Timi Abibu Lagunju

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Ọba Timi Abibu Sàngólámì (Ọ)Lágúnjú (c. 1817 - 1900) was a Yoruba monarch of the town of Ede, and leader in the 19th century. He was the first Muslim Timi that Ede produced, he also belonged to the first generation of Yoruba Muslims who held high political office in the pre-colonial era and who used their positions to enhance the growth of his town, Ede and his religion, Islam. Indeed, Abibu Lagunju was the second Muslim Oba in Yorubaland given the fact that he was already on the throne for a couple of years when, in November 1857, the American Baptist Missionary, Reverend W.H. Clarke, visited Ede.

The first Muslim Oba in Yorubaland was a famous prince and Mohammedan (Muslim) called Prince Ali of Ado-Ekiti. He was enthroned as Ewi Ali Atewogboye after the demise of Ewi Aroloye in 1836.^[1]

Tradition had it that Prince Ali resisted attempts of the priests and chiefs to renounce Islam before he was enthroned. He was adamant to rather hold to Islam than take the throne. Ewi Ali Atewogboye led the people of Ado-Ekiti back to its original location after sojourning for sometime at Oke Ako due to invasion of Benin Armies and Fulani Jihad. Ewi Ali Atewogboye remained the first and only Ewi of Ado-Ekiti since the 19th century to embrace Islam.

Timi Abibu Lagunju of Ede was enthroned in 1855 as an Oba. This position is buttressed by the fact that other Yoruba Muslim strongholds produced Muslim Obas at a much later date: Lamuye of Iwo in 1860, Momodu Latoosa of Ibadan in 1871, Iyanda Oloko of Epe in 1875, Aseyin "Noo" (Nuruddin) of Iseyin in 1895, Alaafin Lawani Agogoja of New Oyo in 1905 and Awujale Adeona Fusigboye of Ijebu-Ode in 1906. Lagunju was certainly a force to reckon with in the history of Islam in Ede.^[2]

Timi Lagunju was certainly one of the most outstanding personalities and warrior-rulers of the 19th century Yorubaland. He knew personally and was well acquainted with most Yoruba military, political and religious leaders of note between 1840 and 1900. Lagunju's era is also worthy of study because he was the most enigmatic Timi to have ruled Ede since the 19th century to date. He set the record of being the only Timi to have been dethroned thrice, got himself reinstated twice but eventually lost out on the third count.^[3]