She was the wealthiest woman in Yorubaland in
the 19th century, controlling 360 slaves and
trade routes with European merchants. She was a
Queen who helped to instal kings. She fought
against European domination of her people. And
centuries after her death, Madam Efunporoye
Tinubu remains a heroine as Correspondent,
SEUN AKIOYE discovers
There are many variations of what happened that
afternoon sometime in 1805 in Gbagura, when
Efunporoye Osuntinubu Lumosa was born on the
bank of Ogun River, then known as Odo ose. But
historians agree that Nijede (her mother) gave
birth to a baby girl around the river and on the
eighth day, she was named Osun-ti-inu-ibu-wa
(the child was given by Osun, goddess of the
river).
Olumosa, the father of the new baby, was
Nijeede’s second husband; the first Degolu had
died early, leaving Nijede with a child named
Sobowale. Olumosa, a wealthy Gbagura man
from Ido, homestead had two other wives. So,
Osuntinubu had two half-brothers, Okukan and
Akinwumi and a brother, Sobowale.
Osuntinubu’s grandmother, Osunsola, an Owu
woman was an affluent trader in her days. She
traded in herbs, roots and animal skins; she did
not however, pass the mantle of trade to her
daughter Nijeede, that distinction went to her
granddaughter Osuntinubu, otherwise known as
Tinubu.
Tinubu grew up in the vast Lumosa compound in
Ijokodo area of Gbagura in the midst of affluence
and prosperity. At the age of 20, she married an
Owu man and had two children for him.
According to history, Tinubu was a woman of
radiant beauty. She had an oval-shaped face –
as depicted in her statues in Lagos and Abeokuta
– she grew up a very fashionable woman.

Her charming existence came crashing during the
war of dispersals in Yorubaland. By 1830, she
was forced to move along with her young family
from Gbagura to Ake (both in present day
Abeokuta) under the leadership of Sodeke,
thousands of Egba speaking people found refuge
under the Olumo rock, which still stands in the
city today.
Tinubu’s husband died at this time just few
months after the death of her mother Nijede.
Now, a widow with two sons, she immersed
herself in the trade of her grandmother, Osunsola.
She was supported financially by her father,
Olumosa, who was a man of considerable means
and she was making profit.
In 1833, a member of the royal family in Lagos,
Prince Adele, who had recently lost out in the
fight over the Obaship of Lagos came to
Abeokuta on a goodwill visit to thank the people
for their support and got attracted to Tinubu,
proposing to make her his wife. The young widow
accepted and moved to Agbadarigi (original name
for Badagry), with her new husband, where she
lost her two sons to malaria. In Badagry, Tinubu
expanded her business activities to include arms
and ammunition and slaves.
That same year, Prince Adele won the right to the
throne and returned to Lagos with his new queen,
Efunroye Tinubu. Her marriage to the Prince did
not bear any children however, but the stage was
set for one of the greatest amazons to grace
Western Nigeria to flourish. Tinubu’s extra-
ordinary life had begun.
Love for nation or lust for gold?
Was Tinubu a nationalist, who propelled by love
for her country, fought against European
domination of trade in Lagos and the hinterland?
Or a self motivated individual driven by her lust
for gold and land or merely an aggressive money
maker?
European accounts of Madam Tinubu’s political
and commercial influence in the 19th century,
Nigeria had painted a horrid picture, describing
her as an unrepentant slave trader who practiced
extreme cruelty towards her slaves and domestic
servants.
The European sentiments may be justified when
considered in the light of Tinubu’s opposition to
foreign domination of trade and politics in Lagos.
When she returned with Prince Adele to Lagos,
she continued her trade in arms, slaves and
began to exert her influence as the queen.
Adele died early in 1837 and Tinubu married a
war captain named Yesufu Bada. Fortune smiled
on them and Tinubu began to expand her trading
activities and her political profile began to rise
during the reign of Oba Oluwole, who succeeded
her husband, Adele. This continued during the
reign of Akintoye, who succeeded Oluwole and
when war broke out between the Oba and his
nephew, Kosoko, Tinubu and her husband had to
go into exile in Badagry. That was 1845.

