Part 2 — Chapter 21

Chapter XXI. TWO ADMINISTRATIONS OF OPPOSITE POLICIES § I. Orowusi's Administration Ibadan was the one place that loomed largely in people's eyes at this period (1870). To have taken liesa was regarded as a feat of extraordinary magnitude it being a town of great strength, both in its fortifications and in its able-bodied citizens ; and consequently the eyes of all surrounding tribes were fixed on the town situated on the hills. The first duty of the Ibadans now was to fill up the vacancies among the ruling chiefs and to settle home affairs. They had only been at home for less than two months when on the 1st of September the town had to lament the death of Osun, the first-born son of Ogunmola the late Basorun. It was a great loss to the community, as the late Basorun had only two sons and a daughter. The town went into mourning for a month, and then arrangements were made to confer the title of Bale on Orowusi. On the 30th September Agbaro the Ilari sent by the AlAfin for the purpose conferred the title on him in the presence of all the chiefs and a large assemblage of people. On the 5th day after, the Bale began to confer the principal titles by batches ; the most important of which we need mention are:—Ajgbg who became the Balogun, Latosisa the Otun, Ajayi Ogboriefon the Osi, Ali Laluwoye the Asipa, Lawoyin the Seriki, Ojo Oronna the Otun Seriki, Tajo the Otun Bale. All these men' played some important part more or less in the history of the country. By the end of October the affairs of the town had been settled. On the 5th of November the old Chief Mele was again despatched to Ijebu to negotiate for an Agurin (consul) in order that peace and amity might once more be established between them. The last Agurin was recalled when Ijebu declared war against Ibadan during the Ijaye war. Now peace and tranquility reigned over all the land. This Bale encouraged agriculture himself setting the example. Under such peaceful rule the Christians of Ibadan numbering about 400 with their teachers thought it right to do honour to the Bale, who was well disposed to Christianity. They went in a body with the school children to his house, and he came out to receive them in 383 the square in front ot the house and a short service was held including the prayers for the King and all rulers. The Bale was immensely pleased and the Christian body enjoyed a pleasant day. Civil commotion.—The next trouble started where the last ended. The Owa of Ilesa being dead, it devolved upon Ibadan as the Suzerain power to appoint another Owa. There were, however, two claimants, each with his rival party, and both parties were seeking for help among the Ibadan chiefs to promote their cause. Prince Odigbadigba, backed by Ogedemgbe, sent about 50 slaves and a quantity of beads to Balogun Ajgbo to promote his cause. Ajgbo instead of bringing the matter before the council, with whatever backing he could bestow on his client, appropriated all the presents and gave orders that Odigbadigba be crowned. When the Ibadan chiefs came to know about all this they were fired with rage and ordered both claimants to Ibadan. In the meantime Ogedemgbe's nominee had been crowned at Ilesa, but on their arrival he was set aside as being irregularly crowned, and the rival was crowned at Ibadan on the 22nd of May, 1871, and sent home in state. Prince Odigbadigba was detained at Ibadan, and lodged with Ogundepo the Bale's brother. This action of Balogun Ajobo hurt not only the Bale whose rights he had often usurped, but also his brother chiefs, especially his principal lieutenants Latosisa and Ajayi, on whom fell the brunt of the task of taking Ilesa at the final stage. Ajobo's popularity lay in his largess to the people, which gained him fame at home and abroad and secured for him a large following among whom were some brave men that could not be overlooked; this popularity turned his head, leading him to act as he did. As a leader he was much lacking in courage and ability as the fiasco at Osiele showed, and therefore he carried no weight or respect among the body of the people. He arrived at his post more by order of seniority than by merit and by the large number of men behind him which must be taken into account. But for such a grave political blunder his deposition was resolved upon. Chief Ogedemgbe was very anxious about the safety of Prince Odigbadigba hence he was sending some slaves and presents to the Ibadan chiefs to effect his release. On this being known, the Ibadan chiefs sent to intercept the messengers out of spite to the Balogun to whom they were sent direct. On the 23rd of June, the war-staff was demanded from him, —a sign that he was deprived of his title: there was consequently a great commotion in the town, the people apprehending a civil war, but Ajobo had not the courage to attempt one ; on the contrary he spent largely to purchase his pardon. This pardon was granted on the 29th and all was quiet again, and he attended the weekly town council as before. But the disaffection against him among some of the chiefs was as great as ever, and the desire to encompass his fall very strong, especially with Ajayi the Osi, and Lawoyin the Seriki, who were under great obligation