Obadoke Latoosa Oyatoosa, (c. 1820s - 1885) but more commonly referred to as Latoosa (or Latosisa), and later Mohammed Obadoke Latoosa, was a

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...

General, Warlord, and Chief who was the Aare Ona Kakanfo of the Oyo Empire, the ruler of the self proclaimed Ibadan Empire, and the commander and leader of the Western forces of Ibadan during the Kiriji War from 1877 to his death in 1885.

Early life

Born in the small village of Ilora near Oyo, he was a palm tree farmer before rising to prominence as a leader during the early history of

Ibadan Ibadan (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Oyo State, in Nigeria. It is the third-largest city by population in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano, with a total population of 3,649,000 as of 2021, and over 6 million people within its me ...

. He was trained as a warrior in Bashorun Ogunmola's private army from where he led detachments of Ibadan soldiers on military expeditions, such as the Ijaye War and campaigns against the Ekiti people. His first military title was Aare-Ago, and later rose to be the head chief of Ibadan. He was feared throughout the region of Yorubaland. His continued exploitation of Ekiti towns sparked the Kiriji War. He had over 22 sons and numerous amounts of daughters. Latoosa's prominence and significance in Ibadan exist till this day, with his rule as Aare Ona Kakanfo featuring in the Oriki of the town of Ibadan, and he is also known as the last Aare Ona Kakanfo to fight in a war. The position was abolished under

Colonial Nigeria Colonial Nigeria was ruled by the British Empire from the mid-nineteenth century until 1960 when Nigeria achieved independence. British influence in the region began with the prohibition of slave trade to British subjects in 1807. Britain a ...

, and was not bestowed for another 80 years until August 1964, when

Samuel Ladoke Akintola Chief Samuel Ládòkè Akíntọ́lá, otherwise known as ''S.L.A.'' (6 July 1910 – 15 January 1966), was a Yoruba politician, aristocrat , orator, and a Yoruba Lawyer. He was one of the founding fathers of modern Nigeria, he served as O ...

was appointed as the Aare Ona Kakanfo, a clear contrast from previous Aare, including Latoosa.

References

{{reflist Oyo Empire 1820s births 1885 deaths Year of birth uncertain