The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has urged the Oyo people, and indeed Nigerians, to strive to face the problems confronting the nation with courage, facing them headlong and not giving up, as it is in doing so that the country can progress and attain overall stability.
Oba Owoade gave the charge in Oyo during the grand finale of the week-long memorialisation of the 1895 “Ogun Pepe” (Pepe War) which ravaged Oyo Town following the British imperialist oppressive rule but which the then Alaafin, Adeyemi Alowolodu, and his subjects courageously fought against and eventually surmounted.
The name “Ogun Pepe” evolved from the sound of the Gatling gunboats used by the British imperialists during the invasion 130 years ago, in which the monarch was shot and wounded but mysteriously escaped and stayed on Owinni Hill for six days before his triumphant return to the palace.
Oba Alowolodu had refused to submit to British authority in a matter of local jurisprudence concerning a royal messenger named Bakare, who served in the court of the Aseyin of Iseyin. He was accused of adultery with one of the king’s wives, and, according to customary practice, he must be castrated as punishment. Captain Bower saw this traditional punishment as an affront to British authority and therefore demanded that the Alaafin hand over both Bakare and the official who carried out the punishment, Kudeefu, to him. The Alaafin refused Bower’s demands and instead ordered Bakare’s execution and protected Kudeefu to firmly assert his own sovereignty and judicial authority.
Repudiation of the British intimidation resulted in the Pepe War waged against the Alaafin and Oyo people then.
Speaking at the celebration, which witnessed crème de la crème in the country, held at the Old Oyo National Park, Oyo Town, the Alaafin lauded the committee of the event, stressing that “Ogun Pepe signifies the courage and resilience of the ancient Oyo monarch and his people at the time, that even in the face of death, they stood their ground, refusing to bow to the threat of imperialism.”
Oba Owoade urged Oyo people and Nigerians at large to learn from the courage of the ancient Oyo monarch and his people to confront Nigeria’s problems, urging them to face the nation’s challenges headlong and not give up.
Savouring the elegance, traditional display and show of cultural flamboyance which the town witnessed during the celebration, the Chairman, Ogun Pepe Memorialisation Committee, Dr James Adesokan Ojebode, said that “this memorialisation marks a historic moment, one that brings together memory, heritage, unity and purposeful reflection, even as its legacy has shaped the community and will continue to inspire generations.”
He emphasised that Ogun Pepe stood for courage, sacrifice, resilience and unwavering pursuit of justice and that the memorialisation ceremony was a testament to the fact that the stories of great men never truly fade but rather live on in the hearts of their people.
He added that the Ogun Pepe Committee worked tirelessly to ensure that the memorialisation ceremony was not just an event but a foundation upon which future generations can stand. He also urged Oyo people to remember that memorialisation is not only about preserving the past but also about using history as a guiding torch for a better tomorrow.
Ojebode, founder of Atiba University, Oyo, thanked the Alaafin for his support, as well as the cooperative ability of his committee members towards the successful celebration of the Pepe War memorialisation. The committee members included Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu, Professor Sunday Olawale Okeniyi (Vice Chancellor, Atiba University), Princess Folasade Adeyemi (a.k.a. Arewa), Mr Segun Oke, Hon. Wale Ogunsola, Gbemisola Faleti, and some traditional chiefs.
Also speaking, Bishop Ayo Ladigbolu noted that while the 130th celebration of the Ogun Pepe, which was a memorialisation of an invasion by a foreign power, coincided with a recent threat of invasion by another foreign power – USA – Nigeria must learn from the courage displayed by the Oyo people during the Ogun Pepe to show courage and not bow to pressure.
He maintained that if the ancient Oyo could not be destroyed at the time, then if Nigeria can emulate the resilience displayed during Ogun Pepe, the nation would overcome not just the threat of a foreign invasion, but also the security, socio-economic and political challenges that it faces now.
