By the late 1850s, Ibadan had risen like a whirlwind. No longer just another Yoruba town, it had become the undisputed heavyweight—or so it thought. But one man wasn’t having it: Kurunmi of Ijaye.

When Power, Pride, and Tradition Collided

Once allies, Kurunmi and Ibadan’s chiefs had shared mutual respect. Kurunmi, older and battle-hardened, had even helped Ibadan in its early days. But as Ibadan expanded and flexed its imperial muscles, things soured. Pride crept in. Ibadan began to act superior—demanding, for example, that Kurunmi, the fearsome Kakanfo, come and bow to their own Bashorun. That didn’t sit well with the warrior of Ijaye.

The heart of the beef? Territory. Influence. Ego.

Echoes of People and Places in Oriki Ibadan

The Scramble for Yorubaland: How The Ijaye War Started

Originally, it was agreed: Ibadan would oversee the Ekun Osi region, and Ijaye the Ekun Otun. Both under the Alaafin’s umbrella. But Ibadan got greedy—pushing past Ilorin, grabbing new lands, drawing other towns like Iseyin into its orbit.

Kurunmi wasn’t about to let Ijaye be sidelined in its own backyard.The tension didn’t stop there. Kurunmi and even the Alaafin himself clashed. Why? Because Kurunmi was taking over lands that the Alaafin also had his eyes on. And when the Alaafin Atiba died in 1860, things exploded.

Atiba’s son, Adelu, was crowned Alaafin—breaking tradition (normally, the Aremo must die with the king). Kurunmi was furious. He demanded Adelu’s death and refused to recognise him.

War was inevitable.Thus began the Ijaye War, 1860–1865.

The Bravery..and End of Kurunmi

Ibadan laid siege. Abeokuta backed Ijaye. For five years, Kurunmi held the line like a lion in a burning jungle. His sons fought and died on the battlefield. Eventually, worn by war and heartbreak, Kurunmi died in 1865.That was the end.

Ibadan stormed Ijaye. Ogunmola led the final assault. The city was reduced to ashes. Survivors fled in every direction.

And Ibadan? It finally stood tall—unquestioned and unchallenged as Yorubaland’s dominant power.

Legacy of the Ijaye War

History remembers Ijaye not just for its fall, but for its fierce resistance. And it remembers Kurunmi—the stubborn, proud, fearless general—who chose honour over compromise.

As the old Yoruba saying goes:”Owo ope Ijaye l’a o ti beere ogun Ogunmola” (“Only the palm trees of Ijaye can now tell the story of Ogunmola’s war.”)

History was written in blood. And Ibadan took the pen. ✍🏽🔥