Why I married 14 wives — Adio Bakare
AN INTERVIEW WITH 99-YEAR-OLD CHIEF IMAM
By Sunday Akanni
Former Chief Imam of Aiyegbesin Mosque, at Arowojobe Street, Oshodi, Alhaji Adio Bakare, had explained the circumstances that forced him to marry many wives.
He disclosed this in an interview with The Harbinger Magazine.
Bakare who narrated his life experience and circumstances that pushed him to marry 14 wives, disclosed how he saved his mother from committing suicide. Excerpts:
My Birth
I was born in 1921 into the family of Alhaji Garuba Alao Bakare and Alhaja Munirat Modupeola Abeni Bakare at Iboro town in Yewa South Local Government Area, Ogun State. We were twins — I am Kehinde, named Hussain; while my twin brother Taiwo, named Hassan. My father married five wives, and they were blessed with children. But only three of us remained, (myself, and my twin sisters; Mrs. Hassan Kelani Ayodele and Mrs. Mariama Azeez Sanni) of the same mother.
The uniqueness of Iboro town
Iboro is a unique town where Oro festival is forbidden to perform because a woman was the founder of the town. Moreso, it is a taboo in Yorubaland for a woman to see Oro or take part in its ritual process.
Education
My father was a staunch Muslim, so he enrolled us in Quranic school and did not bother about Western education, which I cherished so much. Later, after I had settled down, I attended Adult Education to gain more knowledge.
Early Life
After our graduation from Quranic school, we set out to offer special prayers on invitation. Our first point of call was Ibadan in Oyo State. We were there for some time, offering special prayers to our invitees.
After we returned from Ibadan, part of the money realized was used to buy bicycles as a show-off. This sparked my father’s anger, who complained that we were supposed to bring the money to him for advice. It took the intervention of his friend, Alhaji Sanni, to settle the rift. Within the period we were at home, we got some money and consulted him for advice, he urged us to build a house for our mother which we did.
Later, we travelled to many towns in Ogun State for special prayers, including Ago-Ijaye, Abeokuta, Iwoye, Ajilete, Lobi in Yewa South LGA.
It was at Lobi town that we married — my twin brother got married to a lady of Lobi origin. While, I got married to a lady of Joga Orile origin, and the union did not last because of some militating factors.
How I lost a baby, wife
Later, I married another girl that gave birth to a baby girl named Basirat. The baby died 14 days after her birth, her mother, Riamatu died 14 days after her child’s death.
These double tragedy depressed me and made me vow not to marry again. It was after three years of my vow that my father sent me out of the house for taking such decision. When I wanted to sneak out of the house through the backdoor, I met my elder sister, popularly called Iyaelegbo, who compelled me to return home and eventually settled the rift.
How I met my second wife
The rift between my father and I had not settled when Alhaji Abdulsalami Alao, Omo Ajase from Kwara State, returned from Mecca and was looking for followership to propagate Islamic religion. We volunteered to join his team.
We set out for the journey to a town called Okeimina, and there was a stream you must cross before getting to the main town. As we approached the river, we alerted the swimmers, who were mainly girls, of our coming. When we were crossing the stream, my eyes caught a beautiful light-complexioned girl among the swimmers in the stream. Immediately, I made my intention known to my colleagues that I was interested in the girl. Although, I was reminded of my vow of chastity. But I told them that I have rescinded my decision and now needed a companion. It was at that point that Baba Yusuf, one of the Alfas in the team, facilitated our relationship which eventually led to marriage.
For 14 years of marriage, there was no child. It was during this barren condition I travelled to Mecca on pilgrimage. Not quite long I returned from Mecca that my wife conceived and bore a child and later had additional children and wives. In the end, I married 14 wives and seven of them bore 28 children for me. Only 16 children and four wives remained with me.
How I went into farming
I inherited my father’s farmland at Erinjo in Ondo State. I went to the state for special prayers and I stayed behind to engage in farming and later built a house on the farmland.
My unforgettable day
The most unforgettable day of my life was the day my mother wanted to commit suicide. She was about to drink caustic soda when I came in. I was shaken and wondered what could have happened if I had not been around to prevent her from killing herself. She confessed to me that she was not happy to be blind and also didn’t want to be a talkative as a result of her sight challenge. After listening to her plight, l assured her that she will regain her sight.
On the following day, I set out to Ipetumodu, Osun State in search of a traditional eye specialist; I eventually located the man’s house and met him on a sickbed. This situation put me in a state of confusion. Perhaps the herbalist read my mind from his sickbed and told me to have faith that my problem would be solved. He asked for my mission to his house, and I explained to him.
