Deoye Falade :

The first recorded statement referring to Lagos State as 'No-man's-land' was made by a Yoruba man in 1979. That man is the much loved Lateef Jakande, former governor of Lagos State during his inaugural address to the people of Lagos on October 1, 1979.

You don't have to believe me though, Google is your friend but I'll share the direct quote below:

"In 1886, Lagos was again set up as a separate colony in response to a petition by the people of Lagos who resented being governed from the Gold Coast. It was administered by a Governor of the Colony of Lagos under Letters Patent dated 13th January 1886. This was the first time that the territory now known as Lagos State came under one administration. The administration continued under various constitutions until 1954 when Lagos was separated from the rest of the Colony and constituted a Federal Territory, that is to say, a No-Man’s Land.

"God moves in a mysterious way, says William Cowper, His wonders to perform. His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour.

"The creation of Lagos State, like all great events, is not the achievement of one single person. The territory now known as Lagos State is the former Colony Province created by the British Administration for their own administrative convenience. Following the cession of his sovereignty to the British Crown by King Dosunmu in 1861, Eko was administered independently by a Governor of the Settlement of Lagos. Under the Commission of 19th February-1866, the Settlement of Lagos was governed by an Administrator and a Legislative Council responsible to the Governor of the West African Settlements residing in Sierra Leone. This continued until 1874. By Letters Patent dated 24th July 1874, the territory was administered by a Lieutenant Governor subject to the Governor of the Gold Coast Colony."

***

So, you see, the 'No-man's-land' comment wasn't from Igbo people trying to 'lay claim' to Lagos - whatever the Bleep that means - but from the Late Jakande regarding the status of Lagos as FCT till 1991 before Abuja took over.

And despite Lagos ceasing to be a political capital, it retains its pride of place as a commercial capital, making it by far, the most diverse city in Nigeria and even Africa.

Unfortunately, we are poor students of history who don't read even when the information is readily available, but would rather listen to the likes of Femi Fani-Kayode and Bayo Onanuga spewing untruths to fan the flames of ethnic hatred.

Curiously, this same Bayo Onanuga - an Ijebu man by the way - visited the Rwanda Genocide Memorial in 2018, said he was sobered by what he saw and advised 'ethnic champions' to never use ethnicity or religion as a tool against those outside their groups.

Same Bayo Onanuga is a turncoat today, laying claim to Lagos and spewing ethnic bigotry just because he's on a payroll that encourages him to do so. As an aside, isn't it funny that people who shout the most about 'others' trying to take Lagos are mostly not indigenes of Lagos?

So, if the public servants we foolishly place on pedestals when they are mere employees working to fulfil your mandates are idiots who would say and do anything to cling to power, must you toe the same line? Are the effects of bad governance felt by just one ethnic group?

For me, the most unfortunate thing about being Nigerian is our perpetual failure to learn when it comes to governance and Nation building. It's amazing how we would join people to fight apartheid, racism and xenophobia in other countries and then turn around to inflict the same damage on people who share the same nationality as us.

We learned nothing from the Civil War and this is on both the people and the government. For one, our government refuses to admit that it was not just a war but a genocide and by that refusal, glosses over a huge problem that will continue to plague us. Rwanda experienced their civil war in the 90s - two decades after ours but they learned. 'Never again' is a key phrase when it comes to both the Rwandan genocide and WWII. But here we are in Nigeria, learning nothing and making the same mistakes from 50 years ago.

Isn't it curious that this ethnic divisionary tactic only seems to rear its head every election cycle? The actors may be different but the playbook is the same. In 2023, it's MC Oluomo, Bayo Onanuga and co. In 2019, it was still MC Oluomo. In 2015, it was the Oba of Lagos and his Lagoon vibes. I'm sure that in 2027, it will be someone else but the same playbook will be used regardless of who the opposition candidate is. Doesn't matter if it's Jimi Agbaje, Musilu Obanikoro or Gbadebo Chinedu, it always creeps in.

Maybe we can't do better in general because we don't know better but that shouldn't be an excuse because the resources to know better are out there, we're just too lazy to think, not to talk of do. And it's even more grating when supposedly 'educated' Nigerians, including people I may have shared a classroom with at some point in time, are also rolling in this mud of ignorance. The most unfortunate part is that there are no apparent benefits you can see beyond the fact that their political party or candidate won.

Just like Buhari won in 2019 but we're now on N700+ to a dollar.

Anyway, everyone will be alright, whatever version of 'alright' it is.

