Category: History – General
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Karan was the despotic Alaafin of Oyo whose notoriety earned his name the epigram for which it is today used, “as cruel as Karan”. Appearing to have learnt no lessons from the life of his immediate predecessor, Odarawu, whose reign ended in disgrace, Karan continued in tyranny. Conspiracy thickened against him at Aga Oibo, during…
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Landuji Oshodi, known as Oshodi Tapa, was a powerful chief and war minister of King Kosoko of Lagos. Oshodi Tapa was born 1780 to a Nupe royal family, though he was recorded by some colonial sources to be of Egba origin apparently due to his early Yorubanization. There has also been an account that Oshodi…
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Ashipa whose leadership lasted between the years 1600 and 1630 is regarded as the founder of the Lagos dynasty. He is believed by some to be a son of Oba Overami II of Benin but others assert he was an Ijebu from Ibefun. Ashipa by this account had achieved prominence with his noble acts of…
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Losii Osokale was the Egba chief from Ake, commissioned by Maye, the head of the Oyo-Ijebu-Ife coalition that subdued the Egba people prior to their migration to Abeokuta, to determine the dexterity of Egba’s intention to find a new settlement after the alienation of their villages. Losii was to do this by splitting and casting the…
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Gbadebo I, original name, Tegumada Ademola was the sixth Alake of Egba land who ruled from 1892 to 1920. Alake Gbadebo was born in 1854. His father, Okukenu, was the first Alake after the Egba migration to Abeokuta. Gbadebo’s sovereignty was interrupted in 1914 with the termination of the Egba Unity Government, which educated elites…
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Majeogbe was the third Alaafin to reign during the repression of the worst villain in Yoruba history, Basorun Gaha. Majeogbe made efforts to rid himself of Gaha but the scoundrel will only increase in power, joined by his sons to perpetuate unbelievable acts of cruelty. The Alaafin was quite aware of the danger that lay…
