₦airaland Forum

@All

There is no way the Benin Conquest of Lagos at a certain point in Nigerian History can be dismissed. Benin influenced Lagos in a lot of ways. If you take your time to study Benin History deeply, you'll realize that the Benin Empire was very adventurous and had a highly disciplined Army. I don't much about the Ogedengbe Assault on Benin but I know that Benin was not conquered by any Nigerian City State or Tribe. The Bini people built a moat around the capital that virtually deterred their enemies from waging war on them. It was the British Army that finally subdued the Benin Kingdom ( By Artillery Bombardment ) during the reign of Oba Ovenramwen Nogbaisi. As for the Aworis of Lagos, it appears they were not a strong people Militarily for them to be assaulted by the Ijebus, the Egbas and Dahomey. People have said the Aworis were farmers. Where were their farming lands, if Lagos had so many lagoons and lakes? It should be noted that the original Lagos did not include places like Epe, Ikorodu, Ketu, Ifako etc ( Primarily settlements founded by Ijebu or Oyo people ). It appears some people are failing to reason despite the glaring evidence before them. Yeah, Lagos is a Yoruba City but it was a vassal state of the Benin Kingdom at a certain period. Cheers.

@YoungBrain,

Tell them oooooo

@Katsumoto, there is no evidence historically that the Oba of Benin paid Ogedengbe not to make war on Benin Kingdom. Ancient Benin was very strong and had a very disciplined Army. I'm just laughing at those who said I'm lying. They don't have a sense of history and they are not good debaters. Benin was sorrounded by a Moat which was dug by the people to prevent enemy states from attacking the Kingdom. The Moat still sorrounds Benin City till today. The Moat served the same purpose as the Great Wall of China helped the HAN Dynasty against invaders. Both the French and British Explorers acknowledged the might of the Benin Kingdom. Benin conquered the areas that are known as Delta State today. The Urhobos and Itsekiris were conquered by the Bini People ( Check out the similarities in how their Chiefs dress ). And people are shouting about the might of the Ekiti Warriors Where were they when Alimi and the Jihadists were tormenting some parts of Yorubaland until the Ibadan and Ijaye Warriors stopped the Fulani Advance?

2mch, you're very abusive and uncouth. Cheers.

@2mch, you're the one that is crazy. Like I said, Nigerian Tribes have been having inter group relations for a long time. Try and be objective. Yorubaland never conquered Benin not because of the common ground they had but because Benin Kingdom was very strong and had a highly disciplined Army. Benin Kingdom was ahead of the Yoruba States with Iron Ore and Bronze craft which the Binis used to make weapons. Benin Kingdom also got rifles from the Portuguese whom they had come in contact with earlier on. Both Yoruba People and the Bini People borrowed from each other when it comes to language and customs. Not all Yoruba words are originally Yoruba. Do you get it ?  It was the British that conquered Benin Kingdom in the late 1800's. The King of Lagos ( Kosoko, A Yorubaman ) did not even put up a fight before ceding Lagos to the British. You're not talking like someone who is educated. Did the Greeks not influence the Romans? Did the Romans not influence the Normans ( France ) and The Anglo Saxons ( The English People)? Stop trying to argue blindly. I've made my point. Cheers.

@Baba O, Prince Oranmiyan was sent to Benin during a Period when Benin had a Political Interregnum. The kingmakers of Benin were trying to avoid a massive civil war among the clans contesting to have one of their sons become the King of Benin. So they had to approach Ife for a Prince who will become the King. Oranmiyan went to Benin and became King. Mind you, before he went to Benin, there had been other kings who were fully of Benin Stock. Oranmiyan married a Benin Woman and they had a son who became a great king called Eweka 1. Like I said earlier on, Nigerian tribes had been influencing one another for long and they also intermarried. After Oranmiyan, no full Yoruba person was King of Benin Again. When the Benin Kingdom conquered Lagos, they made the people they conquered adopt Bini Culture and practices. Even Prince Sango who later became Alaafin of Oyo was a Nupe Prince . He spent his youth in Nupe Land until he was begged to come and become Alaafin by the Oyomesi ( The Kingmakers of Oyo State ). Sango's mother was a Nupe Woman. Cheers.

@2mch, do you have a sense of History? There is a subject in History which is called 'Inter-Group Relations'. Do you know that one of the Princes in the ancient Benin Kingdom was called Prince Ogun? The Benin People and the Yoruba people are Kith and Kin . Benin influenced Lagos a lot. Are you blind, mate ?  Can't you see the way the Oba of Lagos and his chiefs are dressed during ceremonies? Are they not dressed the same way Benin Chiefs are dressed? Are they not wearing the same white robes and tops with red beads? You're saying Ogba is a Yoruba name  Are you aware that some people in Delta State ( A Benin Kingdom vassal state in the past ) have their surname as 'Ogba'? e.g Solomon Ogba ( Former Delta State Sports Commissioner ). Have you heard of the Omo-Agege's of Delta State? Wake up, my friend. 'Eko' is a Benin word which means 'War Camp'.

