The story of Efunsetan Aniwura is perhaps one of the most motivating thrillers in Yoruba political history. It captivates, in the most astounding manner, the place of women in Yoruba political history. But all along, the story of Efunsetan had been written and foretold by her tormentors and painted grimly by mostly chauvinistic men.
It must be understood the context of Efunsetan’s coming into global fame, at least at this time, the World was defined as the circumference within which local people operated within a phenomenon.
The 1700s up to 1900 were centuries of great wars and arms build-up in the vast Yoruba country of old. It was a period of great revolutions and social upheavals across the Yoruba country. It saw the massive production of weapons and the importation of military hardwares by Yoruba leaders, from as far as Hambourg in Germany.
I visited the Ogedengbe of Ilesa few months ago and was thrilled by the amazing exploits of Ogedengbe, the war General who led the Ekitiparapo war and who by 1860s was importing military weapons from Europe in the prosecution of war.
To show the grandeur of the Yoruba nation, around 1880, it was reported that the then King of England had invited Ogedengbe for a state visit. England marveled at the military tactics of Ogedengbe, his command structure, his Spartan lifestyle, his mysticism and above all, his science of war which he largely derived from the painstaking study of the movement and behavior of animals in moments of ferocious encounters with death or engagement with trembling. It was at this period that a bomb was invented at Okemesi, which turned around the fortunes soldiers of Ekitiparapo war led by Ogedengbe. Contrary to widespread assumptions, the word KIRIJI actually emanated from the sound of the new weapon produced at Okemesi Ekiti. General Ogedengbe, who was in command of about 100,000 soldiers, had declined the request for a state visit to England, saying that he was too busy with state matters. In Ilesa, during my visit, I saw the picture of the then King of England which the later had sent to Ogedengbe as a mark of respect and honour.
Back to the main topic. The story of Efunsetan Aniwura is intriguing. Her date of birth remains uncertain, but she must have been born around 1790s or around that period. Yoruba epic films and folklores portray Efunsetan as a very vicious woman, filled with prejudice, a woman who died in tragic circumstances. But there are hidden thrills and heroic feat that those who wrote his history continue to undermine. There is nothing as perplexing as having the story of a great woman being relayed by men, in a society credited for not giving women any chance in socio-political affairs, especially in the primordial times, where women were seen as objects consigned to the kitchen and on the mat top. It is to the glory of Moremi, that her story definitely ignited passion in subsequent Yoruba women, one of which was Efunsetan Aniwura.
This woman of substance has been consistently portrayed as a villain who ran a Gestapo of sorrow and blood, a blood-sucker who beheaded people’s head at will. No. We must deconstruct the narrative that veiled real stories under the cover of the superiority of men over the distinction of some brave women in our troubled history. Efunsetan was the son of an Egba farmer, Ogunrin, a native of Egba Oke-Ona. She rose to become the Iyalode of Ibadan. She was the first woman to set up a flourishing agrarian economy that employed no fewer than 2000 men and women. Around 1850, worried by the spread of war and combat in the Yoruba country, she introduced infantry military training into the midst of her workers. She was said to have had her own military training in urban and guerrilla warfare after which she requested that the same training be impacted on her slaves, about 2000 of them.
The workers mainly worked in the vast farmland. They produced cash crops, cotton, groundnuts, maize and beef. She was said to be in possession of a vast dairy farm that could feed the entire Yoruba country and beyond. She traded up to Ghana and the Hausa country and even exported her produce to Europe. In her book, A History of the Yoruba ,Prof Banji Akintoye wrote about Efunsetan who she described as a rich “woman trader” that ‘had more than 2000 workers employed on her farms.” This was at a time the industrial revolution was gaining strength in Europe and agriculture had become the most industrious enterprise in Yorubaland, being one of the service points for European products.
David Hinderer, a missionary who wanted to erect a Church in Ibadan could not source human labour because all the men and women were engaged in large scale farming. The Generals of the Yoruba Army had also taken to farming to beat famine as a direct consequence of war. Hinderer wrote of his travel to Ibadan in 1853 with a caravan of traders and carriers “consisting of not less than 4000 people.” Prof Akintoye wrote “It is not unlikely that Efunsetan was the richest person in the whole of the Yoruba interior in about the late 1870s.” Efunsetan had her own pains and anguish. She had no child after several years of marriage. Unfortunately, her only daughter died in 1860 during child birth. She also adopted a son, Kumuyilo. Now, having lost her only daughter, she went into recluse and became suspicious of life and living. She even became an atheist, ignoring all the gods wondering why she should lose her only daughter.
