963 Republican Constitution was promulgated. 

With that singular act, Nigeria became a Republic and appeal to Privy Council was abolished. 

The Supreme Court became the final court of appeal for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.