He instructed one of his sons, Saka, to follow me to my home town to check my mother’s eyes. Without much ado, we were at Iboro, and when my mother queried my impromptu journey to and fro the town, I explained to her that I have brought an eye treatment specialist to examine her eyes. After checking the eyes, Saka and l returned to Ipetumodu and reported to his father. We bargained on charges which I paid. He assured me that my mother will regain her sight, with this assurance, I left Ipetumodu for my farm in Erinjo. When l returned home after a month, my mother was still in the same condition. This situation triggered my anger and l went to Ipetumodu to challenge Saka and his father for obtaining money from me without doing their work. Saka’s father calmed me down and explained to me that my mother’s eyes would require special treatment. He told me to return to my business, with an assurance that my mother’s eye would be healed. I went back to my farm at Erinjo. A few days later, I returned home to check my mother’s condition. She proved to me that she had regained her sight. She ran to me and described the colour of my dress, cap and the bag I was carrying.
How we built Aiyegbesin Mosque
Alhaji Biobaku, Arowasi of Egbaland, who led the group of Alfas to Chief Ayorinde’s house warming at 19, Ibidun Street, Oshodi encouraged us to build Aiyegbesin mosque at Arowojobe Street, Oshodi.
It happened that after they commissioned the house, the alfas wanted to observe prayers, but there was no mosque nearby, this made Biobaku scold the Muslims in the area. A few months later, we got land through High Chief Yisa Eyifunmi. My twin brother and I started moving from house to house to solicit for financial support of Muslim faithful in the area to construct the mosque.
After we got substantial sums of money from the contributions, we bought building materials and invited Alfa Abdulsalam Adeshina Aremu from Iboro to lay the foundation of the mosque.
Unfortunately, after the completion of the mosque, government agents pulled it down.
This made us to report the mosque demolition to the Alfa.
He found it very difficult to believe, he told us not to worry that Allah would complete His work. We came back to Lagos, barely 30 minutes we arrived, we received a message from Chief Olawore to see him. When we got to his house, we met council officials that demolished the mosque, introduced to us by Chief Olawore who told us that he had settled the matter, that we can go ahead and rebuild the mosque. We were very happy and thanked Olawore and the council officials.
The following day, we reported back to Alfa in Iboro, the miracle that happened. The cleric told us that he saw a storey building on the land, which eventually came to pass. He was, however, invited for the commissioning of the Mosque after its completion in 1983. I was the Chief Imam of the mosque until recently I handed over the leadership of the mosque to Imam Abdulraman Raheem, due to old age.
By Sunday Akanni
Former Chief Imam of Aiyegbesin Mosque, at Arowojobe Street, Oshodi, Alhaji Adio Bakare, had explained the circumstances that forced him to marry many wives.
He disclosed this in an interview with The Harbinger Magazine.
Bakare who narrated his life experience and circumstances that pushed him to marry 14 wives, disclosed how he saved his mother from committing suicide. Excerpts:
My Birth
I was born in 1921 into the family of Alhaji Garuba Alao Bakare and Alhaja Munirat Modupeola Abeni Bakare at Iboro town in Yewa South Local Government Area, Ogun State. We were twins — I am Kehinde, named Hussain; while my twin brother Taiwo, named Hassan. My father married five wives, and they were blessed with children. But only three of us remained, (myself, and my twin sisters; Mrs. Hassan Kelani Ayodele and Mrs. Mariama Azeez Sanni) of the same mother.
The uniqueness of Iboro town
Iboro is a unique town where Oro festival is forbidden to perform because a woman was the founder of the town. Moreso, it is a taboo in Yorubaland for a woman to see Oro or take part in its ritual process.
Education
My father was a staunch Muslim, so he enrolled us in Quranic school and did not bother about Western education, which I cherished so much. Later, after I had settled down, I attended Adult Education to gain more knowledge.
Early Life
After our graduation from Quranic school, we set out to offer special prayers on invitation. Our first point of call was Ibadan in Oyo State. We were there for some time, offering special prayers to our invitees.
After we returned from Ibadan, part of the money realized was used to buy bicycles as a show-off. This sparked my father’s anger, who complained that we were supposed to bring the money to him for advice. It took the intervention of his friend, Alhaji Sanni, to settle the rift. Within the period we were at home, we got some money and consulted him for advice, he urged us to build a house for our mother which we did.
Later, we travelled to many towns in Ogun State for special prayers, including Ago-Ijaye, Abeokuta, Iwoye, Ajilete, Lobi in Yewa South LGA.
It was at Lobi town that we married — my twin brother got married to a lady of Lobi origin. While, I got married to a lady of Joga Orile origin, and the union did not last because of some militating factors.
How I lost a baby, wife
Later, I married another girl that gave birth to a baby girl named Basirat. The baby died 14 days after her birth, her mother, Riamatu died 14 days after her child’s death.
