Okukenu Sagbua (fl. 1845-1862) 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 ...

Egba Egba may refer to: *Egba people, a clan of the Yoruba people living in western Nigeria * EGBA, the European Gaming and Betting Association *Egba United Government, a late 19th century political entity of the Egba people that was located in what is ...

chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...

. He was a founding member of the

Ogboni Ogboni (also known as Osugbo in Ijèbú) is a fraternal institution indigenous to the Yoruba-speaking polities of Nigeria, Republic of Bénin and Togo, as well as among the Edo people. The society performs a range of political and religious fun ...

Egbaland The Egba people are a subgroup of the Yoruba people, an ethnic group of western Nigeria, a majority of whom are from the central part of Ogun State that is Ogun Central Senatorial District. Ogun Central Senatorial District comprises six local g ...

, and also served as the first

Alake of Egbaland Egba Ake, otherwise known as Egba Alake, is one of the five sections of Egbaland The Egba people are a subgroup of the Yoruba people, an ethnic group of western Nigeria, a majority of whom are from the central part of Ogun State that is Ogun ...

Life

Upon the exodus of the Egba refugees to the comparative safety of

Olumo Rock Olumo Rock is a mountain in south-western Nigeria. It is located in the city of Abeokuta, Ogun State, and was normally used as a natural fortress during inter-tribal warfare in the 19th century. Its patron spirit is venerated in the Yoruba religion ...

in the aftermath of their homeland's destruction during the

Yoruba Civil Wars The Yoruba Revolutionary Wars, otherwise known as the Yoruba Civil Wars ( 1789–1880), were a series of conflicts that engulfed the Yoruba-speaking areas of West Africa in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Robin Law summarizes the causes of t ...

, the traditional councils of chiefs - otherwise known as the

- that had formerly governed them were reconstituted. An

Eso Ikoyi {{Short description, Aristrocratic attribute in Yoruba culture Eso Ikoyi (also appearing as Esho Ikoyi) is an aristocratic attribute amongst the Yoruba people which denotes an eminent warrior. It has been used as everything from a chieftaincy title ...

warlord known as Okukenu was co-opted into the civil council during this exercise, and so his erstwhile title - ''Sagbua'' - was recognized as a civil one thereafter, even though it had originally been a military rank. Following the death of the Egba paramount chief Shodeke in 1845, Okukenu and a brace of other powerful chiefs ruled Abeokuta jointly for a time. The rivalry that existed between them led to an

anarchy Anarchy is a society without a government. It may also refer to a society or group of people that entirely rejects a set hierarchy. ''Anarchy'' was first used in English in 1539, meaning "an absence of government". Pierre-Joseph Proudhon adopted ...

that was only exacerbated by the

slave trade Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

, which was then at its peak. After the death of the ''Losi'' of Ake (hitherto a favourite to succeed Shodeke), Okukenu was chosen and crowned on the 8th of August, 1854. He thus became the first Alake to reign in the fortified city of Abeokuta. As an ex-civil chief, he had the support of the civil chiefs during his reign, but was opposed by both the war chiefs and the trade chiefs, who had both profited from the state of anarchy. Okukenu managed to maintain order in his kingdom despite their efforts, though his authority wasn't great. He was supported in this by Bashorun Apati, a former rival, who held office during his reign as the prime minister of Egbaland. Okukenu died in 1862. During the subsequent interregnum, the ''Bashorun'' administered the kingdom.

Descendants

One of Okukenu's descendants,

Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo III Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo III (born 14 September 1943) is the current Alake of Egba, a clan in Abeokuta, Nigeria. He has ruled since 2 August 2005. Early life Gbadebo was born on 14 September 1943, into the Laarun Ruling House. He is a grandson of ...

, is the current Alake of Egbaland.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Okukenu Nigerian traditional rulers Abeokuta 19th-century Nigerian people