Merchants didn’t come bigger than Tinubu. She
bought slaves from the hinterland and sold to the
Europeans at the coast at exorbitant prices, using
her shrewd business acumen, she managed to
monopolise the trade, preventing Europeans from
dealing directly with the hinterland. Her slaves
also ran her trade in palm-oil, cotton, elephant
tusk, alcoholic drinks etc.
When Oba Akintoye sought refuge in Badagry, he
became the personal responsibility of Tinubu and
her husband. This hospitality paid off in 1852,
when the couple returned with Akintoye to Lagos
where Tinubu’s influence took on a new pedestal.
She began to dabble into politics exerting
tremendous influence over the affairs of Lagos,
especially concerning trade with the British and
the West Indians.
She also began to buy up properties in Lagos,
apart from the land given to her in the heart of
Lagos by Adele, she also used her wealth and
position to buy up a considerable real estate all
over Lagos. These properties became subject of
bitter litigation after her death by her slaves and
domestic servants.
“Give me more land”
In the middle of 19th century, Madam Tinubu’s
trading empire extended beyond Lagos to other
parts of Yorubaland. Aside her trading activities,
she was reputed to have 360 slaves – a sizeable
number in those days – who carried out her
businesses on her behalf.
But one of her favourite acquisitions was land. In
1834, she bought a large expanse of land in
Lagos mainland, some of which she used as her
farm and warehouse. According to historical
accounts, in 1834, Tinubu purchased a large
expanse of land from the Oloto family. According
to history, Oloto Pawu, who died in 1627, was the
first and original settler on a piece of land which
included Ewe Agbigbo and Iwaya farmlands
around 1592.
It was the 6th Oloto, Baalo Oriagbaya, who
reigned between 1816 to 1859, who ceded to
Madam Tinubu with the aid of Prince Akintoye,
Ewe Agbigbo and Iwaya farmland, on behalf of
the Oloto Chieftaincy family under Native Law
and Customs. Tinubu paid 200 bags of cowries,
200 pieces of kola nuts, ten slaves and a ram to
the Oloto family. The land from Oto, all the way
to present day, Maryland once belonged to the
Oloto Chieftaincy Family and these were granted
to Madam Tinubu.
According to documents made available to The
Nation, the land so ceded measured about four
and half miles radius from Abule Tinubu. In
modern landmarks, the land extended from Otto/
Iddo to include the areas of Ikorodu road, Ilupeju,
Iwaya, Yaba, Maryland, Magodo, Ojodu Berger. It
also includes Gbagada, Apapa, Ijesha, Ketu, Isolo
(originally Aso-Olo), etc.
Many areas had Madam Tinubu’s impact, for
instance, Odi-Olowo was said to have come into
existence after the abolition of slave trade. It
means fence of the rich person, literarily referring
to the fence around Madam Tinubu’s property.
Olowogbowo quarters in Lagos Island also
reportedly came into existence through the trade
exploits of the Amazon. Mushin was said to have
been coined by Tinubu herself.
On the Lagos Island, she occupied the best land
inside the town. Reported to have been granted
her by Oba Akintoye. The area was known as
Tinubu square and it extended to areas of Iga
Kakawa, Tinubu Street, Tinubu Methodist Church
and all the adjoining areas.
After securing for herself vast estates in Lagos to
cater for her numerous business activities, Tinubu
devoted her time to politics. In 1855, she led a
revolt against powerful Brazilians and Sierra-
Leoneans immigrant traders. She paid heavily for
this insurgency by banishment from Lagos to
Abeokuta, her homeland.
From that time, her business interests in Lagos
became the responsibility of the head of her
domestic servants called Eyisha. She granted her
servants the authority to collect rents on her
landed properties and look after her other
business interest. She, however, gave orders that
none of her properties must be sold without her
express approval.
In Abeokuta, her trading and political influence
continued and she used her vast resources to
help prosecute several wars the Egbas were
engaged in. She was honoured as the first Iyalode
of Egbaland and was a strong pillar behind the
enthronement of Alake of Egbaland. On December
1, 1887, Tinubu fell ill and on the afternoon of the
following day she died. She was buried at her
maternal compound in Ojokodo, Gbagura,
according to her orders. But she remained
childless throughout her lifetime.
After her death, relatives, friends, slaves and
domestics scrambled for a share of her
considerable properties, both in Abeokuta and
Lagos. But the locations of her choice estates
were known only to her domestic servants, who
had been collecting rents on the land.
By 1912, Tinubu’s estate had become a matter of
legal disputation between sections of the Eyisha
family, who were her servants mandated to
collect rents on her properties. The first and the
most significant of these suits was Suit 124 of
1912, between Fafunmi and Osu Apena, Brima
Misa, Sunmonu Ladejo (alias Oridedi), joined by
order before Judge A. Willoughby Osborne. The
plaintiff, Fafunmi was a great grandson of
Eyisha.
In a Certified True Copy of the judgment seen by
The Nation, Fafunmi confirmed that the land of
Ewe Agbigbo cannot be sold without the consent
of Tinubu or the Eyisha family. The judgment
affirmed Tinubu’s ownership of the Ewe Agbigbo/
Iwaya farmlands.
Another significant evidence thrown up by the
Fafunmi vs. Osu Apena Suit was the emergence
of a Plan Survey of the land prepared by Surveyor
Herbert Macaulay in 1910 and admitted in
evidence in the suit.
This fact has also been affirmed by various court
judgments including: Suit No. IKJ/1999/65
between Fagoyimbo’s family and Kolawole James
and Suit LD/183/66 between C. O. Dosunmu and
Umo-Epe and others.

