SECURITY CHALLENGES AND THE SOCIO-POLITICAL TRANSFORMATION OFAKOKOLAND IN THE 19TH CENTURY

Abstract

Akokoland, a frontier area in north-eastern Yorubaland, faced numerous security challenges during the 19th century, which had lasting impressions on the pre-existing socio-political structure. Existing literature on pre-colonial Akokoland have focused largely on the traditions of origin, socio-political and economic structures with scant attention paid to the security challenges and theirsocio-political consequences on the 19th century Akokoland. This study was, therefore, designed to interrogate the security challenges and its implications on Akokoland, with a view to establishing the socio-political changes that occurred during the period. The historical approach was adopted. Primary sources, comprising the Colonial Annual and Intelligence Reports files and other relevant official files obtained from the National Archives, Ibadan and Kaduna, were utilised. In-depth interviews were conducted with 52purposively selected informants, 16 local historians, 15 indigenous rulers and chiefs, six academics and 15elders aged between 45 and 90 in Akokoland based on their knowledge of Akoko history. Secondary sources included books, journals and theses. Data were subjected to historical analysis. The 19th century Akokoland experienced a series of invasions from the military forces of Ekiti (1830-1870), Ibadan (1859-1880) and Nupe (1830-1897). These challenges altered the pre-existing socio-political architecture of the area. Akoko communities such as Afa, Epinmi, Eruhon, Oyin and others were desolated by Ibadan forces between 1859 and the 1880s. By the third quarter of the century, the Nupe,who had been attacking the people since the 1830s, conquered Akokoland, with the exception of Oka, thus ending Akoko’s history of self governance. The Nupe administered Akokoland through the Ajele vassal system. Nupe’s suzerainty also came with the creation and imposition of new chieftaincy titles, liketheZaki of Arigidi, on the existing indigenous political titles.Due to contacts with the external forces, Akokodialects became varied. Ekiti dominance up to the 1870s led to the adoption of Ekiti dialect by the Akoko communities of Irun, Ogbagi, Ese and others. Nupe’s dominion between the 1830s and 1897 influenced the local dialects of Arigidi, Okeagbe, Ikaramu and others. Nupe forces introduced and spread Islam as a major faith in Akokoland. In the wake of ceaseless invasions, a new class of warlords and women with strong political influence emerged as major force in the local politics between the 1840s and the 1890s. Encouraged by the British, the Akoko, for the first time in 1895, succeeded in organising a pan-Akoko military alliance that challenged Nupe’s overlordship in the Ogidi War (1895-1897). In 1897, the Royal Niger Company took advantages of the depression caused by the war to pronounce Akokoland its protectorate. On 1 January, 1900, Akokoland was officially colonised by the British. The security challenges faced by Akokoland from the external forces of Ekiti, Ibadan and Nupe in the 19th century led to different socio-political transformations, such as the imposition of foreign rule, dialectical variation, emergence of new classes of political actors, introduction of Islam, alien chieftaincy titles and annihilation of communities, that ultimately resulted in British colonisation of the area.