₦airaland Forum

Amalekki:
https://litcaf.com/ekiti-people/

Ekiti people are subgroup of the Yoruba, historically occupying the Ekiti country, which was made up of 16 kingdoms- Otun, Ikole, Ado, Oye, Ijero, Ido, Ikere, Ise, Emure, Effon, Okemesi (traditionally Imesi-Igodo), Ara, Isan, Itaji, Obo, Akure, and Ogotun. In 1882- the Awujale of Ijebu made mention of being an ally of “the 16 kings in Ekiti.” Samuel Johnson says that the Ekiti are a section of the aboriginal elements occupying Yorubaland before Oduduwa. Apparently, the people in this eastern districts comprises aborigines of the country and later immigrants. In reality, a majority claims to have come from Ile Ife, though there are sessions who maintains they came from easterly regions (mostly Benin) or from other places at different times. The story usually goes that even these people came from Ile Ife but went separately or in the company of the Oba of Benin, to the east, settling in Benin kingdom. For reasons that escaped records, they retraced their steps and finally settled in their present abode.

No single leader was acknowledged by the confederation of Ekiti kingdoms prior to the 19th Century. No two towns in Ekiti is known to have been ruled together by a single Ekiti ruler. The Ekiti dialect differs in varying degrees from one kingdom to another. Although there can be seen an Ekiti country characterized by hills and rocks, a 1933 Intelligence Report on Ikere by N.A.C. Weir posits that “the Ekiti people, if there are any such thing, are not a subgroup in the sense that the Egba, Ijebu are.” Each town, identified as Ekiti therefore are one because they live and occupy land in a district which takes its name owing to its hilly nature. These people, said CMS’s Hinderer in a journal of 1855, “love their liberty- and have been known in the hour of extremity to chose death rather than a life of slavery.”

Trade served as a great uniting factor for the Ekiti people. Women were often seen carrying their wares on their heads from one end of the Ekiti country to another. However, Ekiti was too fragmented to offer enough resistance to the mighty Benin empire when by the late 16th Century, forces penetrated as far as Otun in the extreme north of Ekiti country. The kingdoms gave their submission peacefully in most cases, but ignored or forgot the terms of submission thereafter because of the relatively great distance of their land form Benin and the inconsistency of the power of Benin. Evidence shows that Ekiti before the 19th Century, like other eastern Yoruba kingdoms, were drawn more towards the center of Benin than towards the center of Yoruba civilization. At intervals, Ekiti came under the old Oyo Empire. Igbomina, occupying the north of Ekiti was fully part of the empire but the rest of Ekiti kings only acknowledged the Alaafin at Oyo as a senior brother.

Ekiti did not suffer the effects of the decline of Oyo authority directly, but Fulanis from Ilorin, who, taking advantage of the empire’s fall, soon showed face at Otun, in the extreme north of Ekiti. Although they conquered most Igbomina villages with little difficulty, Omu-Ekiti proved to be a nut to crack, for its ranks had been filled with Oyo refugees who had learnt the Oyo Art of War. Managing to rise up once beaten, Otun served as a gate keeper to the rest of Ekiti southward. Once more, the hills and ruggedness of the Ekiti country rendered the Calvary warfare that was the hallmark of Fulani Ilorin’s army ineffective. By 1840, the Ibadan army, eager to enter dominance in the new post-Alafin Oyo order that was to emerge, had joined Ekiti warriors in expelling the Fulanis.

From 1854, Ibadan military garrison, which had become the most powerful state in the whole of Yorubaland set its eyes fully on Ekiti, the country which it has, after several minor expeditions, familiarized itself with. Six years later, most Ekiti towns had come under Ibadan. As aggression from Ibadan continued, the kingdoms started to realize they shared a common destiny.



