Lifestyle
PHOTOS: The True and Sad Story of How Afonja Lost Ilorin and Its Kingship to Fulani People
The Yoruba and Fulani inhabitants of Ilorin, the present capital of Kwara State, Nigeria, have for so long been at loggerheads over who should produce monarch for the town.
The Yoruba people in Ilorin claimed that the throne should always have a Yoruba king on the seat and backed this with historical references which point Yoruba ancestors as the founders of Ilorin.
The Fulani section of Ilorin came up with a counterclaim that no Yoruba king has ever been enthroned from the onset, therefore the throne belongs to their (Fulani) ethnicity.
However, history will never lie and so we brings you the true account of how Aare-Ona-Kakanfo Afonja lost Ilorin to the Fulani people of Northern Nigeria.
Who Was Afonja And Who Originally Founded Ilorin?
The history of Ilorin put it as a Yoruba town which was originally used as a military outpost by the Alaafin, paramount ruler of the old Oyo empire (Oyo-Ile). At the period of creation, Ilorin was administered by Afonja, the sixth Are-Ona-Kakanfo (generalissimo) of the Oyo army and successor of Are-Ona Oku of Jabata.
It was from this outpost that Afonja carried out military functions for the then Alaafin named Aole, the son of Alaafin Abiodun.
Aole reigned between 1789 and 1796. It was during this period that Shehu Alimi, a Fulani cleric, arrived Ilorin with some of his tribesmen and were all welcomed and hosted by Afonja.
Afonja’s Conflict With Alaafin Aole
After a while, conflict broke out between Alaafin Aole and Are-Ona Afonja. Alaafin Aole had ordered Afonja to attack a town named Iwere-Ile which to Afonja was a suicidal mission and he adamantly refused.
Iwere-Ile is the hometown of Aole’s paternal grandmother and a former Alaafin named Ajagbo had placed curses on any Kakanfo that attempt to attack Iwere-Ile. These were the reasons Afonja disobeyed Alaafin Aole’s orders.
While still at disagreement, Alaafin Aole, also called Arogangan (roughly translated as the mean one), ordered Afonja to attack Apomu, a prominent town in Ile-Ife; this was in 1795. The disagreement heated up to the point that both sides resulted to trash things out with violence.
At this point, Afonja sought the support of Shehu Alimi also known as Salih Janta who had both spiritual and military power. On his way from the Apomu expedition, Afonja stopped at Oyo-Ile to deal with Alaafin Aole. Afonja sent an empty calabash to Aole signifying his rejection as the Alaafin and according to the customs of Oyo, he was to commit suicide at such and he did.
We gathered that before Aole took his life, he performed a ritual and cursed the entire Yoruba land that their sons and daughters will be taken as slaves and sold to different parts of the world.
Many believe Aole’s curse plunged Yoruba land into a series of inter-tribal wars that broke out in following years such as the Kiriji war, Egba-Dahomey war, Ibadan-Ijaye war and so on.
Aole was succeeded by Adebo who ruled from 1796 to 1797; Maku succeeded Adebo and also ruled for few months before his death in 1797. From 1797 to 1802, the Oyo throne was vacant. It was in 1802 that Alaafin Majotu was crowned and it was during his reign that Are-Ona-Kakanfo lost Ilorin to the Fulani.
The Death Of Afonja And The Establishment Of Emir Throne In Ilorin
After defeating Aole, Afonja and Alimi’s relationship strengthened to the extent that Afonja enlisted Alimi’s men into his army and disbanded many of his men whom history claimed he didn’t fully trust. Unknowing to Afonja, the Fulanis were gradually infiltrating his army and before he could realize, it was too late.
This was after Sheu Alimi’s death. His son, Abdulsalam, earnestly yearned to rule Ilorin and clandestinely plotted against Afonja. In 1824, Abdulsalam’s men shot Afonja arrows till he breathed his last. He was shot so many arrows that his dead body remained suspended in an upright position for a long while.
“HE FELL INDEED LIKE A HERO. SO COVERED WAS HE WITH DARTS THAT HIS BODY WAS SUPPORTED IN AN ERECT POSITION UPON THE SHAFTS OF SPEAR AND ARROWS SHOWERED UPON HIM. SO MUCH DREAD HAD HIS PERSONALITY INSPIRED THAT THESE TREACHEROUS JAMAS WHOM HE HAD SO OFTEN LED TO VICTORY COULD NOT BELIEVE HE WAS REALLY DEAD; THEY CONTINUED TO SHOWER DARTS UPON HIM LONG AFTER HE HAD CEASED FIGHTING. THEY WERE AFRAID TO APPROACH HIS BODY AS IF HE WOULD SUDDENLY SPRING UP AND SHAKE HIMSELF FOR THE CONFLICT AFRESH.”
SAMUEL JOHNSON.
After Afonja’s death, Abdulsalam declared himself the Emir of Ilorin and pledge allegiance to Sokoto Caliphate. This was how the monarch of Ilorin hold the title of Emir till today instead of Oba or any other Yoruba title for a king.
Afterward, the Yorubas attempted to regain control of Ilorin from the Fulani jammas but failed. Toyeje, the successor of Afonja, led the first and second attempts to drive the Fulani people out of Ilorin.
