You might have heard of Sir Kitoye Ajasa— the first Nigerian to be knighted by the British and also one of the 6 Nigerians that participated in the formal process that led to the amalgamation of Nigeria.
But you might not have heard of Sir Kitoye Ajasa’s daughter, Lady Oyinkan Ajasa and her unbelievable love story.
In the 1920s while working as a music teacher at the Anglican Girls’ Seminary, Lady Oyinkan met a lawyer named Moronfolu Abayomi whom she got married to in 1923.
Three months later, what Lady Oyinkan and the love of her life didn’t planned for, happened.
Moronfolu Abayomi was killed in a Lagos courthouse by a popular Lagos entrepreneur and “big boy”, Duro Delphonso, from the renowned Delphonso family, three months and 15 days after his wedding day.
Delphonso was having a legal battle with his Insurance Company and the case was taken to court.
The Insurance Company then hired a young and vibrant lawyer, Barrister Moronfolu Abayomi.
As the case proceeded, the young Barrister was able to prove clearly that Delphonso committed arson on his home and business in order to defraud the Insurance Company.
On 25 August, 1923, when Delphonso was being led out of the court to begin his prison sentence, the convict shot Abayomi with a revolver and turned the same gun and shot himself.
Barrister Moronfolu Abayomi died from excess blood loss while he was in transit to the hospital as the bullet had penetrated his lungs.
Delphonso himself was hospitalised, but the Lagos “big boy” refused to be treated and died six days later on 31 August, 1923.
The story of Moronfolu Abayomi’s death at the Tinubu Square, Lagos Court House, is one that never cease to amaze Nigerians.
The Barrister’s young widow, Oyinkansola was devastated and refused to love any man again until six years later, in 1929, when a young doctor, Kofoworola John showed her a love greater than her late husband’s and asked for her hand in marriage.
The Barrister’s young widow, Oyinkansola was devastated and refused to love any man again until six years later, in 1929, when a young doctor, Kofoworola John showed her a love greater than her late husband’s and asked for her hand in marriage.
Oyinkansola would only agree to get married only on one condition: that Kofoworola John bore the name of her late husband, that is Abayomi, and relinquish his own name – John. Surprisingly, he agreed and they got married the next year in 1930.
They would be married for the next 48 years until Sir Kofoworola Abayomi’s death on January 1, 1979. He was 82. Lady Oyinkansola Abayomi would live to the ripe old age of 93.
The Kofo Abayomi Street in Victoria Island, Lagos, is named in his honour.
In addition to the story narrated by History Ville, a tweep @naijama added: “During the trial Abayomi and Counsel to Delphonso would exchange pleasantries. After he lost the case his mother insisted that there must have been collusion between the two and that if he was a man, he would know what to do. Hence the saying “Ẹjọ ẹlẹjọ lo pa Abayọmi.”
@kingharzyz said: “I’m driving on Kofo Abayomi as am reading this! So Enlightening”
Some tweeps who didn’t know that the street named after him wasn’t his own name have reacted to the development.
@bvbillionville called the late Kofoworola a simp for bearing another man’s name instead of his, writing: “man was such a simp! how you bear another man’s name because of woman omo!”
Some tweeps however, disagreed with him on his comment.
@oluwakayodekomo tweeted: “People change their names for different reasons. Adopting Abayomi (a name that reflect his language and culture) as his new Surname was far better than bearing John as Surname. John is reflective of colonial history and possibly slavery.”
“Everyone is more progressive and understanding online. hope you will be this understanding when your son wants to marry and he tells you he’s changing the family name for his wife’s widowed lover,” says @bvbillionville in reaction to @oluwakayodekomo’s tweet.
@lafile said: “And i guess the Oyinkan Abayomi Drive in Ikoyi was named after the wife. Beautiful story.”
