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The Fall of Afonja and the Rise of Fulani Rule in Ilorin

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Ilorin, a city now known as the capital of Kwara State in Nigeria, has a complex and significant history that reflects the broader political struggles of the 18th and 19th centuries within the Yoruba world and beyond. Once a Yoruba military outpost under the control of the Oyo Empire, Ilorin’s transition into a Fulani emirate marked one of the most defining turning points in Nigerian history. At the center of this transformation was Afonja, the sixth Aare-Ona-Kakanfo of the Oyo Empire.

Afonja and the Yoruba Control of Ilorin

Ilorin was originally established as a frontier military post by the Oyo Empire. Ojo Isekuse, a Yoruba hunter, was the first known settler of the area, but it was later fortified and governed by Afonja, the Aare-Ona-Kakanfo—the military commander-in-chief of the Oyo Empire. Afonja administered Ilorin on behalf of the Alaafin (king) of Oyo, holding substantial military and political influence.

Conflict Between Afonja and Alaafin Aole

The tension that ultimately led to Afonja’s fall began during the reign of Alaafin Aole (c. 1789–1796). Aole gave Afonja several controversial orders, including attacking the town of Iwere-Ile, a place traditionally avoided due to spiritual taboos. Afonja defied these orders and later rejected another command to attack Apomu, a town in Ile-Ife, regarded as sacred. To signal his final break from the authority of the Alaafin, Afonja sent an empty calabash and parrot’s eggs to Aole—a symbol of rejection in Yoruba tradition.

In response, Alaafin Aole reportedly took his own life in a ritual suicide, uttering a powerful curse on the Yoruba people. This event symbolized the collapse of central authority in Oyo and laid the groundwork for the political upheaval that followed.

Alliance with Shehu Alimi and the Sokoto Jihadists

In seeking to protect his position and challenge the weakened Oyo monarchy, Afonja allied himself with Shehu Alimi, an Islamic scholar and Fulani cleric who had arrived in Ilorin with a band of disciples. This alliance, initially strategic, brought Afonja military support from Alimi’s followers and fighters from the wider Sokoto Caliphate, which had been expanding its Islamic influence across northern Nigeria.

With this support, Afonja and his new allies successfully resisted forces loyal to Oyo and eventually led attacks that resulted in the destruction of Oyo-Ile, the capital of the Oyo Empire, around 1817 or 1818. At this point, Ilorin became a powerful military base and began shifting from a Yoruba to a Fulani-controlled polity.

Afonja’s Downfall and Death

However, the partnership between Afonja and Shehu Alimi soon turned into a struggle for control. Afonja, though powerful, remained a traditional Yoruba warlord and resisted conversion to Islam. As Alimi’s followers grew in number and influence, tensions rose. Afonja also attempted to control the growing violence and lawlessness of the slave-soldiers known as the Jamaa—many of whom were loyal to the Fulani clerics.

Around 1824, these tensions reached a breaking point. Abdulsalam, the son of Shehu Alimi, rallied the Jamaa and led a revolt against Afonja. He was assassinated in the streets of Ilorin in a brutal ambush. His body was reportedly mutilated and left impaled with arrows and spears—a grim display of the fate of one of the most feared Yoruba warriors of his time.

Emergence of the Ilorin Emirate

Following Afonja’s death, Abdulsalam declared himself the first Emir of Ilorin, aligning the city politically and religiously with the Sokoto Caliphate. The traditional Yoruba chieftaincy system was abandoned in favor of the emirate model. From that point forward, Ilorin ceased to be ruled by Yoruba kings and was governed by Fulani emirs under Islamic law.

Failed Yoruba Counterattacks

After Afonja’s death, the Yoruba made several attempts to retake Ilorin. His successor, Toyeje of Ogbomoso, led counter-offensives such as the Battle of Ogele in 1825. Despite initial resistance, these campaigns ended in defeat for the Yoruba, largely due to the superior cavalry and support Ilorin received from Sokoto.

These losses marked the definitive end of Oyo’s military dominance in the region and sealed Ilorin’s status as a Fulani emirate. The city remained outside the political and cultural control of the Yoruba, despite being geographically located within Yorubaland—a reality that remains significant to this day.

The fall of Afonja is more than a personal tragedy; it is a symbol of the dramatic political realignments that occurred in 19th-century West Africa. Afonja’s attempt to assert Yoruba independence from the crumbling Oyo Empire inadvertently opened the door for Fulani dominance. His death not only marked the end of Yoruba rule in Ilorin but also the rise of Islamic emirate structures in a region that had once been firmly under traditional Yoruba authority.

The story of Afonja is a crucial part of Nigeria’s historical tapestry, offering insights into the dynamics of power, alliance, betrayal, and the long-lasting effects of colonial and pre-colonial politics in shaping modern identities and boundaries.

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Lifestyle

Ghana: Return Home, We’ve Wandered For Too Long – Yul Edochie to Ndigbo

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He was reacting to the recent protest by Ghanaians demanding Nigerians must leave their country.

Nollywood actor and politician Yul Edochie has urged Igbos in diaspora to return home.

He was reacting to the recent protest by Ghanaians demanding Nigerians must leave their country.

In a post on Facebook, he urged Igbos abroad to to return and invest in their homeland.

Taking to his page, he wrote:

“Ndi Igbo come back home and invest in Igbo land.
If you’re facing rejection on foreign soil, it’s not a sign to fight anybody, it’s a sign to return home.
We have wandered for too long.
Home is calling.
Our ancestors and spirits in Igbo Land are calling us to return home and develop home.
A new dawn has come in Igbo land.
It’s time to return home.
Ana amalu mma si na uno wee puo ilo,” he wrote.

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Nigeria Is Under A Demonic Spell And Witchcraft – Pastor Enenche Laments

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Enenche claimed that the nation is under an evil spell amid the economic hardship ravaging the country.

Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Dr. Paul Enenche has revealed the problem of Nigeria.

According to him, the country is under a demonic spell and witchcraft.

He said that’s the reason why the people have continued to tolerate suffering and hardship.

“There’s a blanket of sorcery and darkness over this nation; an evil spell making people tolerate what should provoke outrage,” he wrote.

In a post on his official X account on Thursday, the cleric highlighted the economic struggles faced by many Nigerians, noting that increasing numbers of church members now line up after services not for spiritual counseling or prayer, but for basic needs such as rent, school fees, food and medical bills.

“People are suffering. Pastors are drained. Members now queue after service not for prayer, but for help,” he lamented.

He also criticized political leaders for what he described as their insensitivity and failure to address the dire situation across the country.

“Yet, the leaders act as though nothing is wrong. This is not normal. It is witchcraft. A spell of patience in captivity. A demonic tolerance of suffering.”

Calling for divine intervention, Enenche declared: “Let every evil spell over this land be broken! Let those misruling with arrogance and mocking the people’s pain face divine judgment. They shall not see the celebration of their wickedness.”

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Spirits Are Angry – Actor, Yul Edochie Talks About Why There Are Too Many Early And Untimely De@ths In Nigeria

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According to him, he recently traveled from Anambra to Abia state and was taken aback by the number obituaries he saw of young people.

Actor Yul Edochie has expressed concern over the alarming rate of early and untimely de@ths in Nigeria.

According to him, he recently travelled from Anambra to Abia state and was taken aback by the number obituaries he saw of young people.

He attributed the early de@ths to the ancestors and spirits being angry because many have abandoned traditional ways of worship.

He said the society needs spiritual cleansing and every African needs to return to traditional religion.

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