A new chapter will open in the history of the Yoruba tomorrow as the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, confers the title of Aare Ona Kankanfo on the National Coordinator of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams, in Oyo, the capital of the old Oyo Empire. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU writes on the ascendancy, politics, battles, and exploits of the previous holders of the title and the tragedies that drew the curtains on their lives.
Oyo will be aglow tomorrow with festivities. Eminent Nigerians will be hosted in the capital of the old empire by the foremost traditional ruler, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Layiwola Atanda Adeyemi, for the installation of the 15th Aare Ona Kankanfo of Yorubaland, Otunba Ganiyu Adams, the National Coordinator of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC).
The man of valour will put on the ageless costume and receive the ’invincible’ staff of war, which are the insignias of the ancient title. Other badges, which he will take home, are the Ojijiko, a cap made of the red feathers of the parrot’s tail, with a projection behind reaching as far down as the waist; an apron of leopard’s skin, a leopard’s skin to sit on always, and the asiso or pigtail.
The Iku BabaYeye will pour his royal blessings on the new Generalisimo at the sacred ceremony, which will be coordinated by the Oyomesi, the Esos, Ilaris, the members of the Ogboni, Osugbo, and Awo’pa. The historic event will be witnessed by monarchs, statesmen, politicians, top government officials, captains of industry, leaders of self-determination groups, and women and youth groups.
But, there will be an omission. Alayeluwa Adeyemi will not send Aare Adams to any war, unlike his predecessors. In peace time, the Aare Ona Kankanfo is a honorary title bestowed on valiant men worthy of the honour. His headship of the Esos pales into symbolism. He is still revered as the Commander. But, there is no more organised Yoruba military force.
According to observers, the position is a befitting reward for Adams’ principled defense of Yoruba interest, culture and heritage. Although the OPC coordinator cannot not be on the same pedestal with his illustrious predecessors, he is perceived as a house hold name in Yorubaland who has fought for his race. Although he may not measure up to their giant traditional, military, economic and political stature, Kankanfo Adams, in a modern clime, has displayed a rare courage and resilience as a focused self-determination champion worthy of emulation and pride in Yorubaland.
The Alaafin is the only traditional ruler in Yorubaland who has the power and authority to bestow the title. His choice and decision are not subject to debate. They are unquestionable. The exclusive right may place the highly revered monarch in an undeniable and enviable position as the King of Yorubas, to the envy of those obsa who pose as his rivals.
Adams is now in the rare class of Yoruba nobility by tradition. His seniors in the Oyo of yore were the Oyomesi, led by the Basorun. In the defunct Oyo Empire, he Basorun or Osorun and his colleagues-Agbakin, Samu, Alapinin, Laguna, Akiniku and Asipa, inherited their titles by birth. But, the eminent historian and priest, Samuel Johnson, described the title of Aare Ona Kankanfo as “a reward of merit alone.” Only brave warriors were eligible and they were seen to be capable of holding forth in battles. “It is a title akin to a field marshal, and is conferred upon the greatest soldier and tactician of the day,” he added.
History was made in Yorubaland when the title was created by Alaafin Ajagbo, who succeeded Oba Obalokun. As a tradition, the Aare must not live in the capital with the Alaafin. Reality later dawned on the monarch that he had created the most powerful office outside royalty that could even dare the throne. He knew that no Kankanfo will dare destroy Oyo. But, other towns and villages were vulnerable to his onslaught. Therefore, Oba Ajagbo decreed that under no circumstance should any Kankanfo wage war against Iwere, his mother’s town. From time immemorial, it became a taboo.
The first holder of the prestigious title was Kokorogangan, a native of Iwoye. The rites of installation underscored the spiritual seriousness of a title, whose holder is sustained by the black power, juju, before shouldering the heavy and delicate responsibilities of the shoulders of the Aare. After going through the rites, he becomes more daring, brave, bolder, permanently warlike and most dangerous. Putting this into perspective, Rev. Johnson stated: “Like the Ilaris, at the time of his taking office, he is first to shave his head completely, and 201 incisions are made on his occiput, with 201 different lancets and specially prepared ingredients from 201 viols are rubbed into the cuts, one for each.
“This is supposed to render him fearless and courageous. They are always shaved, but the hair on the inoculated part is allowed to grow long, and when plaited, forms a tuft or a sort of pigtail. Kankanfos are generally stubborn and obstinate. They have all been more or less troublesome, due to the effects of the ingredients they were inoculated with.
“In war, they carry no weapon, but a baton known as the “king’s invincible staff.” It is generally u8nderstood that they are to give way to no one, not even to the king, their master. Hence, Kankanfos are never created in the capital, but in any town in the kingdom.
