Farotimi Okunade, a Yoruba prince of the Egbedi Quarters and a direct descendant of Owa Ofokutu (the 27th ruler of Ilesha), was a formidable warrior known by the cognomen “Arimoro.” His drummers sang of his military feats, praising him as “one who takes off his enemy’s head at the foot of the sacred hill.”
Arimoro’s enmity with Ibadan stemmed from the fact that during previous campaigns, including the Ijebu Ere and Ara expeditions, Ilesha had always fought against Ibadan. Twice in the past, Ilesha had suffered defeats, with Ibadan warriors raiding and carting away Arimoro’s possessions and family as war booty. Determined to avenge this humiliation and resist Ibadan until his last breath, Arimoro formed a band of warriors and built a private militia.
Arimoro’s first major confrontation with Ibadan came during the Igbajo war, where Ijesha sought to annex the cosmopolitan city of Igbajo in a campaign to absorb lesser kingdoms and reduce Ibadan’s influence in the region. The Balogun of Ibadan, Akere, led the reinforcements and showcased the legendary battle skills of Ibadan, subjugating the Ijesha warriors. Many Ijesha generals, including Lejoka, Risinkin and Lejofi, perished in the battle, while Arimoro managed to escape and go into hiding to rebuild his militia.
Three years later, Ibadan launched a full-scale war on Ijesha. Arimoro played a crucial role in the war, and for the first time, Ibadan warriors recognized him as a potential threat. After a series of combats in which Ibadan closed in dangerously on Ijesha, Arimoro escaped to Akure to avoid being caught and executed. Ibadan then laid siege on Ijesha, cutting it off from the outside world and pushing the people of Ijesha to near starvation.
The story of Arimoro, the legendary Yoruba prince and sworn enemy of Ibadan, highlights the complex political and military rivalries that shaped the history of the Yoruba kingdoms in the 19th century.
