Brigadier Samuel Adesujo Ademulegun (1923-1966)
Born in Ondo, he attended All Saints' School, Ondo, before enlisting in the Nigerian Army as a private in 1942. Commissioned as a lieutenant in 1949, he became the first native Nigerian aide-de-camp to Governor-General John Macpherson in 1952.
On the night of January 15, 1966, Major Timothy Onwuatuegwu personally led a detachment of soldiers to Brigadier Ademulegun's house. Major Timothy entered his bedroom, where Ademulegun was sleeping with his pregnant wife. Upon seeing Major Tim and the soldiers, Ademulegun attempted to reach his service pistol beside the bed. Major Tim shot him in a hail of bullets, killing Ademulegun and his pregnant wife, Latifa, instantly.
After Brigadier Ademulegun’s murder, his children were taken by Aguiyi-Ironsi’s wife, Victoria, who cared for them and relocated them from Kaduna to Lagos. They received government scholarships up to university level.
The gruesome scene of the bullet-ridden bodies of Brigadier Ademulegun and his wife was so horrifying that the soldiers who entered the room ran back upon sighting the bodies.
Two accounts exist regarding Timothy Onwuatuegwu's death in the days following the surrender. One account by his former co-conspirator, Maj. Adewale Ademoyega, states that he was tricked into attending a meeting at a hotel with federal officers of the 3rd Marine Commando Division. Allegedly occurring on January 15, he was summarily shot dead by vengeful officers personally aggrieved by the assassination of Brig. Ademulegun and his wife during the 1966 Nigerian coup d'état. An alternative account by Col. Obasanjo states that during the surrender, Onwuatuegwu unsuccessfully attempted to ambush him near Amichi. After this, he apparently made for the Cameroon border and was later killed in a firefight with Nigerian 1st Division soldiers.
The truth about Maj. Onwuatuegwu's death remains a mystery.
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Tribal Marks (Ila) in Yorubaland
Background:
Tribal marks, known as Ila in the Yoruba language, have been a part of Yoruba culture for approximately 200 years, gaining popularity for beautifying the face and body. The saying "tita riro lan’ko ila, toba jina tan adi oge" emphasizes the challenging process of getting tribal marks, which later transforms into a fashion statement. During the slave trade era, Ila served as a means of societal norms and identification, distinguishing individuals, families, lineages, and sub-ethnic groups.
- Crafted primarily on the cheek, some tribal marks extend to other parts of the body such as the abdomen, arm, and back. Marks called 'Gbere' are drawn for religious reasons, and others serve as ancestral marks, symbolizing a spiritual connection with the deceased.
- Different sub-ethnic groups in Yorubaland have distinct patterns of tribal marks.
How It Started:
The origin of tribal marks among the Yoruba is unclear, but according to Johnson (1921:149-150), Sango, a past king of Old Oyo, played a role in its development.
- Sango, wanting to worship at his mother's burial ground, commissioned a Tetu and a Hausa slave to discover his mother's name. The priest performing the sacrifice revealed the name "Torosi," and the Tetu memorized it.
- The Hausa slave, being drunk during the invocation, missed the name and received 122 razor cuts as a consequence. After healing, the king's wives suggested using such marks for royalty, leading Sango to get tribal marks himself.
- Babajegbe Osan and Babajegbe Oru marked Sango with two cuts on his arms, creating Eyo marks reserved exclusively for the royal family of Oyo. Members of this family are called Akeyo.
Additionally, Obemawe of Ondo and Ebumawe of Orile-Iwoye, being twins, had different tribal marks. Obemawe sent a servant to find out the marks on Ebumawe's children, resulting in the distinctive long marks on both cheeks for their tribal marks.
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