Biography of First Balogun

Balogun Ajayi Ogboriefon’s mother’s name was Iwintope and his father’s name was Kulenlo. Balogun Ajayi Ogboriefon’s mother was a princess but she died at giving birth to Balogun Ajayi Ogboriefon while his father died when she was pregnant with Balogun Ajayi. Those sad circumstances provoked his maternal grandfather whose only child in the person of new born baby’s mother died at child birth, and threw the new born baby into the forest with birth blood. But on the third day a hunter noticed flies swarming on an object which he first thought was a bush meat that died as a result of gunshot but on close look he saw that it was a new born baby. The hunter carried him home and charged his wife who was nursing a baby to nurse baby Ajayi, (as he then was) along with their own baby named Omoniye who was later in life allocated a quarter at Isale-Osun Orangun Ibadan by Balogun Ajayi Ogboriefon as a mark of gratitude for what his father did for him. He was nick named Ogboriefon due to the following circumstance: At a war in the Efon country he took note of a man who posted himself behind a large tree doing havoc to the Ibadans. The man was using two guns giving an assistant the one he had discharged to be reloaded for him while he took his deadly aim with loaded gun. Ajayi quietly crept into the bush behind him, going on all fours till he came near enough to this marksman, and then suddenly shot him down dead. The assistant bolted clean away. Ajayi then cut off the Efon’s head held it by ear between his teeth being besmeared all over with blood, and with the man’s guns on his shoulders came again with his comrades who raised for him a shout of triumph and acclaimed him “Ogboriefon” which means the carrier of the Efon’s head. He was the commander of the Ibadan army at Ilora during the Ijaye war and also at Iwawun. There was no powerful Balogun in Ibadan like Balogun Ajayi Ogboriefon who never lost a single battle in all the battle he fought as a soldier except Balogun Ibikunle, thus the cognomeu: Bi a ba mu ina kuro loko, a fi agbe ti yio je ogede, bi a ba mu ti Ibikunle Oloke kuro, Balogun bi Ajayi Ogboriefon di agira se. At Ilesha war, he was stationed at Odo road where he opposed Ogedengbe and the army from the city and Ogedengbe capitulated to him. Balogun Ajayi Ogboriefon was also the saviour of Yoruba land and Oyo kingdom from being overrun by Fulani Jihadists. He was the hero of Jalumi war. He checkmated the incursion of Fulani Jihadist into Yoruba land. Balogun Ajayi Ogboriefon died peacefully at home as a commander-in-chief of Yoruba army between 1871-1880. The grave of Balogun Ajayi Ogboriefon was dug in his bedroom, the large coffin was first lowered, and the body wound up as usual was placed in it, and then nailed up. Four flint-lock guns, a naked sword and string of cowries were placed upon the coffin, and a kid was immolated, the blood being poured on the lid of the coffin and prayers offered to the gods for his soul.