After Oba Oluwole died in 1841 in an explosion triggered by lighting and gathered gunpowder at the Palace, the throne of Lagos was left vacant. The battle for the soul of West Africa’s most powerful and busiest slave port was between the vigorous Prince Kosoko, the seemly rightful heir to the throne and Prince Akitoye, his uncle. One was a man of the people (Kosoko) while the other was a man for the people also, but a “friend” to the British (Akitoye). Meanwhile, the order had been given to Beecroft to invade Lagos by all means necessary.

Kosoko, having tried to take the throne for himself and failed, went on exile at Port Novo and was asked to return to Lagos, 4 years later. In July 1845, Kosoko seized the throne in a coup. Akitoye was ejected out of Lagos and he went on exile in Badagry.

As the seemly rightful heir to the throne, Kosoko wanted the throne at all cost and was having a field day as one of the biggest slave traders in the West Africa region and he was not going to give up the throne with a fight.

Later on, the British government moved in to have Akitoye restored back to Lagos as the Oba.

Akitoye, who had been the Oba of Lagos from 1841-1845, made several attempts to stop the slave trade in Old Lagos, but sadly, this made him lose popularity amongst his Chiefs. Powerful slave trade merchants and traders wanted him out of the picture, at all costs. They would later aid the ascension of Kosoko to the throne from 1845-1851. While Kosoko was the Oba of the powerful city of Lagos, with its major slave ports situated all around the coast of the city, slave trade in Lagos rose like never before making him lose favour with the British government who wanted to put an end to the slave trade business by all means necessary.

On January 1851, Consul Beecroft, who was the British consul for the Blights of Benin and Biafra, met with Akitoye in Badagry and promised to help facilitate his return to the throne of Eko in return for a treaty banning all slave trade activities, human rituals and other similar activities.

14th of November 1851- the HMS Bloodhound berthed at Badagry with its cargo. This act was to counter the reign and trade policy of Oba Kosoko who was co-operating with the slave traders in Lagos – the likes of the well-known slave trader Domingo Martinez was having a field day in Eko with the backing of Oba Kosoko.

Beecroft proceeded to the shore of Lagos which was heavily guarded by the Brazilians and 100 soldiers of Kosoko. .


After the refusal from Kosoko, Beecroft wasted no time in telling Commander Forbes of the HMS Bloodhound to get ready for battle as he had used up all his options in persuading Kosoko to give up the throne peacefully.

In November 1851, a British party met with Oba Kosoko to present a proposal of British friendly relations along with giving up the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade. The proposal was rejected by Kosoko "on the technical reason that Lagos was under the Oba of Benin and that it was only that Oba who could deal with foreign powers concerning the status of Lagos"

November 23rd of 1851- Beecroft showed Commander Forbes a dispatch from London and it was agreed that they enter the Lagos waters with as large a force as could be gathered. By this time the H.M.S Bloodhound with 23 ships of soldiers and marines were already approaching the east side of Marina, Lagos.

The shore of Lagos at this time was heavily guarded by the Lagos soldiers under the Command of none other than General Oshodi Tapa. The general was not going to allow any white man to take the soul of Lagos, not under his watch. He knew the terrain of Lagos better and he was ready to protect the city that had been his home with his life.

It is important to note here that two battles were fought for the soul of Lagos in 1851. The first one was in November; it saw the Kosoko army defeating the British army, killing scores of its men. The second one happened a month after, and this involved the introduction of the Canon guns that gave birth to the “Agidingbi” sound.

The gunfire was so loud that it was heard as far away as Badagry. 23 boats with gunners formed a circle around the HMS Bloodhound Naval ship which had docked on the shores of Lagos. Receiving fire from the Lagos army, they proceeded on the attack with caution. The British were ready to engage and so were Kosoko’s5000 armed men who were ready to take back Lagos, bloodthirsty and battle ready.