to him for the means of attaining their present position. To them his fall would mean one hft upwards in their titles, and an obUteration of their feehng of obhgation to him, the shame and remorse of conscience for their ingratitude to him in his distress, being intolerable when he was pardoned. Consequently there was another explosion engineered by these two chiefs ; he was deprived of all his tributary towns, was forbidden to attend Council, and was rejected by the chiefs in council. Ajobg now resolved to die, and ordered his cofhn to be made and the grave to be dug. On the evening of the 5th of July, he returned the war-staff to the Bale. But early on the 6th when everybody was expecting to hear of Ajobo's death, and his lying in state, he escaped from the town; passing by the C.M.S. station at Kudeti he took a by-path by which he regained the main road to Ijebu and escaped to the town of Ipara in the Remo district. Some of his ill-wishers actually gave chase when the news of his escape was heard but failed to overtake him. Now his principal opponents Latosisa and Ajayi Ogboriefon came to congratulate the Bale on having got rid of the Balogun. But the Bale's reception of the news disappointed their expecta- tions. The Bale's wish was that his pride be humbled for such a gross public offence, but that he be finally pardoned. With surprise and alarm he asked " Gone away .-* Who drove him away ? What message did you send him which obliged him to leave the town? " Latosisa and Ajayi repUed "Who drove him away but yourself ? Did you not send a messenger to us to say we should accept no terms of reconciUation ? " " What " replied the Bale " What is the name of the messenger I sent ? " In great anger the Bale retired within and shut the door against them leaving them where they prostrated before him. He saw at once through the scheming of the war-chiefs who would get rid of a chicken-hearted Balogun ; but he the Bale had no need of a fire-eater for one, and hence he apprehended trouble from these younger war-chiefs. That was the last time the Bale was seen in public, he never showed his face after this till his corpse was exposed in state before interment. The rumour of the Bale's death began on the 15th of August, but there was no pubhc announcement. On the 19th Prince Odigbadigba, who was the cause of all these troubles was sent away to his country, but private orders were given to his escorts, that as soon as they were a good way off from the town he should be murdered. On the 30th of August, Ijebu ambassadors arrived at Ibadan to plead for the restoration of Ajobo, but they were sent away with a negative reply. On the evening of the 19th September it was pubHcly announced that Orowusi the Bale was dead. The expulsion ot Ajobo being the cause of his death his people went that same evening and set Ajobo's house on fire. Ibadan was once more without a head. Tajo the oldest among the war-chiefs declined the honour. When the other chiefs were going to assemble in his house, as the Otun Bale, he met them at the central market and there dechned the offer. No elderly chief agreed to accept the title from the unsettled state of the town due mainly to Latosisa and Ajayi. For some time their meetings were held in the central market till at last Latosisa agreed to under- take the responsibility though not as a Bale but as a Kakanfo. He alleged that he was a Moslem and none of his cieed had been Bale before, but Ojo Amepo who was a Moslem was a Kakanfo and he took his precedent from him. The Ibadan chiefs did not Like the idea, and the AlAfin ot Oyo was reluctant to grant it knowing the national troubles usually caused by strong Kakanfos, but in the end Latosisa won all parties over and obtained the title. The Late Bal§ Orowusi.—The late Bale was a native of Ogbdgbd a town about 6 miles from Iwo. He was originally an elephant hunter hence his name Orowiisi, super-deadly poison (from his poisoned arrows in hunting big game). He rose into power by his own merits, but he was unpopular among the other war-chiefs who were his seniors in the days of Ibikunle and Ogun- mola. Notwithstanding instances of slights and indignities he endured in the earlier days, he lived to be the head of the town of Ibadan. His rule was short but was marked by a wise adminis tration and by peace with the surrounding tribes. He was a far-seeing man, of sound judgment and strong determination. He once summoned a meeting of the chiefs and after addressing them on matters poUtical and inter-tribal, he laid down the following advice which he wished them to treasure up and act upon for the present and future. " I. That on no account should Ibadan wage any aggressive warfare with any of their principal neighbours the Egbas, Ijebus and Ilorins. 2. That high and responsible positions should not be given to the Mogajis (heirs to large estates) because of the men and means at their command, on account of their inexperience, but rather to older men who were the companions of their fathers for the country will be the gainer by their experience. 