Unhokhasor Olowu

Unoakhaiasor Olowu
Oba Olowu
Born	1852 Illewi,
Died	August 14, 1967 (aged 115) Imiekuri, Nigeria
Issue	2 children, including: Ikhumitse Olowu Maimuna Olowu
Religion	Juju
Occupation	Slave trader, Cotton merchant, explorer, Chieftain

Unoakhaiasor Olowu, born Unoakhaiasor(c. 1852 – August 14, 1967) An influential Oba and notorious merchant, he was revered as the inaugural Oba of Imiekuri. His prowess was acknowledged by traders both in Ghana and various Nigerian regions, as he amassed wealth primarily from dealings in cotton and slaves. He died of old age on August 14, 1967, at his residence in Illewi.

Background

Olowu was born in Imiekuri, Okpella, Nigeria around 1852 in a small village called Illewi. His birth name "Unoakhaiasor" means "We only hear the leader's voice" in Afenmai. He was born into an aristocratic family of merchants, with his father believed to have been a refugee from the Old Yoruba town of Owu Kingdom, who migrated to the region during the War of 1822, which led to the dispersal of its people. His mother, meanwhile, is of Etsako People heritage. Growing up in the agrarian town, he was helpful in bringing development to Imiekuri in his form of trade, it has been said that he travelled long distances through west Africa on foot to carry this out . During his early life he encountered a ferocious lion who raided the village, as he was asleep the beast attempted to kill him, in which he defeated it with his own hands saving the community.

Personal life

Olowu was a strong practitioner of Juju he was known to have supernatural abilities as he was strong in African traditional religion following the Orishas deity ogun . He had 2 children from his wife, who died in 1916. Ikhumitse Olowu, his son, was the first one in the family and village to get an education. Olowu spoke numerous languages fluently: Okpella, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, English, etc. During his life of trade his mother was captured by slave traders, taken away from their village he journeyed to save her before she was sold, in this event he successfully was able to rescue her, though for her to not speak Estako but Igbo.Around the early 1930s Olowu's mother died from old age.

Involvement with the slave trade

Due to the Climate of the Barbaric Transatlantic Slave Trade the influence of trade was high in commodity, in which traditional trade had taken a turn when Tribes traded with foreign players for guns & cannons during the times of warfare and reign of empires Olowu became a part of this trade in influence. Olowu was a powerful notorious slave trader in Nigeria. In his early life, he traveled from Nigeria to Ghana for trading and brought back bamboo seeds to plant in the Okpella Region. He also traveled to villages and towns in the areas of the Midwest region including Badagry for his trade. There's some recounts of him being captured by unknown assailants for his role in the trade, but was freed by his own hand in these cases mostly due to his shrewd ability. Some say when he traded his enemies to his clients he would recapture them and double his trade, others say in myth when journeying with the ones he's caught others couldn't see them but only him, this is most likely due to his strong practice of juju which made him feared. People who knew him were in shock of his return from his travels due to him being gone for a year at a time, as they would think he was dead. Many family members regarded him as influential in the cotton trade as well as that of other commodities like cocoa, palm oil, and tobacco. During his time as a trader he changed his surname and bore Olowu, due to his trade with the Yoruba. At the beginning of the 20th century Olowu abandoned the slave trade and took on his duties as Oba Of Imiekuri an Atsogwa.

Life as Oba Of Ilewi

Sometime after the Nupe war in Okpella, Olowu became the first Oba of Imiekuri, he was known to bring development to Illewi and his people, and reigned until his death.

Later life and death

Later in life, he returned to farming. By the mid-1960s, Olowu was quite elderly and began to shrink in stature. He developed an infection in his right eye, which led to mucus buildup and required attention from family and friends. In 1967 he stopped eating and remained bedridden for days, dying on August 14, 1967, at an estimated age of 115. Villagers held a funeral service, chanting and singing as they laid him to rest at his home in Ilewi. They buried all his belongings, including his fetishes and cowrie shells, alongside him. Today, he is remembered as a legendary figure in Imiekuri for his contributions and life story.