How Agbekoya Group Became Popular in Nigeria – Aare Okikiola
The story of how Agbekoya group became very popular in Nigeria has been told by its leader of 22 years, the President General popularly called Aare Agbekoya Kamorudeen Okikiola.
Going down memory lane, Aare said: “Agbekoya was stablished by the Baale Agbe in 1938, Emmanuel Ayorinde the head of farmers. Pa Tafa Adeoye became the president in 1967. Agbekoya group was started first as Nigerian union of farmers and hunters. After that, there was a misunderstanding between FG and the farmers, that farmers should be paying tax and reduce the money of Cocoa, Cashew, and other farm produce.
A fight started in Ijebu Igbo with soldiers and police. It escalated into Ibadan and the big battle was at Ogbomoso. The war led to bloodshed across all key towns.
The farmers and women protested and they were arrested.
During the time there was no oil, it was farming that Chief Obafemi Awolowo used to build the Cocoa house and all the things they did back then. The headache was too much for farmers and hunters and they held a combined meeting, this was in 1968. The army remained adamant and the matter went out of hand.
The Police had Mark4 and they used it against the farmers. And the hunters only had local guns. This was the time of Adebayo as governor.
This time people saw the movement as the revolt of farmers. The farmers stormed the prison and released the arrested farmers.
This historic event teaches us that we should not allow matter to degenerate into war. The Oba of Ogbomosho was killed at the time.”
Narrating further, he explained: “As the current President General or Aare Agbekoya Kamorudeen Okikiola, I emerged in 1998, 22 years ago from a selection done by Ifa, the Yoruba divinity. I am from Ibadan, born to Christian mother and Muslim dad.
Agbekoya fights the interest of farmers. Fulani herders got the backing of government and got emboldened.
Southwest governments are not helping us well. They divert funds budgeted for farming to other things. They are the ones that can save the region but Fulani have something sinister they are planning.
Fulani had a good relationship with Yoruba until 5 years ago. It appears that there is a deliberate plan to overrun the South West by destroying our farms and cutting off food supply.
We don’t publicize our efforts, but are battle ready to defend Yoruba interests always.
We want to assure all farmers in Yoruba to keep faith and not lose faith. Don’t fight but stay calm. State Governments in the region should support farmers more. They give them pittance whereas in the North, farmers are given huge funds. We have secured bail for a lot of farmers with association funds, court cases, etc.
when I took over, Agbekoya had only 39 members left. I was appointed through Ifa divination. Growing up, I love toy cars a lot and my dad used to develop plank cars for me.”
