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An Historical Sketch of Egba Traditional Authorities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 August 2012

S. O. Biobaku
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Extract

The Yoruba were probably first established in what is now Nigeria in the region of Nupe, whence they crossed the Niger and went southwards in search of a suitable settlement. They chose Ile-Ife where, according to tradition, they encountered no opposition from the aborigines. Ife was later idealized; it became their Holy City and the revered cradle of their civilization. They probably remained under a single government at Ife until they had consolidated their power sufficiently to undertake the conquest of their neighbours. The general drive was towards the south, although a counter-migration back to the north resulted in the foundation of Old Oyo. When the Yoruba fanned out from Ife, they left principalities in their wake as they drove towards the sea. This region was probably then occupied by the Fon or Egun people, who were either absorbed or expelled as the Yoruba, in various waves and in different directions, penetrated the tropical forest.

Résumé

UN APERÇU HISTORIQUE DES AUTORITÉS POLITIQUES DES EGBA

Cet article donne une description des émigrations primitives des Yoruba de l'Ile-Ife à la forêt d'Egba, où ils ont fondé de nombreuses villes, chacune étant plus ou moins autonome sous l'autorité de son chef sacré, dont la position était d'une importance rituelle et judiciaire plutôt qu'exécutive, car les véritables dirigeants de chaque ville étaient membres de la société secrète des Ogboni. Les villes se groupaient en trois provinces gouvernées par des chefs supérieurs qui, à la longue, ont supprimé plusieurs des chefs sacrés des villes qu'ils ont réduites à l'état de communes ou de quartiers. Les trois provinces étaient liées ensemble sous l'autorité nominale de l'Alake. L'auteur décrit le développement de la suzeraineté tyrannique de l'Alafin d'Oyo, la libération de la fédération des Egba sous le commandement de Lishabi, les guerres civiles qui s'ensuivirent, la guerre avec les Owu, la dissolution de la fédération et la destruction des villes des Egba. La fondation d'Abeokuta a rendu possible le rétablissement de la fédération, y compris le groupe immigrant des Owu, sous le chef suprême Shodeke. A cette époque, l'autorité effective était passée des Ogboni aux Ologun, ou chefs de communes. Après la mort de Shodeke, il y avait des disputes continuelles, des difficultés et des expériences constitutionnelles jusqu'en 1898, lorsque le Gouvernement Uni des Egba apparaissait avec la nomination de quatre Obas qui gouvernaient sous la suzerainete de l'Alake.

Type
Research Article
Information
Africa , Volume 22 , Issue 1 , January 1952 , pp. 35 - 49
Copyright
Copyright © International African Institute 1952

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References

page 35 note1 See J. Bertho, Africa, xix. z, April 1949, p. 125, map showing ‘Répartition des Yoruba dans la zone côtière entre le Niger et la Volta’.

page 35 note 2 Not to be confused with the similarly named modern suburb of Lagos.

page 37 note 1 The migration shown by M. Bertho, loc. cit.

page 37 note 2 C(hurch) M(issionary) I(ntelligencer) vol. vii, 1856, pp. 65-72 for the whole account.

page 37 note 3 Koelle, , Polyglotta Africana (1854), p. 15.Google Scholar

page 38 note 1 C.M.I, loc. cit.

page 39 note 1 Ajisafe, E. K., History of Abeokuta (1924), p. 120.Google Scholar

page 39 note 2 While the Alake's supremacy is unquestioned, there have been efforts to revive two other kingships in the Egba Alake section in recent times; the attempt to install an Ontori of Itori led to a serious riot at Abeokuta in 1913.

page 39 note 3 Blair, John, Abeokuta Intelligence Report (1937), para. 96. Vide alsoGoogle ScholarLosi, J. B. O., History of Abeokuta (1924), p. 23Google Scholar.

page 38 note 4 Johnson, S., History of the Yorubas (1921), pp. 15–16Google Scholar , shows its extent before its decline.

page 40 note 1 This theory is based on R. M. Leslie's unpublished chart of contemporary events in Dahomey and Oyo which I saw.

page 40 note 2 Vide J. B. O. Losi, op. cit., p. 6.

page 41 note 1 Egba omo Lishabi, i.e. ‘Egba, the children of Lishabi’, is a current Yoruba saying.

page 41 note 2 Vide Ajisafe, op. cit., chaps. 15-16; Losi, op cit., chaps. 3-6.

page 41 note 3 The body of a king was inviolate and so it was unusual to kill a king: Yoruba kings usually committed suicide on rejection.

page 42 note 1 The Dahomi began to pay tribute to Oyo in 1747 to stave off Oyo invasions, although the need to protect Oyo dependencies adjacent to Dahomey continued.

page 42 note 2 Vide Hogben, S. J., The Muhammadan Emirates of Nigeria (1930), pp. 151–6.Google Scholar

page 42 note 3 Capt. Adams, John, Sketches taken during Ten Voyages to Africa (1786-1800), p. 80.Google Scholar

page 42 note 4 Ibid., p. 24.

page 42 note 5 A large town situated to the east of the Egba Forest; it took Dr. Irving twenty-five minutes to traverse its ruins in 1854.

page 43 note 1 C.M.I loc. cit. The eye-witness was one Barber, a catechist at Ibadan in 1854. He was taken captive at Ijemo, thence to Ijebu Remo, and he was present when Ikereku was destroyed in 1826.

page 44 note 1 1830 is the accepted Egba date and the centenary of the foundation of Abeokuta was officially celebrated in 1930.

page 44 note 2 oral evidence: witness, Gbadela II, the present Olowu of Owu, Abeokuta.

page 42 note 3 There is a section of the Owu now in Owu-Ijebu and another has returned to the old site at Owu-Ipole in the Ibadan Division of the Oyo Province.

page 45 note 1 C.M.I, vol. iv, 1853, pp. 125-37; from an account of Commander Foote's visit to Abeokuta in 1852.

page 45 note 2 The separate Owu federal Ologun title, Ekerin, was created in 1868 after the Meko War. Vide Egba United Government Council Record 22/7/1915.

page 46 note 1 F(oreign) O(ffice) 84/976 Campbell to Clarendon 9/10/1855: enclosure 1.

page 46 note 2 Freeman, T. B., Journal of Various Visits (1844), p. 224Google Scholar ; Ajisafe, , op. cit., p. 85Google Scholar.

page 47 note 1 Oral evidence: A. Tinney Shomoye, witness: Apati's real name was Hunpati; his father was an Egun slave and his mother was of Oyo descent.

page 47 note 2 Reproduced with the Queen's reply in C.M.I. vol. i, Jan. 1850, pp. 199-200.

page 47 note 3 F.O. 84/816 Slave Trade Nos. 1 and 2.25/2/1850. Palmerston to Beecroft.

page 47 note 4 Vide ‘La première attaque des Dahoméens contre Abeokuta’, by E. Dunglas, in Études dahoméennes, I, 1948.

page 47 note 5 Townsend to Capt. Trotter (communicated to Palmerston) 10/12/1850, published in Parliamentary Papers 1852 (1455), liv. 221.

page 47 note 6 Probably the federal war chiefs (Ologun) and the leader of Owu.

page 48 note 1 Quoted in C.M.I. vol. iv, Oct. 1853, p. 237.

page 48 note 2 F.O. 84/976 Campbell to Clarendon 9/10/1856, enclosure 1.

page 48 note 3 Vide Blair, op. cit., para 30.

page 48 note 4 F.O. 84/1002 Campbell to Clarendon 26/2/1856.