3. That they should rely more on the children of the soil than on their slaves, as it has now become the fashion to make of their slaves high stewards and confidants ; for how can these who are slaves after all seek the permanent interests of the country that enslaved them and made their own country desolate ? The seed of bitterness towards ' Oygs ' must have sunk deep in their hearts. Their women also should not be made their principal or choice wives. 4. Never should the slaves be entrusted with messages of impoitance to the interior, for having nothing to lose, their conduct will not be marked by moderation or discretion." These words were well received by the assembly and he set the example by refusing to grant the title of Seriki to lyapo the son of the late Balogun Ibikunle, although for wealth, power, and the highest war-like qualities he was unsurpassed by none at Ibadan, but his youth was against him. Hence the title was given to Lawoyin an old and experienced veteran who had seen many wars. How these precepts were reversed by the succeeding adminis- tration and with what consequences to the country we shall see hereafter. § 2. Ibadan Under a Kakanfo Latosisa usurped the title of Kakanfo by might over right, by displacing Ojo Aburumaku the Kakanfo at Ogbomosg, as Ogun- mola attempted to do in the case of Gbenla the aged Basorun of Oyo. He sent to Ojo for all the insignia of the office, which he was obliged to resign to him, and on the 3rd of October, 1871, he was publicly installed. On the 9th he gave titles to his chiefs the most principal of which were to Ajayi Ogboriefon, Balogun the title he intrigued so much for, and to Ali Laluwoye the Otun. They were barely a year at home when the Ilesa complications cropped up again, but this time they appeared as defenders of that city. We have seen in the preceding section that Odigbadigba was the man Ogedemgbe desired to be crowned as Owa, so when he heard that Odigbadigba was murdered at Ibadan he came with an army from his place of exile, captured Ilesa and drove away the Owa placed there by the Ibadans. Thus Ilesa was destroyed a second time within a short period. Ogedemgbe remained at Ilesa in defiance of Ibadan. The Ogedemgbe Campaign.—The Ibadans accepted the challenge by espousing the cause of the expelled Owa. The standard of war was propitiated on the 28th of December, 1872, and on the 30th Ajayi Ogboriefon as commander-in-chief marched out. His orders were simply to capture or drive away Ogedemgbe and restore the Owa. But Ogedemgbe would not risk another war with the Ibadans so shortly within the walls of Ilesa, so he left the town at the approach of the Ibadan army. These encamped near the walls of Ijeba Ere, and although their orders did not include seizures at Ilesa, yet, as individuals among them entered the city with the intention of buying provisions one and another among them seeing their run-away slaves of the previous campaign, seized them, others following their examples seized under false pretences, and in order not to go away empty handed, seizures became general, and so Ilesa was taken again as the people were just settling down. The Are of Ibadan on hearing this was much displeased with the Balogun, and, although he pleaded his innocence in the matter, yet the fact remained a stigma on his character. He was sent to reheve Ilesa not to plunder it. Passing from Ilesa in pursuit of Ogedemgbe, Odo was again taken. The commander-in-chief being somewhat in a state of destitution before he left home, did not abide by his orders, but was only intent upon slave catching and was always ready with excuses. Ogedemgbe was pursued from place to place until he lured them to a great forest called Igbo Alawun east of Ikere where he made a stand. Ogedemgbe encamped at Ita Ogbolu and the Ibadans at Ogotun with the forest between them ; there they fought several battles. Ogedemgbe inflicting disasters upon them checked the restless ambitions of the Ibadans. Ifthe Ijesa and Efon towns in the rear had had the courage to rebel, the Ibadans would have been cut off to a man. The third battle fought here was simply disastrous to the Ibadans. Ogedemgbe and his aUies lay in ambush while a small body of men was sent forward to draw the Ibadans ; this was soon defeated and in the pursuit the flower of the Ibadan army was hemmed in and cut off from the main body at the base. Most of the young Mogajis were there such as Akeredolu heir of the late Bale Orowusi, Aderibigbe, heir of the late Bale Olugbode, also the A§aju with all the Badas, the Seriki with his Otun and Osi Seriki. These last sat on the very spot the ambuscade was laid their men all scattered in the pursuit for slave catching when all of a sudden the Ijesas opened fire upon them ! The Seriki was shot off his horse, seriously wounded, his Otun and Osi were killed on the spot and their heads taken off (the Osi Seriki alone had 2,000 followers in this campaign not one of them being with him when this disaster occurred) When the pursuers knew that they were hemmed in, they began to fight their way back, and the pursued now became the pursuers. It was " save himself who can " with the Ibadans, the chiefs had only with them their bodyguards who must always be by their sides in weal or woe. It was now that Balogun Ajayi began to redeem his honour. He was a man for any emergency. Unrespected