It is now important to set the record straight regarding the title ‘ Aare Ona Kankanfo in Yoruba land. It must be borne in mind that the empire of Oyo then was not limited to Yoruba land, it extended to Porto Novo in the republic of Benin. There has been different write up and diverse opinions as to the power and the authority of Aare Ona Kankanfo in Yoruba land. Some have suggested that Are Ona Kankanfo authority does not extend beyond Oyo State.
It was Alaafin Ajagbo that created the title of Aare Ona Kankanfo in Yoruba land. He was the 15th Alaafin of the Old Oyo empire in the 17th century. This was created for a purpose which was to serve as supreme military commander or Field Marshal of the entire Yoruba army.
There were stringent rules and traditions associated with the title. Alaafin Ajagbo included a curse as part of a taboo to limit the power of Are that no Are Ona Kankafo should attack or wage war against Iwere Ile, this is because the mother of Alaafin Ajagbo himself was from Iwere Ile. Iwere is an ancient town located at Iwajowa Local Government Area of Oyo State
The first Aare Ona Kankanfo was ‘Kokoro Gangan of Iwoye- Ogun State, the 2nd was Oyapote Iwoye ‘Ogun State/ Republic of Benin, 3rd was Oyalabi of Ajase, Republic of Benin; 4th was Adeta of Jabata Ogun State; 5th was Oku of Jabata Ogun State; 6 was Afonja of Ilorin Kwara State; 7th was Toyeje of Ogbomoso, Oyo State, 8th was Edun of Gbogun Osun State, 9th was Amepo Abemo of Osun State, 10 was Kurumi of Ijaye Oyo State; 11th was Ojo Aburumaku of Ogbomoso Oyo State; 12 was Latoosa of Ibadan Oyo State; 13 was Samuel Ladoke Akintola of Ogbomoso Oyo State;14th was Moshood Kasimowo Abiola Abeokuta Ogun state and the incumbent Gani Abiodun Ige Adams of Arigidi Akoko Ondo State.
As we can see from those who have held the title , they stayed or lived in different places and it covers entire yoruba race. Therefore, it will be presumptous of anyone to state that the title of Are ona kankanfo is limited to Oyo State.
Traditionally, the Aare must live in frontier towns to protect the empire and must not live in the same town as Alaafin. Both Aare and Alaafin are authorities on their own but Are derives his authority from Alaafin and therefore a surbodinate to him. It was only Alaafin that can issue direction to Are to levy war on any town in Yoruba land or outside Yoruba land.
Out of the 15 Aare Ona Kankanfo, the first 12 of them were real military generals and the remaining 3 were civillians just for ceremonial title. Akintola though was a civillian but he fought brilliantly and gave a good account of the title of Are Ona Kankanfo, when he engaged the coup plotter on 15 January 1966. He in fact wounded the officer( Captain Nwobosi) that led troop to his house on that fateful day. He later fell under the carbine of the military officers as was the wont of those who had held the title before him.
Gani Adams also took part in civil insurrection as the leader of OPC. He led his boys to fight against the enemy of Yorubas and was even prepared to march to Ilorin to install a Yoruba man as Oba of Ilorin. However, he was prevailed upon by the federal government in Nigeria under former president Olusegun Obasanjo. He was declared wanted and he eventually surrendered himself, he was arrested and detained for some time before he was released.
MKO Abiola did not take part in any fight save his serious effort to defend his mandate as an elected president of Nigeria in 1993. He was arrested by late Genral Sanni Abacha and he was killed in custody after the death of Abacha. He was addressing the US envoy when he slumped after drinking tea provided by the visitors.
Niyi Aborisade is a legal luminary, Human Rights Activist a historian and Author of many books
