ÌLỌ́YÁ, ONÍBODÈ APÒMÙ
By Jimoh Taofik Adekunle
I feel like sharing this story, or the story behind
the proverb above. I understand that it is one of
the most popular proverbs in Yorùbá lands. But
majority don’t know the story behind it. And,
don’t know that “ilọya Onibode Àpòmú” is
actually the short version of “ilọya Onibode
Àpòmú, wón kó ni’fa, wọn gbà l’obìnrin, ọpẹ̀lẹ́ tí
yíò tún fi tọ ẹsẹ̀ rẹ ajá tún gbé lọ. Wọn ní, ‘ilọ yà
àbí kò yà?’ Ó ní, ilọ yá…” Before I translate the
Greek I wrote, let’s treat history!
Note, I Jimson Jaat Taofik stands corrected on
this.
Àpòmú is a city in Ọsun State, Nigeria. You get
to it first while coming from Osogbo, the State
capital while going to Ìbàdàn. But if coming
from Ìbàdàn, it’s the first to reach. It’s closely
beside IKÒYI ILE.
After Àlàáfín Abiọdun Adegorolu (29th Aláàfin
of Ọ̀yọ́), Aolẹ Arogangan was crowned. This
happened in the year 1789. Do you remember
Aolẹ? The Àlàáfín who cursed all the Yorùbá..
Well, that is a story for another time.
On the King’s accession, according to custom in
those days, there will be a time when he would
send expedition out led by the sitting Ààrẹ Ọna
Kakanfo to go any town and fight it. The Ààrẹ
must either come victorious or his corpse be
sent home within 3 months. So, when the time
came for him to send out his first expedition, he
was asked who was his enemy, that they should
fight him. He named *the Balẹ of Àpòmú.
Hence Àpòmú was doomed.
The alleged cause of offence will clearly show
how much of corruption there was at the
fountain head in those days.
Apomu was the market town where Ọ̀yọ́s, Ifẹs,
Owus, and other Yorùbá met for trade. It was
situated in Ìfẹ́ territory then, and middle of the
border of the Olowu’s dominion.
Raiding, man-stealing were rife at those times.
Ọ̀yọ́ particularly were in greater danger, as they
came from afar. During the last reign several
Ọ̀yọ́ were stolen and sold here, and hence King
Abiọdun (29th Aláàfin) sent orders to both the
Olówu and the Ọọni of Ìfẹ́ to keep a strict watch
and prevent the recurrence of these practices.
And both in turn sent strict orders to the Balẹ of
Àpòmú, and his surrounding hamlets to be on
the watch, and arrest any offender.
Aolẹ who was then a private man used to trade
in these parts with a friend who was also his
attendant; and on one occasion, he bartered
away his friend for merchandise! So faithless
and heartless were the princes in those days.
The Ìjẹ̀bús were actually taking him away when
it was reported to the Balẹ of Àpòmú that an
Ọ̀yọ́ man was being sold away.
Fortunately for the man by the prompt action of
the Balẹ he was rescued at a certain spot
named Apata Ọdaju (the rock of the heartless),
so named from this circumstance, and brought
before the Balẹ.
Investigation soon showed who the slave-dealer
was; but as Aolẹ was an Akẹ́yọ̀ ( Ọ̀yọ́ Prince)
and could not more severely be dealt with, in
order that justice may not miscarry, he was
ordered by the Balẹ to be severely flogged. This
was the reason why Aolẹ now named the Balẹ
of Àpòmú as his enemy.
Aolẹ sent aroko ogun (symbology of war) to
Balẹ of Àpòmú through a man called Agbe’ni
Má F’ọhun (Agb’eni in short) to the Àpòmú.
Unknown of the content of the symbology, he
gave the Imperial verbal message that the Balẹ
must yeld before 7 days. And being the
Àlàáfín’s messager, he was accorded due
respects and given a hut tó stay at the
outskirts/boarder of Àpòmú (ẹnu ibodè). He and
his wife.
I think the name Agbe’ni Má F’ọhun was
actually a nick name. For the name literally
means, ‘an unquestionable confiner or detentor’.
I think so for three reasons: being a messager of
the Aláàfin the name was befitting, nicknames
were common in those days, and the name
doesn’t sound like anyone would give his child;
no matter how ‘crude’ we were in those days.
These are my thoughts, though.
Let’s get back on the rail: when the Balẹ of
Àpòmú received the message; that war was
declared against his town on his account he
took refuge in the court of the Ọọni
of Ìfẹ́ (Àpòmú’received the message; that war was
declared against his town on his account he
took refuge in the court of the Ọọni
of Ìfẹ́ (Àpòmú’s over-lord), and whose orders he
had obeyed. But as the offence was against the
Suzerain, even the Ọọni could not save him; so
this faithful chief, in order to save his town and
his people from destruction, committed suicide,
and his head was cut off and sent to Ọ̀yọ́ to
appease the offended monarch!
On the 6th day of Agb’eni when the Balẹ has
‘acted like a man’, he was called tó Balẹ’s house
and given the head. Shocked, he made enquiry
and the enraged chiefs told him that the head
was the answer to the message he brought.
They chased him afterward, but while he was at
the Balẹ’s house, the chiefs had secretly sent
the youths to go put his hut tó flame and sold
his wife to slavery. Thus when he got to the hut
he could see it put to flame and his wife was
nowhere to be found.
After Agbe’ni Má F’ọhun delivered Balẹ of
Àpòmú to Àlàáfín Aolẹ, he didnt tarry in Ọ̀yọ́; he
went straight to settle at Oko Lakalẹ in Ìbàdàn,
beside Ògúnpá River. Till date you will be
hearing motorists saying “Agb’eni-Ogun-Dugbẹ”
Now let me try to translate my Greek: “ilọya
Onibode Àpòmú, wón kó ni’fa, wọn gbà l’obìnrin,
ọpẹ̀lẹ́ tí yíò tún fi tọ ẹsẹ̀ rẹ ajá tún gbé lọ. Wọn
ní, ‘ilọ yà àbí kò yà?’ Ó ní, ilọ yá…” (it’s time to
go, Àpòmú boarder guard. He was putrefied;
robbed of Imperial bounties, his wife taken [sold
to slavery] and so also his divinity instrument.
They afterward asked, ‘is it time to leave or not?’
He replied in affirmation”.
Interestingly, this story also birthed another
proverb: selling of firearms; pellets, bullets (ẹtu,
ààya, ọ̀tá, ajẹ̀) were also banned, reason being
Òwu Kingdom was just made perished and
Yorùbá wanted to contain another War from
happening. Thus, the locals who wanted to
engage in this trade devised a name for it in
whole: àṣàa (powder puff). Upon discovery, the
chiefs were fascinated by the name, thus
birthed the proverb, “èké de aiyé, àṣàa de
Àpòmú” (trickery has come, powder puff is
traded in Àpòmú) ]
N.B Agbe’ni Má F’ọhun was of Olókùn Ẹṣin
ancestry, thus they add it to their oríkì, ‘Ilọkọ
ọmọ areelu, ọmọ aj’ọba lo leele…’ (Ilọkọ the
fighter, those who dutifully/sternly obey King’s
order….
When we get there sha ????
Fully Written By Jimoh Taofik Adekunle
(Jimson Jaat Taofik)
