His name is Bamidele, the son of Ogunyemi. His father was born in a town called Ayekooto while his mother was born in another town called Erin. Bamidele was born in his mother’s town.

Ayekooto and Erin were both powerful towns, both with lots of gallant soldiers. Both towns have always been adversaries. They competed for everything but none has been able to conquer the other.

Bamidele was a soldier in his mother’s town. He was young and agile. He helped his town win a lot of wars. When the king saw that he was too powerful and well loved by the people, he schemed to have him exiled.

Bamidele left Erin and found an uninhabited land and made a home there. He named the place Ile Ayo and became the warlord. Some of his soldiers who were expelled lived there with him. Soon, he married a beautiful damsel called Labake from Ayekooto, his father’s town. They both lived in Ile Ayo.

He had fifty soldiers who also married and lived there with him. The land was secured. He trained his men to prepare them for any war.

A time came when Ayekooto and Erin were each planning to become the sole leader of all other towns. They began to make plans. The first thing each town did was to find out the small towns or individuals that could pose a threat to their dominance. Each town settled on Bamidele and his soldiers.

Erin acted first. The king of Erin sent emissaries to Bamidele, asking him to support them in the war since his mother and he were born there.

The same day, Ayekooto also sent emissaries to Bamidele asking him to join them since his father and his wife were born there.

Bamidele called the emissaries of both town together and told them that he was neutral, that the war doesn’t concern him. He sent them away.

But both towns didn’t believe him, each thinking he would fight for the other. They each began to make plans to destroy him.

At The Erin Palace…

The Otun, Osi, Iyalode, Iyaloja and the Balogun were all in attendance. The king himself sat majestically on his throne, dressed in his usual attendance attire.
“Kabiyesi o,” the five chiefs chanted, bowing down. “Kade pe lori, ki bata pe lese.”

“You are welcome,” the king said, waving his elephant tail at them. “Any news?”

Iyaloja: Kabiyesi, all the traders have been made aware of the imminent war and they are ready to support our gallant soldiers to win.

King: That’s good. Otun, any news from our spies?

Otun: Kabiyesi, our spies at Erin have informed me about the type of weapons Ayekooto’s soldiers are planning to use.

King: That’s good. Balogun, how ready are our men?

Balogun: Kabiyesi, our men are ready for war. As long as we don’t have any surprises or interference, we shall win the war and remain dominant forever.

King: Which brings us to the matter of Bamidele the warlord. His father was born in Ayekooto, and his wife is also from there. Nothing can make me believe he won’t support that wretched town.

Iyalode: Kabiyesi, I have wondered about that too. One would have expected a man like that to support the town where he and his mother were born.

Osi: Perhaps, his wife has turned him against us. Women have a knack of influencing their husbands.

King: Hmm. What is the solution?

Balogun: I think we need to force him to support us.

Otun: How?

Balogun: By kidnapping his wife and his mother.

Iyaloja: Ha, Balogun, that would make him declare war on us.

Balogun: Not if we make it look like it was Ayekooto who did it.

Osi: Hmm, Balogun, you are an evil genius.

King: Make it happen. But make sure it doesn’t blow back in our faces.

***

At the Ayekooto Palace…

The King of Ayekooto sat in his garden, eating fruits. His special adviser, Ajalekoko, the commander of his special forces, a woman named Asake and the Balogun Ayekooto were with him.

Oba Ayekooto: Ajanlekoko, any news from our spies?

Ajanlekoko: Kabiyesi, I have rumours of Erin trying to negotiate with the warlord, Bamidele, into joining them.

Oba Ayekooto: That cursed man! His father and his wife were born here for crying out loud. Is he supporting them because he was born there? Nonsense!

Ajanlekoko: Kabiyesi, I have an idea.

Oba Ayekooto: Tell me

Ajanlekoko: Let’s force him or trick him to join us.

Oba Ayekooto: We kidnap his wife, mother and father and make it seem like his townsmen in Erin did it.

Asake: Hmm. My soldiers can easily do the kidnapping.

Oba Ayekooto: I like the idea. I wonder why I didn’t think of it first. Make it happen and quickly. This war must be won at all costs.

THE KIDNAP

The armies of Ayekooto and Erin had different unique uniforms to differentiate them and they were very proud and protective of those uniforms.

On the day of the kidnappings, the soldiers of Erin put on the uniforms of Ayekooto soldiers while the soldiers of Ayekooto put on the uniforms of Erin soldiers.

Asake and her special forces descended on Ile Ayo. Four of Bamidele’s community guards were spies for the King of Ayekooto. They knew about Bamidele’s schedule.

When the warlord, Bamidele, and his soldiers went for training on a land a bit far from Ile Ayo, the four spies led Asake and her men into the town. The men guarding Bamidele’s wife and mother were killed and Bamidele’s wife and mother were taken away when Bamidele’s father could not be found.

A few minutes after the Asake and her men left, the soldiers of Erin, dressed in Ayekooto soldiers’ uniform invaded Ile Ayo. They met four of Bamidele’s guards who were spies for Ayekooto. They were dispatched quickly but the fourth escaped.

The kidnappers could not find Bamidele’s wife and mother but they found his father. They kidnapped him and two little girls in the community.

Bamidele and his men returned and found the community in disarray.

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