26th of December 1851-the full slaughter commenced and the big guns of the Teazer and the Bloodhound made Kosoko’s men’s guns look like toy guns. The slaughter was awful. The battle raged for 5 days and finally, Lagos fell into the hands of the British. An Italian consul and trader, Giambattista Scala who visited Lagos after the invasion noted in his journals that the city was in ruins and its population has been reduced from 22,000 to 5000, leaving mostly children and the aged.

28th December 1851- Kosoko was forced to flee to Epe with some of his high-ranking Chiefs who went with him. Leaving his beloved Eko, with most of the city on fire, for Beecroft, Captain Jones and the British forces it was a well-deserved victory, for the people of Lagos, it was tragedy, sorrow, tears and blood.

On New Year’s Day 1852, the now fully-restored Oba of Lagos, Akitoye, signed a treaty with the British in which he banned all slave trade activities in Lagos. Oba Akitoye was on the throne till 1853 when he died (some historians actually would say and believe that he was poisoned). His son, Dosunmu became Oba after Akitoye’s death in 1853. 10 years after the 1851 Invasion of Lagos, Lagos became a British crown colony.
Source :Wikipedia
Culture

Wow... Lagos was once in ruins and had just 5000 people, mostly children.
Same Lagos chukwudi and chinedu want to vie for today.

Just imagine these people were growing fat by selling their own blood brothers. One aligned with his foreign oppressors to kill his own blood just so that he can control slave trade and become King.


These are savage traits not civilized at all.

This is a lot of information about our past.
Thanks soucerer

Hmmm

BigotedNaptu:
Just imagine these people were growing fat by selling their own blood brothers. One aligned with his foreign oppressors to kill his own blood just so that he can control slave trade and become King.


These are savage traits not civilized at all.

I guess you didn't read the story very well. Oba Akitoye joined the British forces so he could end slavery. While oba kosoko never wanted it to end.

Learnt a lot. Please kindly share the story of madame Tinubu also. The notorious woman slave trader.

I reserve this space for an unfortunate headless mob that will jam talk

Your story even has real life references....Kudos

By the way, in what year did the Binis and Eguns take over/run out of their land according to David Hundeyin

What is the relationship between the Yoruba and Brazilian?

Hey devil, what's poppin'?
I heard The Blood of Jesus Christ silenced and defeated u for good over 2000 yrs ago.

#Fax

DevilsEqual:
Your story even has real life references....Kudos

By the way, in what year did the Binis and Eguns take over/run out of their land according to David Hundeyin

It's sad such post don't make it to front page.
Nairaland must be deliberate about pushing topics like this to front page not only by number of views

So Lagos was under the kingdom of bini😁☹️

Interesting read.

Dabronze:
What is the relationship between the Yoruba and Brazilian?

A lot really , we share a lot of culture and a lot of Brazilians live in Nigeria , I wrote a whole topic on this yesterday, Femi Pedro ,Joke Silva and Dj Xclusive are Brazilians in Nigeria.

Gadafii:
So Lagos was under the kingdom of bini😁☹️

Yes Until the British annexed lagos declaring Lagos Independent and In a message to the Oba of Benin that Lagos would no more pay tax to Binin King.
How Bini got to colonize Eko?

Well their early prince/king who happened to be one of the first sea explorers "founded" eko and installed a king who was only loyal to the Oba of Benin.

My take from this historic story is that Lagos belong to the Benins

TheSourcerer:
A lot really , we share a lot of culture and a lot of Brazilians live in Nigeria , I wrote a whole topic on this yesterday, Joke Silva and Dj Xclusive are Brazilians in Nigeria.

How did u know that about Joke Silva and what physical features actually distinguished them from native Nigerian Yorubas

TheSourcerer:
Yes Until the British annexed lagos declaring Lagos Independent and In a message to the Oba of Benin that Lagos would no more pay tax to Binin King.
How Bini got to colonize Eko?

Well their early prince/king who happened to be one of the first sea explorers "founded" eko and installed a king who was only loyal to the Oba of Benin.

