This piece is dedicated to the newly installed Olubadan of Ibadan, His Imperial Majesty Oba Rasheed Adewolu Akanmu Ladoja.
I acknowledge our indefatigable Major General Adeyemi Alabi retrd, (of my alma mater, Okebadan High School) who encouraged me to write this piece as a tribute to Ibadan and Oba Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja.
It is common knowledge that Ibadan is a land of the warriors and the warriors were the ruler of the Old Ibadan. From Lagelu to Maye to Oluyedun to Oluyole to Oderinlo to Opeagbe, Oyesile Olugbode, Ibikunle, Ogunmola, Akere, Orowusi, Aare Latoosa and Balogun Ajayi Osungbekun who died in 1893. They were all warriors or military officers. By 1893, there were no more civil war or rebellion as the colonialists were already in our midst. However, Ibadan had been a democratic society even before democracy was introduced to Nigeria. They changed the system to include the Civillian line so that it would not be the only military line that would be the rulers of Ibadan. In 1851, Oyeshile Olugbode created the civil line after the agreement of 1850 to establish the two lines rotation. In 1946, the Ibadan Native Authority established the rotation as a legal instrument. Thus, when a ruler joined his ancestors, another line different from the previous line would take over. All Ibadan indigenes are entitled to become Olubadan. The first step is to become Mogaji of his compound and climb ladders to the throne.
Thus, Ibadan has two lines that can become Olubadan, the military line ( Balogun Line)and the Civil line ( Egbe Agba).
To celebrate the ascension on the throne of Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja, I will write on one of the notable warriors of Ibadan. Bashorun Ogunmola who eventually became a ruler of ibadan, an incorruptible judge. Ogunmola was from Feesu, a small village near Iwo. He was initially an herbalist. He came to Ibadan to practice his trade before becoming a warrior himself. As a young man, he had initially challenged Iba Oluyole to a fight but Oluyole showed himself as one of the best warriors in Yoruba land and cautioned him with rebuke. He, however, recognised the bravery of Ogunmola and conscripted him as a member of his regime and gave him command of his own. Ogunmola became Bashorun after the death of Balogun Ibikunle. During Oluyole regime and his attempt to become Alaafin of Oyo, when Atiba was Alaafin of Oyo, Ogunmola was captured by Aare Ona kankanfo
Kunrunmi of Ijaye and became a slave in Ijaye for sometimes before finding his way to Ibadan after he helped Kunrunmi’s wife, who was barren, to become pregnant through the use of herbs as an herbalist. The woman helped him to escape to Ibadan.
Ogunmola was an incorruptible judge who refused corruption in its entirety. A story that I will narrate here would illuminate the kind of person Bashorun Ogunmola was. An immigrant from Sierra Leone, a country that majority was for the freed slaves in which many traced their origins to Yoruba land, and they returned to the land of their ancestors. The name of the man was Samuel Peeler, aka ‘ Bioran’. He was a war veteran and had been to many wars with the Ibadan warriors. He had distinguished himself as a brave warrior and had defied death many times.
One day, he was attending to his farm and noted that a deer had fallen and died from gunshots of the hunters in his farm. He did not hesitate to carry the deer even when the hunter’s arrived to lay claim to their prey. He refused and carried away the deer.
The Rangers been law-abiding citizens took the matter to court, and thus, the matter came before Bashorun Ogunmola in council. There were two important cases to be decided on that day, the case of Aare Ago Aje, another war veteran who killed his wife on a mere suspicion of killing the children of his other wife through withchcraft but Bioran matter came first. The two cases were criminal offences
Before the trial commenced, Ogunmola’s eyes were red with anger as he could not believe that someone could be so bad to steal a rangers venison and showed no remorse. His court was full to the brim. People were expecting a terrible judgment on Bioran. However, Ogunmola believed in a fair hearing and would patiently listen to every case before pronouncing his judgment. At that time, our court system in Ibadan was that of inquitorial in which the king and his chief would serve as prosecutors and the judge.
Bioran opened his case with confidence. He admitted that he was not the one who shot the deer, but he found it on his farm and that he was entitled to take it home. He reminded Ogunmola of the battle of Ijaye between 1860 and 1862 when mighty men and brave soldiers of Ibadan fell in the heat of the battle and many Ibadan warriors retreated and there was no one to carry their dead bodies and the wounded, he Bioran was the one that stepped forward and risked his life to carry them. He mentioned other wars where he showed exemplary bravery to help the wounded when other warriors had retreated.
He maintained that just 2 or 3 days ago, he saw a dead deer in his farm and he remembered how he carried the dead bodies in the heat of the battle then and so he found it not difficult to carry a dead deer to his home.
Bashorun Ogunmola remembered the time because he was there also as a commander, and for the first time, his red eyes turned white and smiled. He loved brave people, and Bioran was one and should not be punished. He gave him a good wine and encouraged him to enjoy the deer with it. He then asked the hunter the value of the deer in money and paid them bountifully. Everybody was happy at this fair decision from Bashorun Ogunmola.
Our new Olubadan has similar traits of Ogunmola. He is courageous, and he was the only governor who was courageous enough to challenge Obasanjo over the 3rd term agenda just like Ogunmola challenged Iba Oluyole then. Oba Ladoja risked everything to stand for the truth, and though he was removed as a governor for sometimes in a plan orchestrated by former President Obasanjo but he was vindicated at the end and was returned as governor.
Chief Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho narrated how he was under the protection of Oba Ladoja sometimes ago. Oba Ladoja must have seen Sunday Igboho as Bioran of his time, no doubt Sunday Igboho is a brave man and a war veteran indeed with some excesses just like Bioran. Oba Rasheed Ladoja acted very well and handled Chief Sunday Igboho just like Ogunmola handled Bioran matter .
And Just like Ogunmola, who always considered the best interest of his people, Oba Ladoja put the interest of his people above personal interest and when he was under pressure to take the title of Oba like the rest. He put Ibadan people’s interest above his personal interest. Oba Ladoja is a warrior by nature and a brave one indeed. Ibadan will benefit from his wealth of experience. Long live the king!!!!
Niyi Aborisade is a lawyer, a human rights activist, a historian, author, and a poet
