OGUN Kiriji (The Kiriji War, also known as the Ekiti Parapo War), was a 16-year long civil war between the subethnic kingdoms of the Yoruba people, specifically divided between the Western & eastern Yoruba, which was mainly the Ibadan and Oyo-speaking Yorubas, and the Eastern Yoruba, who were the Ekiti people, Ijesha, Ijebu , Ife , Ila Orogun , Ondo Akoko , Ilorin emirate and Egba …It was originally Ekiti Parapo war , The name Kiriji was derived from Eastern Yoruba confederacy purchased a large number of war cannon guns which produced the thunderous sound “Kiriiiiiiji” “Kiriiiiiji” The name “Kiriji” came from the earth-like vibrations that accompanied the use of the cannons and it indeed gave the Eastern Yorubas an advantage over the Ibadans military…it’s also known as the world’s longest ethnic civil war in history ..
The western Yoruba (Ibadan) recorded the estimate of 180,000 soldiers
The eastern Yoruba ( Ekiti Parapo ) recorded the estimate of 35,000 soldiers ..
The commander of the Western Yoruba military (Ibadan ) : Obadoke Latoosa, Aare Ona Kakanfo of Ibadan ,Ajayi Ogboriefon, Balogun Babalola Ajayi kupolu , Ogunmola, Bashorun of Ibadan, Balogun Ali of Iwo, Balogun Ajayi Osungbekun..
The commander of the Eastern Yoruba military (Ekiti Parapo) : Ogedengbe of Ilesa Fabunmi of Okemesi, later Owa Ooye of Imesi-Ile, Odu of Ogbagi-Akoko,Ogunmodede of the Ijesha, Karara of Ilorin,Adeyale of Ila and the Igbomina, Olugbosun of Oye, Onafowokan of Ijebu, Ologun of Owo, Ogunbulu of Aisegba..
The war started to halt the expansive efforts of the Ibadan city state, which attempted to replace the Oyo Empire as the dominant region in Yorubaland..Ibadan wanted a unified Yoruba nation similar to that of the Oyo Empire, while the Ekiti wanted a loose confederation of kingdoms that had existed in the Ekiti region. The fall of the Oyo Empire, which had dominated the region for 500 years left a gap in the government of Yorubaland. Many Yoruba city states rose up to replace the dominant Oyo Empire, including Ibadan. Ibadan had won the 1840 Osogbo War and the Battle of Ijaiye in 1862 and had grown in immense power in western part of Yoruba Land..
