Ogedemgbe was the most influential war hero in Ijesaland and rose to become a kingmaker and the Obanla of Ilesa , the next in command to the Owa, the King.
Born as Orisarayibi Ogundamola in 1822, his passion for leadership earned him the appellation Ogedengbe Agbogungboro. He trained as a farmer,traditional medical practitioner and blacksmith.
His curiosity about war success stories made him changed his profession into warfare.
Ogedemgbe was particularly upset when the Ibadan army over ran his village and he decided to join their army to know their secrets and in the late 1850s.
Eight years later, and after distinguishing himself as a warrior,he set up his own army in Ipaye and fought many battles in defense of Ijesaland and especially against Ibadan’s undue interference in Ileshas affairs.
Ogedemgbe suffered many defeats but at the turn of garnering war experience and alliances with other armies where he became Commander of the Ekiti Parapo Army defeated Ibadan soldiers in 1877.
His return to Ileshaland was with pomp and pageantry and he became the defacto and a force to be reckoned with, a situation which did not go down well with some people.
Ogedemgbe was reported to the British Resident of Ibadan, Captain Bower who arrested him in 1895 and released him after almost two years in custody.
His return to Ilesa was greeted with thunderous joy and in 1897 he was honoured with the highest titles in the land, the Obanla, which gave him a position of authority in Ilesa: Ogedemgbe occupied this position until his demise on June 10, 1910.
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