There are different ways to avoid slavery, but committing suicide is quite strange or rare. However the people of Ara in 1855 did not have this ideology. Ara Town in Ekiti as at 1850 was one of the most powerful towns with a settlement as big as that of the people of Ijaye of Egba land.
Trouble started when the people of Ara rebelled against their leader, Alara of Ara and even sent him into exile because of his bad leadership and grievous offences he commited against the people of the town. After his exile, the town needed another leader, so Chief Elejofi was appointed and made ruler of the Ara people.
The exiled Alara felt humiliated and was not willing to let go of the of his leadership so he sought for help from the Mighty Ibadan army of the Oyo empire. His requested was granted because by then, Ibadan was repairing the damages caused by the fallen Oyo empire so it was looking for towns to rule over.
After Ibadan accepted the exiled Alara of Ara, its army attacked Ikoro, another town in Ekiti because they did not allow the Ibadan army to feed on their crops and they were suspected to be planning an attack on Ibadan army. During the Ibadan army attack on Ikoro, some towns joined Ikoro to fight and tried to defend them against the Ibadan army. They were eventually defeated lost the battle to battle to the Ibadan army. During the war, the people of Ara also tried to defend Ikoro but they were stopped by their leader, Chief Elejofi.
The Ibadan army latter punished the towns that helped Ikoro during the war by destroying their homes and taking them as slaves. Ara was also on the black list. When the people of the town heard about the plot of the Ibadan army, they decided to commit mass suicide in order to avoid being captured as slaves. This ugly incidence happened August, 1855.
The act was lead by the leader of the Ara town , Chief Elejofi who destroyed his properties, killed his family and himself with the help of his first son. The act was replicated by the remaining households in the town and when the Ibadan army arrived to capture the town, they immediately turned back and returned to their base. Leaving the town in a complete mess and litter of dead bodies.
The mass suicide of the Ara people still remains a disturbing mystery in the history of Ekiti and Yoruba land at large.
Don’t forget to share this article to various social media platforms.
Thank you!