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.
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.
He further stress on the grandeur of Ede monarchy: ... Having given some proof of their skill in the evolution of African dancing, I was led off in haste to the house of Daodu or prince, who was to receive me previous to visiting the chief.
This kind prince into whose hands I had fallen soon pointed me out an airy and comfortable apartment, from which I could, for the most part, exclude the noisy crowd and vacant gazers, when rest and retirement were demanded and yet enjoyed a sufficiency of air.
About three, o'clock, after enjoying a little rest, I was conducted by the Daodu to the residence of his elder brother, the chief...[5] One other noteworthy aspect of the career of Timi Lagunju was his attempt to implement Islamic code of law, the Shari'ah, as he understood it in the running of state affairs.
[4][7] In spite of the stormy relationship which Lagunju had with the traditionalists, he was, paradoxically, favourably disposed to Christianity given the testimony of the first American Baptist missionary to the town, W.H.
During his visit, Clarke was not only given civic reception and well treated, he was also allowed "to preach some special truths of the gospel" to the chiefs and "a company of civil Mohammedans."
Osi Osundina's picture that has survived from tradition is that of "a Muslim titled officer who wears his turban to the battle field and performs his ablution under a hail of arrows."
After he had spent seven years in exile in lbadan (during his first deposition), Lagunju was able to wrest his throne back from Olunloye only with the support of Aare Latoosa.
Again, during his second deposition, Lagunju succeeded in wresting the throne from Lansebe, with the active support of Ibadan forces under the firm instruction of Aare Latoosa.
Available traditions state that on Lagunju's final exile to Ibadan, one of his wives (from Ile-Ife) left with the children for her home town where they eventually became first generation Muslims.
While some monarchs, particularly the Alaafin of Oyo, no longer went to battle fronts from the 1840s, Timi Lagunju still personally led Ede forces on military expeditions particularly on the side of Ibadan.
A shrewd political and military strategist, Lagunju allied Ede, at the most appropriate time, with Ibadan, the most militarily strong power in 19th century Yorubaland.
Traditions preserved by Olunlade record that both Timi Lagunju and Balogun Ajayi Ogboriefon distinguished themselves in this war which ended in favour of Ibadan allied army.
At the initial stage of the war, Lagunju dispatched the deposed Timi Olunloye to the war-front as the captain of Ede forces.
"[8] Arising out of Ede's material and human support for the Ibadan alliance, Derin Ologbenla, the Ooni-elect of Ife even contemplated a military assault on the town in April 1882.
For instance, evidence abounds that he distributed arms and ammunitions to Ikire, Gbongan and Edunabon with a view to subjugating Modakeke first "which being removed out of the way Ede would be besieged and thus the Ibadans' in the camp would be taken in front and in the rear."
[9] Like Ife, the Ilorin forces also contemplated attacking Ede after the sack of Offa in 1887 because of its total and unalloyed support for the Ibadan Alliance.
Johnson's testimony is relevant here: The llorin plan, if successful at Ile-Aro was to attack Ofa, and Ede next and thereby dislodge the Ibadans' from Ikirun."
Indeed, both the Oluwo Lamuye and the Timi (Lagunju) of Ede as well as the lbadan authorities thought they had enough clout to persuade, indeed command, the Modakeke to move.
[8] The highly successful and final deposition Timi Abibu Lagunju and his exile to Ibadan marked the end of an era in Ede history.
[4] In another sense, his disposition was displeasing to Oyo authorities and Ibadan rulers who had come to regard Lagunju as one of the greatest statesmen and nationalists of the age.
To the new Ibadan leaders, Lagunju was also a contemporary and friend of their fathers and had witnessed, first hand, more than any other person the nineteenth century Yoruba wars.
These leaders included Balogun Ajayi Osungbekun, Maye Osuntoki, Abese Kongi, son of Basorun Ogunmola, and Sunmonu Apampa.50 So committed to Lagunju's cause were the Ibadan leaders, to the extent that as the Ekitiparapo war was coming to a conclusive end and camps were being broken up, they still planned to spend about two days in Ede to reconcile Lagunju and the people in the town but the colonial government aborted this.
Johnson records thus: The Ibadans had wanted to stop a day or two at Ede to compose the difference between the people and the Timi Lagunju, who had been deposed by them but they were hurried homewards so that they could not do so.
"52 However, in spite of the good treatment and respect accorded him by the Ibadan leaders, Lagunju still carried the prayers for his reinstatement to the Alaafin of Oyo, Adeyemi, his suzerain around 1894 or early 1895.
Like all akikanju (heroes) in Yoruba history, Timi Lagunju possessed tremendous energy and vigour and would not give in easily to the opposition, no matter the price.
And if Lagunju was rejected by the Ede society of that time because of that perceived flaw, members of his generation in other parts of Yorubaland, especially in Ibadan, Oyo, Ilorin and Ekiti, accepted and respected him.
[4][7] Remarkably, Lagunju was also a product of the nineteenth century warfare, the age of "blood and iron" when crucial issues of the day were resolved on the battle fields.
priest who was actively involved in peace efforts during the Ekitiparapo war and the respected author of History of the Yoruba, knew him so intimately and interacted with him greatly during that perilous period.