Dele Alaba Ilesanmi, PhD

Associate Research Professor of Biblical Research and Christian Education

+234-08062197040 or pstdeleilesanmi3@gmail.com

https://www.christopress.or.ng

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8382762

Abstract

The Ekitiparapo War (also known as the Kiriji War) took place in the Yoruba hinterland from 1870 to 1886 between the Ekitis and the Oyo-Ibadans. The war tore apart the Yoruba land for not less than sixteen years, which was perhaps the world’s longest internecine war. The epicentre of the Yoruba military superpower, Ibadan, was destroyed, and their imperialist agenda ended brusquely. The study investigated the Ekitiparapo War, succinctly introduced the Ekitis, who were the fulcrum on which the war revolved, and set the record straight by giving concisely the authentic account of the war to mark Ekiti Independence Day after 137 years. Furthermore, the study established that the appropriate name for the war is “Ekitiparapo War,” not “Kiriji War,” and the war was fought for sixteen (16) gory years, regardless of the differing accounts of the dates it started and ended. The author employed secondary data by consulting relevant books, journals, newspapers, and the internet, including oral interviews. The author concludes by recommending that Ekiti Independence Celebration Day should start from 23rd September to 1st October of every year.

Keywords: Ekitiparapo War, Ekitis, Oyo-Ibadans, Yoruba Land, Okemesi-Ekiti.

Introduction

When men carry the same ideals in their hearts, nothing can separate them, neither prison walls nor the sod of cemeteries. For a single memory, a single spirit, a single conscience, a single dignity will sustain them all – Fidel Castro

On 23rd September, 1886, marked the end of the Ekitiparapo War (1870–1866), the world’s longest internecine war in Yoruba land, which was exactly 137 years on 23rd September, 2023. The war that tore apart the Yoruba hinterland lasted for sixteen years between the Ekitis and the Oyo-Ibadans. The war broke out as a result of the unruly behaviours of the Oyo-Ibadan emissaries across Ekiti country. The Ekitiparapo War (also called the Kiriji War) destroyed the Oyo-Ibadan military superpower and brought an end to the Oyo-Ibadan secret imperialist or expansionist agenda in Yoruba land. The rise and victory of the Ekitiparapos and the fall of the Oyo-Ibadan expansionist wall of colonialism brought peace to Yoruba land. The Ekitiparapo War ended on 23rd September, 1886, when the peace accord was signed by both warring parties. The Ekitiparapo soldiers did not leave their Imesi-Ile war camp because they believed that the Oyo-Ibadan could not be trusted with the truce. They were at the war camp till March 1893, when Governor G.T. Carter, accompanied by seven Lagos Government officials and a contingent of 100 men of the Lagos constabulary, went to Igbajo—Oyo-Ibadan military camp—and Imesi-Ile—Ekitiparapo military camp. The Governor completed the peace accord process by terminating the hostilities, separating the belligerents, and telling them to break their camps and return to their various country homes[1].

Throughout the sixteen years of raging war, the Ekitiparapos remained resolute and undaunted; they chose death rather than the life of slavery by fighting for their liberty. They fought with their last blood to free their lands from terrorists and demilitarize Oyo-Ibadans to give Ekiti land peace and, by extension, the entire Yoruba land. The coming together of the Ekitis, with their Ijesha kith and kin, the Igbominas, the Ijebus, the Egbas, and the Ifes, including the Ilorins and the Iyagbas, called “Ekitiparapo,” decimated Oyo-Ibadan power and dominance.

Introducing a Determined People—the Ekitis: A Background Flash

The story of the Ekiti people cannot be told in one fell swoop, especially in a piece of work of this nature. In other words, a book cannot comprehensively contain the Ekiti story. Thus, this aspect of the article is to outline briskly and briefly who the Ekits are to give an inkling of a determined people who fought and put to flight the epicentre of the Yoruba military superpower—the Oyo-Ibadans. Starting from 1960s, the Ekitis came to the limelight, and most Nigerians were fond of them, especially on account of their overt demonstration of intellectual prowess, bonds of friendship, love, and loyalty, and their unique identification with the WP car or vehicle number plate. In addition, many people know them for their attachment to their homeland and predilection for pounded yam. If my memory could serve me very well, I could not remember a day I ate another food in the evening from my primary school throughout my secondary school days without pounded yam. This shows the magnitude of the predilection the Ekiti people have for pounded yam.

The Ekiti “has an unquestionable and unassailable record of having the largest industry in education, with 11 professors in a family of 13 as a point of unique reference [in the world].” (Fola Akinyemi, Saturday Tribune, February 25, 2006, p. 34) “Studies have shown that Ekiti has the largest number of educated people per square kilometer in the black world” (Chief Ishola Filani). “Ekiti Land has been a “beacon and source of living academic water to the black race… History had it that Ekiti produced six medical doctors who operated in ships between 1500 and 1830… before the first school was established in Nigeria” (Sir Lawrence A. Egunjobi, 2003). “Unite. Totally commit. Never quit. That is the Ekiti thing!” (Professor Banji Akintoye, Comet, Thursday, June 22, 2006, P10) “The Ekiti people love their liberty – and have been known in the hour of extremity to choose death rather than a life of slavery” (Akintoye S.A., 1971, citing Hinderer in his book titled Revolution and Power Politics in Yorubaland 1840–1893: Ibadan expansion and the rise of Ekiti Parapo). Oguntuase Bayo describes the Ekitis thus:

Truth to tell, the Ekiti are a unique people. In Ekiti nation, we make things happen for us. No author or outsider writes our scripts, we write our own scripts. The trouble with us is, we love education, books, and knowledge. We prize scholarship; we abhor illiteracy, ignorance and disease. We have democratic values, morals, and culture which we have established in the course of our imaginative and creative history. However, we don’t have the law of the jungle (Ekiti Now, August 31-Sept 0 2001 p. 16).

In his opening remark, Pastor Kumuyi, the General Superintendent of Deeper Life Bible Church, at the church revival in Ekiti, asserted that he has traveled to many parts of the federation but found “Ekiti to be more [in] hospitality, the best and number one …” (See Ekiti is best state”, says Pastor Kumuyi, This Day, Sunday, Dec.,11, 2005, P. 3; Monday 12, Dec., 2005; Sunday Sun, Dec.,11, 2005, P.61; Tribune, Dec.,11, 2005, P. 7; and other national dailies.

According to Swayne (1935), “the typical Ekiti persons about the 1900’s were   longsuffering and respectful of authority. The average Ekiti was strongly attached to the homeland, trusting and accommodating” (Olomola,  2005).The Ekitis are the people occupying the eastern part of Yoruba in south-western Nigeria. They occupy an area of 7000 sq km, undulating gently in the south and west generally and flat in the central and northern parts. The Ekitis are homogenous, having cultural and linguistic affinity with their Ekiti kith and kin in other states (Kwara, Ondo, Osun, and Kogi). Although the Ekiti country was made a politically independent state in 1996, Ekiti was a de facto a state on 23rd September, 1886, when the world’s longest internecine war called the Ekitiparapo War ended and Ekiti was made an independent state by the British, the colonial master.

