Fredrick Kúmókụn Adédeji Haastrup, Ajimoko I, Owa Obokun of Ilesa from April 1896 – September 1901.
He was well into his 70s when he became Owa. He reigned for just a little over six years. He was the first Christian Oba in yorubaland.
He was well into his 70s when he became Owa. He reigned for just a little over six years. He was the first Christian Oba in yorubaland.
At about the age of 14 he was captured by Ilorin slave raiders while on an errand, in a place, slightly out of town, near Oke Ibode, taken to the coast & eventually sold to a slave ship. The ship was diverted to Sierra Leone after been cornered by a British anti slavery patrol.
He became the ward of a Mr. Haastrup who was either a Danish captain or a missionary. He became Haastrup’s ward and took his name. He studied and ultimately became a licensed town planner.
Eventually he found his way back to Lagos and became a fairly wealthy trader and marine transporter, hence his nickname Ajimoko bi oyinbo, which he also adopted as his title on the throne. While doing Buisness in Lagos, he re-established links with Ilesa.
He also got involved in the Kiriji wars on the Ijesa, Ekiti-Parapo alliance side from his base in Lagos, by supplying arms to them. He was also an adviser to the Owa during the negotiations the British were brokering to end the war.
His accession to the throne was due to the efforts of 2 powerful lobbies; the war generals, led by Ogedengbe & the wealthy Lagos based Ijesa traders. Little wonder that two years after he became Owa, Ogedengbe was installled as the Obanla of Ilesa, the traditional prime minister.
Ilesa of all Yoruba towns has a unique grid like layout with near parallel, straight streets dividing the city into blocks, such that every house in the core ancient part of town has a number and address till today.
This is generally credited to him as a town planer, although it is difficult to see how he could have achieved that in such a short reign. It must also be noted that, at least, one earlier explorer, had remarked about the city’s wide and well planned streets.
He was also a benefactor and one of the earliest members of the Otapete Methodist Church, Ilesa,now a cathedral. He is memorialised in the church in various forms of sponsored projects in his name.
One of his grandsons was the outstanding Nigerian diplomat, late Ambassador Adedokun Haastrup, alias Ambassador Prince; High Commissioner to India, 1960-64, Ambassador to Ethiopia, ‘64-66, West Germany, ‘66-68, Italy, ‘68-73. Also Spain, Greece, Cyprus, FAO at different times.
