Selected notes.

p. 5. Lanwa district. The first settlement can be dated to the reign of Emir Aliyu (1868-1891). Adenlolu is said to have gone to Lanwa on the instruction of the emir to build a settlement (ref: NNAK SNP 7/13 3096/1912 Lanwa Assessment Chapman; Alh. Aliyu Abdul-Kadir, eldest son of Emir Abdul-Kadir, now District Head Lanwa, 62 years old, interviewed Oct 1981). Oral evidence suggests that after a short time he/

p. 6. was followed to the district by many people from Ilorin (Alh. Aliyu Abdul-Kadir). Adenlolu became the Baba Kekere, which gave him the opportunity to allocate land to other settlers (Alh. Aliyu Abdul-Kadir).

p. 7. Gatta was founded by Kenberi a slave of Emir Moma, who got land from the emir and built the first settlement (Mallam Yusuf Alaran, 63, Magaji, interviewed in Adio, Jan 1982).

p. 8. Ejidongari district.

p. 9. It is said that Umaru Sanda, nephew of Emir Abdul-Salam, founded the first settlement in the district (Mallam Alabi Ajia, younger brother of the present DH Ejidongari, 61 years old, interviewed Oct 1981; Mallam Olarongbe Okanla, Village Head Ariori, 73, Oct 1981). Little is known about Sanda. He didn’t stay long. When he left, he handed over to a co-settler named Eji (Mallam Alabi Ajia, younger brother of the present DH Ejidongari, 61, Oct 1981; Mallam Olarongbe Okanla, Village Head Ariori, 73, Oct 1981). Eji attracted many people & other settlements sprang up. The settlement was named Ejidongari, in recognition of Eji’s contribution to its expansion (Alh. Sanusi Anafi, Magaji, Ejidongari, 63, Oct 1981).

Relations between Ilorin & Districts in the 19th Century

p. 16. Having founded Lanwa village, Adenlolu recognized the authority of the emir & chiefs. He & his family did this by paying annual tribute usually in farm produce to the emirs, & partly by recruiting people from the village into the emirate’s army whenever demanded (Alh. Aliyu Abdul-Kadir). The same was true of Ejidongari village, occupied by Daniyalu in the first half of the 19th century.

pp. 16-17. Daniyalu was a son of Alimi.

p. 17. In the 1820s, Daniyalu went to Ejidongari village & occupied it with the help of Muslim soldiers. With little or no resistance the inhabitants accepted Daniyalu & recognized him as head of the area (Mallam Popoola Shiaba, DH Ejidongari District, 69, Jan 1982).

As Adenlolu, Daniyalu & their families acknowledged the authority of Ilorin, they were virtually left on their own to administer the villages in the 19th century without interference from Ilorin (Alh. Aliyu Abdul-Kadir; Mallam Popoola Shiaba).

p. 19. Some of the villages in Lanwa District were founded by followers of Adenlolu who obtained land from Adenlolu. In addition, they got approval from the emirs for their occupation of territories through Adenlolu, thus recognizing Adenlolu as their Baba Kekere & the emir as their “big father.” As elsewhere, they paid annual tribute in farm produce to the Baba Kekere, who sent part of it to the emirs.

[founding of districts & appointment of district heads]

p. 31. In Lanwa District, the village heads all readily acknowledged the authority of Muhammed Woru as District Head.

p. 32. The same was true of Ejidongari District. All this was made possible by the willingness with which the Adenlolu & Daniyalu families accepted the new district system & headship of the newly appointed DHs (Alh. Aliyu Abdul-Kadir).

There was no Baba Kekere problem in Lanwa & Ejidongari districts unlike others, because the only Baba Kekere (Adenlolu & family) in Lanwa readily accepted the headship of the DH & thus didn’t rival him. Adenlolu made the inhabitants look to the DH to solve their problems which would otherwise have required help from a BK (Alh. Aliyu Abdul-Kadir).

p. 34. The appointment of chiefs to head the districts didn’t cause any conflict in Lanwa & Ejidongari districts. As Adenlolu was a slave to the royal house of the emirate, his family readily accepted /

p. 35. M. Woru as DH. In return, Adenlolu’s family received the position of Magaji of Lanwa village, which is held by the family till today. In Ejidongari District, the first DH, Alfa Saidu, was a member of the family of Daniyalu who had been overlord since the first half of the 19th century (Alh. Aliyu Abdul-Kabir; Mallam Popoola Shiaba).