She may have been pushed to some form of extremism. She ordered that no one among her 2000 workers must marry or have sex within and non of the girls must conceive. It came that one of the workers broke the law. She ordered that the woman be executed. No doubt that she carried out outrageous order of execution, but this was nothing compared with her heroic contributions to the economy of the Yoruba nation. Due to this act, the Aare ordered that she be brought to justice. This was just the proverbial hawk that was looking for every opportunity to clawlift the chicken.
It is believed that her persecutors merely waited for her to carry out a dastardly act as an opportunity to seek revenge against her perceived emergence as a strong and influential woman, whose mutual rival was Madam Tinubu of Lagos who was also her friend. It was at a time her own army had become a threat to the fiery army of Latoosa. How could a woman raise such a vast array of armed soldiers? There are two varying accounts of her death. One claimed Aare Latosa led a strong infantry army to lay siege on her house and instead of being overpowered, she committed suicide by drinking the Hemlock.
At this period, her army had been divided and the loyalty fractured due to the execution of some of the 2000 workers for acts inimical to her authority. The other story said Kumuyilo was bribed by Latoosa to poison her but that the attack on her was carried out in the night by two of her slaves who sneaked into her apartment through the ceiling and clubbed her. There were events that indicated that the Ibadan chiefs were unhappy with the way Efunsetan was brought on her knees. Infact, with Latoosa there was a meeting on 8th of July when the Egba leaders came to Ibadan requesting for a Commission of Inquiry on the murder of Efunsetan.
The two slaves were subsequently brought before the Ibadan traditional court on 10th of July 1874. They were impaled right at the Basorun market. Efunsetan has been painted in forbidding pictures through Yoruba history. It is time to deconstruct and give her due honour as a heroine. At death, Efunsetan’s property was declared the property of the Yoruba country. `But there were other reports that she was indeed given a befitting burial with full military honours by Ibadan military rulers, after her enforced death.
Source by:By Akinlolu Damilare a.k.a Da-Vinci, Written By: Akinlolu Da Vinci
Nollywood actress Sarah Martins has formally responded to the Lagos State Government’s warning regarding her recent public cooking activity, clarifying that the event was an emotional reconnection with vulnerable children rather than a deliberate breach of environmental laws.
The response comes after the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, on Saturday, cautioned the actress against cooking on public roads, warning that she risks arrest and prosecution if she continues the practice.
In an open letter posted on her Instagram handle on Sunday, Martins, the founder of the Sarah Martins Golden Heart Foundation, sought to set the record straight, stating that the meal was prepared in a controlled environment.
“I would like to respectfully clarify that I did not cook on the walkway or on the main street.
“The meal was prepared in front of the King’s Palace under the supervision of security personnel, and the activity took place very far from the main road, ensuring that it did not obstruct movement or create any public nuisance,” she wrote.
Explaining the motivation behind the act, the actress described it as a response to the pleas of street children she frequently encounters.
“The visit was simply born out of an emotional moment. I had deeply missed the bond I share with the vulnerable street children in that area,” she explained.
“As I occasionally drive past that axis, the children often plead with me to come back and cook with them like I used to. On this particular day, I decided to spend some time with them and prepare a meal, purely to reconnect and create memories with the kids who have always shown me genuine love,” she added.
The actress offered an apology to the state government for any perceived impropriety, saying, “My brief return to that location was never intended to create any form of public nuisance, but simply to share a heartfelt moment with children who have continued to ask for my presence.
“However, if my actions were perceived as inappropriate in any way, I sincerely apologide. I hold the laws and environmental standards of Lagos State in the highest regard.
“Going forward, I will ensure that all cooking activities are carried out strictly within the charity kitchen provided for the foundation.”
In her response, Martins also expressed gratitude to Seyi Tinubu, the President’s son, noting that his donation of a charity kitchen was specifically intended to ensure her feeding programs are conducted in a proper and organised environment, which she said her foundation remains committed to using.
PUNCH Online reports that Martins was arrested in October 2025 by KAI officials while she was cooking on a road median in Lekki, seizing her equipment.
The Lagos State Government defended the operation, with Wahab stating that the actress had engaged in unauthorised activities on public infrastructure in contravention of environmental and sanitation regulations.