No Yoruba Kingdom could face Benin at the heights of its Power . Go and study History more. Cheers.

Yeah, there is a city in Portugal called Lagos. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to visit Lagos and the Benin Kingdom. They were mainly interested in trade and they brought goods to Benin and had a cordial relationship with the Oba of Benin. They even too one of the Princes to Portugal where he was trained in the Court of the Portuguese Monarch. The Brits came later on with their expansionist tendencies and started conquering Nigeria gradually. 'Eko' is a Benin word which means 'War Camp'. Lagos was used as a Garrison for Warriors of the Benin Kingdom. Names of places in Lagos like Ogba, Agege etc are also derivatives of Benin names. Cheers.

I guess it is very easy to buy laptops in Nigeria now. However, I don't like how the boys in the picture looked. The whole room looked scruffy and like a large cell. Anyway, Channel 4 is fond of showing disparaging programs about Nigeria. All kinds of negative stories about Nigeria are blown up in the UK. Other Africans in Europe are also into Criminal activities including claiming benefits falsely but they are not reported the way Nigerian stories are. Russians, Turks and Eastern Europeans are heavily into credit card and romance scams but the British Media focuses on Nigerians. Is it a skin color issue? Hmn.

One of my uncles was a Policeman when I was growing up. This was in the early 80's. He rose to the rank of an Inspector and he was always well dressed then. This was when the Nigerian Police Force was wearing grey khaki shirts and Black Trousers. The Mobile Police Unit wore grey long sleeved shirts and brown Khaki trousers and black or brown boots. Some units of the Mobile Police also wore brown long sleeved khaki shirts then. I am of the opinion that the Nigerian Police should revert back to the grey shirts and black Khaki trousers. The grey shirts made them look smart back in the days. The grey shirts also absorbed sweat and dirt and you won't even know when the shirt was dirty. I love the idea of more graduates entering the Police Force. However, the salary of our cops should be jacked up to at least 70,000 Naira for the lowest ranking officers. The Police Stations we have around are in very bad condition. They have to be refurbished and fitted with modern technology. There is a lot of work to be carried out on the Nigeria Police Force. I hope the new Minister is not just making false promises and trying to make the headlines. Nigeria as a country itself needs a very thorough surgical operation . There are just too many things wrong with the country. Cheers.

@erico2k2, The street Sweeper on my street is black but I agree with you that many bin men and street sweepers these days are white. You also need to know that many young black men these days don't want to be street sweepers or bin men. They'd rather prefer to work in factories and warehouses where they would not be seen by anyone except co-workers. Agree?

@elle77,  the current UK Government under David Cameron has a lot of work to do. You can see that the Government and Police are going through a series of embarrassments because of the NOTW ( News of The World ) Phone hacking scandal. There is still no clear blueprint on the table as to how the economy will be fully revived. Cameron can only do his best because the problems on ground are like a hydra headed monster. I feel there should be an amnesty of a kind for illegal immigrants and failed Asylum Seekers who meet certain criteria. Spain and Italy have granted amnesties to illegals on two occasions in the recent past. I know the British Media ( especially the Daily Mail ) is against the UK Government granting an amnesty to illegal immigrants and a category of failed Asylum Seekers. I feel the sensible thing to do is to grant an amnesty to illegals who have been in the country for at least 8 years and for failed Asylum seekers who have been around for 6 years. A special NI Number should be created for those who receive the amnesty and a special fine will be deducted from their earnings to pay for the costs of regularizing them and for their disobedience. They should not also be allowed to receive benefits for 10 years or bring their family members to the UK for 10 years after they got regularized.

Lets look at it. The regularized immigrants and failed Asylum Seekers will be able to enter the workforce and contribute taxes that will aid the economy. All kinds of jobs will be filled up and more money will enter the Government coffers. On the other hand, those with fake documents or those engaging in fraudulent activities  should be prosecuted and removed from the UK. Deporting every illegal immigrant moving cannot be achieved and it will cost the UK Government a lot of money.  The Amnesty should be once and for all. Cheers.

We all have to understand that Immigration is a big issue in the UK at the moment. The Conservatives were able to get into power because David Cameron promised to reduce the number of immigrants coming into Britain. The Home Office has already started carrying out the agenda of David Cameron and some of his Right Wing advisers. Immigrants from outside the EU will find it very hard to get visas to the UK. The British Government wants International students ( especially those from outside the EU ) to come and study only. They want International students to return to their countries after graduation. If you care to know, the Home Office is gradually phasing out Post Study Work Visas. They are making things tougher for immigrants. To get a NI Number now is like going through a Police interrogation. UK Border Agency officers are now working with the NI Number issuance departments ( Department For Work and Pensions ) to verify Passports, Visas and other identity documents when you're applying for your NI Number. People are being caught everyday and detained in different parts of the country.