hitherto because he was inferior in men and means to any of the Mogajis, but for presence of mind, courage and resources, he was unequalled by any. He came up at once with the reserve forces, bore down on the Ijesas, and in one tremendous charge he dispersed them and in that way he saved those who had been cut off. The news of this disaster was received with great mourning at Ibadan. To mihtary skill, Ogedemgbe now added state craftiness; he sent large presents to the Are at home and tendered his sub- mission. The Are sent one messenger after another to recall the Balogun, but from shame the Balogun would not return till the third messenger reached him. A great deal is attached to a Balogim's first expedition, and to go home empty handed with nothing but tales of disaster was enough to make him afraid of falHng into disrepute, especially as there were murmurings against him already among the war boys. He turned his steps homeward with a heavy heart. He spent a few days at Ikere. It was in his mind to surprise the town and capture it, but when it was privately intimated to him that they would be hemmed in, he left quite unexpectedly. The army arrived home on the ist September, 1873. The Are reprimanded the Balogun sharply for disobeying orders, and he wept in the pubUc meeting like a Httle child. He would have been deposed from his high olftce, but the Are knew his worth as a soldier, and that his misfortune lay in not having the where- withal to command respect and that for that reason he was bent at all hazards on risking everything in order to secure the necessary means. The war-chiefs now began to disrespect their commander-in-chief but conscious of his own capabiUties he took no notice of slights and insults knowing that occasions will arise when he was sure to command their respect. In order to quiet the restlessness and general dissatisfaction the Are promised to lead the next expedition in person when they would have an opportunity of retrieving their losses. The Arg however, deposed the Seriki Lawoyin alleging that he was too unlucky as a general to lose his two principal lieutenants in his very first campaign. But the underlying reason was that the principal chiefs felt he was a disgrace to them for the glaringly base ingratitude he displayed towards the deposed Ajobg who had helped him to defray the expenses incidental to his taking office by giving him 800 bags of cowries, a horse, a sword, gowns, etc., and this HberaHty he requited by pursuing the fallen chief with the very horse he had given him ! Lawoyin submitted calmly, relinquished public life altogether and retired to his farm. The title was given to lyapo the Mogaji of the late Balogun Ibikunle who commanded all his late father's resources, and for men and means was unapproached by any of the other chiefs in the town. And Akeredolu son of the late Bale Orowusi the Otun Seriki. Thus the Are began to reverse the policy of the late Bale Orowusi in the advice not to exalt inexperienced young men over elderly men of ripe judgment although comparatively poor. His idea was that these young men should be advanced to responsible position in order that they might use the means at their command for the public benefit which they would otherwise not do. Subsequent events will prove which of these two poUcies was the right one. § 3. An Unprovoked War.—Ado The Ibadans were not long at home before they found another pretext for marching oat. for .-ilave raiding. The Ifes, seeking an occasion against Modakeke, but mindful of the past were afraid to attack them direct, and secretly invited the Are and gave up the town to him. So the Ibadan army left home again, under the Are, on the 8th December, 1873. He rendezvoused between lie Igbo and Kuta, villages of Iwp, and was just preparing to cross the Osun river and march against Modakeke when the Ifes thought better of their offer and regretted theii rashness. They now prayed the Are to leave Modakeke alone ; for it occurred to them that there was no wall separating the two towns, and what would prevent the wild soldiery of Ibadan from rushing from one to the other ? They would just be bringing disaster on their own heads. So the Are desisted. The Ibadan army then marched to the Ekiti country with no express object in view. The Are now remembered that he had lost a brother in the Agbado war, when they were waylaid by the Balogun ot Ado ! He now made up his mind to destroy the Ado country. The Ados met them at lyin a frontier town of theirs, and were routed in a single pitched battle on or about the i6th of January 1874. They could not rally, so the Ibadans made an easy conquest of the whole district. Men, women, and children were captured without the slightest attempt at resistance. So many were the captives and so much the booty, that the campaign appeared more like a promenade. The king of Ado entered the Ibadan camp in full regal attire attended by a few followers who had nearly all stolen behind him ere he could get to the Are's tent. The Are received him with every mark of honour and respect; he now remembered that his second wife was a native of Ado and so he would do honour to her king. He obtained for him 41 of his wives, 21 of his children, 