Nineteenth century Yorubaland was shaped by conflict, migration, and the rise and fall of powerful city states. Older centres of authority had weakened, while new military powers expanded into surrounding regions. Among these, Ibadan emerged as one of the most formidable forces of the era, projecting power across large parts of Yorubaland.
It was within this unsettled landscape that Fábùnmi Ìṣọ̀lá, widely known as Fabunmi of Okemesi, rose to prominence. Later traditions describe him as a prince, a title that reflects his association with local authority and influence rather than a narrowly defined court office. He is generally associated with Okemesi and the wider Imesi area in Ekiti land, a region that would become central to one of the most significant conflicts in Yoruba history.
More important than precise dates or titles is the world that shaped him. Communities lived under constant pressure, balancing loyalty, survival, and resistance in an age where military strength often determined political fate.
Ibadan power and the Ajele system
As Ibadan extended its reach, many eastern Yoruba towns experienced its authority through resident representatives commonly known as Ajele. These officials were responsible for securing tribute, enforcing Ibadan’s interests, and maintaining control over subject communities. In practice, their presence often generated deep resentment.
Across Ekiti and neighbouring areas, memories of the Ajele system are linked to excessive demands, forced labour, and the erosion of local autonomy. Even where individual officials behaved differently, the system itself came to symbolise subjugation. By the late 1870s, dissatisfaction had hardened into anger, and many communities were prepared to resist if given the opportunity.
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The Oyepetun crisis at Okemesi
The turning point most often associated with Fabunmi centres on an Ibadan Ajele named Oyepetun. Relations between the Ajele and the Okemesi community deteriorated, culminating in a violent confrontation. Accounts vary in detail, but they converge on a common theme, abuse of authority and humiliation lay at the heart of the conflict.
Some traditions emphasise confiscation of property during a public occasion, others highlight personal insult, and some include allegations of sexual misconduct involving a woman connected to Fabunmi. While these narratives differ, they all point to the same outcome. Fabunmi led a decisive rejection of the Ajele’s authority, resulting in the killing of Oyepetun or members of his household.
In the political logic of the time, killing an Ajele was not a private act. It was a public declaration of defiance against Ibadan’s domination, and it demanded response.
From local flashpoint to an eastern alliance
The aftermath spread quickly beyond Okemesi. Retaliations followed, and fear of Ibadan’s response pushed many eastern towns to organise for collective defence. From this mobilisation emerged the Ekiti Parapo, a broad alliance of eastern Yoruba communities determined to resist further subjugation.
The conflict that followed became known as the Kiriji War, a prolonged struggle remembered for its duration and intensity. Fought from the late 1870s into the early 1890s, it disrupted trade, displaced populations, and reshaped political relationships across Yorubaland. The name Kiriji is often linked in popular memory to the thunderous sound of artillery fire, reflecting the psychological impact of new weapons introduced during the war.
Leaders of resistance and the shape of the war
Fabunmi’s role was most prominent in the early phase, when his defiance became a rallying symbol. As the war expanded, leadership became collective, with commanders and towns contributing according to their strength and position.
One of the most influential figures on the Ekiti Parapo side was Ògèdèngbé Agbogungboro, an Ijesa commander remembered for strategic skill and endurance. Under leaders such as Ogedengbe, the alliance relied on fortified positions, coordination between towns, and the determination to hold out despite immense hardship.
For ordinary people, the war meant years of uncertainty. Farms were abandoned, markets declined, and families adapted to life shaped by movement, defence, and loss. The Kiriji War was not only a military struggle but a social crisis that tested the resilience of entire communities.
The end of the war and its aftermath
The conflict did not end with a clear victory for any Yoruba power. Instead, exhaustion, negotiation, and changing external pressures brought the fighting to a close in the early 1890s. Prolonged warfare had weakened all sides, leaving the region vulnerable to new political arrangements.
This exhaustion formed part of the background to the expansion of British colonial authority, which sought to suppress large scale warfare and stabilise administration and trade. Within this new order, former war leaders adjusted to altered realities.
Fabunmi is remembered in later accounts as holding recognised authority in the post war period, often associated with Imesi Ile, a settlement linked to the Ekiti Parapo wartime camp. He lived into the early years of colonial rule and is commonly said to have died in 1903, carrying with him the memory of a conflict that transformed Yorubaland.
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Why Fabunmi still matters
Fabunmi’s place in history lies in what his actions represented. He stands as a symbol of the moment when long standing grievances crystallised into open resistance. His story illustrates how political domination, when enforced without legitimacy, can provoke unity among diverse communities and produce consequences far beyond the original spark.
The Kiriji War remains one of the defining episodes of Yoruba history, and Fabunmi’s name endures because it marks the point at which submission gave way to defiance.
Author’s Note
Fabunmi’s story reminds us that resistance is rarely born from a single moment alone, it grows where pressure has lasted too long, and his defiance shows how one stand can give voice to many unspoken grievances and change the course of history.
References
Johnson, Samuel, The History of the Yorubas
Akintoye, S. A., Revolution and Power Politics in Yorubaland, 1840 to 1893
Falola, Toyin, Yoruba Warfare in the Nineteenth Century
Ajayi, J. F. A., Christian Missions in Nigeria, 1841 to 1891
