The untold story of Efunsetan Aniwura

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Image result for efunsetan aniwura story
Most narrations portrayed Efunsetan as a very wicked, callous and blood sucking monster who killed just for the fun of it. I cannot agree less that it is a deliberate attempt by chauvinistic men to discredit one of the most powerful women in the sociopolitical history of the Yorubas. The records need to be set straight.
Efunsetan Aniwura is a popular chief (iyalode) in the town of Ibadan in the old Oyo kingdom. She was fathered by an Egba farmer named Ogunrin who happened to be from Egba Oke-Ona. A typical Yoruba man would wonder how an Egba fathered woman can hold such an important chieftain in Ibadan. She gradually rose through hard work to become very influential economically, politically and even militarily. In the midst of all these, Efunsetan could not give birth to more than one child, a daughter. Unfortunately, she lost her sole child to childbirth.
Image result for efunsetan aniwura story This event made Efunsetan to become withdrawn, a sadist and an atheist. She banned every act of love or romance among her slaves. Any slave caught dissenting this law is dealt with accordingly. The height of her actions was when she ordered that a female slave be killed when it was discovered that the slave was pregnant. This provoked serious anger from the king and his men and it eventually lead to her fall. There are many version of how she fell despite being boastful of one of the best armies in the Yoruba kingdom then.

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