These double tragedy depressed me and made me vow not to marry again. It was after three years of my vow that my father sent me out of the house for taking such decision. When I wanted to sneak out of the house through the backdoor, I met my elder sister, popularly called Iyaelegbo, who compelled me to return home and eventually settled the rift.
How I met my second wife
The rift between my father and I had not settled when Alhaji Abdulsalami Alao, Omo Ajase from Kwara State, returned from Mecca and was looking for followership to propagate Islamic religion. We volunteered to join his team.
We set out for the journey to a town called Okeimina, and there was a stream you must cross before getting to the main town. As we approached the river, we alerted the swimmers, who were mainly girls, of our coming. When we were crossing the stream, my eyes caught a beautiful light-complexioned girl among the swimmers in the stream. Immediately, I made my intention known to my colleagues that I was interested in the girl. Although, I was reminded of my vow of chastity. But I told them that I have rescinded my decision and now needed a companion. It was at that point that Baba Yusuf, one of the Alfas in the team, facilitated our relationship which eventually led to marriage.
For 14 years of marriage, there was no child. It was during this barren condition I travelled to Mecca on pilgrimage. Not quite long I returned from Mecca that my wife conceived and bore a child and later had additional children and wives. In the end, I married 14 wives and seven of them bore 28 children for me. Only 16 children and four wives remained with me.
How I went into farming
I inherited my father’s farmland at Erinjo in Ondo State. I went to the state for special prayers and I stayed behind to engage in farming and later built a house on the farmland.
My unforgettable day
The most unforgettable day of my life was the day my mother wanted to commit suicide. She was about to drink caustic soda when I came in. I was shaken and wondered what could have happened if I had not been around to prevent her from killing herself. She confessed to me that she was not happy to be blind and also didn’t want to be a talkative as a result of her sight challenge. After listening to her plight, l assured her that she will regain her sight.
On the following day, I set out to Ipetumodu, Osun State in search of a traditional eye specialist; I eventually located the man’s house and met him on a sickbed. This situation put me in a state of confusion. Perhaps the herbalist read my mind from his sickbed and told me to have faith that my problem would be solved. He asked for my mission to his house, and I explained to him.
He instructed one of his sons, Saka, to follow me to my home town to check my mother’s eyes. Without much ado, we were at Iboro, and when my mother queried my impromptu journey to and fro the town, I explained to her that I have brought an eye treatment specialist to examine her eyes. After checking the eyes, Saka and l returned to Ipetumodu and reported to his father. We bargained on charges which I paid. He assured me that my mother will regain her sight, with this assurance, I left Ipetumodu for my farm in Erinjo. When l returned home after a month, my mother was still in the same condition. This situation triggered my anger and l went to Ipetumodu to challenge Saka and his father for obtaining money from me without doing their work. Saka’s father calmed me down and explained to me that my mother’s eyes would require special treatment. He told me to return to my business, with an assurance that my mother’s eye would be healed. I went back to my farm at Erinjo. A few days later, I returned home to check my mother’s condition. She proved to me that she had regained her sight. She ran to me and described the colour of my dress, cap and the bag I was carrying.
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| Alhaji Ado Bakare |
Alhaji Biobaku, Arowasi of Egbaland, who led the group of Alfas to Chief Ayorinde’s house warming at 19, Ibidun Street, Oshodi encouraged us to build Aiyegbesin mosque at Arowojobe Street, Oshodi.
It happened that after they commissioned the house, the alfas wanted to observe prayers, but there was no mosque nearby, this made Biobaku scold the Muslims in the area. A few months later, we got land through High Chief Yisa Eyifunmi. My twin brother and I started moving from house to house to solicit for financial support of Muslim faithful in the area to construct the mosque.
After we got substantial sums of money from the contributions, we bought building materials and invited Alfa Abdulsalam Adeshina Aremu from Iboro to lay the foundation of the mosque.
Unfortunately, after the completion of the mosque, government agents pulled it down.
This made us to report the mosque demolition to the Alfa.
He found it very difficult to believe, he told us not to worry that Allah would complete His work. We came back to Lagos, barely 30 minutes we arrived, we received a message from Chief Olawore to see him. When we got to his house, we met council officials that demolished the mosque, introduced to us by Chief Olawore who told us that he had settled the matter, that we can go ahead and rebuild the mosque. We were very happy and thanked Olawore and the council officials.
The following day, we reported back to Alfa in Iboro, the miracle that happened. The cleric told us that he saw a storey building on the land, which eventually came to pass. He was, however, invited for the commissioning of the Mosque after its completion in 1983. I was the Chief Imam of the mosque until recently I handed over the leadership of the mosque to Imam Abdulraman Raheem, due to old age.
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