The Yoruba Civil War Of 1878

A review of how 29-year-old warrior, Fabunmi ignited Yoruba Civil War in 1878. (Kiriji) Fabunmi 'believed' to be 3rd from the left in the picture, standing beside Ogedengbe.
Prince Fabunmi Isola, born in 1849 in Okemesi, found himself at the center of a tumultuous period in Yoruba history. His father, Prince Adesoye, a brother of the 9th Owa Ooye of Okemesi, and his mother from Ogotun-Ekiti, raised him in a time of unrest. When Ijesa forces conquered Okemesi, Prince Fabunmi and his father sought refuge in Ila, where his father eventually passed away. Left as the eldest in his family, Fabunmi inherited considerable wealth and slaves.
In Ila, Fabunmi learned tailoring and struck up a close friendship with Prince Adeyale of Ila. Later, he ventured to Ibadan to join Akintola's forces as a war boy. Fleeing Ibadan overnight to escape death, he returned to Okemesi, where he honed his tailoring skills while raising a militia army from his inherited slaves, relatives, and enthusiastic youths.

In 1878, Fabunmi ignited the flames of the Kiriji War in Yorubaland. The catalyst was an incident during a festival where Ibadan Administrator Oyepetun's men mistreated Fabunmi's wife. Enraged, Fabunmi retaliated by attacking Oyepetun's compound, slaying him and his followers. In a bold move, he sent Oyepetun's head to Ibadan as a defiant message.
This act of vengeance heightened tensions between Okemesi and Ibadan, sparking widespread violence across Ekiti, Ijesa, and Igbomina. Recognizing the threat posed by Ibadan's oppression, Fabunmi rallied neighboring forces to form a coalition army called Ekitiparapo, including Ijebu, Egba, and Ilorin forces.
Despite early successes, the coalition suffered a setback when Ibadan joined the war at Ikirun, causing chaos and heavy losses. Nevertheless, Fabunmi's leadership and resolve kept morale high among his troops.

In 1880, Ogedengbe arrived at Imesi-Ile with his formidable army, merging with the Ekitiparapo forces. It was at this juncture that Fabunmi voluntarily surrendered his command to him.
Two years later, in 1882, Prince Fabunmi, alongside Chief Arimoro, received orders to lead a small contingent of the Ekitiparapo army in defending Ile-Ife against the joint forces of Modakeke and Ibadan.
The Kiriji War finally reached its official conclusion on September 23, 1886, with the signing of a peace treaty. Fabunmi, having fulfilled his role in the conflict, lifted his military siege on Modakeke and returned to Imesi-ile, where the Ekitiparapo forces were still stationed, in January 1887.

Post-war, some of Fabunmi's former war boys turned to raiding, prompting British intervention. Fabunmi faced arrest and warnings. Later, his failed attempt to claim Okemesi's throne led to his expulsion. Nonetheless, Imesi-ile installed him as their thirty-eighth king in 1902. He ruled briefly, passing away in 1903, succeeded by his son, ‘loja Oke Ladokun Adefenwa Fabunmi II.
But Lekan Iwaloye another historian added a rider this story:
I want to add that the peace treaty that ended the war was signed in 1893 as against 1886, for as at that time, the war was still on. Final demobilization of troops took place in 1896.