The word “Ekiti” is a toponym derived solely on the account of hilly, rocky, and mountainous milieu. The Ekiti country (also referred to as “Efon”), as a sub-ethnic group of the Yoruba, has existed from time immemorial as a collective name for some other sub-ethnic divisions of the Yoruba, such as Ekiti (including Akure and its environs), Ijesa, Igbomina, Iyagba, Akoko, Ijumu, Owe, Ikiri, Abunu, etc., that are from Ife to the basins of the river Niger[2]. Furthermore, Olomola (2005) explained that Sir Samuel Rowe, the British Governor of the Gold Coast Colony, of which Lagos Colony was an integral part, referred to Ekiti as the “Efon tribe” in his official dispatch of May 1883. Similarly, other writers, such as Col. A.B. Ellis in the 1920s and renowned historian I.A. Akinjogbin in 1967, used “Efon” and “Ekiti” interchangeably. Efon is one of the many important towns and kingdoms in the present Ekiti state, called Efon-Alaaye-Ekiti. It should be noted that a number of Ekiti communities were separated from their kith and kin in the core Ekiti areas when colonial boundaries were fixed between 1894 and 1946. For example, Akure-Ekiti, the present capital of Ondo State, was wrongly separated from Ekiti in 1901 and placed in the Southeastern District with headquarters in Ondo town. They corrected the error in 1914 by bringing Akure back to its Ekiti family, and later separated again in 1946 (see Olomola, ibid., 2005; Ilesanmi Dele A 2012, Christianity and Ekiti Educational Development since 1896). As part of the homogeneity, all Ekiti towns and villages have the suffix “Ekiti”, such as Osi-Ekiti, Ado-Ekiti, Aramoko-Ekiti, Ido-Ekiti, Ikere-Ekiti, and so on. Even the Ekiti Kwara towns and villages in the present Kwara state still have the same identity, such as Osi-Ekiti, Eruku-Ekiti, Erinmope-Ekiti,etc.; all these towns speak purely Ekiti language, especially all the towns in Akure Kingdom and Irun (Akoko). Hopefully, they will one day come back to their home, Ekiti Country. Indeed, this is one of the many “pains” inflicted on us as a people by the colonial masters. Again, hopefully, one day, the chickens will come home to roost.

What is more, the Ekitis are aboriginal or autochthonous elements of Africa occupying the present area before the arrival of an eponymous ‘ancestor’ of the Yorubas, Oduduwa. Orally and archeologically, the Ekitis are one of the earliest settlers in West Africa. Indeed, they are aboriginal or autochthonous to their present abode, as studies revealed:

We should remind ourselves that we are one of the earliest settlers in west Africa, with the Ekitis occupying the area bordering present-day Ejigbo and Ile-Ife [which means the entire Ijesa territory was included] as far back as 2500 BC, preceding the second wave of Yoruba migration south, led by Oduduwa circa 732–900 AD (see Aba Saheed, The Yoruba Race in the Nigerian Tribune, Monday,17 April,2001 p.12)

The people (Ekitis) can succinctly be seen as described by Ilesanmi Dele in his yet-to-be published work, History of Education in Ekiti Country:

1. The Ekitis are a major sub-group within the Yoruba nation of Nigeria.
2. The Ekitis are the largest educated people per square kilometer in the Black World (current research findings).
3. The Ekitis are the single largest homogenous ethnic-linguistic group in Nigeria.
4. The Ekitis are bound together by common heritage, culture, language, attitudes, and idiosyncracies.
5. The Ekitis are very humble, dedicated, reliable, respectful, determined, and industrious.
6. The Ekitis are very receptive to modern education.
7. The Ekitis hate lies and injustice and sharply resist any action that will impugn their dignity; they are not stubborn but inflexible to honesty.
8. The Ekitis reject humbug and cant and insist on transparency, accountability, and probity.
9. The Ekitis avoid, like a plague, any overnight rich person;
10. The Ekitis are peaceful people but abhor cheating.
11. The ancient Ekitis reserved annual festivals to abuse people with contrary behaviours who intended to tear the peace garments of their land in shreds.
12. The Ekitis give no peace to man or woman of dissimulative dishonest character and double exponent;
13. The Ekitis are humble, not boastful, but would not surrender their self-esteem to ‘rankadedes’or anyone. ‘Are you feeding me?’, is the common reply of an Ekiti, no matter how small, to any so-called rich man who may seek to disparage him. No one can insult the lowest-placed person in Ekiti land and go freely. This is what some non-Ekitis misconstrue as pride.
14. The Ekitis are not static, backward-looking people.
15. The Ekitis are intelligentsia, bookish intellectuals;
16. An average Ekiti man or woman is a polymath.
17. The Ekitis are known for the virtues of honesty, integrity, loyalty, fair play, straight-forwardness, hospitality, dedication to duty, probity, selfless service, and dogged pursuit of knowledge.
18. The Ekitis are peace-loving, well-informed, and law-abiding people.
19. The Ekitis do not have the law of the jungle; they do not believe in undue radicalism of rascality; they hate lying, arrogance, betrayal, cheating, and a lack of respect for elders and their institutions; they are, of course, ardent foes of dictatorship, stratocracy, autocracy, and all that.
20. The Ekitis cherish freedom.
21. The Ekitis ended Oyo-Ibadan imperialism by destroying Oyo’s undue hegemony to restore peace in Yoruba land.

EKITI PARAPO LIBERATION WAR AFTER 137 YEARS OF TRUCE

When men carry the same ideals in their hearts, nothing can separate them, neither prison walls nor the sod of cemeteries. For a single memory, a single spirit, a single conscience, a single dignity will sustain them all – Fidel Castro

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation – unknown

The Ekitis are a people that love freedom and hate terrorism, subjugation, and imperialism. They can die for a course they believe in. For instance, a white man, Hindere, as cited by Professor Akintoye (1971) in his book, “Revolution and Power Politics in Yorubaland 1840–1893: Ibadan Expansion and the Rise of Ekiti Parapo, said “The Ekiti people love their liberty – and have been known in the hour of extremity to choose death rather than a life of Slavery”. This Ekiti spirit, perhaps, was invoked in the 1870s to fight a war with, probably, the most powerful military superpower in Africa then, the Oyo-Ibadans. The Ekiti-Parapo War was fought in Yoruba land for not less than 16 years. It is believed to be the world’s longest internecine war by any ethnic group. The war ended on 23rd September, 1886 – 137 years ago. Ibadan was a superpower whose military successes and wealth led to an expansionist programme. Ibadan was the centre of the military power in Yoruba land, controlled by Alaafin of Oyo to revive, strengthen, and continue the seemingly collapsed Old Oyo Empire’s expansionist agenda. The “New Oyo-Ibadan Empire” was such a powerful empire that no ethnic group in Yoruba land could have the audacity to face it except the Ekitis.

Before 1870, the Oyo-Ibadans invaded Ekiti land, marauded the Ekiti farms, collected heavy taxation known as Isakole, raped Ekiti married women and daughters with impunity. They did all these things across Yoruba land with no one to confront them. There was complete internal slavery and imperialism. But this was met with serious resistance in Ekiti country as a vassal state when their ludicrous cup was overflown on the street of Imesi-Igbodo (Okemesi-Ekiti). Prince Fabunmi Abe Adesoye, a.k.a. Fabunmi Okemesi-Ekiti, the Oraralada, the generalissimo of the Ekitiparapo or Ekiti confederacy armed forces, stood up, threw down the gauntlet, and took the bull by the horns to confront the Oyo-Ibadans between 1870 and 1886 to revolt against Oyo-Ibadan imperialism to victory to salvage their people from slavery and protect their land. Fabunmi consulted all powerful Ekiti warriors and obas to fight the Oyo-Ibadans to stop their imperialism. The spirit of Ekitism in the people was stirred up. The war started in Ekiti and by Ekiti people. The Ekiti came together for the first time to fight a common enemy, the Oyo-Ibadans.