30 of his chiefs, and bought him a horse and caparison for 3 slaves, and re-instated him. The Ibadan army arrived behind their town wall on the 21st February and entered in a triumphant procession on the 22nd. The conquest of Ado was so easy that not a chief was missing, but Akeredolu, the Otun Seriki, who signaUzed himself in the Ilesa and Ogedemgbe wars was taken ill, and remained two months at I la but growing worse was brought home to die on the 5th April, 1874. His brother Ajayi Osungbekun succeeded him both as head of their father's house, and in his office of Otun Seriki. § 4. The Are's Administration Latosisa the Are-ona-kakanfo at the commencement of his administration ruled with great clemency, but after this successful expedition be began to show himself a Kakanfo with all the characteristics of a Kakanfo—obstinacy, recklessness, blood thirstiness. The Are's first act after his return from Ado was directed against Efiisetan the lyalode or Ladies' Queen. The charges against her were:—i. That she did not accompany him to the war. 2. That she never sent him supplies during the campaign. 3. That she did not come in person to meet him outside the town wall to congratulate him on his safe return. He was, therefore, resolved to depose her and this was done on the ist of May, 1874, and lya Ola her Otun (first Heutenant) was promoted to the office. lya Ola was very reluctant to accept the office, but the Are sent a peremptory message to her to say, if she refused, she was to take a single cloth and a head tie, and leave the town immediately. She was obhged to accept the title. We may mention in passing that Efusetan herself took the title from her chief a former lyalode, who, from adverse circumstances lost her wealth, whilst fortane smiled on Efusetan. She lived to see Efusetan deprived both of the title and of her life. When men or women of high rank and great social position are deposed, it means that their death is determined upon ; but if they have fallen into poverty and insignificance and so have lost influence before deposition, their death is not insisted upon. In order to save her life, Efusetan with lavish gifts sought the aid and interposition of all the influential chiefs, paid the fines imposed upon her, but all to no purpose. It must be remarked that many of the chiefs were against this treatment of the lyalode, but the Are at this time was haughty and unapproachable. She was summoned to the meeting of the Town Council on the 22nd of June and was pubHcly disgraced, after which she was told that she was pardoned ; but when a few days after the voice of the Agan was heard in the night (i.e. the Egugun that executes women) it was known that her death was resolved upon. But the lyalode could not be openly attacked. It has been made one of the constitutional laws of the town that there was to be no civil war, that if any chief ventured on one, whether his case be right or wrong the whole town was to rise against him and crush him. All that could now be done was to effect her death by some means or other, either by poison, or by direct violence when unguarded. Kumuyilo the lyalode's adopted son and her relatives were heavily bribed by the Are and his abettors, to murder her in cold blood ! The lyalode spent miserable days and nights suspicious of every sound and movement. She changed her sleeping place from night to night as she could not trust any of her domestics. She prepared her food herself, could not go out of doors, received no visitors, as she did not know from what quarter the fatal blow would fall. At length on the night of June 30th, 1874 knowing where she slept, two slaves instructed by Kumuyilo entered the room from the ceiUng and dashed out her brains. The next morning, when her death was reported, she was accorded a public funeral befitting her rank and having no son of her own the Are installed Kumuyilo her adopted son as head of the house. The late Madam Efusetan was an Egba by birth but made Ibadan her home, where she grew to be very rich. The Egbas hearing of her death sent to ask the cause of it. This made the Ibadan chiefs, who were against the cruel deed, declare their innocence leaving the onus of it upon the Are. To show their displeasure in the matter they demanded of the Are at the public meeting to prove his innocence by producing the murderers. He tried by one way or another to evade the question : they rejected his excuses, the meeting became stormy and they adjourned in a rage. The Are was ill at ease, fearing a general sedition against himself; hence he summoned a meeting daily to settle this matter, and to have a reply for the Egba messengers. On the 8th of July the town was in a feverish excitement, for the chiefs demanded that Kumuyilo be summoned to the meeting. Kumuyilo although the son of a notable citizen was brought to the meeting bound with cords, and compelled to name his accomplices. He named the Oluwo, theBalogun, andtheSebaloju. This last was the Are's spokesman at public meetings. Of course, all present knew that he meant this for the Are himself whom he was afraid to name. Consequentlyitbecameclearthat the first two chiefs of the town, the Are and the Balogun, were the doers of the deed, and