The “Yorubaness” and “Yorubaless” of Ilorin
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The “Yorubaness” and “Yorubaless” of Ilorin
By Oba Abdulkadir La’aro
This piece is inspired by the rash of online attacks on Ilorin people about our beloginness to the Yoruba race or not. It is not a new conversations but one that some people would like to perpetuate only a version of the historical reality of Ilorin.
It is not uncommon for an Ilorin person living in parts of Yoruba land to be accosted with the question,is Ilorin Yoruba? If your answer is in affirmative, your inquisitor would not relent. He would ask, why are you being ruled by Fulani. From there you see that the interest is not borne out of any confusion of what Ilorin is but in pursuit of an historical loss of Ilorin.
For an Ilorin person, there is no loss but gain to the struggle of all people of Ilorin for the establishment and sustainance of a community guided by the tenents of Islam.
The victory of the Muslims in Ilorin prompted the migration waves of more Yoruba, Hausa, Fulani, and others to Ilorin. For all Yoruba person that migrated to Ilorin post Alimi period, the motivation was solely the opportunity to have a community of Muslims free from the early persecutions in their various abode.
The argument about Ilorin not being yoruba is not about territorial ownvership. It is based on evolutionary fact whereby Ilorin was conquered by collections of Muslims who are Fulani, Yoruba, Hausa, Suwa-Arabs,and others.
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Historically, the land now called Ilorin has been inhabited by people of Baruba descent which is the reason we have the Baruba quarters in Ilorin till today. That was before the arrival of Yoruba like Ojo Isekuse and later the grandfather of Afonja who all settled around Idiape near Baruba area.
As at the time of Afonja there were other settlements around the area that constitutes Ilorin today. There was the Oke Sunna community inhabited by Muslims who are not Yoruba but people from Mali, Bornu and other areas. The place is called Oke Sunna in acknowledgement of their being Muslims.
There was also the Hausa community who settled at a place now referred to as Gambari area headed by a prince from Zamfara area. There was also the Fulani settlement around the place now referred to as Ori Oke or Ago headed by a man called Alfardi corrupted by Yoruba to Olufadi.
All these communities were autonomous and known to one and other prior to the arrival of Sheik Saliu Janta later known as Sheik Alimi. The appellation ‘Alim’ meaning knowledgeable, was given to the founder of Ilorin Emirate by the Muslims at Oke Sunna when he had scholarly encounters with them in acknowledgment of his superior Islamic erudition.
The arrival of Sheik Alimi and subsequent defeat of Afonja changed the equation about Ilorin. Henceforth, Ilorin is no more the typical Yoruba land with the cultural features normally associated with being Yoruba in terms of mode of worship, ancestral allegiance and political configuration.
Ilorin has since transformed into a community of Muslims populated by people of diverse ethnicity.
This means that the Ilorin people cannot be tied to Oduduwa as their ancestor as it is commonly claimed by all Yoruba. The traditional political arrangements too reflects a unique blending of all ethnicities with primacy placed on the Islamic origin and practice. Hence, the Fulani who led the Islamisation of Ilorin remain the head as the Amir (Emir), the warlords drawn from the major ethnic groups of Fulani, Hausa and Yoruba constitute the kingmakers. The Islamic scholars who are custodians of Islamic knowledge and practices are incorporated into the traditional political configuration. All of these have evolved into what is now known as the Ilorin Emirate system.
It must be noted that the Afonja family are duly represented in the system too. Also, two of the principal chiefs (Baloguns) are Yoruba. One of them, the Balogun Ajikobi, was part of the retinue of followers that accompanied Sheik Alimi to Ilorin. He became part of the Sheik Janmaa (followers) having joined him at Iseyin. The other Yoruba Balogun is the Alanamu family who migrated to Ilorin from Reke during the reign of the first Emir.
From this, we can discern that Ilorin was Yoruba in the sense of it been populated by Yoruba from old Oyo Ile. It is also a fact of history that the place now referred to as Ilorin has had the Baruba people. Their quarter is still call Baruba in Ilorin till the present time. It is incontrovertible that Muslims who are not Yoruba but from areas of Mali and other northern towns have settled in the area as well. This is documented by Yoruba historians like Rev Johnson.
We have the Fulani and the Hausa who have also been there during Afonja time and prior to the arrival of Sheik Saliu Al Janta later known as Sheik Alimi. By virtue of Afonja being the Aare Ona-Kankafo, Ilorin was part of the larger Oyo Empire.
The attack on Afonja by the oyos led to Ilorin embarking on defensive and protective war encounter with Oyo. The Ilorin army composed of all ethnic groups survived the wars as victor. Subsequent ding dong of wars under the new Ilorin warriors led by the Fulani of Shiek Alimi stock fought the Oyo till they were defeated and the subsequent collapse of Oyo Empire.
Since then Ilorin became not only autonomous but a power to reckon with forever.
Yes, Ilorin lingua Franca is Yoruba. We even adopted the oriki system blend with islamic names. Hardly, will you see an Ilorin person who is not having an oriki. An Ilorin person is saudat as well as abeke. Part of the eulogy of our Emir is Ishola opo, omo Aiyelabowo. We have Amosa, Olohunlambe and Olohunlalaro etc. These are all Ilorinised Yoruba name.
To that extent, Ilorin Yorubaness can be acknowledged. But that is not the full reality.
Our reality is also that of a community that is free of non-islamic practices which are part of the reality of a Yoruba community. Ilorin cannot be attached to ancestral origins traced to Oduduwa, so Ilorin is not omo Oduduwa as can be freely said of other Yoruba town.
Ilorin express Fulaniness in us when you encounter names like Kawu, Dikko, Moddibo. You see the Hausa in us as you meet Maiyaki, Seriki as well as Nupe shown in the Gbodofu, Nda as names. Where else will you find a fluent Yoruba speaker who is Dan Borno. The Arab part is seen in the Agbaji quarters and the Shiru connected to the legendary scholar, Sheik Kamaldeen Al adabiy. The Malians are more than a sprinkle. A significant part of Ilorin are attached to their identity called Oke Imale. They are today the Imam Al Mali (Imamu Imale) of Ilorin.
How can we overlook all these realities and insist Ilorin must remain Yoruba.
While we acknowledge and give due recogntion to all strands of ethnic group present in Ilorin, we proclaim that we are a people, just Ilorin people.
Since its historical founding as Muslim community with an Emirate as traditional political system; Ilorin has evolved into a town with unique blending of multi cultural community brought together and sustained by their allegiance to the islamic faith and practices. This is the fact of the claim of her “Yorubaless” being stressed by Ilorin people.
Ilorin Afonja, Gerin Alimi, ilu tobi toyi, kolegun esin legun Ile won, oko loro ibe. Ilorin Gerin Alimi; A shiga De Kaya; A shiga De loko; A fita da Lailailailalahu.
Beeni, Ilorin ni faa.