The Etymology of the words “Ekitiparapo War” and other associated Nomenclatures

After Fabunmi of Oke-Imesi-Ekiti had beheaded the Oyo-Ibadan representatives or emissaries at Okemesi-Ekiti because of their unruly behaviours, he moved round Ekiti to inform warriors and Ekiti obas what he had done and how to save their land from Oyo-Ibadan terrorism. The Ekiti obas were ready to support their own son and defend their land. Soldiers or warriors around Ekiti country with their kings were consulted and met at the Oore of Otun-Ekiti’s palace. Oore of Otun’s palace was chosen because he was perhaps the oldest king in Ekiti land then, and the Ekitis have regard for the elderly. Aside from his advanced age and amiable personality, he ruled probably the biggest kingdom at the time. Some Ekiti obas and their soldiers met at Oore’s palace to discuss how to defend their land by fighting a common enemy who had been terrorizing their land. At the meeting, the Ekiti obas and their warriors stood up in one accord and declared that otoge (enough is enough) and said, Ekitis, let us come together and fight this war. They all agreed that it was high time the Ekitis became united; that is, it was time for the Ekitis to come together (parapo). Ekitiparapo means the coming together of all Ekitis as one big family to fight a common enemy, the Oyo-Ibadans. Olugbosun of Oye-Ekiti was observed storming out of the palace and yelling angrily, Otogee ooo (enough is enough ooo). Olugbosun Fajembola was revered in Ekiti, and any time he was in anger, no one dared cross his part. When he stormed out of Oore’s Palace, he cried ogun de ooo (war has started ooo!) and epa Ibadan! (murder Ibadans!). There was an uproar in Otun-Ekiti. The community was in a frenzy when Olugbosun’s macheted an Ibadan palm wine vendor in the market square. The nearby Ibadans were surrounded and defeated. The line of battle was drawn. All the monarchs agreed to go to battle within nine days. Only Ado-Ekiti and Ikere-Ekiti abstained from the war because of the conflict between the two towns (Buhari Lateef Oluwafemi, 2023).

Thereafter, armed forces (warriors) were dispatched to Okemesi-Ekiti. Military, chiefs, troops, and representatives from all around Ekiti country, Ijesa, and the Igbomina converged at Okemesi-Ekiti for deliberation and defence. Renowned herbalists and medicine men from afar and close by were invited to several meetings that were conducted at Okemesi-Ekiti. The gods were worshipped after consulting the Ifa Oracle. The development of the decision was greatly aided by the participation of Ekitiparapo representatives from Lagos in these meetings and their pledges of spiritual, material, and financial support for the war. Most of these people were trained Ekiti and Ijesha Christian missionaries from Sierra Leone (Saro), and they had no alternative but to support their people.

Thus, the coming together of the Ekitis for a common goal of destroying the Oyo-Ibadan dominance and military dictatorship in Ekiti country and, by extension, in the entire Yoruba land is called the Ekitiparapo War or the Ekiti Confederacy War. The word “Kiriji” came later during the war when Ekitiparapo troops or soldiers introduced cannons. The name “Kiriji” is an onomatopoeic word that is said to describe the sound of cannons used by the Ekitiparapo armed forces, and it was the first war in the region that used these weapons. So, the onomatopoeia of Ekiti guns, sounding ki-ri-jii, is interpreted as Kiriji War. In essence, it is best described as the Ekitiparapo War. The Ekitiparapo War (Ogun Ekitiparapo) can also be called the Jalumi War (Ogun Jalumi). This means that when the war was raging to the extent that the warriors or soldiers were diving into the water, The legendary record revealed that the Oyo-Ibadan soldiers technically, by deceit, drew the Ekitiparapo soldiers to the riverside, where they lay ambush. The Oyo-Ibadan soldiers launched an attack on the Ekiti soldiers, and there was no escape route for the Ekiti soldiers other than to jump into the river, where some of them were macheted and killed. In local parlance, it is called the Ogun Jalumi – Jalumi War. As a result of the cuts and wounds that people sustained in the sea, human blood covered the sea, and people were clearing their faces with “blood water”. In local parlance, it is called fejeboju, which is now interpreted to be the Ogun Fejeboju – Fejeboju War. We were even told that there was another name emanating during the war called Ogun Jaluko – Jaluko or Jaloko War. This means that people dashed into the farms in search of able men who would participate in the war. Despite the varied nomenclatures given to the war, “Ekitiparapo War” remains in the hearts of the people, especially the Ekitis, while the Oyo-Ibadans prefer to use the nomenclature “Kiriji War”. It is Ogun Ekitiparapo, not Ogun Kiriji, not Ogun Jalumi, not Ogun Fejeboju, and not Ogun Jaluko or Jaloko. All these elements are no doubt parts of the Ekitiparapo War’s identities and dimensions.

The Rise of the Ekitiparapos and the Fall of the Oyo-Ibadans

When the Ekitiparapo war broke out, Ogedengbe of Ijesa Land did not join at first, but he later decided to join his Ekiti family to fight terrorists (Oyo-Ibadans) in Yoruba Land. Ogedengbe, who was in the Idoani-Akoko areas of the present Ondo state, was metaphysically hypnotized by African power through a white horse to draw him to the Ekitiparapo war camp at Imesi-Ile. The appearance of Ogedengbe at the camp became a fillip for Ekiti soldiers. He did not want to join the Ekitiparapos to wage war against the Ibadans because of the truce between them. He broke the truce and joined the Ekitiparapos to defeat the Oyo-Ibadans. Being an elderly person, Fabunmi decided to relinquish leadership power to him because the Ekitis respect the elderly so much.

Prince Fabunmi Abe Adesoye (a.k.a. Fabunmi Okemesi-Ekiti, the Oraralada) and Ogedegbe Agbogungboro of Ijesaland led the Ekiti Parapo War between 1870 and 1886 to revolt against Oyo-Ibadan imperialism to victory to salvage their people from slavery and protect their land when the Oyo-Ibadans’ ludicrous cup overflowed on the street of Okemesi-Ekiti. The Oyo-Ibadan warriors underestimated the Ekiti warriors, but eventually the Oyo-Ibadan generalissimo, Aare Latoosa, died in the battle, while some of the Ekiti generals were still alive when the war ended. The first picture above is evidence of Ekiti’s victory over Oyo-Ibadans in the world’s longest civil war by any ethnic group. The Ekitiparapo war’s commanders and leaders, among others, are Prince Fabunmi Abe Adesoye (a.k.a. Fabunmi Okemesi-Ekiti), the Oraralada, the generalissimo of the Ekitiparapo or Ekiti confederacy armed forces, Ogedengbe, the Agbogungboro of Ijesa land, from Ilesa, Olugbosun of Oye-Ekiti, Faboro of Ido-Ekiti (see their memorial picture above), Ogunmodede of Ijesa, Karara of Ilorin, Odu from Ogbagi-Akoko, Adeyale of Ila-orangun, Onafowokan of Ijebu, Ologun of Owo, and Ogunbulu of Aisegba-Ekiti, to mention but a few. On the other hand, Oyo-Ibadan notable commanders and leaders in the popular EkitiParapo war are Aare Obadoke Latoosa, the generalissimo of Oyo-Ibadan who later died in the war; Ajayo Ogboriefon; Babalola Ajayi Kupolu; Ogunmola; Bashorun of Ibadan; Balogun Ali from Iwo; and Balogun Ajayi Osungbekun, among others. Some of these leaders could not survive the Ekitiparapo/Kiriji war. This might be the major reason for Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Adeyemi 1, that Ibadan armies were extricated from long-drawn-out war with unbending Ekitiparapo armies. He wrote a couple of letters of appeal to the Lagos administration to stop the Ekitiparapo war (see Olomola, ibid., p. 52). At a point, the Ekiti Parapo soldiers were ready to capture the Oyo-Ibadan generalissimo, Aare Latoosa, alive, but all efforts proved abortive before his death. To the Oyo-Ibadans, the Ekitis are infamous or recalcitrant for being extremely resistant to the Oyo’s wishes. So, Aare Latoosa was sent from their Igbajo base to Alaanfin of Oyo to speak with the citizens of the colonial British Government and find a way to settle the situation in 1884, when the Ibadan troops were agitated. Aare Latoosa started entertaining fear of defeat when he warned that if precautions weren’t taken immediately, the Ekitiparopo soldiers would decimate and obliterate the Oyos’ formidable army, which they later did (Buhari, 2023; and https://sunnewsonline.com/ekiti-parapo-war)