***

Fun Fact: Jakande won by getting 559,070 votes to become the first Executive Governor of Lagos State in 1979.

In 2019, Babajide Sanwo-Olu won with 739,445 votes and in 2023, he won with 736,000 votes.

For all of Lagos' population explosion over a space of almost 50 years, very little has changed. I think that's pretty interesting.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02j4YfvqWgNGp8NTZQnYEWpb5Pw186uBCg6VChiQremZ9UVB9jN99C3nH4mtpWiDoil&id=1098856981

Seun and other moderator's, kindly move this to the front-page.
Seun , this will be a step in the right direction for setting the tribal bigotry right on this platform

A complete Yoruba man would call his ancestral home no man's land just to please IGB0S?

It take a special kind of ST00PEED to be IPOB

Same way IPOB claimed that Buhari was dead and Nigeria was being ruled by a clone and/or Jubrin from Sudan.

Only DUMB&ST00PEED IPOB would believe the crap written by InyinyaAgbaOku

Deoye Falade is a poor student of history. Here is Azikwe in 1953 demanding that the British assign Lagos 'a no man's land' status. Deoyoe should go and sit down and learn.

They know the truth but hide under anything to attack the Igbos.

DodadaKoKigbe:
Deoye Falade is a poor student of history. Here is Azikwe in 1953 demanding that the British assign Lagos 'a no man's land' status. Deoyoe should go and sit down and learn.

Don't mind the idiot. Probably in his head 1979 came before 1953. They read something stupid on the internet and run with it without verifying. And it's shameful that a few of these functional illiterates trying to please the rapacious ibos by being politically correct and 'woke' are Yorubas. Or Maybe they're ibos masquerading under Yoruba names to ease their pains.

When Jakande used the term no-man's-land in 1979 was he referring to the 'present' or to Lagos State? He was talking about the time when in 1954 the British carved out Lagos island as a federal territory. A federal territory that wasn't governed by any of Nigeria's tribes.

Lagos island was under the federal government but ikeja, surulere and other parts that form Lagos State today were under the western region by 1958. So how is Lagos State a no-man's-land? And if Lagos island today is under Lagos State, then tell us how it is a no-man's-land.

doublewisdom:
They know the truth but hide under anything to attack the Igbos.

It seems as if you ibos enjoy it when people deceive you.

Dead brain low life urchins won't be satisfied by this, they will mention ipob and obidient.

Agbadu cassava muncher idiort in-waiting.

quote author=Obaaderemi2 post=121989648]It seems as if you ibos enjoy it when people deceive you.
[/quote]

DodadaKoKigbe:
Deoye Falade is a poor student of history. Here is Azikwe in 1953 demanding that the British assign Lagos 'a no man's land' status. Deoyoe should go and sit down and learn.

Thank you for debunking their lies. The Op can rest now

That no man's land mantra is just a way APC uses to sway the votes of Lagosians so they can continue to keep them in bondage. I just realized that the comment hasn't been traced to any Igbo politician.

In 2027, APC will come up with something else that suggests that Igbos want to take over Lagos so that the Yorubas will vote for them. They are the masters of tribal politics and have been doing this since 2015 against Jimi Agbaje.

DodadaKoKigbe:
Deoye Falade is a poor student of history. Here is Azikwe in 1953 demanding that the British assign Lagos 'a no man's land' status. Deoyoe should go and sit down and learn.

They lie without even thinking about what they are lying about.

If Lagos is a no man's Land, what's the big deal, okay, now we have seen every reason to correct such impression because the aworis and eguns are having the same consanguinity with Yorubas and the proximity to Lagos shows that Yoruba owned Lagos.. East is too far to claim Lagos state from Yoruba people why are you guys scared?
Though, you may not be scared but you find the statement derogatory that's why..
Anyway you won't blame some people cos when you asked kamaru, he said he's from Ogun state, you asked muyiwa he said he's from Ibadan, you ask adeleke he said he's an Ondo man or osun man.
The real lagosian is not known yet but Yoruba are the real owners of Lagos..

Qed

What I have discovered here in nairaland is that the hate is too much.
And because of the hate I will read a statement and turn it upsidedown to favor my interest.
When zik said Lagos is no man's land it had a different meanings
When Jakande said Lagos is no man's land it had a different meanings
And when the politician said Lagos is no man's land it had a different meanings
The truth is we need to read more so we can understand

We don't care anymore.

We would nurse our wounds, and get better prepared for next time. Once bitten twice shy.

A tactic use by APC in Lagos to herd yorubas to a particular direction. They use it every election and they'd use it in 2027. It never fails!

