Sunday 6 November 2016

1918 Adubi war in Abeokuta


The war songs rented the air, the Egba warriors and Soldiers were fully armed with their assorted charms. The official Yoruba war drums, Apeere resonated, sent the warning signals to the British Soldiers who came with sophisticated weapons.

"Bi ẹ ba n gbọ pekele pekele
Bi ẹ ba n gbọ pekele pekele
Ẹ ma ya s’otun, ẹ ma ya s’oosi
Ile oloro l’oro ngba lọ.....

Ogun Adubi s’oju rẹ ja
Ogun Adubi pa sọọja too pọ
Ogun Adubi le lọpọlọpọ
Iwo n'ikan l’o d'apa sọọja mẹfa
Orọ o wọ mọ, o pada sẹyin
O pada s’ẹyin, o wa n fi ewe
b'ora
Iya rẹ nke lọ bi ewurẹ
Baba rẹ nke lọ bi aparo
Iwọ na n bẹ lọ bi igala
Omi ireke l’ẹn bu s'ebẹ
L’ẹn bu S'e bẹ l’ẹtun fin r’ọmọ

The war song above was fully  re-composed after the Governor-General, Fredrick Luggard retired in 1919 when the war had ended.

Adubi war was coined from the name of the Village head of Ęlęrę, Ige Adubi. "Ẹlęrę Adubi" is presently a village near Itori, very close to Papalanto a town along Lagos Abeokuta road where there are still large cultivation of Sugar canes, (SONG: Omi ireke l’ẹn bu s'ebẹ )  in Ewekoro Local government of Ogun State.

The Egba people, under the then Traditional ruler, Oba Gbadebo named the war as Adubi war while British government called the war that occurred between June to August 1918  as "Egba uprising".



Fredrick Luggard


More than 3,000 Ẹgba hunters, Soldiers, Warriors and fighters  waged the war against the European Soldiers When the Colonial masters under the leadership of Fredrick Luggard as the Governor-General  introduced direct tax system. Egba fighters destroyed
the railways and telegraph lines in Abeokuta, they killed the European trading agent and a high-ranking Egba chief.


*Alake of Egbaland, Oba Gbadebo 1st


Awapẹ who was also known as Mọlashin, the second in command of Ige Adubi was working with British government instigated the war, he revealed the British government plans on the Direct tax system to the Ige Adubi, The Village head. British government later jailed Awapẹ for Six months for the offence. 

The British soldiers who fought in the Adubi war
received the Africa General Service Medals under the British government. 

Bora bota bo lẹnu ẹ,
Ogun melo lo soju rẹja,
Ogun Adubi soju mi ja
K'ogun too de o leri oleri
Iwọ ma leri pe o fi'bọn ja
Shakabula Ẹgba wọn o rebi kan, 
Ibọn Oyinbo re Mile mẹfa...

0 comments: