By the time the military strength of the Benin Empire reached Lagos in the 16th century, the Aworis were the only inhabitants. My ancestors sought to build a naval army base in Lagos to control the Atlantic coast upon observing the naval army in Portugal, during which there was a Bini Ambassador in Portugal and the Portuguese also had theirs in Benin Empire. The Benin Empire army marched into Lagos, occupied it and advanced towards the coast, which may be the reason the Atlantic coast is called Bight of Benin.

The then Oba of Benin Empire, Orhogbua (1551 – 1578) whose portrait is still displayed at Horniman museum, London named Lagos “Eko” (war camp). Oba Orhogbua was the grandson of the warrior Queen mother Idia ni Iye Esigie, whose face is the mask of FESTAC’77. He graduated from one of the military colleges in Portugal, and he spoke fluently in Portuguese. Oba Orhogbua's son was the first Eleko (Oba) of Lagos. The first contact of the Benin Empire with the British Empire (which later destroyed the Benin Empire with its military might in 1897) was in 1553. They traded in cottons, ivories and Palm oil. Hundreds of years later, Republic of Dahomey in 1975 changed its name to the People's Republic of Benin, an inspiration they got from Bight of Benin.

Story-story....

No matter how much you try, you can't erase the history that Lagos is no man's land. First occupied by the Binis, the only other occupants were inland traders from the riverine areas of Ondo and the Awori's who lived in small hamlets in the various islands scattered on the Lagos coast.

The rich Bini history extends to coastal Lagos and across the Atlantic.

Bini military were literally everywhere in the present day southern Nigeria