Although I was normally interested in staying below the radar of most members of the local chiefly families, I realised that when I presented my Ph.D. thesis I might be queried if I had not attempted to interview the Emir of Ilorin.

The interview was arranged through the Emir’s son, political scientist Dr. Ibrahim A. Gambari, who was chairman of the Kwara State College of Technology Council. I was invited to attend a discussion with Dr. Gambari, and as a result of this meeting I refined my questions and sent them to him, asking if he could arrange an audience for me with the Emir. At the audience, the Emir had a copy of my questions in front of him, and the interview was conducted in English. I had included questions on a range of topics, hoping that some of them might elicit information on the people of the dependent districts. The Emir, however, neatly sidestepped any such possibilities.

Included here are my letter to Dr. Gambari, 22 October 1982; and my notes on the interview with the Emir, 8 December 1982.