Britain-Ijebu War: The War History Tried To Forget

There are no roads,named after the heroes in Ijebuode,no statues and no national monuments,yet the young ijebus,who fought and resisted British imperialism,deserves a special place in Nigeria history.

If truth is the first casualty of war,then the real story of the Britain-Ijebu war known locally as the Sungbo war of may 1892;the fierce resistance and tragedy that befell thousands of young Ijebu men who lost their life defending there homeland,heritage and culture are the most enduring casualty of the wars that brought colonialism to Nigeria.

The Britain/Ijebu war was of course won by the British and it is their account of the war that has for over 100 years,shaped the narrative,including cementing the reputation that the Ijebus were unrepentant racist,slave traders,traditionalist,obstacle to free trade and spread of Christianity while the British accounts were exaggerated,Ijebus were no angels, they had shown open hostility to white-men presence in there kingdom and other parts of Yorubaland right from the 15th century,there middle men role was threatened by the presence,everywhere in Yorubaland.

The war on the part of the ijebu was more of a courageous and noble venture than a tactical war fought and led by experienced battle hardened soldiers,it was an uneven match,the cream of the Ijebu army was tied down In the northern province of the kingdom,protecting the frontiers from the warlike Ibadans,the greatest ijebu general of the time, Balogun Ogunsegun was not on good terms with the emperor of the Ijebus [AWUJALE], the Remo province was in rebellion,the merchant warrior and renegade balogun kuku was not in good terms with the emperor, help from Abeokuta was rejected.it was youths driven by nationalistic feelings, not too experienced in war that fought and died like men. The British gating versus Dane guns and few Sneiders.

The young Ijebus gave a good account of themselves taking a stand at the now famous resort pool,the Yemoji River.many died gunned down by the all powerful Gatling. Among the Yorubas of Nigeria, the Ijebu war of resistance was the most robust local resistance to the imposition of colonial rule.yet it has almost been brushed out of Nigerian history and painfully Ijebu annals a war that killed the prime of Ijebu youths and led to the fall of a 700 years old kingdom.

The British-Ijebu war should be a event of pride for every Nigerian youths.it was the culmination of Ijebu's anti imperialistic activities. Let's remember the brave dead,let there supreme sacrifice inspire our youths and spur every Ijebu sons and daughters, Nigerians to do greater deeds for the fatherland.