Lagos was never under Oba of Benin rule...stop dishing out false history.

Gadafii:
So Lagos was under the kingdom of bini😁☹️

He is smoking too much shit..

Balogunodua:


Lagos was never under Oba of Benin rule...stop dishing out false history.

https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8595583b.r=Benin

Lagos was part of Benin, until the British colonized Lagos . Proof: precolonial map below.

Why do you and many of your Yoruba brothers keep trying to rewrite history ?
Why are you guys telling lies ?

Balogunodua:


He is smoking too much shit..

No, you are a bloody liar or totally incompetent in history. So calm your name calling and try to educate yourself.

TheSourcerer:
Yes Until the British annexed lagos declaring Lagos Independent and In a message to the Oba of Benin that Lagos would no more pay tax to Binin King.
How Bini got to colonize Eko?

Well their early prince/king who happened to be one of the first sea explorers "founded" eko and installed a king who was only loyal to the Oba of Benin.

1) it is Benin, not Binin and not Bini.
2) Benin did not colonize Lagos, Lagos was part of Benin
3) it is the British who colonized Lagos when they took it away from Benin, Benin people are not foreign to Lagos, it is part of their ancestral lands.
4) Also tell your Yoruba monarchs to carry their original titles and stop copying the title of the one and only Oba.

Ghostwon82221:

1) it is Benin, not Binin and not Bini.
2) Benin did not colonize Lagos, Lagos was part of Benin
3) it is the British who colonized Lagos when they took it away from Benin, Benin people are not foreign to Lagos, it is part of their ancestral lands.
4) Also tell your Yoruba monarchs to carry their original titles and stop copying the title of the one and only Oba.

How do you guys comes up with this shit, your unrealistic moves to twist history to your narrative is just too obvious.
Facts is just same way the macedonia defeats the egyptian, does that mean they are now the natives and original settlers ?
The Benin's are external force who only defeated the yoruba natives so they could keep them under their jurisdiction for taxes and trades, if the Benin's actually owns Lagos we should have different towns and homes in isale eko with Benin's title isn't it?

Dabronze:
What is the relationship between the Yoruba and Brazilian?

most of the slaves ended up in brazil taken there by portuguese ships. There were lots of wars in the oyo empires , dahomey and environs making it an easy source of slaves as many had been displaced. When the british banned slavery the Portuguese/ brazilians were still doing it

Agidingbi is the climax of the story!
Only A Child that grows without elderly people around to tell him history, will always assume War is same as wrestling match.

richie240:
Hey devil, what's poppin'?
I heard The Blood of Jesus Christ silenced and defeated u for good over 2000 yrs ago.

#Fax

While your own history is displayed before your very eyes, you choose to still drag the history of the Israelites and their gods into this. Continue wallowing in your slave mind.

Ghostwon82221:

1) it is Benin, not Binin and not Bini.
2) Benin did not colonize Lagos, Lagos was part of Benin
3) it is the British who colonized Lagos when they took it away from Benin, Benin people are not foreign to Lagos, it is part of their ancestral lands.
4) Also tell your Yoruba monarchs to carry their original titles and stop copying the title of the one and only Oba.

I am Kalabari, but noted thank you.

TheSourcerer:
A lot really , we share a lot of culture and a lot of Brazilians live in Nigeria , I wrote a whole topic on this yesterday, Joke Silva and Dj Xclusive are Brazilians in Nigeria.

hmm

TheSourcerer:
A lot really , we share a lot of culture and a lot of Brazilians live in Nigeria , I wrote a whole topic on this yesterday, Joke Silva and Dj Xclusive are Brazilians in Nigeria.

True.. I met a man last year with the last name guimaraes

.. I asked him if he was Portuguese, he said he was Brazilian...


Man had a Yoruba first name though and but could not speak it fluently..

Yet understands every bit of Yoruba spoken to him..


The thing shock me..