Ogedengbe Agbogungboro!
By Femi Alufa
Ogedengbe Agbogungboro
Ogedengbe Agbogungboro,
Lion of Ijesa soil,
Thunder of the Kiriji drums,
Whose footsteps shook the valleys
And whose courage echoed across Yorubaland.
When kingdoms trembled beneath the smoke of war,
You stood like an iroko tree,
Unmoved by storms,
Unbroken by fear,
A shield for the oppressed
And a sword against aggression.
The hills knew your name,
The forests carried your whispers,
And warriors found strength
In the fire that burned within your heart.
You were not merely a man,
But a living banner of unity,
Raised high above division and despair.
The Kiriji guns roared,
The battlefields groaned,
Yet your resolve stood taller
Than the walls of ancient cities.
You fought not for glory alone,
But for the dignity of a people
And the future of generations unborn.
If Ogedengbe still walked among us today,
Bandits would dread the horizon,
Kidnappers would flee at the sound of his name,
And fear would surrender to justice.
The dark clouds of insecurity
That hang over parts of Yorubaland and Nigeria
Would scatter before the light
Of his fearless leadership.
For men of uncommon valour
Do not merely win battles;
They inspire nations.
Their memories become weapons,
Their legacies become fortresses,
And their names become songs
Upon the lips of the people.
Ogedengbe Agbogungboro!
Generalissimo of the Kiriji War,
Your body rests with the ancestors,
But your spirit marches on.
As long as courage is honoured,
As long as freedom is cherished,
And as long as heroes are remembered,
Your name shall never fade.
In memory of Ogedengbe Agbogungboro, one of the most celebrated military leaders of the Ekiti Parapo (Kiriji) War and a lasting symbol of courage, resistance, and leadership in Yoruba history.