Some historians believed that the Ekiti Parapo’s victory might be due to the steep terrain of the Ekiti towns. No doubt, the mountainous, hilly, and rocky topography of Ekiti was a noteworthy strategy used throughout the war. It was noted that throughout the war, the hills and mountains around the Ekiti towns and villages provided safety for the locals. For instance, at Imesi-Ile, the hills also shielded the bases of the Ekitiparapo soldiers. Also, with the assistance of the herbalist, the Ekiti troops used charms to shield themselves from the Ibadan soldiers’ formidable weaponry (Buhari cited B. Awe, 1964:47–60). The fact remains that both sides used charms and cannons, but only God helped the Ekitis. Besides, it is a lesson for the proud or the powerful not to underestimate anyone. According to records, the Oyo-Ibadans had 180, 000 soldiers, while the Ekitis had just 75,000 soldiers, in addition to 30,000 soldiers from Ife, making the number of Ekiti soldiers 105,000. With this combination, the Oyo-Ibadans still had more soldiers than the Ekiti Parapos. Unfortunately for the Oyo-Ibadans, with all their military power and numbers, all their military commanders and leaders died in the Ekitiparapo War, and fortunately for the Ekitis, some of their mighty men, such as Fabunmi Okemesi-Ekiti, Ogedengbe of Ilesa, Olugbosun of Oye-Ekiti (see the first picture above), Faboro of Ido-Ekiti, and many more Ekiti warriors or soldiers, were alive after the war. For example, Fabunmi of Okemesi-Ekiti became king of Imesi-Ile after the war. The Ekitis have an authentic account of the war because some of their soldiers who participated actively in the war were still alive after the war, and they gave the true account of the war, unlike the Oyo-Ibadans, who lost some of their soldiers in the war.

It is interesting to note that the war was unofficially ended with the signing of a peace treaty on 23rd September, 1886 at Imesi-Ile by both sides. This “unofficially ended war” might have accounted for the differing dates the war started and ended. Some historians claim that the Ekitiparapo War started in 1870 and ended in 1886, while others say that the war started in 1877 and ended in 1893. Both sides agreed on the number of years—sixteen years (16)—that the war was fought. On the other hand, it would be better if we agree that the Ekitiparapo War started unofficially in 1870 and officially ended in 1893—that is, the war lasted for 23 years.

The determination of the Ekitis to fight the most powerful military group in Yoruba land, the Oyo-Ibadan armed forces, and the people’s (Ekitis’) resolve to have liberty in their land probably gave the Ekiti the appellation of “rigidity”. People are saying Ekiti people are very rigid or inflexible. The rigidity or inflexibility of the Ekitis is based on truth: the Ekiti people are inflexible to honesty, fair play, faithfulness, loyalty, and truth; they hate cheating and dishonesty; they can die for any course they believe in; they never quit. This Ekitism was brought to play between 1870 and 1886, when they decimated and obliterated the Oyo-Ibadans’ formidable army.

Olomola listed the leaders of Ekitiparapo at Imesi-Ile who signed the peace accord document as: Apeludiagba and Olukoni, who represented Owa of Ilesa, Owa Agunloye; Fatuye from Otun-Ekiti represented Oba Oore of Otun-Ekiti, Oba Okinbaloye, Obasa was the representative of Oba Olojudo of Ido-Ekiti, Dawodu represented Ogedengbe of Ilesa, while two representatives came from Ife, two from Modakeke, two from Oba Awujale of Ijebu-Ode, and a representative of the balogun of the Ijebu contingent.

Conclusion

As a matter of concluding remark, the words of Fidel Castro are perfectly relevant to the Ekiti ideal: “When men carry the same ideals in their hearts, nothing can separate them, neither prison walls nor the sod of cemeteries. For a single memory, a single spirit, a single conscience, a single dignity will sustain them all.” This, in no small measure, accounted for the victory of the Ekitiparapos over the Oyo-Ibadans in the war.  This study has been able to explain the concept of “Ekitiparapo War” and other associated nomenclatures (“Kiriji War”, “Jalumi War”, “Fejeboju War,” or “Jaloko War”) and set the record straight by giving concisely the authentic account of the Ekitiparapo War to mark Ekiti Independence Day after 137 years. Furthermore, the study established that the appropriate name for the war is “Ekitiparapo War,” not “Kiriji War,” and the war was fought for sixteen (16) gory years, regardless of the differing dates it was started and ended. The war was brought to an end by the superior force of British imperialism and the negotiating skills of African Christian missionaries led by Reverend Charles Phillips and Samuel Johnson at the instance of Alaafin of Oyo, who wrote several letters of appeal to the Lagos Administration after Oyo-Ibadan soldiers had suffered a terrible defeat. Ibadan lost important warriors, such as Aare Latoosa, their generalissimo, chief Ilori, the Osi Balogun, Balogun Ajayi Osungbekun, and other powerful soldiers, in spite of their war skills and great armies. On the other hand, all Ekiti commanders and soldiers, such as Fabunmi Okemesi-Ekiti, Ogedengbe of Ilesa, Faboro of Ido-Ekiti, Olugbosun Fajenbola of Oye-Ekiti, and many more, were alive after the war ended. More than 200,000 troops participated in the conflict under the banner of the Ekitiparapo Grand Alliance, with the Ijesha, the Igbomina, and Ife joining the alliance against Ibadan. Finally, Ekiti country was declared an independent state in 1886 when the peace accord was signed, and the war was officially ended in 1893 after 23 years of conflict. It is therefore recommended that the Ekiti and Ekitiparapo Independence Day Celebration should be observed from 23rd September to 1st October every year. Congratulations, Ekitiparapos, on your victory and freedom; congratulations, Yoruba nation!

Notes on contributor

Dele Alaba Ilesanmi (Ph.D.) has been a lecturer at the Redeemed Christian Bible College (Satellite Campus) for over 15 years now and an Assistant Research Professor at Testament Theological Seminary (online) with expertise in Biblical Research and Christian Education and with a special interest in Christian Biblical Educational Learning Theory and Practice (a field he is currently pioneering), Christian Education, Biblical Theory, and Theology. He is a pastor and teacher of the Word. He has written eight books and not less than 50 articles, including conference papers, academic, journal, and Christian articles. His bestseller is “Globalizing True Education: A Divine Mandate”. He serves as the President and CEO of ChristoPress Institude of Biblical Research (CIBR), a biblically-based online research institute. You can reach him at +234-08062197040, pstdeleilesanmi3@gmail.com, or https://www.christopress.org.ng.

References and Notes

Akintoye S.A., (1971). Revolution and Power Politics in Yorubaland 1840–1893: Ibadan expansion and the rise of Ekiti Parapo

Buhari, Lateef Oluwafemi (2023). Causes and Origin of the Ekiti-Parapo War in: Polit Journal: Scientific Journal of Politics, 2023, and https://sunnewsonline.com/ekiti-parapo-war).

Ilesanmi Dele A (2012). Christianity and Ekiti Educational Development since 1896. M.A Dissertation submitted to the Redeemed Christian Bible College

Johnson, S. (1969). The History of the Yorubas, Lagos, CSS Bookshop

Olomola, Isola, (2005). Ekitiparapo Aspirations Since 1890s. Andkolad Ventures Nig. Ltd., Ile-Ife, Osun Stste. See also, Rev. Samuel Crowther’s dispatch in 1856; Richard Burton, 1863; Rev. Hutchinson, S.J., 1968, Impressionof West Africa

Newspapers and Internet

Aba Saheed, The Yoruba Race in the Nigerian Tribune, Monday,17 April,2001 p.12

Ekiti is best state”, says Pastor Kumuyi, This Day, Sunday, Dec.,11, 2005, P. 3; Monday 12, Dec., 2005; Sunday Sun, Dec.,11, 2005, P.61; Tribune, Dec.,11, 2005, P. 7; and other national dailies.