The second attempt is known in history as Mugbamugba war in which Yoruba people suffered untold defeat in the strive to regain the throne of Ilorin.
Source: Yorubaness
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Lifestyle
PHOTOS: A Biafran Armoured Vehicle at the National War Museum, Umuahia: Ingenuity in a Time of Siege
Displayed at the National War Museum in Umuahia, Abia State, this armoured vehicle stands as a striking material reminder of the technological improvisation that characterised the Biafran side during the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970). The vehicle is commonly identified as an up-armoured T16 Universal Carrier, adapted and deployed by Biafran forces in the face of severe resource constraints.
The Nigerian Civil War in Context
The Nigerian Civil War, often called the Biafran War, erupted in July 1967 following the secession of the Eastern Region of Nigeria as the Republic of Biafra under the leadership of Lt. Col. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. The conflict was rooted in a complex mix of political instability, ethnic tensions, economic disputes, and the fallout from the 1966 military coups.
The federal government imposed a land, sea, and air blockade on Biafra, drastically limiting access to weapons, fuel, spare parts, and food. This blockade forced Biafran engineers, mechanics, and technicians to rely heavily on local innovation and adaptation to sustain their war effort.
The Up-Armoured Universal Carrier
The vehicle shown in the museum is believed to be based on the T16 Universal Carrier, a light tracked armoured vehicle originally designed during the Second World War. Universal Carriers were widely used by Allied forces and were present in Nigeria during the colonial era.
During the war, Biafran forces modified available carriers by:
Reinforcing them with improvised armour plating
Adapting engines and mechanical components using locally available materials
Reconfiguring them for reconnaissance, troop movement, or limited combat roles
Although such vehicles could not match the firepower or durability of modern armoured tanks, they represented a pragmatic response to isolation, allowing Biafra to maintain some level of mechanised capability.
Ingenuity Under Pressure
The armoured carrier exemplifies what many historians describe as Biafran wartime ingenuity. Alongside makeshift armoured vehicles, Biafra also produced:
Locally assembled rockets and mortars (such as the Ogbunigwe)
Modified civilian vehicles for military use
Small-scale refineries and workshops to support logistics
These efforts were driven by necessity rather than abundance, highlighting the role of technical skill and improvisation in asymmetric warfare.
Human Cost and Global Attention
The war resulted in devastating human losses. Scholarly estimates suggest around 100,000 military deaths, while civilian deaths range from approximately 500,000 to over 2 million, largely due to famine and disease exacerbated by the blockade. These figures vary widely among historians and humanitarian organisations, reflecting the difficulty of precise wartime accounting.
Notably, the Nigerian Civil War was among the first conflicts to receive extensive global television coverage. Images of starving Biafran children broadcast internationally shaped global humanitarian awareness and influenced the development of modern relief organisations.
Preservation and Historical Memory
Today, the presence of this armoured vehicle at the National War Museum, Umuahia serves an educational purpose rather than a celebratory one. It invites reflection on:
The realities of civil conflict
The limits and possibilities of local technological innovation
The enduring human and social consequences of war
As an artefact, it underscores how material culture can help future generations understand both the creativity and tragedy that emerge under extreme historical conditions.
Sources
National War Museum, Umuahia (museum displays and archival descriptions)
Nigerianland, Nigeria History Makers – Pictures
Falola, T. & Heaton, M., A History of Nigeria (Cambridge University Press)
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The city of Oyo is currently witnessing an influx of political figures and traditional rulers for the installation of new high-ranking chiefs by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade.
Seyi Tinubu, accompanied by his wife, Layal, arrived at the palace of the Alaafin on Sunday.
Alaafin confers chieftancy titles on Seyi Tinubu. Credit: X|adejare_stephen
Alaafin confers chieftancy titles on Seyi Tinubu. Credit: X|adejare_stephen
PUNCH reports that Seyi, the son of President Bola Tinubu, will be installed as the “Okanlomo of Yorubaland,” a title which translates to “the beloved child” or “the one dear to the hearts of all Yoruba people.”
The title is said to symbolise a custodian of Yoruba values, unity, and cultural heritage.
The Senator representing Zamfara West and a former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdul’Aziz Yari, has also reportedly arrived in Oyo, accompanied by a delegation of northern senators and political figures.
Alaafin confers chieftancy titles on Seyi Tinubu, Senator Yari. Credit: X|adejare_stephen
Yari will also be installed as the “Obaloyin of Yorubaland” on the same occasion by the Alaafin.
The Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Bode Durojaiye, in a recent statement, reportedly stated that the ‘Obaloyin of Yorubaland’ title represents love, compassion, justice, and a bridge between physical and spiritual realms.
Both titles are said to come with responsibilities that include promoting Yoruba culture, advising the Alaafin, fostering unity, and advancing education and social welfare.
Alaafin confers chieftancy titles on Seyi Tinubu, Senator Yari. Credit: X|adejare_stephen
Videos circulating on social media reveal that the venue of the event is set, capturing the presence of several notable figures, including former Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, lawmakers, and a diverse assembly of traditional rulers and chiefs.
Watch videos below:
Credits: PUNCHNG
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