Oyo Empire culture in Oyo where victory was obligatory and defeat carried the duty of committing suicide. This do-or-die policy no doubt contributed to the military aggressiveness of Oyo's generals. The Oyo Empire was the only Yoruba state to adopt cavalry; it did so because most of its territory was in the northern savannah. The origin of the cavalry is disputed; however, the Nupe, Borgu and Hausa in neighboring territories also used cavalry and may have had the same historical source. Oyo was able to purchase horses from the north and maintain them in metropolitan Oyo because of partial freedom from the
Egba people Egba people The Egba people are a subgroup of the Yoruba people, an ethnic group of western Nigeria, majorly from the central part of Ogun State that is Ogun central senatorial district. Ogun Central Senitorial district comprises six local government in Ogun state which includes Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South, Ewekoro, Ifo, Obafemi Owode and Odeda Local governments. The Egba group originally under the Oyo Empire became independent following the spectacular collapse of Oyo in the first half of the 19th century. Wars with the Dahomey, in which the Egbas were successful partly due to the protection afforded by the Olumo