In search of Tinubu’s descendants
It was Friday and the Gbagura Central Mosque
was filled to capacity. Located on Iddo hill, in
Ojokodo, in Abeokuta North Local Government, it
was a vintage location to view the rest of
Gbagura homestead. Soon the service was over
and thousands of faithful trooped into the narrow
streets. Among them was Alhaji Adio Kassim, the
head of the Lumosa family.
His living room at the Lumosa quarters, was
sparsely furnished. A three-storey building which
in the past had been a symbol of affluent and
wealth. Prominent on the wall was a large picture
of late business mogul, Chief Moshood M. K. O.
Abiola. Strewn all over the room were documents
relating to Madam Tinubu.
“Yes, Abiola was part of the Lumosa family. This
is our father’s compound and Madam Tinubu was
our daughter, she was born here and grew up
here,” Kassim said. Around the building were
several mud houses in different stages of
collapse. The remnant of the building showed
that Lumosa was a wealthy man, though that
wealth has since passed into proverbs.
“If Madam Tinubu had any surviving children,
what is happening to her properties now would
not have happened. After her death, her estate
was bastardised with many people claiming to be
her family, that is why we have all these
protracted litigation everywhere,” he said.
Apart from the Lumosa family members,
descendants of Olumosa, the father of Madam
Tinubu, the other family members of the icon are
descendants of her half brother Sobowale. Many
of them can be found in Tinubu compound
(which originally belonged to Nijede), in Ojokodo,
a few miles from her father’s compound, all in
Gbagura. Unlike Lumosa compound, Sobowale’s
compound had fewer buildings still standing even
though the foundations of the wrecks were well
preserved.
It was here that Tinubu’s mother Nijede was
buried; it was here also that Madam Tinubu has
her eternal resting place. The main building in the
compound is an uncompleted storey house, in
front of it is a well which contains the water
from Osun goddess. In the days of Tinubu, the
water was said to be very powerful with healing
powers.
Today, most of the members of the family are
Muslims but there are still those who are
adherents of the Osun goddess. Every December
3, (the anniversary of Tinubu’s death), they
gather to worship at the tomb of Tinubu and
invoke the spirits of the well.
Nijede and Tinubu’s tomb were built besides the
main building. Recently, the state government
refurbished the building, housing the tomb. Inside
the tomb itself, a magnificent temple has been
built to the Osun goddess, a white clothe covered
the deity while articles of sacrifice lay in front of
it. In the extreme corner of the room was the
tomb, separated by a small fence. It was a
humble resting place for such a magnificent
woman, without the building it would have passed
unnoticed.
“We are very proud to be descendants of Madam
Tinubu, she was a great woman who deserve
national honours for what she did for this
country,” Waliu Bakare, a member of the
Sobowale family said. Sulaiman Sanni echoed
this sentiment. He mentioned the fact that the
tomb should be a tourist attraction where people
can come and pay their respects. But, this may
be a far-fetched idea until the government rightly
declared the tomb a national monument.
Presently, there are no motorable roads to the
tomb making access difficult for tourists.