Fola Akinyemi, Saturday Tribune, February 25, 2006, p. 34

Professor Banji Akintoye, Comet, Thursday, June 22, 2006, P10

https://sunnewsonline.com/ekiti-parapo-war

[1] Olomola, Isola, 2005, Ekitiparapo Aspirations Since 1890s, p. 54; see also Rev. Johnson, S. The History of the Yorubas,1969, 1969, p. 550,

[2] see Rev. Samuel Crowther’s dispatch in 1856; Richard Burton, 1863; Rev. Hutchinson, S.J., 1968, Impressionof West Africa; and Olomola’s Ekitiparapo Aspirations Since 1890s, 2005:2

 Dele Alaba Ilesanmi, PhD

Associate Research Professor of Biblical Research and Christian Education

+234-08062197040 or pstdeleilesanmi3@gmail.com

https://www.christopress.or.ng

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8382762

Abstract

The Ekitiparapo War (also known as the Kiriji War) took place in the Yoruba hinterland from 1870 to 1886 between the Ekitis and the Oyo-Ibadans. The war tore apart the Yoruba land for not less than sixteen years, which was perhaps the world’s longest internecine war. The epicentre of the Yoruba military superpower, Ibadan, was destroyed, and their imperialist agenda ended brusquely. The study investigated the Ekitiparapo War, succinctly introduced the Ekitis, who were the fulcrum on which the war revolved, and set the record straight by giving concisely the authentic account of the war to mark Ekiti Independence Day after 137 years. Furthermore, the study established that the appropriate name for the war is “Ekitiparapo War,” not “Kiriji War,” and the war was fought for sixteen (16) gory years, regardless of the differing accounts of the dates it started and ended. The author employed secondary data by consulting relevant books, journals, newspapers, and the internet, including oral interviews. The author concludes by recommending that Ekiti Independence Celebration Day should start from 23rd September to 1st October of every year.

Keywords: Ekitiparapo War, Ekitis, Oyo-Ibadans, Yoruba Land, Okemesi-Ekiti.

Introduction

When men carry the same ideals in their hearts, nothing can separate them, neither prison walls nor the sod of cemeteries. For a single memory, a single spirit, a single conscience, a single dignity will sustain them all – Fidel Castro

On 23rd September, 1886, marked the end of the Ekitiparapo War (1870–1866), the world’s longest internecine war in Yoruba land, which was exactly 137 years on 23rd September, 2023. The war that tore apart the Yoruba hinterland lasted for sixteen years between the Ekitis and the Oyo-Ibadans. The war broke out as a result of the unruly behaviours of the Oyo-Ibadan emissaries across Ekiti country. The Ekitiparapo War (also called the Kiriji War) destroyed the Oyo-Ibadan military superpower and brought an end to the Oyo-Ibadan secret imperialist or expansionist agenda in Yoruba land. The rise and victory of the Ekitiparapos and the fall of the Oyo-Ibadan expansionist wall of colonialism brought peace to Yoruba land. The Ekitiparapo War ended on 23rd September, 1886, when the peace accord was signed by both warring parties. The Ekitiparapo soldiers did not leave their Imesi-Ile war camp because they believed that the Oyo-Ibadan could not be trusted with the truce. They were at the war camp till March 1893, when Governor G.T. Carter, accompanied by seven Lagos Government officials and a contingent of 100 men of the Lagos constabulary, went to Igbajo—Oyo-Ibadan military camp—and Imesi-Ile—Ekitiparapo military camp. The Governor completed the peace accord process by terminating the hostilities, separating the belligerents, and telling them to break their camps and return to their various country homes[1].

Throughout the sixteen years of raging war, the Ekitiparapos remained resolute and undaunted; they chose death rather than the life of slavery by fighting for their liberty. They fought with their last blood to free their lands from terrorists and demilitarize Oyo-Ibadans to give Ekiti land peace and, by extension, the entire Yoruba land. The coming together of the Ekitis, with their Ijesha kith and kin, the Igbominas, the Ijebus, the Egbas, and the Ifes, including the Ilorins and the Iyagbas, called “Ekitiparapo,” decimated Oyo-Ibadan power and dominance.

Introducing a Determined People—the Ekitis: A Background Flash

The story of the Ekiti people cannot be told in one fell swoop, especially in a piece of work of this nature. In other words, a book cannot comprehensively contain the Ekiti story. Thus, this aspect of the article is to outline briskly and briefly who the Ekits are to give an inkling of a determined people who fought and put to flight the epicentre of the Yoruba military superpower—the Oyo-Ibadans. Starting from 1960s, the Ekitis came to the limelight, and most Nigerians were fond of them, especially on account of their overt demonstration of intellectual prowess, bonds of friendship, love, and loyalty, and their unique identification with the WP car or vehicle number plate. In addition, many people know them for their attachment to their homeland and predilection for pounded yam. If my memory could serve me very well, I could not remember a day I ate another food in the evening from my primary school throughout my secondary school days without pounded yam. This shows the magnitude of the predilection the Ekiti people have for pounded yam.

The Ekiti “has an unquestionable and unassailable record of having the largest industry in education, with 11 professors in a family of 13 as a point of unique reference [in the world].” (Fola Akinyemi, Saturday Tribune, February 25, 2006, p. 34) “Studies have shown that Ekiti has the largest number of educated people per square kilometer in the black world” (Chief Ishola Filani). “Ekiti Land has been a “beacon and source of living academic water to the black race… History had it that Ekiti produced six medical doctors who operated in ships between 1500 and 1830… before the first school was established in Nigeria” (Sir Lawrence A. Egunjobi, 2003). “Unite. Totally commit. Never quit. That is the Ekiti thing!” (Professor Banji Akintoye, Comet, Thursday, June 22, 2006, P10) “The Ekiti people love their liberty – and have been known in the hour of extremity to choose death rather than a life of slavery” (Akintoye S.A., 1971, citing Hinderer in his book titled Revolution and Power Politics in Yorubaland 1840–1893: Ibadan expansion and the rise of Ekiti Parapo). Oguntuase Bayo describes the Ekitis thus:

Truth to tell, the Ekiti are a unique people. In Ekiti nation, we make things happen for us. No author or outsider writes our scripts, we write our own scripts. The trouble with us is, we love education, books, and knowledge. We prize scholarship; we abhor illiteracy, ignorance and disease. We have democratic values, morals, and culture which we have established in the course of our imaginative and creative history. However, we don’t have the law of the jungle (Ekiti Now, August 31-Sept 0 2001 p. 16).

In his opening remark, Pastor Kumuyi, the General Superintendent of Deeper Life Bible Church, at the church revival in Ekiti, asserted that he has traveled to many parts of the federation but found “Ekiti to be more [in] hospitality, the best and number one …” (See Ekiti is best state”, says Pastor Kumuyi, This Day, Sunday, Dec.,11, 2005, P. 3; Monday 12, Dec., 2005; Sunday Sun, Dec.,11, 2005, P.61; Tribune, Dec.,11, 2005, P. 7; and other national dailies.

According to Swayne (1935), “the typical Ekiti persons about the 1900’s were   longsuffering and respectful of authority. The average Ekiti was strongly attached to the homeland, trusting and accommodating” (Olomola,  2005).The Ekitis are the people occupying the eastern part of Yoruba in south-western Nigeria. They occupy an area of 7000 sq km, undulating gently in the south and west generally and flat in the central and northern parts. The Ekitis are homogenous, having cultural and linguistic affinity with their Ekiti kith and kin in other states (Kwara, Ondo, Osun, and Kogi). Although the Ekiti country was made a politically independent state in 1996, Ekiti was a de facto a state on 23rd September, 1886, when the world’s longest internecine war called the Ekitiparapo War ended and Ekiti was made an independent state by the British, the colonial master.