if due justice were to be done, it was they who should atone for the crime with their lives ; but such a course would mean the destruction of the town. The rest of the chiefs, finding that Kumuyilo only carried out the orders of the rulers had not the conscience to order him to execution or rather to clamour for his life, they were content therefore to have him publicly disgraced, ordered out of the great lady's house to his own humble dwelling, and appointed a distant relative as head of the house. In this way the chiefs signified their displeasure at the action of their leaders, and these, conscious of guilt, could not oppose the verdict. But as life must go for Ufe, they further demanded the actual perpetrators of the deed to be produced. On the loth of July, 1874 these two slaves were brought to the public meeting and the writer who saw them prostrating there before the chiefs saw them a few minutes later impaled at the Basgrun market. Thus ended the matter. The Late Madam Efusetan as we have said was an Egba by birth but made her home at Ibadan. [There were several Egbas of note residing at Ibadan at this time. Chief Lisibade being the head of them and Lanisa an Egba was theBalogun of Lawgyin the Seriki]. She was very rich owning some 2,000 slaves in her farms alone exclusive of those at home. She had also her own captains of war and warboys. She had an only daughter who died in childbirth in i860 and since that sad event took place she became strangely cruel to all her female slaves found in an interest- ing condition, using all cruel means to cause forcible abortion, most of which ended in death. And these things were known to the chiefs. Her property at her death was regarded as belonging to the state. Omoko a distant relative was placed over the estate as the responsible man but her sister was the chief manager. § 5. The EMURg War. Chief Ogedemgbe being driven out of Ilesa gathered around himself a band of marauders infesting the Efon district. He also made himself obnoxious to the Ibadans by attacking their tributary towns being bent upon harassing them in every way possible. For that 'purpose he encamped against Ise an Ibadan tributary town, and it had to apply to Ibadan for help. On the 7th of December, 1874, the Are sent two of his powerful generals lyapo the Seriki and Ilgri the Osi to reUeve Ise. The Are himself knowing the imprudence of such an appoint- ment sent an elderly chief called 01up6yi to go with them as Baba Isale (chief adviser). The council of war was to be held in his tent, and he had to order the battle. He was their senior in age, but far inferior to the least of lyapo's or Ilori's captains. A wise policy this as these young men refused to submit to each other, although they agreed to submit to this old chief. lyapo was the heir of the late Balogun Ibikunle, and was possessed of all his father's men and his means. Moreover a brave Seriki considers himself second to the Balogun alone as he could leap from the one title to the other as his late father did," occupying as he did the same relative position to the young warriors, as the Balogun to the veterans. Ilori was the heir of the late Basorun Ogunmola, he also was possessed of his father's men and his prestige, and considered himself the senior in rank being the general commanding the commander-in-chief's left, and generally taken as senior in rank. What they would not yield to each other they agreed to concede to this old chief out of deference to his age. The wisdom of the advice of Bale Orowiisi may be indirectly noticed here also. But the fame and prestige of lyapg far eclipsed that of Ilori, and he was virtually the leader of the expedition ; where he en- camped there all encamped, and when he struck his tent all were bound to be on the move. Ogedemgbe hearing of their approach< raised the siege of Ise and escaped again to his stronghold at Ita Ogbola. The Ibadan army not willing to return home empty-handed went against Emure which was giving supplies to Ogedemgbe at Is§. The town was taken the next day but all the fighting men escaped in a body. The Seriki became ill after this, and it was with difficulty he could reach Ha the sanatorium of the Ibadans in all their Ekiti and other wars in those parts : there he remained until he was well enough to come home. As it would not be wise for all the army to remain at Ila until his recovery, they returned home on the 15th of February, 1875. The Seriki was well enough to leave Ila about six weeks later; he arrived outside the town wall of Ibadan on the 28th of March, and there most of the members of the expedition who had returned home joined him to grace his triumphal entry the next day. The joy, the excitement, and the enthusiasm attending the pageantry of this young man so moved the whole town that the like of it had scarcely ever been seen. Whilst it stirred the envy of some to its very depth, it excited the admiration of others. Thus a young man was heard to say " If I enjoy such a glory for only one day and I die the next, I shall be content." On the 7th of April following died that distinguished veteran and commander-in-chief AH a former Balogun of Iwo who was expelled by a civil fight from Iwo to Ibadan.