By Femi Alufa
The Kiriji War, also known as the EkitiParapo War, was a 16-year-long civil war (1877-1893) between the Yoruba people, particularly divided between the Western Yoruba, which was mainly Ibadan and Ijebu people and the Eastern Yoruba, who were the Ekiti people and their Ijesha collaborators.
The war officially started on July 31, 1877–1893.The location of the war was at Imesi-Ile via Igbajo in Yorubaland, now Southwestern Nigeria. The war ended in a military stalemate. The Ekiti people gain independence from Ibadan hegemony on September 23, 1886.
The result was the British Peace treaty signed by the two warring subgroups of Yorubaland and the subsequent colonization and annexation of Yorubaland by the British Empire into the Southern Nigeria Protectorate in the end of the late 19th century.
The two belligerents were the Western Yoruba (Ibadan) and Eastern Yoruba (EkitiParapo).The notable Generals, Commanders and leaders of the Kiriji War were; Aare Obadoke Latoosa( Aare Ona Kakanfo of Ibadan), Balogun Ajayi Ogboriefon, Kupolu, Bashorun Ogunmola, Balogun Ajayi Osungbekun, Fabunmi of Okemesi( later Owa Ooye of Imesi-Ile) Ogedengbe Agbogunboro ( later Obanla of Ilesa) Karara of Ilorin, Adeyale of Ila, Ajero Oyiyosoye of Ijero-Ekiti, Faboro of Ido-Ekiti, Olugbosun of Oye-Ekiti and others. It was estimated that about 100,000 soldiers fought in the Kiriji war and the casualties and losses were uncountable and immeasurable.
During the war, all the sub ethnic groups of the Yoruba either supported the Ibadan or the Ekiti. The main reason for the civil war was a challenge to bring to an end the expansive efforts of the Ibadan city-state, which attempted to reinstate the Oyo Empire as the dominant region in Yorubaland.
In addition, Ibadan wanted a unified Yoruba nation similar to that of the Oyo Empire, while the Ekiti wanted a loose confederacy of kingdoms that had existed in the 16 Ekiti country. The fall of the Oyo Empire, which had subjugated the region for 500 years left a fissure in the government of Yorubaland. Many city states, which were previous provinces of the empire, rose up to replace the dominant Oyo Empire, including Ibadan. Ibadan had won the battle of Osogbo in 1840 and the Ijaye war in 1862 and had grew in enormous power, almost rising to that of its predecessor.
Ekiti,Ijesha, Igbomina and Akoko kingdoms were for several years, gone through incredible subjugations by Aare Latosa of Ibadan through his appointed District Agents called Ajele. The Ajeles were authoritarian, callous, autocratic, and indulged in excesses.
The European industrial revolution increased demand for African resources including slaves trades; the needed access to the coasts by kingdoms to trade; larger kingdoms who assumed power attempted to centralize power even though Yoruba ethnic groups were made up of several kingdoms.
Throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries when Oyo had the absolute power throughout Yoruba, Nupe and part of Dahomey, she was able to ensure balance among all kingdoms and to ensure relative peace. In the early nineteenth century when all the powers had gone, Ibadan, Ijaye, new Oyo and Abeokuta wanted to replace old Oyo. Older kingdoms made up of Ife and Ijebu, wanted to expand their territories.
Ibadan destroyed Ijaye; checkmated Ilorin and administered Ibarapa, Osun, Ife, Ijesa, Ekiti, Igbomina and Akoko. It failed to control Egba and Ijebu and the vital trade routes to the coast. It failed to efficiently administer these kingdoms.
The refugee settlements in Ibadan, Ijaye and old Oyo wanted to avenge the destruction of old Oyo Empire in the hands of Ilorin Fulani.For self-interest, each wanted to achieve this individually and bring the re-united kingdom’s under its own leadership and control.
To be continued…..
-Femi Alufa,writer ,publisher and History buff,is the convener of Ekiti Peace Day (Kiriji Memorial Festival) in conformity with the United Nations International Peace Day since 2019.
Visit his website: www.ekitisummit.com/Peace Day