THE OSHOGBO WAR OF 1840

 

How Ibadan War Generals and Troops Saved Yoruba Race From Fulani Jihadist.

After the Fulanis systematically captured Ilo̩rin via the treason of Afo̩nja the Field Marshall of the O̩yo̩ empire, the Fulanis together with Malian and Fulani immigrants made Ilo̩rin their territory. They had immense assistance from some Yoruba Ilo̩rin Muslims which led to the sacking of the old O̩yo̩ Empire in 1835.

For administrative reasons, the fleeing O̩yo̩ citizens relocated the O̩yo̩ administrative centre from O̩yo̩ Ile to the present O̩yo̩ Ago. The Alaafin devolved the military power of the O̩yo̩ army into the hands of garrison commanders like Ogunmo̩la, Kurunmi, Timi and S̩oun. 

The Fulanis had sworn to dip the sword of Jihad into the Atlantic ocean and they were still not satisfied with their victory; they wished to extend their rule deep into the heart of Yoruba land and annex the whole coastal cities of Yorubaland into the Sokoto caliphate. Thus in 1840, they set to capture Oshogbo , a Yoruba town. The Fulanis, under the command of Ali , the  Balogun Fulani of Ilo̩rin, laid siege on Oshogbo.

The Fulanis got help from the Sokoto caliphate and other Arab/Tuareg mercenaries from across the sahel. The major war agenda of Sokoto caliphate was to destroy the O̩yo̩ monarchy and civilization completely before destroying all other Yoruba kingdoms for total subjugation just like the way they destroyed the Hausa civilization.

The Fulani army could not pass through the Ogbomo̩sho̩ axis and Oke Ogun axis because the Ogbomo̩sho̩ army led by the S̩oun and Kurunmi Ajadi of Ijaye had blocked and sealed off that route making it impossible for them to launch any attack from the rear. 

When the king of Oshogbo realized that the Ilo̩rins were too strong for the Oshogbo army, he summoned the Ibadans for help. Ibadan immediately sent some auxiliaries to Oshogbo under the command of O̩be̩le̩ alias Mobitan , and Alade Abimpagun. As this force could not stop the Ilo̩rins, another contingent was sent to Oshogbo under a more experienced leader. But still the Ilo̩rins won every battle and gained more ground.

The Fulanis controlled Oshogbo for two years before the O̩yo̩ army led by Ibadan came to the battle field.

When the Ibadans realized that the Ilo̩rins were becoming more threatening to Yoruba land, they sent a large and stronger force under Balogun O̩de̩rinlo̩ to crush the intruding forces and Jammas of Ilo̩rin . When O̩derinlo̩ and his men arrived at the battlefield, they realized that things had gone worse than they thought.

They could not show their faces in the open field for the fear of Ilo̩rin horses, they could not fight outside the town thickets. O̩de̩rinlo̩ suggested that Elepo, a brave Ibadan warrior was badly needed at the war-front. Elepo had been rejected by the war-chiefs of Ibadan for his actions at the late Agbamaja expedition.

As soon as the message from O̩de̩rinlo̩ reached Ibadan, the Basho̩run wished he could send Elepo to Oshogbo but could not go against the wish of other war-chiefs. The Basho̩run gave Elepo a cow to worship his god, Ori , and pray for the victory of Ibadan at the war-front.

At the war-front, the Ibadan could not attack the Ilo̩rins during the day because Oshogbo was practically in a plain and the Ilorin horses might have advantage of them with disastrous results.

They decided to attack at dusk when the Ilo̩rins would no longer be able to use their horses. About 2 p.m, the well prepared Ibadan army left the gate of Os̩ogbo for the battlefield. They were to keep a strict watch and arrest anyone suspected to be a spy.

About a mile from the Ilo̩rin camp, they halted and arranged the order of the attack.

The Oshogbo army and the earlier auxiliaries were to handle the center of the battlefield, chiefs Abitiko and Labuju were to command the right wing, Balogun O̩de̩rinlo̩ with the rest of the Ibadan war-chiefs were to form the left wing of the army. The Ilo̩rin camp was then attacked at midnight. The watchword was “ Elo ni owo odo? ” (How much is the ferry fare?).

The reason this watchword was chosen was because the river O̩s̩un had to be crossed in entering Oshogbo from the south, and anyone who could not tell this was likely to be an enemy.

Stampede engulfed the Ilo̩rin camp as the Ibadan army set it on fire. The Ilo̩rins could not offer the slightest resistance; they were smoked with the gunpowder of the Ibadan guns. Thousands of the Sokoto caliphate soldiers were slaughtered that day and thousands sold into slavery. 

This attack was a success for the Ibadan. Some Ilo̩rin war-chiefs were captured in the attack. Prominent ones were:

1. Jimba the head slave of the Emir;

2. One of the sons of Ali the commander in chief;

3. Chief Late̩ju;

4. Ajikobi the Yoruba Balogun of Ilo̩rin.

The first two were released while the latter two, being Yoruba by birth, were regarded as traitors and were executed. This was a huge victory for the whole of Yoruba land.

After the Oshogbo victory, Ibokun, an Ije̩s̩a town not far from Oshogbo was taken by the Ibadans for being an ally of Ilo̩rin. The Ibadans accused the Ije̩shas, Ekitis and the Ondos for giving the Fulanis free passage for their army and infantry in attacking another Yoruba town. The Ibadans then placed Aje̩le̩s on these Yoruba enclaves for the roles they played during the Oshogbo war.

The violent imposition of the Aje̩le̩s on this Yoruba kingdoms led to the Ekiti parapo̩ Civil War several years later.