MetaPhysical:
The Federal Govt vacated Lagos in 1991 and Abuja became the official capital of the Federation.
This transfer had to do with Administration of the sovereingty only, does not mean that Federal Govt no longer has physical presence in Lagos. The truth is Federal Govt of Nigeria has physical presence in every state of the Federation, Lagos is not an exception.
When sovereign power transferred from colonial Govt to Nigerians the status of Lagos as a seat of colonial administration transferred with it. This was 1960. In early 1960 colonial presence was everywhere in Nigeria without exception.
What was Lagos prior to 1960, and what was the history of political administration in Lagos?
Portuguese had been in Lagos far much ahead of English arrival in 1850 and they primarily lived in an outskirt of Lagos called Ehingbeti. They were the first to settle the Marina inward to Balogun. In respect to the name "Lagos", given by the Portuguese, it consisted of just the communities bordered by the Marina which formed the central trade point for the Portuguese merchants. Everywhere outside of that community was known as Eko. So in that age, even Isale Eko was not part of Lagos. In 1850, the place we now call Lagos Island consisted of living quarters and business district - the living quarters are many and have distinct names, but the business district was only one and was the one known as Lagos.
The quarters of Eko are typically with prefix but many are also without.
Oke - (Okesuna, Okearin, Okepopo)
Isale - (Isale Eko, Isalegangan)
Idu - (Idumayibo, Idushagbe, Idutafa)
Ita - (Itafaji, Itakose, Itagarawu)
Ebute - (Ebute Ero, Ebute Elefun, Ebute Alagbafo)
Ehin - (Ehingbeti, Ehinogba)
Oju - (Oju Olobun, Oju Olokun)
Example of places without prefix.
Offin
Alakoro
Ereko
Aroloya
Ajele
Ilubirin
The quarters listed above were administered by Eleko. Lagos (current day Marina) was also under Administration of Eleko.
The summary of it is that Eleko was the sole administrator of Eko and Lagos.....both being on one part living communities for indigenes and on the other part living quarter and business district for Portuguese merchants respectively. The administrative arrangement changed following 1861 treaty of Lagos.
In 1861 England made Lagos a colony. The original Lagos port was on the Marina and used by the people of Eko and Portuguese merchants to trade. Their markets extended inward from the water to Ereko. When England bombarded Lagos in 1851 they destroyed Portuguese trade post on the Marina and destroyed quarters in the indigeneous Eko. In the ten year period between 1851 and 1861 they had converted holding posts on the Marina from slave trade to shipment and trade in commodity goods and caused Portuguese traders to abandon Lagos and follow Oba Kosoko to new trading posts in Palma and Lekki near Epe.
Oba Dosunmu remained the Eleko and King of Lagos uptil December 1861 when the treaty deposed his authority over Lagos. He thus became Eleko only, Lagos had been taken from him.
Just the Marina alone and its port was such a critical trading post and a naval advantage to England that they did not believe interference in the Eko part or its hinterland had any additional value to their cause. They had declared Lagos (Marina) a colony. They were surprised by Awujale on one hand, and Oba Kosoko on the other. The Ijebus laid siege and forced embargo on trade between hinterland and Lagos. Kosoko and Epe Army had mercenaries on the Lagoon that would sneak up and sink ships loaded with commodities to Liverpool. The colonial post at Lagos issued warning to Awujale and also sent an attack group led by Egbas to displace Kosoko in Epe. The Egba mission to Epe failed. Not long after that Kosoko, Ajeniya and Oposu had used stealth of night to sail from Epe and entered into Eko to cause damage. The goal was to forcefully kidnap Oba Dosunmu and enthrone Kosoko. Their mission was almost successful if the plot had not been broken by the missionary post at Ebute Ero who witnessed their landing and identified the men. A quick dispatch from the naval patrol on Marina saved the King....but the three men had quickly dissapeared just as they appeared and were on their way back to Epe. This greatly unsettled the Lagos colonial post and put them at high alert that the only way to save the King from overthrow, which if successful would no doubt jeopardize the colony and put the English men at great risk, was to expand the administration of the colony to include Eko. This was how Eko became part of Lagos Colony for Administrative purpose. Thus Lagos served as a model for indirect ruling in Nigeria. The colonial government had direct rule over Marina and the business district but indirect rule over Eko via Oba. This was also the point when the Oba was stopped from remitting tributary to Omo n'Oba in Benin. He became a subject of the England Queen, no longer of Benin King.
The missionary post that played part in this expansion is still standing till today, a church was built on the land and it is the oldest church in Lagos - Holy Trinity Church, Ebute Ero.
Places such as VI, Ikoyi, Apapa, Obalende, Keffi, Epetedo, all came later as further need to expand, resettle and grow became reality.
