Lifestyle
Akinwumi Isola: Professor who stood for the Yoruba people, his last words
Until he left the world on February 17, 2018 at 78, Professor Akinwunmi Isola championed and promoted the Yoruba culture and language with his literary works. In 1986, he wrote and composed the college anthem that is currently sung in Wesley College Ibadan.
Among his works are:
Agogo Eèwò (2002) as Ifa Priest.
Sawo-Segberi (2005).
The Campus Queen (2004) as Professor.
Thunderbolt: Magun (2001) as Professor.
Brass Bells (1999) as Babalawo.
Efunsetan Aniwura (1981).
Efunsetan Aniwura (2005).
Isola was born in Ibadan on December 24, 1939, he studied at the University of Ibadan, earning a B.A. in French and was appointed professor at Obafemi Awolowo University in 1991. Isola wrote his first play, Efunsetan Aniwura around 1961-62 while still a student at the University of Ibadan. This was followed by a novel, O Le Ku.
He ventured into broadcasting at a time, creating a production company that has turned a number of his plays into television dramas and films.
On May 4, 2015, his book Herbert Macaulay and the Spirit of Lagos was staged at the Performing Arts Theatre of the University of Ilorin in Kwara State.
In 2000, in recognition of his immense contributions, he was awarded the National Merit Award and appointed a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters. He was also a visiting professor at the University of Georgia.
BEAUTIFUL MOMENT HE PASSED AWAY
A day before his passing, his wife, Mrs Adebola Isola, said he ate amala and gbegiri and finished everything. The next day, around 9am after his bath, Mrs. Isola fed him with custard.
However, unlike before, he only took a little and continued saying: “Thank you, my wife.” She didn’t take it seriously at first because he had always appreciated her that way. But when he continued non-stop, she had to call his doctor and the children who were in Lagos.
She and the nurse who had bathed him earlier, decided to move him from the chair to the bed. Immediately his body touched the bed, he departed the world.
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Godwin Alabi-Isama (born 24 December 1940) is a Nigerian retired military officer, author and statesman who served as chief of staff to Brigadier Benjamin Adekunle of the 3 Marine Commando during the Nigerian Civil War.
Alabi-Isama was born on 24 December 1940, in Ilorin, Kwara State, to a Ukwani (Delta State) father and a Yoruba (Ilorin) mother. He attended Ibadan Boys High School. In 1960, he joined the Army and attended the Mons Officer Cadet School in the United Kingdom and the Senior Tactics School and Staff College in Quella, Pakistan. Alabi-Isama was a tactics instructor at the Nigerian Military School in Zaria, Nigeria and the Nigerian Military Training College (now Nigerian Defence Academy) in Kaduna prior to the civil war.
Brigadier-General Alabi-Isama served as the commander of the troops stationed at the Niger Bridge in Asaba, He was subsequently transferred by the Army Headquarters to the 3 Marina Commando, 3MCDO, operating on the Calabar front during the war. Alabi-Isama led forces against the Biafran Republic, successfully liberating various locations including Odukpani, Ikot-Okpora, Iwuru, Akunakuna, Itigidi, Ediba, Ugep, Obubra, Afikpo, Oban, and Ekang. He also “closed” the international border with Biafra at Nssakpa, as detailed in his book, The Tragedy of Victory.
In April 1968, Alabi-Isama and his 3MCDO men embarked on a mission to recapture Creek Town, Itu, Uyo, Ikot-Ekpene, Oron, Eket, Opobo, Abak, Etinan, Bori-Ogoni, Akwete, Afam, Aletu Ekene, Elelenwo, Okrika, and Port-Harcourt, successfully completing the operation the following month.” After the war, Alabi-Isama assumed the role of the Nigerian Army’s Principal General Staff Officer. In 1973, he served as the Acting Governor of the Mid-Western Region, where he notably received the first group of National Youth Service Corps members, as recounted in his autobiography. Following his retirement as a Brigadier-General from the Army in 1977, Alabi-Isama relocated to the United States.
Alabi-Isama played a pivotal role in leading the troops that successfully liberated the remaining parts of Cross River State following Colonel Adekunle’s amphibious sea landing at Calabar. Furthermore, he commanded the 3 Marine Commando troops that effectively captured the present-day states of Akwa Ibom, Rivers, and Bayelsa. His strategic planning, specifically the implementation of the Pincer 2 strategy, played a crucial role in bringing an end to the Nigerian Civil War.
The Tragedy of Victory: On-the-Spot Account of the Nigeria-Biafra War in the Atlantic Theatre is a sequential narrative of the war that lasted from 6 July 1967 to 15 January 1970 which was published in 2013. By Godwin Alabi.
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Long before colonial conquest and modern borders, a fearless African woman carved her name into history through strength, strategy, and leadership—her name was Queen Amina of Zazzau.
Born in the 16th century in what is now Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria, Amina was a princess of the Hausa city-state of Zazzau (now Zaria). She was the granddaughter of King Sarkin Nohir and daughter of Queen Bakwa Turunku, the founder of the Zazzau dynasty. Amina trained as a warrior from an early age, mastering the art of war, horse riding, and governance—unusual for women of her time.
When she became queen around 1576, Amina transformed Zazzau into a powerful empire, commanding armies of up to 20,000 soldiers. She led over 34 military campaigns, conquering vast territories across what is today Northern Nigeria and parts of Niger, Cameroon, and beyond. Every land she conquered paid tribute to Zazzau, expanding its wealth and influence across the Sahel.
One of her most legendary contributions was the construction of city walls—now known as “Amina’s walls”—fortifications built around cities to protect them from invasion. These walls still stand today as historical monuments, symbols of her foresight and military genius.
Queen Amina was not only a warrior but also a builder of civilization. She promoted trade, especially in Kola nuts, leather, salt, and metals, making Zazzau a commercial hub. Under her rule, women had significant roles in governance and society—she redefined what leadership looked like.
Though she died in battle (reportedly around 1610), Queen Amina’s legacy lives on. She shattered gender norms and proved that African women were never just behind the scenes—they were kings, generals, and visionaries. Her story is a powerful reminder that Africa’s past is rich with heroes who led with courage, brilliance, and honor.
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Long before African history was taught in schools, one man took it upon himself to preserve the legacy of the Yoruba people. Samuel Johnson — not the British one, but the proud Yoruba Anglican priest and historian — wrote The History of the Yorubas, a masterpiece that still shapes how we understand Yoruba identity today.
Born in Sierra Leone to freed Yoruba parents and later raised in Ibadan, Johnson saw how colonialism threatened to erase African memory. So, he fought back with a pen. For years, he traveled, interviewed elders, studied oral traditions, and documented wars, politics, religion, and culture — crafting one of the most detailed accounts of any African nation.
Though British publishers lost the original manuscript in 1897, Johnson’s brother, Dr. Obadiah Johnson, made sure the work saw the light of day in 1921.
More than a book, The History of the Yorubas is a cultural monument. Without Johnson, so much of Yoruba heritage might have been forgotten. He wasn’t just a historian — he was a guardian of a people’s soul.
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