.Advocates courage to defend Nigeria’s sovereignty

THE Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has urged the Oyo people, and indeed Nigerians in general, to strive to face the problems confronting the country with courage, face them head-on, and not give up.

He stated that doing so would enable the country to progress and achieve 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 British imperialist oppression, 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, 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 wages against the Alaafin and Oyo people then.

The Alaafin, while speaking at the celebration, held at the Old Oyo National Park, Oyo Town, lauded the committee of the event, stressing that Ogun Pepe signifies the courage and resilience of the ancient Oyo monarch and his people.

Oba Owoade, therefore, urged the Oyo people and Nigerians at large to learn from the courage of the ancient Oyo monarch and his people in confronting Nigeria’s problems, urging them to face the nation’s challenges head-on and not give up.

Meanwhile, Chairman, Ogun Pepe Memorialisation Committee, Dr James Adesokan Ojebode, said the 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.”

Also speaking, Bishop Ayo Ladigbolu noted that while the 130th celebration of the Ogun Pepe coincided with a recent tThreat of invasion by another foreign power – the United States (U.S.) – Nigeria must learn from the courage displayed by the Oyo people during the Ogun Pepe to show courage and not bow to pressure.

He said that if Nigeria could emulate the resilience displayed during the Ogun Pepe, the nation would overcome not just the threat of a foreign invasion, but also the security, socio-economic, and political challenges it faces now.