Introduction to the History of Ibadan under the colonial government
The leadership of Ibadan under the British colonial government started during the time Fijabi, there was no hatred, wars, no violence, and crisis, no beating of armless indigenes. The Ibadan of war became the Ibadan of commerce and business. Ibadan people started turning their guns to hoes, farming, and other businesses took over. Ibadan is no more the chaos overridden one it used to be but sadly the chiefs planning evil against each other and conspiring to take government and other things are still there.
The reign of Baale Fijabi
After the death of Ajayi Osungbekun, the whole town came together to make Fijabi the Baale. This Fijabi is a son of one Babalola, Babalola is one of the people who founded Ibadan and also one of Oluyole’s chiefs. Babalola was neither a low-class chief during the reign of Maye, and he wasn’t too influential among the chiefs during the reign of Oluyole.
Fijabi is the first Baale to be a local Ibadan man to the core because he was born and raised in Ibadan Unlike other Baale who came before him, None of the Baale before him(Maye, Opeagbe, Ogunmola, Oluyole, etc) was born in Ibadan.
Here are the Chiefs who ruled Ibadan under the leadership of Baale FIJABI
Names Chieftancy Titles
Osuntoki as Otun Baale
Fajimi as Osi Baale
Mosaderin as Ekerin Baale
Ogungbesan as Ekarun un Baale
Akintunde as Ekefa Baale
Lafa as Asaju Baale
Enimiwu as Abese Baale
Balogun Line.
Akintola as Balogun
Babalola as Otun Balogun
Kongi as Osi Balogun
Apanpa as Asipa Balogun
Suberu as Ekerin Balogun
Tanpe as Maye Balogun
Sanusi as Areago Balogun
Seriki Line
Ogundepo as Seriki
Masanya as Otun Seriki
Fagbemi as Osi Seriki
Dada Ojo Ekerin seriki
Just after Fijabi was coronated as the Baale of Ibadan, the interim colonial governor, Captain G.C Denton came to Ibadan, and General captain Bower, Baale, and his chiefs signed an agreement with them on the 15th of September 1893, they shot 21 barrels to seal this in the middle of Oja Oba market, these white men slept over at Tanpe Maye’s house.
In that same year, General Bower returned to Ibadan and went to the moat along Iwo road to situate and settle himself where the Colonial officer’s house (Ile Ajele) is today and since then Ibadan became a town with a colonial leader known as Ajele.
On the 5th of May 1894 was when we first celebrated the birthday of the Queen of England (Queen Victoria) in Ibadan, all school pupils went to the British Government residency in Ibadan including the chiefs but the Baale didn’t go because he was sick then. Captain Bower made a big feast for them all, they were entertained, shotguns and machine guns were fired into the air