The word “Ekiti” is a toponym derived solely on the account of hilly, rocky, and mountainous milieu. The Ekiti country (also referred to as “Efon”), as a sub-ethnic group of the Yoruba, has existed from time immemorial as a collective name for some other sub-ethnic divisions of the Yoruba, such as Ekiti (including Akure and its environs), Ijesa, Igbomina, Iyagba, Akoko, Ijumu, Owe, Ikiri, Abunu, etc., that are from Ife to the basins of the river Niger[2]. Furthermore, Olomola (2005) explained that Sir Samuel Rowe, the British Governor of the Gold Coast Colony, of which Lagos Colony was an integral part, referred to Ekiti as the “Efon tribe” in his official dispatch of May 1883. Similarly, other writers, such as Col. A.B. Ellis in the 1920s and renowned historian I.A. Akinjogbin in 1967, used “Efon” and “Ekiti” interchangeably. Efon is one of the many important towns and kingdoms in the present Ekiti state, called Efon-Alaaye-Ekiti. It should be noted that a number of Ekiti communities were separated from their kith and kin in the core Ekiti areas when colonial boundaries were fixed between 1894 and 1946. For example, Akure-Ekiti, the present capital of Ondo State, was wrongly separated from Ekiti in 1901 and placed in the Southeastern District with headquarters in Ondo town. They corrected the error in 1914 by bringing Akure back to its Ekiti family, and later separated again in 1946 (see Olomola, ibid., 2005; Ilesanmi Dele A 2012, Christianity and Ekiti Educational Development since 1896). As part of the homogeneity, all Ekiti towns and villages have the suffix “Ekiti”, such as Osi-Ekiti, Ado-Ekiti, Aramoko-Ekiti, Ido-Ekiti, Ikere-Ekiti, and so on. Even the Ekiti Kwara towns and villages in the present Kwara state still have the same identity, such as Osi-Ekiti, Eruku-Ekiti, Erinmope-Ekiti,etc.; all these towns speak purely Ekiti language, especially all the towns in Akure Kingdom and Irun (Akoko). Hopefully, they will one day come back to their home, Ekiti Country. Indeed, this is one of the many “pains” inflicted on us as a people by the colonial masters. Again, hopefully, one day, the chickens will come home to roost.

What is more, the Ekitis are aboriginal or autochthonous elements of Africa occupying the present area before the arrival of an eponymous ‘ancestor’ of the Yorubas, Oduduwa. Orally and archeologically, the Ekitis are one of the earliest settlers in West Africa. Indeed, they are aboriginal or autochthonous to their present abode, as studies revealed:

We should remind ourselves that we are one of the earliest settlers in west Africa, with the Ekitis occupying the area bordering present-day Ejigbo and Ile-Ife [which means the entire Ijesa territory was included] as far back as 2500 BC, preceding the second wave of Yoruba migration south, led by Oduduwa circa 732–900 AD (see Aba Saheed, The Yoruba Race in the Nigerian Tribune, Monday,17 April,2001 p.12)

The people (Ekitis) can succinctly be seen as described by Ilesanmi Dele in his yet-to-be published work, History of Education in Ekiti Country:

1. The Ekitis are a major sub-group within the Yoruba nation of Nigeria.
2. The Ekitis are the largest educated people per square kilometer in the Black World (current research findings).
3. The Ekitis are the single largest homogenous ethnic-linguistic group in Nigeria.
4. The Ekitis are bound together by common heritage, culture, language, attitudes, and idiosyncracies.
5. The Ekitis are very humble, dedicated, reliable, respectful, determined, and industrious.
6. The Ekitis are very receptive to modern education.
7. The Ekitis hate lies and injustice and sharply resist any action that will impugn their dignity; they are not stubborn but inflexible to honesty.
8. The Ekitis reject humbug and cant and insist on transparency, accountability, and probity.
9. The Ekitis avoid, like a plague, any overnight rich person;
10. The Ekitis are peaceful people but abhor cheating.
11. The ancient Ekitis reserved annual festivals to abuse people with contrary behaviours who intended to tear the peace garments of their land in shreds.
12. The Ekitis give no peace to man or woman of dissimulative dishonest character and double exponent;
13. The Ekitis are humble, not boastful, but would not surrender their self-esteem to ‘rankadedes’or anyone. ‘Are you feeding me?’, is the common reply of an Ekiti, no matter how small, to any so-called rich man who may seek to disparage him. No one can insult the lowest-placed person in Ekiti land and go freely. This is what some non-Ekitis misconstrue as pride.
14. The Ekitis are not static, backward-looking people.
15. The Ekitis are intelligentsia, bookish intellectuals;
16. An average Ekiti man or woman is a polymath.
17. The Ekitis are known for the virtues of honesty, integrity, loyalty, fair play, straight-forwardness, hospitality, dedication to duty, probity, selfless service, and dogged pursuit of knowledge.
18. The Ekitis are peace-loving, well-informed, and law-abiding people.
19. The Ekitis do not have the law of the jungle; they do not believe in undue radicalism of rascality; they hate lying, arrogance, betrayal, cheating, and a lack of respect for elders and their institutions; they are, of course, ardent foes of dictatorship, stratocracy, autocracy, and all that.
20. The Ekitis cherish freedom.
21. The Ekitis ended Oyo-Ibadan imperialism by destroying Oyo’s undue hegemony to restore peace in Yoruba land.

EKITI PARAPO LIBERATION WAR AFTER 137 YEARS OF TRUCE

When men carry the same ideals in their hearts, nothing can separate them, neither prison walls nor the sod of cemeteries. For a single memory, a single spirit, a single conscience, a single dignity will sustain them all – Fidel Castro

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation – unknown

The Ekitis are a people that love freedom and hate terrorism, subjugation, and imperialism. They can die for a course they believe in. For instance, a white man, Hindere, as cited by Professor Akintoye (1971) in his book, “Revolution and Power Politics in Yorubaland 1840–1893: Ibadan Expansion and the Rise of Ekiti Parapo, said “The Ekiti people love their liberty – and have been known in the hour of extremity to choose death rather than a life of Slavery”. This Ekiti spirit, perhaps, was invoked in the 1870s to fight a war with, probably, the most powerful military superpower in Africa then, the Oyo-Ibadans. The Ekiti-Parapo War was fought in Yoruba land for not less than 16 years. It is believed to be the world’s longest internecine war by any ethnic group. The war ended on 23rd September, 1886 – 137 years ago. Ibadan was a superpower whose military successes and wealth led to an expansionist programme. Ibadan was the centre of the military power in Yoruba land, controlled by Alaafin of Oyo to revive, strengthen, and continue the seemingly collapsed Old Oyo Empire’s expansionist agenda. The “New Oyo-Ibadan Empire” was such a powerful empire that no ethnic group in Yoruba land could have the audacity to face it except the Ekitis.

Before 1870, the Oyo-Ibadans invaded Ekiti land, marauded the Ekiti farms, collected heavy taxation known as Isakole, raped Ekiti married women and daughters with impunity. They did all these things across Yoruba land with no one to confront them. There was complete internal slavery and imperialism. But this was met with serious resistance in Ekiti country as a vassal state when their ludicrous cup was overflown on the street of Imesi-Igbodo (Okemesi-Ekiti). Prince Fabunmi Abe Adesoye, a.k.a. Fabunmi Okemesi-Ekiti, the Oraralada, the generalissimo of the Ekitiparapo or Ekiti confederacy armed forces, stood up, threw down the gauntlet, and took the bull by the horns to confront the Oyo-Ibadans between 1870 and 1886 to revolt against Oyo-Ibadan imperialism to victory to salvage their people from slavery and protect their land. Fabunmi consulted all powerful Ekiti warriors and obas to fight the Oyo-Ibadans to stop their imperialism. The spirit of Ekitism in the people was stirred up. The war started in Ekiti and by Ekiti people. The Ekiti came together for the first time to fight a common enemy, the Oyo-Ibadans.