Wokuti

Wokuti, name given to the mysterious death of Ibadan warriors at the hills of Ekiti in 1897 at the last Ibadan military campaign in eastern Yoruba country literally means “pile the corpses out of the way.” The Wokuti war was pursued on the Ibadan side under the leadership of Latosisa, but no mention of it was made even in Ibadan prior to the attack. In this war, neither Ogedengbe nor Aduloju, the arch-enemy warrirors of the Ibadan army was attacked, but it appears, Esugbayi, the ambitious warrior, friend to Ibadan, who ruled a large kingdom extending beyond Aiyede to Ekiti and Akoko lands. Esugbayi bourgeoining influence, historian, S.A. Akintoye believed, excited the suspicion and hostility of the Ibadan chiefs.

Latosisa, the Ibadan General’s bigger vision was to extend Ibadan conquest into far northeastern Yoruba countries- the latter day Kabba Division. In December 1875, he led his army into Ekiti and proceeded to Aiyede, capturing and securing the surrender of Esugbayi who now accepted his kingdom to be Ibadan protectorate and to pay tributes. The conquering Ibadan party missed their way, and forayed into dangerous terrains where many perished, in one probably exaggerated account, leaving only one alive.



Ekiti Parapo

Erstwhile hostile and uncooperative relations between Ekiti kingdoms reached a turning point in 1878 with the creation of an alliance with Ogedengbe as Chief Commander and with the political patronage of the Owa of Ilesa. The alliance’s original purpose was to dislodge the Ibadan overlord. The emirate of Ilorin, seeing an opportunity in its contest against Ibadan for more territories, joined the Ekiti Parapo alliance in this campaign. Ekiti villages already under the control of the emirate joined their kindred who sough freedom from Ibadan influence. With the outbreak of Kiriji War, they pursued their goal of a glorious reunion.

A treaty was made in 1886, which passed Ekiti districts formerly under Ibadan control to the hands of the British. The part of Ekiti still under Ilorin began to revolt against the emirate, sometimes driving consols from their towns as recorded of the towns of Otun, Aiyede, and Ishan towns in 1896. An attempt to assert the emir’s authority led to a war at Erinmope, in which Ilorin suffered defeat. In spite of this victory, many Ekiti towns under the emirate were not joined politically with their kindred in Southern Nigeria until the first half of the 20th Century. When Otun Ekiti was finally transferred to Southern Nigeria in 1936, there remained only one Ekiti town left under Ilorin jurisdiction. Ekiti people are today contained in the political entity, Ekiti state of Nigeria, carved out of the old Ondo state in 1996.

OROSUNBOLB:
In the olden days,Alaafin would have,by now, commanded Areonakakanfo to invade Ilawe and bring Alawe before him (Alaafin) for severe punishment. Historically, there are only sixteen "Pelupelu Oba" or "Oba alade merindinlogun" ( sixteen first class kings) in Ekiti state and Alawe is not one of them

Alawe is only taking advantage of democracy and the balkanization of Yoruba traditional order by the colonial rulers to act in this manner.. Is it not Ekiti state aggrieved kings who are at loggerhead with him that actually reported him to Alaafin ? And he has the effrontery to call Alaafin an interloper ! I know "Iku baba yeye" will still deal with him. History cannot be rewritten,Alawe is a lesser king in the hierarchy of Obas in Ekiti land.

7lives:
Fayemi is a nuisance, the most powerful monarch in Ekiti is Ewi of Ado,
If Ewi will not dare an Alafin, who is this Alawe?, thunder is about to fire Fayemi and his boy Alawe.
They don't know who an Alafin is, and I pray they never gets to find out.

7lives:
Omo the Alawe guy na real omo shaku shaku ., Ti aja ba nsiwin, o ye ki o mo olowo e o.
Ooni Olubushe in all his powers had to beg for the state of Osun to be created, to avoid further confrontation with an Alafin.
Ti Alawe o ba, ba itan, shebi o ba aroba, Alawe needs to visit the family of Bode Thoma, to have a better understanding of how not to mess with an Alafin.

