Sango historically was the third Alaafin of Oyo. The Alaafin is the royal title of the traditional ruler of a prominent Yoruba kingdom known by the name Oyo.
Sango is traditionally held as one of the deities of the Yoruba people. However, he is not one of those believed to have descended from the sky. Rather, he is referenced as a royal ancestor of the Yoruba that was in recognition of his awesome exploits while he was in the realm of the living. Sango was a most dreaded traditional ruler of Oyo. He was powerful but short-tempered. It is dangerous to get on the wrong side of Sango because he was a violent ruler. He had three wives: Oya, Oba and Osun. Out of the three, Oya was the most adored by Sango. His reign lasted for seven years as it had to end because of his destruction of not just his own palace with lightening but also killing some of his citizens out of anger. He left Oyo Kingdom and went to Koso where he was venerated as a god. The worship of Sango cuts across different parts of Yoruba-land in Nigeria and extends beyond the Nigerian borders to Brazil and Dahomey.