The Etymology of the words “Ekitiparapo War” and other associated Nomenclatures

After Fabunmi of Oke-Imesi-Ekiti had beheaded the Oyo-Ibadan representatives or emissaries at Okemesi-Ekiti because of their unruly behaviours, he moved round Ekiti to inform warriors and Ekiti obas what he had done and how to save their land from Oyo-Ibadan terrorism. The Ekiti obas were ready to support their own son and defend their land. Soldiers or warriors around Ekiti country with their kings were consulted and met at the Oore of Otun-Ekiti’s palace. Oore of Otun’s palace was chosen because he was perhaps the oldest king in Ekiti land then, and the Ekitis have regard for the elderly. Aside from his advanced age and amiable personality, he ruled probably the biggest kingdom at the time. Some Ekiti obas and their soldiers met at Oore’s palace to discuss how to defend their land by fighting a common enemy who had been terrorizing their land. At the meeting, the Ekiti obas and their warriors stood up in one accord and declared that otoge (enough is enough) and said, Ekitis, let us come together and fight this war. They all agreed that it was high time the Ekitis became united; that is, it was time for the Ekitis to come together (parapo). Ekitiparapo means the coming together of all Ekitis as one big family to fight a common enemy, the Oyo-Ibadans. Olugbosun of Oye-Ekiti was observed storming out of the palace and yelling angrily, Otogee ooo (enough is enough ooo). Olugbosun Fajembola was revered in Ekiti, and any time he was in anger, no one dared cross his part. When he stormed out of Oore’s Palace, he cried ogun de ooo (war has started ooo!) and epa Ibadan! (murder Ibadans!). There was an uproar in Otun-Ekiti. The community was in a frenzy when Olugbosun’s macheted an Ibadan palm wine vendor in the market square. The nearby Ibadans were surrounded and defeated. The line of battle was drawn. All the monarchs agreed to go to battle within nine days. Only Ado-Ekiti and Ikere-Ekiti abstained from the war because of the conflict between the two towns (Buhari Lateef Oluwafemi, 2023).

Thereafter, armed forces (warriors) were dispatched to Okemesi-Ekiti. Military, chiefs, troops, and representatives from all around Ekiti country, Ijesa, and the Igbomina converged at Okemesi-Ekiti for deliberation and defence. Renowned herbalists and medicine men from afar and close by were invited to several meetings that were conducted at Okemesi-Ekiti. The gods were worshipped after consulting the Ifa Oracle. The development of the decision was greatly aided by the participation of Ekitiparapo representatives from Lagos in these meetings and their pledges of spiritual, material, and financial support for the war. Most of these people were trained Ekiti and Ijesha Christian missionaries from Sierra Leone (Saro), and they had no alternative but to support their people.

Thus, the coming together of the Ekitis for a common goal of destroying the Oyo-Ibadan dominance and military dictatorship in Ekiti country and, by extension, in the entire Yoruba land is called the Ekitiparapo War or the Ekiti Confederacy War. The word “Kiriji” came later during the war when Ekitiparapo troops or soldiers introduced cannons. The name “Kiriji” is an onomatopoeic word that is said to describe the sound of cannons used by the Ekitiparapo armed forces, and it was the first war in the region that used these weapons. So, the onomatopoeia of Ekiti guns, sounding ki-ri-jii, is interpreted as Kiriji War. In essence, it is best described as the Ekitiparapo War. The Ekitiparapo War (Ogun Ekitiparapo) can also be called the Jalumi War (Ogun Jalumi). This means that when the war was raging to the extent that the warriors or soldiers were diving into the water, The legendary record revealed that the Oyo-Ibadan soldiers technically, by deceit, drew the Ekitiparapo soldiers to the riverside, where they lay ambush. The Oyo-Ibadan soldiers launched an attack on the Ekiti soldiers, and there was no escape route for the Ekiti soldiers other than to jump into the river, where some of them were macheted and killed. In local parlance, it is called the Ogun Jalumi – Jalumi War. As a result of the cuts and wounds that people sustained in the sea, human blood covered the sea, and people were clearing their faces with “blood water”. In local parlance, it is called fejeboju, which is now interpreted to be the Ogun Fejeboju – Fejeboju War. We were even told that there was another name emanating during the war called Ogun Jaluko – Jaluko or Jaloko War. This means that people dashed into the farms in search of able men who would participate in the war. Despite the varied nomenclatures given to the war, “Ekitiparapo War” remains in the hearts of the people, especially the Ekitis, while the Oyo-Ibadans prefer to use the nomenclature “Kiriji War”. It is Ogun Ekitiparapo, not Ogun Kiriji, not Ogun Jalumi, not Ogun Fejeboju, and not Ogun Jaluko or Jaloko. All these elements are no doubt parts of the Ekitiparapo War’s identities and dimensions.

The Rise of the Ekitiparapos and the Fall of the Oyo-Ibadans

When the Ekitiparapo war broke out, Ogedengbe of Ijesa Land did not join at first, but he later decided to join his Ekiti family to fight terrorists (Oyo-Ibadans) in Yoruba Land. Ogedengbe, who was in the Idoani-Akoko areas of the present Ondo state, was metaphysically hypnotized by African power through a white horse to draw him to the Ekitiparapo war camp at Imesi-Ile. The appearance of Ogedengbe at the camp became a fillip for Ekiti soldiers. He did not want to join the Ekitiparapos to wage war against the Ibadans because of the truce between them. He broke the truce and joined the Ekitiparapos to defeat the Oyo-Ibadans. Being an elderly person, Fabunmi decided to relinquish leadership power to him because the Ekitis respect the elderly so much.

Prince Fabunmi Abe Adesoye (a.k.a. Fabunmi Okemesi-Ekiti, the Oraralada) and Ogedegbe Agbogungboro of Ijesaland led the Ekiti Parapo War between 1870 and 1886 to revolt against Oyo-Ibadan imperialism to victory to salvage their people from slavery and protect their land when the Oyo-Ibadans’ ludicrous cup overflowed on the street of Okemesi-Ekiti. The Oyo-Ibadan warriors underestimated the Ekiti warriors, but eventually the Oyo-Ibadan generalissimo, Aare Latoosa, died in the battle, while some of the Ekiti generals were still alive when the war ended. The first picture above is evidence of Ekiti’s victory over Oyo-Ibadans in the world’s longest civil war by any ethnic group. The Ekitiparapo war’s commanders and leaders, among others, are Prince Fabunmi Abe Adesoye (a.k.a. Fabunmi Okemesi-Ekiti), the Oraralada, the generalissimo of the Ekitiparapo or Ekiti confederacy armed forces, Ogedengbe, the Agbogungboro of Ijesa land, from Ilesa, Olugbosun of Oye-Ekiti, Faboro of Ido-Ekiti (see their memorial picture above), Ogunmodede of Ijesa, Karara of Ilorin, Odu from Ogbagi-Akoko, Adeyale of Ila-orangun, Onafowokan of Ijebu, Ologun of Owo, and Ogunbulu of Aisegba-Ekiti, to mention but a few. On the other hand, Oyo-Ibadan notable commanders and leaders in the popular EkitiParapo war are Aare Obadoke Latoosa, the generalissimo of Oyo-Ibadan who later died in the war; Ajayo Ogboriefon; Babalola Ajayi Kupolu; Ogunmola; Bashorun of Ibadan; Balogun Ali from Iwo; and Balogun Ajayi Osungbekun, among others. Some of these leaders could not survive the Ekitiparapo/Kiriji war. This might be the major reason for Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Adeyemi 1, that Ibadan armies were extricated from long-drawn-out war with unbending Ekitiparapo armies. He wrote a couple of letters of appeal to the Lagos administration to stop the Ekitiparapo war (see Olomola, ibid., p. 52). At a point, the Ekiti Parapo soldiers were ready to capture the Oyo-Ibadan generalissimo, Aare Latoosa, alive, but all efforts proved abortive before his death. To the Oyo-Ibadans, the Ekitis are infamous or recalcitrant for being extremely resistant to the Oyo’s wishes. So, Aare Latoosa was sent from their Igbajo base to Alaanfin of Oyo to speak with the citizens of the colonial British Government and find a way to settle the situation in 1884, when the Ibadan troops were agitated. Aare Latoosa started entertaining fear of defeat when he warned that if precautions weren’t taken immediately, the Ekitiparopo soldiers would decimate and obliterate the Oyos’ formidable army, which they later did (Buhari, 2023; and https://sunnewsonline.com/ekiti-parapo-war)