Amalekki:
https://litcaf.com/ekiti-people/

Ekiti people are subgroup of the Yoruba, historically occupying the Ekiti country, which was made up of 16 kingdoms- Otun, Ikole, Ado, Oye, Ijero, Ido, Ikere, Ise, Emure, Effon, Okemesi (traditionally Imesi-Igodo), Ara, Isan, Itaji, Obo, Akure, and Ogotun. In 1882- the Awujale of Ijebu made mention of being an ally of “the 16 kings in Ekiti.” Samuel Johnson says that the Ekiti are a section of the aboriginal elements occupying Yorubaland before Oduduwa. Apparently, the people in this eastern districts comprises aborigines of the country and later immigrants. In reality, a majority claims to have come from Ile Ife, though there are sessions who maintains they came from easterly regions (mostly Benin) or from other places at different times. The story usually goes that even these people came from Ile Ife but went separately or in the company of the Oba of Benin, to the east, settling in Benin kingdom. For reasons that escaped records, they retraced their steps and finally settled in their present abode.

No single leader was acknowledged by the confederation of Ekiti kingdoms prior to the 19th Century. No two towns in Ekiti is known to have been ruled together by a single Ekiti ruler. The Ekiti dialect differs in varying degrees from one kingdom to another. Although there can be seen an Ekiti country characterized by hills and rocks, a 1933 Intelligence Report on Ikere by N.A.C. Weir posits that “the Ekiti people, if there are any such thing, are not a subgroup in the sense that the Egba, Ijebu are.” Each town, identified as Ekiti therefore are one because they live and occupy land in a district which takes its name owing to its hilly nature. These people, said CMS’s Hinderer in a journal of 1855, “love their liberty- and have been known in the hour of extremity to chose death rather than a life of slavery.”

Trade served as a great uniting factor for the Ekiti people. Women were often seen carrying their wares on their heads from one end of the Ekiti country to another. However, Ekiti was too fragmented to offer enough resistance to the mighty Benin empire when by the late 16th Century, forces penetrated as far as Otun in the extreme north of Ekiti country. The kingdoms gave their submission peacefully in most cases, but ignored or forgot the terms of submission thereafter because of the relatively great distance of their land form Benin and the inconsistency of the power of Benin. Evidence shows that Ekiti before the 19th Century, like other eastern Yoruba kingdoms, were drawn more towards the center of Benin than towards the center of Yoruba civilization. At intervals, Ekiti came under the old Oyo Empire. Igbomina, occupying the north of Ekiti was fully part of the empire but the rest of Ekiti kings only acknowledged the Alaafin at Oyo as a senior brother.

Ekiti did not suffer the effects of the decline of Oyo authority directly, but Fulanis from Ilorin, who, taking advantage of the empire’s fall, soon showed face at Otun, in the extreme north of Ekiti. Although they conquered most Igbomina villages with little difficulty, Omu-Ekiti proved to be a nut to crack, for its ranks had been filled with Oyo refugees who had learnt the Oyo Art of War. Managing to rise up once beaten, Otun served as a gate keeper to the rest of Ekiti southward. Once more, the hills and ruggedness of the Ekiti country rendered the Calvary warfare that was the hallmark of Fulani Ilorin’s army ineffective. By 1840, the Ibadan army, eager to enter dominance in the new post-Alafin Oyo order that was to emerge, had joined Ekiti warriors in expelling the Fulanis.

From 1854, Ibadan military garrison, which had become the most powerful state in the whole of Yorubaland set its eyes fully on Ekiti, the country which it has, after several minor expeditions, familiarized itself with. Six years later, most Ekiti towns had come under Ibadan. As aggression from Ibadan continued, the kingdoms started to realize they shared a common destiny.



Wokuti

Wokuti, name given to the mysterious death of Ibadan warriors at the hills of Ekiti in 1897 at the last Ibadan military campaign in eastern Yoruba country literally means “pile the corpses out of the way.” The Wokuti war was pursued on the Ibadan side under the leadership of Latosisa, but no mention of it was made even in Ibadan prior to the attack. In this war, neither Ogedengbe nor Aduloju, the arch-enemy warrirors of the Ibadan army was attacked, but it appears, Esugbayi, the ambitious warrior, friend to Ibadan, who ruled a large kingdom extending beyond Aiyede to Ekiti and Akoko lands. Esugbayi bourgeoining influence, historian, S.A. Akintoye believed, excited the suspicion and hostility of the Ibadan chiefs.