“There can be only one Kankanfo at a time. By virtue of his office, he is to go to war once in three years to whatever place the king named, and, dead or alive, to return home a victor, or be brought home a corpse within three months.”
So fearful and awful were the installation rites and spiritual responsibilities associated with the title that a cleric and former Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Isaac Babalola Akinyele, prayed in his book: ‘The History of Ibadan,’ that no Ibadan indigene should ever bag the title again.
In the days of war, Yoruba had 12 Kankanfos. Kokorogangan’s successors were Otatope, also from Iwoye, Oyabi of Ajase, Adeta of Jabata, Oku, also a native of Jabata, and Afonja of Ilorin. Others were Toyeje, a native of Ogbomoso, Edun of Gbogun, Amepo of Abemo, Kurumi of Ijaye, Ojo Aburumaku of Ogbomoso and Iyanda Asubiaro Latosa of Ibadan.
Indeed, these Kankanfos were associated with the long periods of turbulence and upheavals in Yorubaland. All Kankanfos were great men of valour. But, the most famous were Afoja, Toyeje, Kurumi, Ojo Aburumaku, who because he had no war to fight, instigated a civil war in his native Ogbomoso, which he also repressed with vigour, and Latoosa Asubiaro, the legendary military leader of Ibadan, who waged war against Ekitiparapo for 16 years.
In modern times, the title was resuscitated by Alaafin Gbadegesin Ladigbolu, who in August 1964 bestowed it on the embattled Premier of the defunct Western Region, the late Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola. He was killed during the military coup of January 15, 1966. In 1988, Oba Adeyemi conferred the title on Chief Moshood Abiola, shortly after he was made the Basorun of Ibadan by the Olubadan, Oba Oloyede Asanike.
Instructively, both in ancient and modern times, all the Aare Ona Kankanfos died in tragic circumstances. They ended their lives in violence.
Oyabi:
Throughout history, Kankanfos took orders from the Suzerain, the creator of the title. But, there was usually rivalry between some Alaafins and their Generalisimos. Alaafin Abiodun Adegoolu had a different battle, not with Kankanfo, but, with the powerful Basorun Gaa, who he defeated with the special assistance of Oyabi. Peace returned to Oyo. But, due to his precarious health condition, Oyabi, the architect of that peace, died two years later on his way to Oyo, where he had been invited by Oba Abiodun for special honours.
Afonja:
Afonja hailed from Ilorin, a town founded by his great grandfather, Laderin, who was succeeded by his son, Pasin. Pasin surprised many when he opposed Basorun Gaa, the most ruthless Basorun Oyo ever had. He was slain on the order of the angry Basorun, who brooked no oposition. After his demise, his son, Alagbin, ruled the town before passing the baton to his son, Afonja.
When Abiodun died, he was succeeded by his cousin, Aole. A restless Afoja, a prince through his mother, who was a descendant of Alaafin, demanded to be made Kankanfo by force. Since he knew that he could not become an oba, he took solace in the highest military title. After granting his request, the Alaafin instigated war in Apomu, which he commanded Afonja to destroy because the Baale of Apomu had offended him when he was a young prince by exposing him to the ridicule of public flogging, following his involvement in slave trade. The Baale ran to Owoni (Ooni) of Ife, who could not save him. Later, he committed suicide, and his head was cut off and sent to the Alaafin to appease him.
Aole’s next enemy was Afoja, his kinsman. He proclaimed a war, directing Afonja to embark on military expedition to Iwere. The aim was to make the warrior from Ilorin to run fool of the tradition so that the curse of Ajagbo can be on him. The senior military officers who accompanied him-Basorun, Samu, Alapinni and the Opele of Gbogun and Adegun, the Onikoyi of Ikoyi-were taking aback on sighting the hilly town of Iwere. They berated Afonja for a shortfall in historic perception. Sensing that Aole deliberately wanted to kill him, he collided with the chiefs by asking the Alafin to ‘open a calabash’ (to commit suicide). Aole refused, but the soldiers, led by Afonja invaded Oyo, killing the Alaafin.