Some historians believed that the Ekiti Parapo’s victory might be due to the steep terrain of the Ekiti towns. No doubt, the mountainous, hilly, and rocky topography of Ekiti was a noteworthy strategy used throughout the war. It was noted that throughout the war, the hills and mountains around the Ekiti towns and villages provided safety for the locals. For instance, at Imesi-Ile, the hills also shielded the bases of the Ekitiparapo soldiers. Also, with the assistance of the herbalist, the Ekiti troops used charms to shield themselves from the Ibadan soldiers’ formidable weaponry (Buhari cited B. Awe, 1964:47–60). The fact remains that both sides used charms and cannons, but only God helped the Ekitis. Besides, it is a lesson for the proud or the powerful not to underestimate anyone. According to records, the Oyo-Ibadans had 180, 000 soldiers, while the Ekitis had just 75,000 soldiers, in addition to 30,000 soldiers from Ife, making the number of Ekiti soldiers 105,000. With this combination, the Oyo-Ibadans still had more soldiers than the Ekiti Parapos. Unfortunately for the Oyo-Ibadans, with all their military power and numbers, all their military commanders and leaders died in the Ekitiparapo War, and fortunately for the Ekitis, some of their mighty men, such as Fabunmi Okemesi-Ekiti, Ogedengbe of Ilesa, Olugbosun of Oye-Ekiti (see the first picture above), Faboro of Ido-Ekiti, and many more Ekiti warriors or soldiers, were alive after the war. For example, Fabunmi of Okemesi-Ekiti became king of Imesi-Ile after the war. The Ekitis have an authentic account of the war because some of their soldiers who participated actively in the war were still alive after the war, and they gave the true account of the war, unlike the Oyo-Ibadans, who lost some of their soldiers in the war.

It is interesting to note that the war was unofficially ended with the signing of a peace treaty on 23rd September, 1886 at Imesi-Ile by both sides. This “unofficially ended war” might have accounted for the differing dates the war started and ended. Some historians claim that the Ekitiparapo War started in 1870 and ended in 1886, while others say that the war started in 1877 and ended in 1893. Both sides agreed on the number of years—sixteen years (16)—that the war was fought. On the other hand, it would be better if we agree that the Ekitiparapo War started unofficially in 1870 and officially ended in 1893—that is, the war lasted for 23 years.

The determination of the Ekitis to fight the most powerful military group in Yoruba land, the Oyo-Ibadan armed forces, and the people’s (Ekitis’) resolve to have liberty in their land probably gave the Ekiti the appellation of “rigidity”. People are saying Ekiti people are very rigid or inflexible. The rigidity or inflexibility of the Ekitis is based on truth: the Ekiti people are inflexible to honesty, fair play, faithfulness, loyalty, and truth; they hate cheating and dishonesty; they can die for any course they believe in; they never quit. This Ekitism was brought to play between 1870 and 1886, when they decimated and obliterated the Oyo-Ibadans’ formidable army.

Olomola listed the leaders of Ekitiparapo at Imesi-Ile who signed the peace accord document as: Apeludiagba and Olukoni, who represented Owa of Ilesa, Owa Agunloye; Fatuye from Otun-Ekiti represented Oba Oore of Otun-Ekiti, Oba Okinbaloye, Obasa was the representative of Oba Olojudo of Ido-Ekiti, Dawodu represented Ogedengbe of Ilesa, while two representatives came from Ife, two from Modakeke, two from Oba Awujale of Ijebu-Ode, and a representative of the balogun of the Ijebu contingent.

Conclusion

As a matter of concluding remark, the words of Fidel Castro are perfectly relevant to the Ekiti ideal: “When men carry the same ideals in their hearts, nothing can separate them, neither prison walls nor the sod of cemeteries. For a single memory, a single spirit, a single conscience, a single dignity will sustain them all.” This, in no small measure, accounted for the victory of the Ekitiparapos over the Oyo-Ibadans in the war.  This study has been able to explain the concept of “Ekitiparapo War” and other associated nomenclatures (“Kiriji War”, “Jalumi War”, “Fejeboju War,” or “Jaloko War”) and set the record straight by giving concisely the authentic account of the Ekitiparapo War to mark Ekiti Independence Day after 137 years. Furthermore, the study established that the appropriate name for the war is “Ekitiparapo War,” not “Kiriji War,” and the war was fought for sixteen (16) gory years, regardless of the differing dates it was started and ended. The war was brought to an end by the superior force of British imperialism and the negotiating skills of African Christian missionaries led by Reverend Charles Phillips and Samuel Johnson at the instance of Alaafin of Oyo, who wrote several letters of appeal to the Lagos Administration after Oyo-Ibadan soldiers had suffered a terrible defeat. Ibadan lost important warriors, such as Aare Latoosa, their generalissimo, chief Ilori, the Osi Balogun, Balogun Ajayi Osungbekun, and other powerful soldiers, in spite of their war skills and great armies. On the other hand, all Ekiti commanders and soldiers, such as Fabunmi Okemesi-Ekiti, Ogedengbe of Ilesa, Faboro of Ido-Ekiti, Olugbosun Fajenbola of Oye-Ekiti, and many more, were alive after the war ended. More than 200,000 troops participated in the conflict under the banner of the Ekitiparapo Grand Alliance, with the Ijesha, the Igbomina, and Ife joining the alliance against Ibadan. Finally, Ekiti country was declared an independent state in 1886 when the peace accord was signed, and the war was officially ended in 1893 after 23 years of conflict. It is therefore recommended that the Ekiti and Ekitiparapo Independence Day Celebration should be observed from 23rd September to 1st October every year. Congratulations, Ekitiparapos, on your victory and freedom; congratulations, Yoruba nation!

Notes on contributor

Dele Alaba Ilesanmi (Ph.D.) has been a lecturer at the Redeemed Christian Bible College (Satellite Campus) for over 15 years now and an Assistant Research Professor at Testament Theological Seminary (online) with expertise in Biblical Research and Christian Education and with a special interest in Christian Biblical Educational Learning Theory and Practice (a field he is currently pioneering), Christian Education, Biblical Theory, and Theology. He is a pastor and teacher of the Word. He has written eight books and not less than 50 articles, including conference papers, academic, journal, and Christian articles. His bestseller is “Globalizing True Education: A Divine Mandate”. He serves as the President and CEO of ChristoPress Institude of Biblical Research (CIBR), a biblically-based online research institute. You can reach him at +234-08062197040, pstdeleilesanmi3@gmail.com, or https://www.christopress.org.ng.

References and Notes

Akintoye S.A., (1971). Revolution and Power Politics in Yorubaland 1840–1893: Ibadan expansion and the rise of Ekiti Parapo

Buhari, Lateef Oluwafemi (2023). Causes and Origin of the Ekiti-Parapo War in: Polit Journal: Scientific Journal of Politics, 2023, and https://sunnewsonline.com/ekiti-parapo-war).

Ilesanmi Dele A (2012). Christianity and Ekiti Educational Development since 1896. M.A Dissertation submitted to the Redeemed Christian Bible College

Johnson, S. (1969). The History of the Yorubas, Lagos, CSS Bookshop

Olomola, Isola, (2005). Ekitiparapo Aspirations Since 1890s. Andkolad Ventures Nig. Ltd., Ile-Ife, Osun Stste. See also, Rev. Samuel Crowther’s dispatch in 1856; Richard Burton, 1863; Rev. Hutchinson, S.J., 1968, Impressionof West Africa

Newspapers and Internet

Aba Saheed, The Yoruba Race in the Nigerian Tribune, Monday,17 April,2001 p.12

Ekiti is best state”, says Pastor Kumuyi, This Day, Sunday, Dec.,11, 2005, P. 3; Monday 12, Dec., 2005; Sunday Sun, Dec.,11, 2005, P.61; Tribune, Dec.,11, 2005, P. 7; and other national dailies.

Fola Akinyemi, Saturday Tribune, February 25, 2006, p. 34

Professor Banji Akintoye, Comet, Thursday, June 22, 2006, P10

https://sunnewsonline.com/ekiti-parapo-war

[1] Olomola, Isola, 2005, Ekitiparapo Aspirations Since 1890s, p. 54; see also Rev. Johnson, S. The History of the Yorubas,1969, 1969, p. 550,

[2] see Rev. Samuel Crowther’s dispatch in 1856; Richard Burton, 1863; Rev. Hutchinson, S.J., 1968, Impressionof West Africa; and Olomola’s Ekitiparapo Aspirations Since 1890s, 2005:2