HISTORICAL FIGURES OF YORUBA LAND

Oloye Hubert Adedeji Ogunde (16 July 1916 – 4 April 1990) was a Nigerian actor, playwright, theatre manager, and musician who founded the Ogunde Theatre Party, the first contemporary professional theatrical company in Nigeria. He has been described as "the father of Nigerian theatre, or the father of contemporary


Yoruba theatre".^[1] In his career on stage, he wrote more than 50 plays^[2] most of which he incorporates dramatic actions, dance, music and with a story reflecting the poltical and social realities of the period.^[3] His first production was a church financed play called The Garden of Eden that was premiered at Glover

Memorial Hall, Lagos in 1944. The success of the play encouraged Ogunde to produce more plays and he soon left his job with the police force for a career in theatre. In the 1940s, he released some plays with

political commentaries, The Tiger's Empire, Strike and Hunger and Bread and Bullet (1950). During the 1950s, he toured various Nigerian cities with his traveling troupe. In 1964, he released Yoruba Ronu, a play that generated controversy and earned him the wrath of Akintola, the premier of the Western Region. In the

late 1970s, Ogunde was spurred by the success of Ija Ominira and Ajani Ogun, two pioneer Yoruba feature length films to co-produce his first celluloid film, Aiye in 1980. He released three more feature length films influenced by Yoruba mysticism.

