Name Fredrick Adedeji | ||
Fredrick Kúmókụn Adédeji Haastrup was born ca 1820 into the family of a member of the ancient Oro [Oro so gudu gudu] Royal house of Iléṣa. It is one of the four ruling families of Iléṣa and has been, since the reign of Owa Obokun Atakumosa 900 years ago. After his reign, accession to the throne was passed, in turn, between his four sons, a system that continues to date: accession is rotated between four ruling families in Ijéṣaland. Following Kúmókụn's reign, the Oro family adopted the Haastrup name.
Circa 1824, while on an errand, Kúmókụn was kidnapped and subsequently sold as a slave. He was transferred from one market to another finally reaching the coast where he boarded a slave ship chained to other slaves. The ship flew a British flag but was, in fact, a Danish vessel. At sea, Kúmókụn fell ill. The captain, a Dane whose surname was Haastrup, had him unbound and took care of him.
While at sea, Britain abolished slavery and the vessel subsequently lost its legal cover. The slave vessel was later intercepted by British Man-o'-War marines and the slaves were diverted to Sierra Leone. In Sierra Leone, Kúmókụn became a ward of Capt. Haastrup who sponsored his education. Kúmókụn studied for, and obtained, a license in Town Planning.
Kúmókụn, now bearing the surname Haastrup, returned to his old country Ijéṣaland specifically the town of Iléṣa via Lagos. He re-established contact with Ijéṣa royalty sometime in 1860. In Lagos, he acquired large tracts of property at Ibeju-Lekki and present day Igbobi, where he cultivated Kola nuts (Yoruba: obi) on a commercial scale. The area consequently became known as igbo-obi (kola nut plantation) subsequently shortened to Igbobi a well known area of Lagos.
Kúmókụn Haastrup became known in Ijéṣaland during the Kiriji wars [1877-1893], when he was a member of the Ekiti parapo solidarity group in Lagos. The organization supplied arms to Ijéṣa warriors who were at war with Ibadan. He was later pivotal in advising the Owa (King) during peace negotiations with the British and Ibadan that brokered the end of hostilities.
In 1896, he was invited to become the Owa Obokun (King) of Ijéṣaland and took the title Ajimoko I (derived from his nickname: 'Ajimoko bi Oyinbo' viz. steers a ship like a white man). He is credited with using his Town Planning skills for improving the layout of the town which is today characterized by a grid like road formation and introducing Methodism to Ijéṣaland in 1896. The family continue to be great supporters of Methodism, most recently with the financing of the building of a modern Methodist church by Adédokun Haastrup, a Knight of the Methodist Church and career diplomat, consecrated in January 2001 in Óṣógbó.