Ijaye of Kurunmi

By 1860, Ijaye had been built into a prosperous military powerhouse by Kurunmi comparable to Abeokuta and Ibadan.[7] While Kurunmi, had become a veteran of several wars and an elder statesman, Ibadan had several leaders in successions after the death of Oluyole.[7] By 1860, Chief Olugbode was the Baale of Ibadan (meaning lord or owner of the land).[7] Among his military chiefs were Ibikunle, Balogun (or war general); Ogunmola, Otun (meaning Right-hand man).[7] The Ijaye war with Ibadan was caused by; Ibadan’s attempts to become the sole power in Yorubaland; King Adelu to solidify his rulership in Oyo.[7] An opening to clash with Ijaye arose from a particular incidence.[7] One Abu, a rich lady in Ijanna, a town under Ijaye, died without a will.[7] Her property was supposed to revert to the Alaafin of Oyo.[7] When King Adelu sent messengers to remove her properties to Oyo, Kurunmi’s war boys attacked the messengers and took them captive.[7] All efforts by King Adelu to settle amicably were rebuffed by Kurunmi.[7] Therefore, Alaafin ordered Ibadan to declare war on Kurunmi of Ijaye.[8]

On the 10th of April 1860, at the Ibadan council meeting, Balogun Ibikunle, the war general raised the standard of war against Ijaye.[8] Unlike Ibadan with youthful warriors and modern weapons, Kurunmi of Ijaye was an old despotic leader.[8] He had put to death several of Ijaye's brave warriors and forbade any chief from acquiring ammunitions to ensure his continuous rulership.[8] It was not surprising his warriors had to result to fight with bows and arrows. Ijaye received support from towns, such as Egba, Ilorin, and Ijebu who saw Ibadan as the main threat and common enemy given her victories against Ijesa, Ekiti, Akoko, and Igbomina countries. The Ijaye war lasted two years. Ibadan and its allies defeated Ijaye and destroyed the town. In retaliation, Egba and Ijebu attacked and took Remo; Ijebu took Iperu and Egba seized Makun. These effectively closed the two main trade routes to the coast by the Ibadan.

In an attack led by Ogunmola, Otun or right-hand man of Ibadan, at Iwawun to cut off food supplies to Ijaye, through Oke-Ogun towns.[7] Five of Kurunmi's sons, including Arawole, his eldest surviving child was caught and killed.[7] The death of Kurunmi’s children dealt a severe blow to him.[7] He died in June 1861.[7] He was buried in a secret place by, Abogunrin, his head of slaves along with the two slaves who dug his grave.[7] When his burial ground was later found, his head was cut off and taken to the Alaafin of Oyo, as the custom was for holders of Are-ona-kakanfo or generalissimo title demanded.[7] Abogunrin took over the rulership of Ijaye town.[7] All of Kurunmi’s treasures and properties including war weapons devolved to Abogunrin.[7] He took all civil and military decisions.[7] On the 17th of March 1862, Ijaye, a town rich and plenty in agriculture, full of brave and industrious men but under a dictatorship, fell to the hands of the Ibadan army.[7] Abogunrin and other chiefs escaped to Abeokuta, where they were allocated portions of land to build their tents, and houses and re-establish themselves.[7] They named it Ago Ijaye.[7]

The vicious war of Ijaye was achieved by massive destruction of farmland, people, and properties and starvation accomplished by the raised siege on the city town.[9]  Ibadan military moved its permanent base to Alabata camp, which later grew into a village.[9] Several Ijaye citizens migrated to the big towns of Ibadan, Abeokuta, Oyo, Lagos, and many other surrounding towns.[9] Many Ijaye migrants who arrived in Ibadan came to join their relatives.[9] Some came as captives and were employed in Ibadan farms or joined the military and were involved in expeditions.[9] Some bought farmland but were excessively taxed.[9] Ijaye refugees in Abeokuta came to meet the ones who had been displaced by Kurunmi in 1833.[9]  Those had settled in locations called Ijaye Kukudi and Ijaye Obirinti.[9] The new refugees settled in Sokenu landmarks where they received protection through the Christian missions in Abeokuta.[9] A village called Ijaye-Ojutaye was established as a settlement for Ijaye migrants to Oyo; while those who relocated to a far place in Lagos, settled mostly in Abule-Ijaye around the Agege area.[9]

In the 1870s, relations of Kurunmi who were stationed in Abeokuta formed the Ile Are society and another Egbe Agba Ijaye society.[10] The main objective was to re-establish and resettle back in their land.[10] By 1893, they were so encouraged by the fact that Ibadan was now under colonial rule; and the need, in those days, for bigger farmland for cocoa, cotton, and rubber cash crops by the British.[10] In 1895, Orile Ijaye was established.[10] The early settlers were able to acquire huge land for cocoa farming and would later lease to late entrants.[10] In the newly established, Orile Ijaye, Kurunmi relations were rejected to lead their monarchical-republican systems and they got support from Ibadan who had to impose, a man called, Olaniya.[10] When Olaniya was deposed, another man, Fajinmi replaced him.[10] But unlike the thriving Ijaye city-town destroyed by the war, Orile-Ijaye was and has since been a small village under Ibadan’s influence.[10]