Yoruba Heroes/Heroines		Contributions to Yoruba  Nation
Oduduwa		He was the progenitor of Yoruba race, the son of Lamurudu, a native of Arabian peninsula; he left east and traveled thousands of miles to the west before he finally settled at Ile-Ifẹ. He had seven sons and many daughters; sons were very strong, displayed bravery, and powerful individuals, their military adventures created several Yoruba kingdoms. Prominent were: Ọyọ, Ketu, Popo, Isabẹ, Owu. Oduduwa died in Ile-Ifẹ.
Ọranmiyan		He was the last son of Oduduwa, a powerful, knowledgeable individual, whose military strength had no equal. He established Ọyọ Empire, before then, he served briefly as Ọba in Bini {Benin}. He moved north ward and created a new town-Ọyọ, and by 17th century, it had become one of the most successful Sudanese kingdoms. He married Torosi a (Tapa princess), had two sons: Ajaka-Oko and Ṣango. After a long sojourn, he left the new kingdom to his two sons, and went back to Otu-Ifẹ, before he died. Oranmiyan made history, as the only individual who ruled in three different communities: Bini, Oyo and Ile-Ife. To date, there is an obelisk in his memory at Ile-Ifẹ.
Ṣango		He was the third king in Ọyọ, a man of extra-ordinary and unusual power. He was so powerful that whenever he spoke, he emitted fire. He was feared, revered by his subjects. He became somehow despotic that his subjects rejected him. He left Ọyọ for Tapa (mother’s traditional home) when opposition became so much for him to bear; when Ọyọ had problem, they sent for him, he did not come, but he told Ọyọ what to do. To show appreciation for guidance, he became  a deity.
Gbọnka-Ebiri		A powerful hunter and warrior in old Ọyọ, he was sent by Ṣango to Timi of Ẹdẹ. These two powerful warriors engaged in a fight, Timi was captured and brought to Ṣango. Ṣango wanted the fight repeated, thinking Gbọnka would be defeated and be captured; thereby put an end to the underground or un-noticed rivalry between Alaafin Sango and Gbonka . Unfortunately, the public fight turned opposite, in fact, the outcome of the fight contributed in a significant way to the fall of Ṣango.
Timi-Agbale Ọlọfa Ina		A fearless warrior Ṣango sent to Ẹdẹ, to check the Ijeṣa, and to collect unpaid taxes owed Alaafin. His power, according to history was hidden in his deadly Bow and Arrow. Timi Agbale engaged in two public fights with Gbọnka  (one in Ẹdẹ, and the second in Ọyọ), Timi was over-powered and killed in the second fight by Gbọnka. Timi became the first king in Ẹdẹ.
Baṣọrun  Gaa		He was the mid- 18th century head of Ọyọ-Mesi, the king makers; he became so powerful, and notorious that successive Alaafin were afraid of him. He became so despotic that successive Alaafin were either killed, or forced to commit suicide by him. His notoriety reached a breaking point  when he murdered Agbonyin, the old child of Alaafin Abiodun. Alaafin Abiọdun at this point decided to take the bull by the horns, with assistance from Arẹ Ọyalabi who lived in Jabata, the whole Oyo went to war against Bashorun Gaa; he was over-powered and killed. His death opened a new chapter in the history of Oyo, to date  in Yoruba land, there is a maxin which says “bi’ o lai’ ya O s’ ika; bi’o ri’ ku Gaa, O sooto” which means (if you are strong-willed[obstinate, stubborn,pigheaded] to doing evil, the death of Gaa is a lesson to eventuality of life.
Alafin Abiọdun		A progressive, humble,  and people oriented Alaafin; the last prominent Alaafin of Ọyọ-Ile, before it was destroyed by Afonja-led–Fulani soldiers. Alaafin Abiodun and Arẹ Ọyalabi led war against Baṣọrun Gaa, after Gaa killed Agbọnyin- the only child of Alaafin Abiọdun.
Alafin Aolẹ		The last Alaafin in Ọyọ-Ile. He engaged in supremacy battle with Afọnja, although he committed suicide before Ọyọ was destroyed by the rampaging Fulani warriors, but he left a mark. A mark that altered political dynamics of Yoruba land for the rest of 19th century.
Afọnja Ilọrin		Afọnja was the Arẹ-Ọna-Kankan-Fo of old Ọyọ Empire, he refused to carry the orders of Alaafin, when told to wage war against Iwere-Ile; a Yoruba town in modern day (Kwara) an  unresolved rivalry ensued between Alaafin Aole and Afọnja. Afọnja led Fulani warriors against Ọyọ  around 1826/27, and the kingdom was destroyed. Unfortunately, his Fulani supporters turned against him, and later killed on the orders of Alimi.  Ilọrin lost its independence, its relevance in Yoruba history and became Fulani controlled Yoruba town till today.
Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther		One of the many outcomes of Afọnja’s war against Ọyọ was, it opened several military attacks on Yoruba without strong or viable resistance. One of such attacks was on Oṣoogun, a village very close to Ọyọ-Alaafin. Ajayi was captured by the Fulani soldiers, sold, moved to, but set free in Freetown, Sierra-Leone. He became a Christian, studied languages and  translated Bible into Yoruba, wrote several books, and carried Christian evangelism to nooks and crannies of Yoruba land and beyond. Became first African Bishop.
Kurunmi of Ijaye		One of the power blocs in Yoruba  after the fall of Ọyọ was Ijaye, under Arẹ-Ọna-Kankan-Fo Kurunmi. He became Ijaye leader, a town known for its military prowess, Kurunmi engaged in several intra-tribal wars in Yoruba land, especially with Ibadan. In one of these wars with Ibadan, Baṣọrun Ogunmọla led Ibadan forces against Kurunmi. Kurunmi with his army was defeated after losing his children in the war; there after, he committed suicide. Ibadan became the political force in Yoruba land. Ijaye was destroyed, and refugees form Ijaye relocated to other Yoruba towns and Ijaye went out of political significance in Yoruba land.
Seriki Ṣodẹkẹ		Ẹgba military leader  after Lamodi, he led Ẹgba from Ibadan to Oko-Adagba to meet other Ẹgba, after Ijẹbu/Ifẹ and Owu war. Owu recorded so much casualty and because of hostility to Owu,  several Ẹgba relocated to Abẹokuta near Olumọ Rock. The Rock that provided shield for the Ẹgba during the internecine/dark era in the history of Yoruba.