The 19th Century Yoruba Generalissimo (Aare Ona kakanfo), by Michael Olatunbosun |

For a people desirous of forging ahead, the place of history cannot be downplayed. The people must have a sense of history to know how their forebears made it. This is given credence by Marcus Garvey when he said: “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” This is the thought behind the book: “Kurunmi: The 19th Century Yoruba Generalissimo (Aare Ona kakanfo).” The book, published in 2017 by Dynolinks Global Concepts in Ibadan, Oyo State, was written by Hon. Fadoyin Michael Akinniyi, an educationist, administrator and one time Caretaker Chairman of Akinyele Local Government Area of Ibadan.

According to the author, the book was written to reveal the facts and missing pieces of information about the history of Aare Kurunmi. In other words, the book was written to set the records straight, and to correct misrepresentations about the life, exploits, and demise of Kurunmi, the 10th Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland. It is an attempt to piece together certain salient missing military and political records of Aare Kurunmi, especially from someone who possessed privileged information, having gleaned from elders who were custodians of history and related artefacts.

The work, Kurunmi, gives the present generation a vivid glimpse into the activities of the Yoruba generals (including Aare Kurunmi), who are not mentioned in Africa, and by historians. In the work, the author, a politician and administrator, exposes the fact that African leaders have the propensity of governing and managing themselves without the intervention of the world’s power exploiters. To a large extent therefore, the work validates the exploits of these African leaders and generals. Thus the astuteness displayed by Kurunmi during his reign as a king and generalissimo is a pointer to this. The author argues that Kurunmi was a super military strategist who did not lose any war.

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The work presents the life and times of Kurunmi the 10th Aare Ona Kakanfo in nine chapters, and includes graphics and pictures which help in giving the reader an appreciation of the events and artefacts of the 19th century Yorubaland.

In 127 pages, Hon. Fadoyin relives the exploits of the 10th Aare Ona kakanfo, tracing for the reader, his birth and growing up years. We read that Kurunmi was first given the title, “Aare-Ona-Ode” (Chief of Hunters) at Ikoyi, having moved there from Oko, his birth place because his brothers hated him for not liking farm work, their mainstay. According to the book, Kurunmi preferred hunting and soldiering. 

Kurunmi later settled in Ijaye and assumed military and political rule there. And in 1836, he was appointed Aare Ona Kakanfo (Commander-In-Chief) of the Oyo army by Alaafin Atiba. 

In this book, Fadoyin writes that he had magical powers (Pp32-34), as he was born with ‘edun ara’ – thunderbolt, and he had strong religious and cultural leanings. 

He did not condone stealing, lawlessness, disobedience, adultery, and unauthorised collection or pillaging in any part of his territory. In the book, religion in Aare Kurunmi’s time provided concepts in the struggle for societal justice. We read that he fostered socio-political cohesion in his domain.  

In this book, the author avers that the story of Aare Kurunmi cannot be completely told without reference to his relationship with Christian missionaries in Nigeria (Pp13-14) 

According to the author, the demise of Aare Kurunmi came in the culmination of the Ijaye war that ensued in March 1860, and presents a preview (p77) of the events that led to his death on 23rd August, 1861.

. Olatunbosun, a broadcast journalist, fact-checker and book reviewer at Splash FM 105.5, Ibadan, can be reached via 08023517565 (SMS and WhatsApp only) and miketunbosun74@gmail.com.

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