Igbos I know refer to all Yorubas irrespective of whether they are native Lagosians as "ndi-ala a" meaning "people of this land".

How can people that call you that say you don't the land belongs to no one.

God go punish Tinubu for this his type of divisive APC politics to instill unfounded fears.

InyinyaAgbaOku:
Seun and other moderator's, kindly move this to the front-page.
Seun , this will be a step in the right direction for setting the tribal bigotry right on this platform

That’s been it.

Lagos is no man’s land was taken out of context by tribalistic people, who out of cowardice have attributed it to the SE.

The nature of Lagos as the federal capital made it so. The need to move away from rural areas to urban areas, just as Nigerians moves abroad in search of greener pastures, made Lagos develop more and faster than other cities in Nigeria. With a larger population, came more money into the purse of the state.

LKJ did not mean any wrong with his words that year as the governor.

Politicians brought this problem upon the people with their reckless political words.

DodadaKoKigbe:
Deoye Falade is a poor student of history. Here is Azikwe in 1953 demanding that the British assign Lagos 'a no man's land' status. Deoyoe should go and sit down and learn.

I hope he gets to see this

We yoromuslims know that Jakande was an IPOB man..

It's doesn't matter who said it. The intention with which it's being said today and the consequences that matter. Even Jakande would not say that to our faces if he were alive today because circumstances have changed.

And before Nnamdi Azikiwe, there was Jaja Wachuku in 1947 using his akpu filled mouth to call Lagos a “No man’s land”.

Forget all that talk,who is using it today? Who riled up the Yorubas with the statement this electoral season? The answer is the non yorubas in Lagos mostly led by the igbos who are constantly making mockery of the yorubas and Lagos,no matter how sorry I feel for the other tribes and igbos living in Lagos due to the intimidation and harassment that they recently suffered in the hands of yorubas in the recently concluded elections in Nigeria, I would tell you that it is mostly their fault,they fell into the hands of some stupid Twitter influencers and started mocking people in the ancestral lands, calling them and their ancestors names,that is very wrong,you mock people for selling you land? That is mad and dangerous be ause they won't sell lands anymore to the igbos, henceforth they will only lease,only a bastard Yoruba will take that insult and keep quiet and any Yoruba not speaking against the insult is only pretending,stop this rubbish of it is a Yoruba man that first used the phrase,stop it and end it there,Lagos is Yoruba land and the indigenous people must be shown respect at all times.

Putting the records straight
Please let's stop the ethic war and trading of harsh words

Obaaderemi2:
Don't mind the idiot. Probably in his head 1979 came before 1953. They read something stupid on the internet and run with it without verifying. And it's shameful that a few of these functional illiterates trying to please the rapacious ibos by being politically correct and 'woke' are Yorubas. Or Maybe they're ibos masquerading under Yoruba names to ease their pains.

When Jakande used the term no-man's-land in 1979 was he referring to the 'present' or to Lagos State? He was talking about the time when in 1954 the British carved out Lagos island as a federal territory. A federal territory that wasn't governed by any of Nigeria's tribes.

Lagos island was under the federal government but ikeja, surulere and other parts that form Lagos State today were under the western region by 1958. So how is Lagos State a no-man's-land? And if Lagos island today is under Lagos State, then tell us how it is a no-man's-land.

Lagos is a no man's land.


You can go to court if you don't agree

Vyzz:




Lagos is a no man's land.


You can go to court if you don't agree

We will not go to court. We will continue to show you Lagos is yorubaland like we showed you during the elections.

Where did it say Jakamde say it?

Obaaderemi2:
Don't mind the idiot. Probably in his head 1979 came before 1953. They read something stupid on the internet and run with it without verifying. And it's shameful that a few of these functional illiterates trying to please the rapacious ibos by being politically correct and 'woke' are Yorubas. Or Maybe they're ibos masquerading under Yoruba names to ease their pains.

When Jakande used the term no-man's-land in 1979 was he referring to the 'present' or to Lagos State? He was talking about the time when in 1954 the British carved out Lagos island as a federal territory. A federal territory that wasn't governed by any of Nigeria's tribes.

Lagos island was under the federal government but ikeja, surulere and other parts that form Lagos State today were under the western region by 1958. So how is Lagos State a no-man's-land? And if Lagos island today is under Lagos State, then tell us how it is a no-man's-land.

It's a no man land..Stop crying in yoruba language..

Total number of voters in Lagos wasnt up to 3million, remove other tribes from 3million ,na 450 thousand una be oooo... so reduce your crappy noise