Atiba Atobatele

Alaafin Atiba Atobatele was a king of the Oyo Empire. He was the son of Alaafin Abiodun of Oyo, and Eni-Olufan Adegoolu from Akeitan.

Growing up, he was involved in thievery and kidnapping before relocating to the town of Ago and raising a private army. After the death of King Oluewu of Oyo, Atobatele was chosen to rebuild the kingdom and became the Alaafin of Oyo. He formed alliances with powerful war chiefs and implemented social reforms, including the abolition of the tradition of the crown prince having to die with a deceased king. Atobatele died at an old age after celebrating the Bebe Festival, and his son Adelu succeeded him.

Early life Prince Atobatele was the son of King Abiodun of Oyo, and Eni-olufan from Akeitan, a slave from Gudugbu offered as surety to King Abiodun. Atobatele's childhood friend was Onipede, whose mother was a Gudugbu citizen and a bosom friend of Eni-olufan. It was also during the war that the eternal friendship of Prince Atobatele and Onipede, his bosom friend, was broken. He allied with the powerful war chiefs at the time: Oluyole of Ibadan and Kurunmi of Ijaye. He promised to install both the Basorun and Are-ona-kakanfo, respectively.

After the death of King Oluewu of Oyo in 1835, the Eleduwe War, and the destruction of the old Oyo Empire, it was decided there was a need to install a prince who had the power and wealth to rebuild. Are-ona-kakanfo, the Field Marshall of Yoruba armies, was conferred on Kurunmi of Ijaye. These successes encouraged Basorun Oluyole of Ibadan, and he decided to take the throne of Oyo for himself, replacing Atobatele, the Alaafin of Oyo. In 1858, the Ibadan Council of Chiefs, under the rulership of Balogun Ibikunle, agreed and communicated to King Atobatele, Alaafin of Oyo, for approval. In 1858, King Atobatele decided he would celebrate the Bebe.