VIVID_ :
Fabunmi of Okemesi ( 1849 - 1903) born Prince Fábùnmi Ìṣọ̀lá, also known as Orara l'ada, was an Ekiti warlord, chief and ultimately king. He was known to have singlehandedly triggered the longest civil war in Nigeria and West Africa - the Kiriji War..
Prince Fabunmi Isola was born in 1849 in Okemesi (formerly Imesi-igbodo). to Prince Adesoye, a younger brother of Fatimehin Aponlese, the 9th Owa Ooye of Okemesi. His mother was a princess from the town of Ogotun-Ekiti. He was about ten years when Ijesa conquered Okemesi and went on exile at Ila Orangun with his father,.His father died in Ila, leaving Fabunmi as the oldest member of his family.
His mother was a Princess from Ogotun.It was while in Ila that he learnt tailoring. He was a very good friend of Prince Adeyale of Ila who later became the military leader of Ila army. When he then travelled to Ibadan to become a war boy under, Akintola, the second son of Balogun Ibikunle. He partook in Iperu and Mamu military expeditions. He soon escaped Ibadan overnight as there were plans to put him to death and sacrifice him to a local deity.
In 1878 , .Oyepetun, an Ibadan Administrator (Ajele) was stationed in Okemesi, and his boys were rapacious and evil; forcefully coveting other people’s properties.They had gone to the annual Erinle-odo shrine festival, where Fabunmi was celebrating with friends and acquaintances and had seized food and palm wine meant for the occasion.In the process, they molested Fabunmi’s wife, Falola, who brought the meals and refreshments.Fabunmi was incensed.
He ran back home, got his sword, and made for Oyepetun’s compound. He killed everyone he could lay his hands on including the Ajele.Every other member of Oyepetun’s compound still alive and Ibadan residents in Okemesi deserted the town.This was a direct test of Ibadan powers but given the maladministration of many of the Ajales, the news quickly spread across Ekiti, Ijesa and Igbomina.All known Ibadan officers and everyone known to be working with them were massacred and put to sword.
Are Latoosa of Ibadan, called on Olojaoke of Okemesi to deliver Fabunmi, his nephew, a prince and heir apparent to him but he refused.Fabunmi then wen
2026-05-24 11:26:29