Subsequently, Afonja grew wings and declared his independence from Oyo. Following his declaration of revolution, he was disconnected from the capital. The Kankanfo also reorganised his army. That later became his undoing. To secure his territory, he discharged many Yoruba from his army and recruited Fulani soldiers, led by Alimi. The foreigners were called jamas. They were outstanding soldiers on horses imported into the Yoruba territory of Ilorin. Later, they were rebellious; disloyal to Afonja and only loyal to Alimi. They plundered Yoruba towns and villages, harassed their hosts and rebuffed Afonja’s warnings. The suspicion grew into open hostility, which heralded war over the control of Ilorin. Having severed relations with his kith and kin in Yorubaland, especially the mighty men of war who were his allies before his historic rebellion against Aole and his successors, Maku, Adebo and Majotu, Afonja could not secure the collective support of Yoruba to send the foreigners packing. The strongman of Ilorin paid dearly for his treachery. The supremacy of Afonja as the overlord was contested by the interlopers. In the battle between Afonja forces and jamas, led by Alimi, Afonja fell before his conqueror and the political control of Ilorin passed on to Alimi’s descendants to this day. Alimi was succeeded by his son, Abdulsalami, who became the first Emir of Ilorin.
Reminiscing on the tragedy of Ilorin, Samuel said: “Ilorin now passed into the hands of foreigners, the Fulanis, who had been invited as friends and allies. These being far more astute than the Yorubas, having studies their weak points and observed their misrule, planned to grasp the whole kingdom into their own hands by playing one chief against another and weakening the whole. Their more generous treatment of the fallen foes and artful method of conciliating a power they could not openly crush, marked them out as a superior people in the art of government.”
Toyeje:
When Afonja died, Toyeje, his Otun (the commander of the right) and Baale of Ogbomoso, was promoted to the post of Kankanfo. He made an attempt to liberate Ilorin, but without success.
Edun:
Aare Edun, the head of Gbogun town, incurred the wrath of the Emir of Ilorin, Abdulsalami, by refusing to pay allegiance to him. Knowing that Ikoyi had become a vassalage of Ilorin, Edun regarded the town as his enemy and threatened its ruler, Siyenbola. The Aare proposed the destruction of Ikoyi, if it was not deserted, claiming that it was dangerous to have an Ilorin base close to his own territory. But, when Ilorin soldiers invaded Gbogun, the town fell. Edun first escaped to Gbodo, but was later overtaken. The people of Yoruba town of Gbodo wanted to save the life of the fallen General. But, his pursuers insisted that he must die, saying: “If you allow him to escape, your lives will go for his life as you will show yourselves thereby to be an enemy to the Emir of Ilorin.” But, Edun fought bravely before he was overwhelmed by the Ilorin forces. He was beheaded in the presence of his son, Oduewu, who later purchased the head for a decent burial to save himself from disgrace.
Kurumi:
Edun was succeeded by Amepo. After him came Kurumi, the great warrior from Ijaye. Prince Atiba, who was scheming to be the Alaafin, had promised the two most powerful war chiefs, Oluyole of Ibadan and Kurumi, the titles of Basorun and Kankanfo during the Eleduwe war. When he ascended the throne after the death of Alaafin Oluewu, he fulfilled the promises. Therefore, for the first time, the Basorun of Oyo lived outside the capital.
Historians described Kurumi as a bloodthirsty tyrant. When he became the Aare, he put his rivals to death. People feared him more than the gods. Thus, in his days, Yoruba came up with a proverb: “Aare n pe o, o nda’fa. B’ifa re fo re, bi Aare fo ibi nko?” (You receive Aare’s summons and you are divining with your Ifa. What if Ifa is propitious and the Aare is not?) For the least offence, Kurumi will order the execution of the offender and the plundering of his house. He was a terror to the aristocrats. But, he granted redress and liberty to the poor.
However, crisis broke out between Kurumi and Oluyole. Oluyoye, who was scheming to become Alaafin, demanded that Kurumi should acknowledge his superiority by coming to Ibadan to pay homage to him. When the Kankanfo put to death all those captured from Balogun Oderinlo of Ibadan’s camp during the expedition on Oyo farms, Oluyole raised a siege on Ijaye. But, Oluyole died before Kurumi, having fallen from his horse at home and taken ill.
When Atiba died, he was succeeded by his son, Adelu, who was acknowledged as king by all, except Kurumi. In the opinion of Kurumi, Aremo Adelu should have died with his father according to custom. But, Atiba had abrogated the law that the Aremo should die along with his father. Although Alaafin Adelu was conciliatory, Kurumu was adamant. The death of a rich lady, Abu, intestate at Ijanna, a town under Ijaye, was the camel that broke the horse’s back. According to custom, her property should revert to the Crown since she had no child. The town was divided between loyalty to the Alaafin and Kurumi. The messengers of the king who were asked to bring the treasure to Oyo were attacked by Kurumi’s troops at Apata Maba, near Oke’ho, and they dispersed.
Kankanfos: Their battles, exploits and tragedies