Family feud
Since 1965, the descendants of Madam Tinubu
had tried to form a common front in order to
reposes her vast estates in Lagos and Abeokuta.
This was no mean task as most of the properties
then were considered lost, others being sold by
the Eyisha family. That year, a High Court in
Lagos mandated a Trustee of 20 members,
comprising members of Sobowale and Lumosa
families to superintend over the estate. Over the
years, the family affairs were conducted by the
Trustee headed by the eldest family member.
That Trustee, however, soon ran into troubled
waters and in 1999, the family approached the
High Court of Lagos State, in Ikeja, before Justice
S. A. Adebajo in Suit ID/920M/2000 and a new
Trustee, this time reduced to four members was
constituted.
The new members are: Alhaji Adio Kassim, Chief
Shafiu Kassim, Chief G. O. Fasetire and Chief
Adams Bilade Lahan. But hardly was this Trustee
constituted that another ‘member of the family’
began a series of litigations challenging the
legitimacy of the new Trustee.
The new challengers came from Sobowale side of
the family, but Sulaiman Sanni said they are not
real members of the family but domestics who
have been integrated into the family over the
years. At the centre of this epic battle, however,
is the fight for the control of Madam Tinubu’s
estates. Litigation became the order of the day as
one injunction was being vacated, another was
restored. There are also bitter disputes as who
are the real family members of Madam Tinubu
and those who are descendants of domestics
integrated in to the family.
The Nation was able to trace the key members of
both families and all the current members of
Trustee in charge of the Tinubu family affairs.
Many of them looked pained at the turn of events
in the family and said they would rather have
peace than war. Some other family members who
spoke in confidence to The Nation blamed the
situation on Madam Tinubu’s childlessness.
“A lot of people are saying they are also
members of her family but if they are really
members they should show us their family
compound in Ojokodo. Even, if the house has
been destroyed, we can still see the foundation
(Alapa), as we have seen the others. These
people are not from our family, they were
integrated into our family,” one member said.
But Chief Shafiu Kassim said there are no
debates about who represents the Tinubu family.
“We will not be deterred by any trouble maker. We
have the legal backings of the court as a Trustee
and our job is to steer the affairs of this family
and that is what we are doing,” he said.
Currently, the family has engaged the services of
consultants to help manage the vast estates left
by Tinubu. A spokesperson of the consulting
firm, Adamakin Investments and Works Limited
told The Nation in Lagos that its mandate is to
create awareness about the Tinubu estate.
Understandably, he chose to remain anonymous

