Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè is the author of A History of the Yoruba People (published in 2010) and of The Yoruba People, Profile of the Prominent Black Nation (published in 2022) has been in the frontline of African and Yoruba history studies for more than five decades. After being awarded a PhD in History from the University of Ìbàdàn in 1966, he joined the History Department at Ọbafẹ́mi Awolọ́wọ́ University in Ifẹ̀ (Nigeria) where he became a Professor and Director of the Institute of African Studies. He also served in the Nigerian Senate between 1979 and 1983. The Cotonou Times recently met with Professor Akíntóyè who gave us the honor to respond to some of our questions.
The Cotonou Times: Was the Ọ̀yọ́ Kingdom under control of the British Crown when the territory of Lagos was taken over by the British in 1861?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè: No, only the Lagos territory was under British control. Neither the Ìjẹ̀bú Kingdom nor the Ẹ̀gbá territory which was nearby was under British domination .Both the Ìjẹ̀bú and Ẹ̀gbá kingdoms were actually upset about this situation.
The Cotonou Times: Were the Ìjẹ̀bú and Ẹ̀gbá territories controlled by the Ọ̀yọ́ Kingdom in 1861?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè: No,they were not under the Ọ̀yọ́ Kingdom.
The Cotonou Times: Was there a period in history when Ìjẹ̀bú was being ruled by the Ọ̀yọ́ Kingdom?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè: Ìjẹ̀bú has never never been ruled by the Ọ̀yọ́ Kingdom.The Ẹ̀gbá were under the control of the Ọ̀yọ́ Kingdom for some time but they got their independence very very early.
The Cotonou Times: When did the Ẹ̀gbá people obtain their independence from the Ọ̀yọ́ Kingdom ?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè: The Ẹ̀gbá people expelled the Ọ̀yọ́ representatives from their land. The man who gathered them all to carry out the operation was named Lisabi . He is the leader who organized the farmers.
The Cotonou Times: What was the reason behind the Ẹ̀gbá rebellion against the Ọ̀yọ́ Kingdom?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè: They just no longer wanted to be ruled by Ọ̀yọ́ .They did not want to pay taxes to them and be controlled by Ọ̀yọ́.
The Cotonou Times: Was the Ọ̀yọ́ Kingdom controlled by the British Crown when the Berlin Conference was held between November 1884 and February 1885?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè: Ọ̀yọ́ was not under the British control until 1893.
The Cotonou Times: We understand that Ọ̀yọ́ was bombarded by the British in 1895. Can you please explain what happened?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè: The British believed that Ìbàdàn who was the most powerful entity in Yorubaland. Ibadan signed an agreement with the British in 1893, whereby they had accepted the authority of the British government. It was in 1893 that the British Crown started to have a Resident in Ìbàdàn, as they assumed that Ìbàdàn was controlling all the Yoruba territories, but the Aláàfin of Ọ̀yọ́ didn’t agree. That was how a British contingent went to Ọ̀yọ́ in 1895, positioned itself outside the town and bombarded it. The palace of the Aláàfin of Ọ̀yọ́ was attacked and hit with different types of rockets and many parts of the palace were destroyed.
The Cotonou Times: But wasn’t Ìbàdàn under the authority of Ọ̀yọ́ ? How could the British sign an agreement with Ìbàdàn?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè: Ìbàdàn was only under Ọ̀yọ́ nominally but the Aláàfin Ọ̀yọ́ had no control over Ìbàdàn. The agreement was signed in 1992,so the British automatically thought that Ọ̀yọ́ and the neighboring territories were theirs. When they realized that Ọ̀yọ́ showed no interest in their offer they made the decision to bombard the City.
The Cotonou Times : So the British already had an alliance with the Ìbàdàn rulers ?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè: Yes,the British already had a Resident in Ibadan in 1893.
The Cotonou Times: When all this occurred, did the Aláàfin of Ọ̀yọ́ complain to the Ìbàdàn rulers? Could have they taken such a step without the approval of the Ọ̀yọ́ ruler?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè: Ọ̀yọ́ just didn’t have the kind of audacity to question the Ìbàdàn who was the strongest city in Yorubaland. Theoritically , Ìbàdàn was part of the Ọ̀yọ́ Kingdom but still there’s nothing the Aláàfin of Ọ̀yọ́ could do to them.
The Cotonou Times: When can we say that at that time the Aláàfin of Ọ̀yọ́ had completely lost his authority over Ìbàdàn?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè: Following the destruction of Ọ̀yọ́ Ilé, the Aláàfin of Ọ̀yọ́ was asked to come back, but he preferred to establish a new capital in the present Ọ̀yọ́ known as Àgọ́-Ọjà or Ọ̀yọ́ Àtìbà
The Cotonou Times: Is it true that the last Aláàfin of Ọ̀yọ́ who was not a British vassal is Aláàfin Àtìbà ?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè: Yes, Aláàfin Àtìbà had nothing to do with the British.
The Cotonou Times: So during the rule of Aláàfin Àtìbà (1837-1851) Ọ̀yọ́ had not yet been colonized by the British Crown ?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè: Aláàfin Àtìbà is the king who established the new Ọ̀yọ́ capital.
The Cotonou Times: Is it true that all the Aláàfin of Ọ̀yọ́ who succeeded Aláàfin Àtìbà had no authority over Ìbàdàn?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè:Yes,they had no power. Ìbàdàn became the most powerful entity in Yorubaland.
The Cotonou Times : Given the fact that Ìbàdàn was so powerful, what exactly was their interest to form an alliance with the British Crown?
Professor Adébanjí Akíntóyè: The Yorubas were angry against Ìbàdàn, because they believed in view of Ìbàdàn’s military strength ,they could lead the Yorubas, confront the British and expel them from their land; but instead Ìbàdàn accepted an alliance with the British crown and hosted their soldiers. The Yorubas were very upset but there was nothing they could do because Ìbàdàn was so powerful. My grandfather was a warrior, until his death he was always pained whenever he was talking about Ìbàdàn. According to him Ìbàdàn sold out.
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