Latosisa, the Ibadan General’s bigger vision was to extend Ibadan conquest into far northeastern Yoruba countries- the latter day Kabba Division. In December 1875, he led his army into Ekiti and proceeded to Aiyede, capturing and securing the surrender of Esugbayi who now accepted his kingdom to be Ibadan protectorate and to pay tributes. The conquering Ibadan party missed their way, and forayed into dangerous terrains where many perished, in one probably exaggerated account, leaving only one alive.



Ekiti Parapo

Erstwhile hostile and uncooperative relations between Ekiti kingdoms reached a turning point in 1878 with the creation of an alliance with Ogedengbe as Chief Commander and with the political patronage of the Owa of Ilesa. The alliance’s original purpose was to dislodge the Ibadan overlord. The emirate of Ilorin, seeing an opportunity in its contest against Ibadan for more territories, joined the Ekiti Parapo alliance in this campaign. Ekiti villages already under the control of the emirate joined their kindred who sough freedom from Ibadan influence. With the outbreak of Kiriji War, they pursued their goal of a glorious reunion.

A treaty was made in 1886, which passed Ekiti districts formerly under Ibadan control to the hands of the British. The part of Ekiti still under Ilorin began to revolt against the emirate, sometimes driving consols from their towns as recorded of the towns of Otun, Aiyede, and Ishan towns in 1896. An attempt to assert the emir’s authority led to a war at Erinmope, in which Ilorin suffered defeat. In spite of this victory, many Ekiti towns under the emirate were not joined politically with their kindred in Southern Nigeria until the first half of the 20th Century. When Otun Ekiti was finally transferred to Southern Nigeria in 1936, there remained only one Ekiti town left under Ilorin jurisdiction. Ekiti people are today contained in the political entity, Ekiti state of Nigeria, carved out of the old Ondo state in 1996.

saheedbadmus:
Hmm dis alawe no serious.. so he doesn't know in Yoruba culture and custom a 1st class king can always intervene on behalf of lesser kings.. so As alafia mediate with Fayemi on behalf of the kings bad abi .. hmm



When planning a party, let security be ur no 1 priority.. let our well trained and equipped Bouncers secure your events withing Lagos and neighboring states at an affordable rate.. our Bouncers can handle crowd and can withstand all kind of situations..

Stakeholders:
If not for all this democracy of a thing, in the olden, how dare Alawe to talk to Alaafin like that?

If he don't know Makinde cannot do anything for Alaafin because he will not want what befall Akala during it tenure has Governor of Oyo State befall him.

Sammy07:
Pls remove Ondo...
Ibadan never control Ondo at all.

BTW, during the 16yrs. Ibadan didn't over take Ekiti..
How sure if the war still went on without intervention that ibadan will win the war??

7lives:
Fayemi is a nuisance, the most powerful monarch in Ekiti is Ewi of Ado,
If Ewi will not dare an Alafin, who is this Alawe?, thunder is about to fire Fayemi and his boy Alawe.
They don't know who an Alafin is, and I pray they never gets to find out.

saheedbadmus:
Hmm dis alawe no serious.. so he doesn't know in Yoruba culture and custom a 1st class king can always intervene on behalf of lesser kings.. so As alafia mediate with Fayemi on behalf of the kings bad abi .. hmm



When planning a party, let security be ur no 1 priority.. let our well trained and equipped Bouncers secure your events withing Lagos and neighboring states at an affordable rate.. our Bouncers can handle crowd and can withstand all kind of situations..

0m0nnakoda:
Ooni bagged for Osun state to be created to avoid confrontation with Allaafin?
That sounds like what a child would say?

Do you have evidence of this begging?


Who "begged" for Ekiti state to be created.

It is important not to mix up issues


Whatever is happening in Ekiti is not the official concern of Alaafin.
If he has anything to say he should say it privately
Alaafin is not and no other person is King of what is now called Yoruba land

Alaafin should stop trying to resurrect a dead empire.

