By Kayode Emola
September 23rd this year, 2023, will mark 137 years since the treaty declaring peace amongst the warring parties in Yorubaland was signed. The 16 year-long conflict preceding this, which would later become known as the Kiriji war of liberation, saw countless deaths as the northeastern Yorubaland and other subjugated regions sought freedom from the Ibadan stronghold. The fall of Oyo-Ile, the capital of the Oyo Empire, in 1835 had left a power vacuum in Yorubaland, which the Ibadan forces were seeking to claim as their own.
Subjugation under the Oyo Empire had seen centuries of Yoruba kingdoms, towns and villages required to pay crippling levels of tribute to the ruling class. Not only this, but they were demanded to present able-bodied men to fight whenever Oyo warred with its many adversaries. Whilst those at the top vied for power, the people at the bottom were helpless, able only to hope and pray for the best.
In order to enforce their dominance over the numerous kingdoms under their rule, the Oyo chiefs appointed agents (called _Ajeles_) stationed in every town to collect tributes and report the activities of the people to the Ibadan chiefs.
The tributes, comprising principally of farm produce, were collected on schedule and sent to the central ruling government, ostensibly to maintain the smooth running of the empire. While some of the Ajeles appear to have been fair and self-disciplined leaders, many of them abused their position. They treated the towns under their domain with disdain, making unnecessary demands on the people in order to enrich themselves.
The misrule by the Ajeles continued for over 3 centuries, resulting in the impoverishing of many towns and villages in Yorubaland whilst the Ajeles lived in opulence. Their abundance allowed the Ajeles’ households to become very large, which in turn increased the demands on the people, being required to provide supplies for the ever-enlarging families of their overlords.
The Ibadan kingdom sought to replicate the Oyo system of government, appointing Ajeles to rule over their conquered dominions. Some of these Ajeles encountered Prince Fabunmi, a prominent leader of private militia, whilst he was celebrating with his friends in Erinle shrine, at Okemesi. The Ajeles confiscated the palm wine drink and food meant for the occasion and started to abuse the women who were there.
Prince Fabunmi, enraged by their actions, collected his sword from his house and went to the Ajele compound. He proceeded to kill every member of the household who could not escape, including the Ajele himself. When news of this reached Ibadan, the Aare of Ibadan sent messengers to the local king of Okemesi, who was also Fabunmi’s uncle, instructing that Prince Fabunmi must be killed. However, upon the messengers’ arrival, Fabunmi beheaded one and sent the head back to Ibadan through the other. This act triggered the beginning of the Kiriji war within Yorubaland.
The war was devastating, with the number of casualties still unknown today. However, the legacy of that period has continued to shape Yoruba politics even now and will continue to do so for many generations to come. There is no doubt that the Kiriji war liberated many towns and villages from the Ajeles of their time, but the truth is that the ugly institution of Ajele continues to plague us in the British-created contrivance known as present-day Nigeria.
Both the Oyo and Ibadan Empires sought total control of all the other Yoruba kingdoms; whereas the Ekiti and other notable tribes in Yorubaland wanted a confederation system of government, allowing each kingdom the autonomy to manage its own affairs without external influences. This same dispute is ongoing in Nigeria today, between those who seek federal government versus those desiring a unitary state.
The Yoruba Nation will never be truly liberated from these _Ajeles_ until it declares independence from Nigeria and is enabled to create a system bespoke to our culture and needs. We must ensure that we learn from the mistakes of the past in order to never again allow room for the Ajele system to raise its ugly head. Every Yoruba kingdom, province, district or towns must be made self-sufficient such that no one kingdom becomes over-dependent on another for their survival.
We must ensure that the people who gave their lives fighting for confederacy did not die in vain. As we celebrate this period of relative peace and prosperity in Yorubaland, may we continue to remind ourselves and our children that our ancestors stood and fought for what is right. We must not allow that to go to waste by ever relenting in our fight for Yoruba independence.