To me, the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Government has not really achieved much since it came into power. Britain has a lot of problems currently that will take years to sort out. The Welfare System has become a burden on Public Finances and Cameron is making a lot of painful cuts to reduce the deficit. The easy thing to do is to target illegal immigrants and make the people think the Government is working. The truth is that the UK needs immigrants because there are too many Pensioners in the country. There are too many old people in Britain who cannot work again. Britain needs people to pay taxes that will sustain the economy and immigrants who do all kinds of jobs are paying a chunk of the taxes that keeps Britain afloat. I move around the UK so I know what I see on a daily basis. Mind you, Britain is a rich country and there are still loads of opportunities there. It is just that the average Briton is very arrogant and thinks that foreigners are the cause of the recession. Stay out of trouble, mates.

I read this story on 234Next.com this morning and it is now on Nairaland. I feel sorry for the deportees and I'm wondering what it would take for them to start life anew in Nigeria. The UK Border Agency is all out to rid Britain of Illegal Immigrants. Overstayers and failed Asylum Seekers are not spared either in this current onslaught by teams of Immigration Officers. It is not only Nigerians that are being deported. Indian and Pakistani Nationals are also being caught and deported on a daily basis. The Recession has also contributed to the high spate of deportations of illegal immigrants in Britain. However, I have some things to say on this issue. Many Nigerians who get deported from the UK are the architects of their own misfortune. These people know they don't have papers to confirm their right to live and work in the UK but they start dabbling into ventures that will get them into trouble. Someone knows he is illegal in England and he keeps collecting benefits with false identification. Then one day, Benefits Investigators work on his case and discover he is not entitled to collect benefits. Then the investigation gets deeper and he is found out as an overstayer or failed Asylum Seeker. Before you know it, he is arrested and detained. His journey back to Nigeria then starts

It is very tough to survive as an illegal immigrant these days in Britain. Even at the Job Centers where NI Numbers are issued, your Passport will be thoroughly screened and the visa in it will be verified on the spot. There are UK Border Agency officers attached to the Job Centers these days. If you're illegal or use fake documents, you could be arrested while interviewing for your NI Number. My advice for Nigerians in the UK who don't have a status is to find ways to regularize their status. If they have saved some good money, they can return to Nigeria to start a business or go to another country i.e Canada or the USA. There is nothing bad in living abroad. Just know what you are doing and try to have a legal stay in Europe and North America. There are opportunities in Nigeria too but they are limited. Hmn.

Good Development. I hope corruption will not scuttle this noble effort. Cheers.

Plans for underground trains in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria should be abandoned for now. The Light Rail Fashola promised has not yet been completed. The Lagos State Government should focus on getting the BRT buses into the suburbs and inner streets and areas of Lagos. The Buses should be able to to get residents of the state who live inner areas to the main roads. Let Fashola and successive Governors develop Bus Transport in the state 100% before even thinking of Underground trains. Also, the drainage problems in Lagos should be tackled to forestall devastating floods in the future. It seems to me that Fashola is losing steam already. I am so disappointed in the guy. Cheers.

I don't have a problem with white people when they throw their tantrums when Africans apply for visas to their countries. It is the Asians who discriminate against Africans in American and European Consulates/ Embassies that I detest. The Asians are also not originally from Europe or North America ( The Red Indians in North America are different from the Indians of Delhi or Kolkata ) so why are they being hostile to Africans? When I got to Europe, I vowed to myself that I will never allow myself to be suppressed. I discovered that the only way to make people respect me is to be the best in what I do. I am not a Nobel Prize winner yet and I'm still on the road to greatness, but I always make sure I do things properly. I don't give the Police or any Asian thug in suit or corporate gear any chance to humiliate me. There was a time 7 Metropolitan Police Officers sorrounded me in London but I spoke with confidence with facts that baffled them. They set me upon my way after 10 minutes and drove off in their van.

I have mingled with some Bangladeshi guys and they're great brothers. Sometimes, I chat with them on the trains in London and we don't really see the difference in one another. I have this belief that we can all get on with our lives without hindering the progress of the other person. You're free not to associate with me because of my color but I'll battle you to the ground if you decide to deny me what is due to me. I don't have a problem with anybody. Hate or love who you want but don't deny people what they should ordinarily get. The Nigerian Media should do a story on this Asian woman at the American Embassy in Abuja. People are free to travel to any country in the world for different reasons. There are Americans in Nigeria too. Say no to intimidation. Cheers

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