Even before the British came Oyo was in decline and Ibadan was a stronger force

This is important because going forward if there will be peace it will be one which the Alaafin learns to recognise that the empire died a long time

7lives:
Stop disgracing yourself up and down ok?, even after the creation of Osun state, Owa Obokun Adimula, Adekunle Aromolaran of Ijeshaland, still shut Ooni Olubuse down from becoming the parmernent chairman, of the council of Obas in Osun state, this is what Owa will not dare try with an Alafin.
We are talking about the Alafin of Oyo here, Iku baba yeye, Omo iku to iku ko gbodo pa, omo Arun ti arun ko gbodo she.
Who ever dares him die ok?.
When the wahala come mordernization will not save Alawe or Fayemi, the earlier sense fall on them the better.

0m0nnakoda:
Disgrace?
He is iku baba yeye in Oyo,
Nothing to do with Ijebu Egba,Lagos it does not even reach Ibadan.

You are mixing it up .
What is happening in Ekiti is not the Alaafin's business. He has no more of a mandate to write than the Oba of Benin or the Obong of Calabar
That is my point. Any attempt to resurrect the Oyo empire or to position Alaafin through the backdoor as leader of other kings outside Oyo state is dead on arrival.
Whatever is going on in Ekiti is a different issue and I have not taken any sides or position so don't misrepresent me

7lives:
I thought I was discussing with someone who knows how traditional hierarchy works in Yoruba land.
Even presidents go dobale in front of an Alafin, so who is Fayemi an Alawe to constitutie nuisance?.
The difference between Alafin and other Yoruba monarchs is that, Alafin is a deity, yes a living deity. I won't say more than this.
Ti aja yin ba fi Ori ko imi, a mo ona ile olowo e.
This is the last time I will post anything on this matter.
Ire o.

0m0nnakoda:
What is Yorubaland

There is nothing like that

You do not know how to debate without personal jibes

Focus on the issue.

Oyo was an empire it never succeeded in subjugating Ijebus ,Awori
Even Ekiti were vassals at one point or another of Benin
At every opportunity Oyo vassal states fought for freedom just like Nigeria did with Britain
The Oyo lost authority over Ilorin to military force. They cannot intervene there. They cannot intervene in Sabe or Ajase in Benin republic
Why do Ajase people not describe themselves as Yoruba
So when I hear Young people talk of Yoruba land I laugh.
Definitely people need to ask themselves what that means

It is Nigeria that has forced Ekiti, Egba ,Ijebus to call themselves Yoruba.
Before Nigeria was formed they never did.
Those entities were NATIONS on their own.if Nigeria breaks up and SW decided to come together there is no basis to ascribe leadership to Oyo
The Oyo empire was dismantled a very long time ago

seunmsg:
The old Oyo empire never included all of Yoruba land at any point in time. Most of Yoruba land but not all.

gaskiyamagana:
The remaining belongs to which empire?

seunmsg:
Akure was part of the Ekiti Parapo confederate army.

gaskiyamagana:
The remaining belongs to which empire?

seunmsg:
They are stand alone kingdoms. There is no rule that a town must be part of an empire.

Sammy07:
E.g, Ondo.
Ondo kingdom is never part of Oyo empire or Benin empire

seunmsg:
They are stand alone kingdoms. There is no rule that a town must be part of an empire.

0m0nnakoda:
Even if it was part that is not eternal, Nigeria, the USA and much more were part of the British Empire.
When an empire ends There cannot be insistence on past glory .
Oyo is a town in Oyo state period

One other thin is the Creation of Nigeria FORCED several groups which previously never did so to self identify as "Yoruba"
Similar groups in Benin republic do not identify as such

Finally not everyone sees themselves as Omo Oduduwa

0m0nnakoda:
Substitute the word town with Nation.
Those Kingdoms were nation states

Sammy07:
I know, what I'm trying to say is.
Never in history did any town or empire conquered Ondo kingdom