While she previously claimed to have received ₦20 million from his office, Seyi Tinubu reportedly denied making the donation personally, saying some friends, moved by compassion, had raised funds to help her secure a proper space for her charity work, but stressed that he did not support any act that violated Lagos State laws.
Mr Oyekunle Onigbinde, the last child of the late national coach Festus Onigbinde, has said that although his father was sick, he fought well to stay alive.
Oyekunle made the remarks in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ibadan on Tuesday.
Describing his father as a generous man who cared for everyone, Oyekunle said his death on Monday came as a huge shock.
“He fought well to stay alive.
“He was sick, but due to old age, his body couldn’t fight the recovery.
“My father was very accommodating; he pulled everyone together.
“He didn’t care who you were; he just wanted everyone happy and united.
“He was the string that knitted many together,” he said.
Meanwhile, renowned sports analyst Tayo Balogun told NAN that his 40-minute phone conversation with Onigbinde in 2025 would forever linger in his memory.
“We went down memory lane, and I thanked him for being who he was: painstaking, foresighted, forthright, forthcoming, and incredibly hardworking.
“I told him I appreciated him and that I was calling to let him know that his contributions to Nigerian football will always be footnoted in history.
“During the call, I noticed his voice had lost some of its vibration. He attributed this to old age, claiming he was as fit as a fiddle.
“He asked after my TV Gang of Feyi Ogunduyile and Modele Sarafa-Yusuf (then known as Oshiinaike),” he said.
Balogun said he praised Onigbinde for his contributions to Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC).
“He actually changed the name from IICC Shooting Stars.
“I asked him if he remembered that I asked him why he was practising penalty kicks after 3SC had comprehensively beaten Tonnere Kalara Club of Yaounde at the Liberty Stadium, just before the second-leg match.
“He told me Remi Asuni, the then Oyo State FA Chairman, asked him the same question and that he answered, ‘If we can beat them 4-0 in Ibadan, they may pay us back in Yaounde,’” he said.
The 73-year-old analyst said he also praised Onigbinde for his bravery in selecting players for the 2002 World Cup.
“I told him I understood why he included Mutiu Adepoju, but did not understand why he didn’t play him in any of the matches.
“He said that was the only mistake he made, but that if I noticed, we were quite close in all the matches we played, and if he brought in Mutiu and we lost, it would be blamed on Adepoju,” he said.
Balogun described Onigbinde as the most thorough Nigerian coach he knew.
“Each year, he would draw up a list of requirements for his team.
“With Shooting Stars, he would get 20 per cent, and with the Eagles, he didn’t even get 10 per cent.
“All the same, he got spectacular results with both teams.
“He was the first coach to take a group of rookies like Chibuzor Ehilegbu, Paul Okoku, Femi Olukanmi, and others to Ghana and beat the then-dreaded Black Stars in their country.
“Onigbinde’s memory will remain indelible.
“He was a gentleman, humble, and highly intelligent.
Reality TV star, Josephina Otabor, popularly known as Phyna, has opened up about the struggles she faced while growing up and why she does not like the name given to her at birth.
During a recent interview with Ezinne Akudo on the show Beyond With Ezinne, the former Big Brother Naija winner said her parents named her Blessing, but she came to dislike the name because her life did not reflect its meaning.
It was reports that Phyna explained that as she was growing up, many parts of her life were very difficult.
According to her, she often felt like she was always begging for love from people around her, including family members, friends and even in relationships.
She said the situation made her feel as if the name Blessing did not match the experiences she was going through.
The reality star also spoke about the pain she felt after the death of her sister. She said the loss deeply affected her, and at one point, she even wished she could die because of the emotional burden she was carrying at the time.
She said, “The name given to me by my parents is Blessing. My reasons for hating that name was you don’t see sense of blessing in my life. Because you know, it felt like I was always begging for love, family love, friendship, even in relationships. In fact, Dem don use am curse me. All aspects of life for me, growing up was very crazy. Even when you’re a teenager, there are things you could get from parents, from friends, family I didn’t have that, but I knew for one that I was going to be big.
“Then I always tell my aunts, everybody, even when they beat me or maltreat me, today, the next minute I will see when I go watch me for television, you know, I go get money. People always say negative things about me. Even when I’m trying my best, it affects me. It affects my workload. They are quick to broke shame me. In fact, when my sister died, I wanted to die. A lot was going on with me. It actually makes me feel God is with me because so many things have happened that I suppose don really run mad.”