Tinubu’s personality
In the heart of Lagos Island, Tinubu square lay
prominent with its newly renovated park and
water fountain. It was a befitting memorial to the
industry of the woman, who gave her all to the
cause of Lagos. In Ita-Iyalode, Abeokuta, her
homeland, a similar park has been constructed to
her memorial. Donated by the Rotary Club in
1989, it was less glamorous than the square in
Lagos. The statue too was remarkably different,
whereas the Lagos statue had given Tinubu a
formidable look, in the one in Abeokuta, she had a
faraway look in those deep seated eyes and
looked much younger. The Iyalode staff in her
hand had a gold colour in contrast to the soot
black statue.
Apart from the Europeans whom she fought for
the control of trade in Lagos and Abeokuta, many
Nigerians viewed Madam Tinubu as a strong and
courageous woman, kind and accommodating.
This was evident in the fanfare that accompanied
her burial in Ojokodo, on Saturday December 3,
1887. Markets were shut and a mass rally was
held to celebrate the woman, her burial ceremony
lasted seven days. Only the Alake of Egbaland
had that distinguished burial.
Tinubu was kind. This was evident around 1832,
during the war of dispersal; she offered her
child’s food to an old herbalist, who begged for
food. The herbalist later gave her a portion that
propelled her wealth, she was also very
industrious. Despite being the wife of Prince
Adele, she began to trade in the articles of the
day in Badagry.
Yes, she traded in slaves and kept many for her
use, but in her days, slavery was regarded as a
legitimate business which had no impact on the
moral consciousness of the practitioners. Her
approach to treating slaves was different, unlike
some of her contemporaries – Efunsetan Aniwura
(Iyalode of Ibadan) – she treated her slaves well.
They were in charge of many of her businesses;
this is why her estate was despoiled after her
death because her slaves were the only ones who
knew the details of it.
She was the first Iyalode of Egba and occupied
the position for 23 years and after her death no
other woman of equal status was found to fill the
post. Her successor, Madam Miniya Jojolola, was
appointed only in the next century.
She also championed the cause of the oppressed,
irrespective of the status of the victim. To her,
justice must be served. When Oba Akint-oye was
in exile, she supported him with all her material
wealth until he was finally restored to the throne
in Lagos. She was also the pillar behind Oba
Dosunmu, guarding the Oba against the
imposition of the British traders at the time.
But her greatest genius was in her political and
commercial activities. She dealt shrewdly with
the European and Jamaican merchants cutting
off supply when necessary and blocking political
support from the king. Her opposition to
European interference in the affairs of Yorubaland
set her on a collision course with them and it
eventually led to her expulsion from Lagos.
In one of his dispatches to London, Benjamin
Campbell, one of the representatives of the British
government said of Madam Tinubu: “There is
another mischievous person in Lagos, whose
removal is very desirable but I fear difficult to
effect. The woman (is) Tinaboo (Tinubu), the late
Akintoye’s niece. She is heavily indebted to some
merchants here and she will not pay them.
Application by the King (Akintoye), on behalf of
the merchants she treats with contempt, setting
his authority at defiance; yet this woman is a
protégé of Mr. Gollmer, because she is an Egba
woman.”
Her opposition to the Westerners also had its
effect. Because they were the only ones in
possession of cameras, she refused to pose for
many pictures, therefore, Madam Tinubu’s
pictures are very rare. The only one that has been
found and which The Nation possessed showed a
remarkable feature of the Amazon.
She was rather sad looking, black as soot; she
appeared to be a tall and big woman. She had a
large shawl on her head, which went all the way
to her back, she had enormous wrapper up to her
chest and a single necklace hung on her neck. In
her right hand she held a white handkerchief and
had a sullen and sad look on her face.
It is incontrovertible that Madam Tinubu played
an active role in the affairs of Yorubaland in 19th
century and her place may not have been properly
accorded in the historical annals of Western
Nigeria. But her legacy stands and in the words
of historian, Oladipo Yemitan, Tinubu was “an
able politician, tactician, business woman, king-
maker, philanthropist, a good manager of men
and materials, arms and ammunition supplier, a
slave dealer, war leader and a nationalist.”
SOURCE:http://thenationonlineng.net/madam-tinubu-inside-political-business-empire-19th-century-heroine/

.

I have always been fascinated with statues and monuments since I was a kid. I was at Lagos Island an I stopped by the famous Tinubu square built in Iyalode's honour. There is another piece about the monument Tinubu square itself which I will share later. Though I have read about her as a kid, staring at her statue inspired me to know more about the late Iyalode of Egba.
Credit to THE NATIONS NEWSPAPER for giving us the summary (though rich) of her life. Iyalode a true Yoruba Amazon.
It is my humle opinion that history should be taught in our schools from primary to tertiary levels.
cc: seun, lalasticlala.

[size=38pt]You are an illiterate, Tinubu square idea was under The Great Genius himself.. When Tinubu mother supported IBB during the June 12 election with abiola.

Tinubu is not a Yoruba word. I understand more than 1 northern language. many members of the military speak at least 4 languages
[/size]

pus33:
[size=38pt]You are an illiterate, Tinubu square idea was under The Great Genius himself..

Tinubu is not a Yoruba word. I understand more than 1 northern language
[/size]

ok

That is how it looked before..

jaymichael:
ok

I like your response jare, afterall when a dog is barking who takes notice.

pus33:
That is how it looked before..

The Lebanese community in Nigeria gifted the square to Nigeria on our independence.

jaymichael:
The Lebanese community in Nigeria gifted the square to Nigeria on our independence.

most of the story about nigeria independent days were bullshit.. because nigeria have illegally occupy another country.



My family lost people. so even while nigeria tell lies now. this is why I know the story.

there are thousand of family still alive who know the correct story of the hate of the people of nigeria.



You had media propaganda at the time.