TRIBUTE TO MAJOR GENERAL SIMEON KAYODE ONI,A SCION OF OLOMOFE OTIRIGIJUDA OF IJERO -EKITI
By Femi Alufa
Oba Aroloye, the 20th Ewi of Ado-Ekiti (1809-1836) had a son through an Ijero woman around 1808 or 1809. He named him Oba. The crown Prince Oba’s mother had earlier married High Chief Saloro of Ijero–Ekiti.The marriage was later broken because Chief Saloro got married to his wife’s biological sister, an act which the wife considered as an abormination.
The marriage had no issue, the woman leave her matrimonial home for her younger sister and she relocated to Ado-Ekiti where she met Oba Aroloye, The king of Ado-Ekiti and she became one of his Olori(Queen) and bore a son named Oba for the king, the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti.
Prince Oba later returned to Ijero – Ekiti his maternal ancestral home with her mother through the emissary of Ajero Obaleyakin (the king of Ijero-Ekiti who reigned between 1795-1815)to Ewi Ado in the spirit of good comradeship to returned the woman (Oba’s Prince mother) to Ijero because she was later found to be his Chief’s wife. The Ewi told her wife to take good care of the child and he should not change his name.Prince Oba (Ewi’s Prince) was taken care in Ijero and grew up in Ajero palace during the reigns of three Ajero of Ijerokingdom.
These were:(1)Ajero Obaleyakin(1795-1815),(ii)Ajero Agunsoye II(1815-1821) and (iii) Ajero Agbeleja (1821-1866).Prince Oba became fully grown man and later settled at Erijiyan quarters around Oke-Agba street, Ijero – Ekiti. His career spanned from farming to hunting. He became a role model of some sort.
The Ijero people called Prince Oba, “Aba Oja” ( Father of Oja).The entire Oja family (As the descendants of Prince Oba are called in Ijero – Ekiti till today). They could also be found in Idasa quarters in Eyigbo Street of Ijero-Ekiti. Prince Oba did not go back to Ado – Ekiti again when he became an old man because he enjoyed a sort of maternal relationship and filial love at home in Ijero-Ekiti. Ewi Aroloye his father has died too.
OLOMOFE OTIRIGIJUDA OF IJERO – EKITI
Prince Oba (the crown Prince of Ewi Aroloye of Ado-Ekiti) before he died had several sons(Aba-Oja)and daughters (Oja);Ogunleye,The Olomofe Otirigijuda, was one of the children of Prince Oba ,he was a War General in Ijero History who fought for Ekiti liberation during the EkitiParapo war (better known in some quarters as Kiriji war), the sixteen year war was broken out in 1877.
It involved the Ibadan, the dominant military power led by Aare OnaKakanfo of Yoruba land, Aare Obadoke Latosa and his Army and the EkitiParapo Grand Alliance (An alliance of Ekiti State and Ijesha forces) on the other side led by Ogedengbe Agbogungboro (Ijesha General and Commander in – Chief of the Ekiti Parapo Army) and Fabunmi of Okemesi-Ekiti (The military General of the Ekiti States Army).
Stories,epics,and poems have been written around many warriors of EkitiParapo war (Kiriji) of the late nineteeth century. Stories have been written around mere men than the great Olomofe of Ijero-Ekiti who gave to Ekiti and to its military history one of the most picturesque, dynamic and forceful character it has ever known.
Like many great men and military heroes of the ancient Ijero metropolis, Oke agba was his natural place of birth.
The Ijero Tradition says:
“OKe Agba ni a bimo giganju Ijero i si
Ibe ni a bi Orisigbongbo,Omo Alakoda Irin
Ibe ni a bi Alanka,Ibeni a bi Olomofe Otirikijuda
Ibeni a bi Akata Amowo firigbon”…
Translation :
Oke Agba Hill is the natural birth place of Ijero brightest sons and Heroes ,It was the birth place of Osirigbongbo,the great man with the sword of steel
It was the birth place of Alanka,It was the birth place of Olomofe Otirikijuda
It was also the birth place of Akata, the great man whose hand was like a branch of tree”…
OLOMOFE AND THE EKITI PARAPO (KIRIJI) WAR
Olomofe Otirikijuda led the Ijero Army of the Ajero Oyiyosoye who reigned between 1866 to 1901 as the paramount ruler of Ijero Kingdom during the EkitiParapo War (1877-1893),it was here the destiny would begin her web of greatness for Olomofe,a man who have a rendezvous with history. Olomofe of Ijero was the black Napoleon Bonarpate of his generation but was not turned back by the Duke of Wellington. He was a great general whose military prowess, chilvary and heroism blew across the Yoruba land forests like a harmattan winds.
“Olomofe demystified the guns and rendered them of no effect. He reduced warring into humour and pure entertainment”.
Ijero tradition says:
“Ibon ti won yin si Emila Oro, ohun ni won yin si Olomofe Ijero to so wipe emirin lo nje oun”.
Meaning: “The gun shot at Emila Oro (The commanding Officer of Iloro – Ekiti Army) and killed him instantly was reloaded and shot at Olomofe of Ijero, he only threw his fly wisk at his back and said: “there are sand flies here, I can feel their bites on my back”.
Olomofe of Ijero was one of the greatest military General that served the EkitiParapo Liberation Army and checkmated the domineering power of the Ibadan imperialist forces that was subjugated our forefathers before Pax Britannica (British peace) was signed on September 23rd, 1886 at Kiriji battlefield,Imesi-Ile through the friendly mediation of the British Colonial Governor of Lagos, Sir Alfred Cornelius Moloney (1848-1913). In 1886, the war ended in some parts of Yoruba hinterland, though it was to continue in other areas until 1893.
“To any generation of great Olomofe, the Army always beckons and invited”. This bloodline and family traits must have made Olomofe own great grandson, Dr. Kayode Oni joined the Army and became a Major General in the Nigerian Army and also rose to become the Commandant of the Nigerian Army Education Corps (NAEC) between 2001 to 2003 before he retired but not tired. He has been decorated with Forces Services Star(FSS),Corps Medal of Honour (CMH) among other merit awards and honours that has bestowed on him for his military, community and humanitarian services.
The story of General Kayode Oni (Rtd)and his ancestors is enthralling and his family lineage is a stuff of heroes.
Credit :The Story of the Origin of Oba and Oja, edited by Bola Borisade (2012)
The Stuff of Heroes:The Family Tree of Major General Simeon Kayode Oni (Rtd),Scion of Olomofe of Ijero -Ekiti by Femi Alufa (2020)