It is important to define the line between direct colonial administration as a separate entity from the domain of Eleko.
The following are areas under direct colonial authority and this area is what became FCT in 1960 when power changed hands.
1. The length of Marina from where Broad Street ends at Ehingbeti to the other end at Onikan.
2. Onikan to King George V to Igbosere Rd, connects to Bamgbose Street at Ajele to Broad St at Tinubu.
3. Broad St cut back into Marina Wharf.
The landmarks in this district are predominantly private ownerships. Few government buildings and offices exist. Here you see names like Williams St, Davies Str, Martin Str, Customs Strt, Brook Str, McCarthy Str, Berkely Str and so on.....
Private institutions such as Leventis, Kingsway, UAC, GBO, PZ, Chewalrams, Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos Stock Exchange, Standard Bank, Barclays Bank, Island Club, Yoruba Tennis Club, Western House, LAPAL House and so on.....
The public institutions were GPO, ECN, NPA, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Crown Court, Supreme Court, Ministry of Defense, PWD, CID Hq (Lion Bldng), General Hospital, Maternity Hospital, Flag Staff House, King George V Stadium, National Museum, Race Course (TBS), Legislative Parliament, Independence Building, King's College, Lagos Prison, Central Bank and so on....
In addition to the above there were missionary institutions - Olowogbowo Methodist, St Paul at Breadfruit, Holy Cross Cathedral at Ajele, Ebenezer Baptist at Ajele, The Cathedral at Marina, African Cathedral on Broad, Methodist Church of Trinity at Tinubu, St Peters at Faji, and so on....
In fact, all the missionary churches were concentrated and spread inbetween Marina and Idumagbo.
VI, Ikoyi were not part of FCT. Their purpose was strictly as a reserved residential quarters for colonial administrators. Like I said, administration was purposely to preserve British interest which initially was concentrated at Marina Wharf. A daring event that threatened British presence led to expansion of administrative control to include a wider area. VI and Ikoyi residents were the administrators and did not need policing. Moreover, they removed theirselves across the water purposely to demarcate jurisdiction.
In 1960 when command changed from colonial to self rule there were two administrators in Lagos. The Federal Capital Administration and Lagos Town Council (later Lagos City Council). FCT included the areas above that I numbered 1,2,3. Outside of that was jurisdiction of Lagos Town Council. Lagos was thus capital not just for FG....but also for the indigeneous Town Council.
Areas under jurisdiction of Lagos Town Council.
1. The entire length of Broad street from Ehingbeti to Tinubu, anything North of the line to the bank of the Lagoon at Ebute Ero.
2. The entire length of Bamgbose Strt from Tinubu to Igbosere at Ajele, anything North of that to the Lagoon at Idumagbo.
3. The entire length of Igbosere to Moloney and King George V at Onikan, anything North of that line to the Lagoon at Ilubirin.
For those who know the territories of Lagos Island it is plain to see that the FCT territory is a small subset of the entire area and forms today what we call the Southern border of the Central Business District. More than half of it is private properties, not government owned. For instance Kakawa, Ajele (Campos), Olowogbowo, Faji, CMS, and from Abibu Oki westward is all private holdings. All the territories of VI, Ikoyi and Apapa were excluded from FCT dating back to the court battle between Chief Amodu Oluwa vs the Crown. It's why the families of Elegushi, Oniru, Oluwa, Onikoyi remain Kings in those domains....alongside Eleko in Lagos Island.
The development of Lagos takes its root from the original owners, the children of Olofin. Ereko remains the oldest inhabited land area of Lagos Island. Its original Awori name was EREKUSI. Benins called it Ereko. The Ijebus were the ones that named it Eko. Portuguese called it Lagos. Brazilians called it Onim. England met development when they arrived in 1850. By the time they passed it to Independence Nigeria in 1960 private developments had surpassed Government institutions in Lagos and the town was under joint administration.
On the issue of infrastructures such as bridges, ports, stadiums, roads....FG had to lease land to put the structures in their place. FG does not own the lands in Apongbon or Ijora or Iganmu or Surulere. It was also outside of its administrative jurisdiction. Therefore Nigeria continues to be indebted to Lagos. To emphasize the point, Lagos State have applications at the Federal level asking it to renew lease contract, dispose the infrastructures or risk forfeiting it in a legal filing citing abandonment. Independence building is abandoned, National Theater is abandoned, National Stadium is abandoned, Festac Housing is abandoned.
Let me stop here for now. I cannot upload the entire history of Lagos on Nairaland...I won't have anything to earn when my book is published. 
^^WORD! Lagos Island is the former colonial administrative capital of Nigeria NOT Lagos State. 1 Share 
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