Just to add to the discourse... Had to look for other opinions on this topic... Here is one, this one claims Oshodi Tapa was an agent of the Oba of Bini.
Who can verify or attest to the info in this interview? Not hearsay or "no he is wrong" kinda statements pls. Just wanna learn. Will add more links as I find them...
Look very well at those people that hold such belief, they are the people from the most barren and useless part of the country. All they have is dirt and red mud
But how is an Oba, which an Oba is a Yoruba King, saying that Lagos doesn't belong to his people? ??
Don't people know that Benin/Bini people are Yorubas too?
PabloAfricanus: Just to add to the discourse... Had to look for other opinions on this topic... Here is one, this one claims Oshodi Tapa was an agent of the Oba of Bini.
Who can verify or attest to the info in this interview? Not hearsay or "no he is wrong" kinda statements pls. Just wanna learn. Will add more links as I find them...
Oshodi Tapa was a mercenary. He was fighting for his own bele, his wives and children. He owed no loyalty to anybody. He even later sided with the British. He was brought to Yoruba land as a slave from Kogi state, he was supposed to be sold to the white men. But his intelligence and military knowledge made his Yoruba owner to keep him. He was a prince but sold by his uncles so that they could claim his father's throne. He was not an agent of anybody.
odigbosky: its like because of ignorance some people don't even know what empire means again. The roman empire consisted of so many tribes and people. From Britain to the coast of libya and deserts of iraq that was how big it was. Today can you compare the population of ethnic romans to those people in spain. The Benin empire was big and it contained so many tribes and people. If i say Ekiti state was among some Ediots will come here and type rubbish but go and check the website of the Ekiti state govt. If i say most parts of Ondo state was part of it some afonjas wont just believe it even when it is obvious and their elders tell them everyday. We are not claiming Lagos in anyway, we are not claiming onitsha in anyway today what we have always said is that we had a presence there and the people of these lands have agreed. We did not coerce Chinua Achebe to say he has Benin roots, we did not use juju on the Obi of onitsha to say his crown has Benin roots. We did not put a gun on Akiolu head to say his crown in lagos divided by about two yoruba states and edo state has benin roots. We did not force the Ali-ogba people in Rivers state that is seperated by two states from edo state to say they have Benin roots. Infact it is a thing of pride when people identify with us and we wish them the best. I don't know why some people just take these issues personal and start throwing insult at the Oba of Benin for no reasons. We in Benin just want to live our lives, teach our children our history so they will never ever forget the place of the Oba in our lives.....
If you know say u get mind and you dy Benin and you dy well say u get mind take dy curse the Oba of Benin for here....just drop your phone number and address.....We gp personally come greet you for your area for benin. We go bring kola and ivie come from palace with native chalk.....Make ogun kill ur papa.
Odigbosky, vbèè óye hé? My guy, why you dey vex like dis, nah??! Chill, abeg. Na those IPOB-Igbo keyboard internet warriors dey misyarn anyhow....na dem cause dis bad belle. Take am easy, you hear ọtenmwen. Nothing spoil.
Gotze1: This bini funny, they are claiming everywhere, where do they come from too, abi they drop from heaven or they just grow like plant?
History is clear. Edo people have been in existence in their prescence location alongside the other too in their own locations. Moreover, they had Ogiso dynasty which was in tumoul until a Yoruba or Yorubanised prince (whether a prince is just going or returning depending on the story you believe) restored peace and put his young prince and made sure his young prince ascended the throne before he left Ore.
baby124: Oshodi Tapa was a mercenary. He was fighting for his own bele, his wives and children. He owed no loyalty to anybody. He even later sided with the British. He was brought to Yoruba land as a slave from Kogi state, he was supposed to be sold to the white men. But his intelligence and military knowledge made his Yoruba owner to keep him. He was a prince but sold by his uncles so that they could claim his father's throne. He was not an agent of anybody.
Niger state. He was Nupe to be precise. I have Oshodi blood, but distant. So I know that history very well. Yoruba's call Nupe, Tapa people. That is why his name is Oshodi Tapa, to identify him as a Nupe. He was supposed to be king in Nupeland but was sold into slavery by his uncles after his father's death. His royal pride will never let him be a boy-boy to anybody. He freed himself and climbed to prominence all by himself. He was a military strategist and very sharp. That is the only way he could survive the betrayal by his uncles. He never identified with Nupe however after his betrayal. His descendants will tell you he was Tapa, but they have no love for the land or loyalty to it because of how their progenitor was cast aside. They are lagosians now.
The funny thing is the claim of Awori being Bini. The man is quite crazy.
All what we can get from his stupid speech is the fact that the Awori were the aborigines of Lagos which is an established fact! No wonder he didn't know what to say when the journalist asked him about the Aworis. Lol.
Oshodi Tapa was a mercenary. He was fighting for his own bele, his wives and children. He owed no loyalty to anybody. He even later sided with the British. He was brought to Yoruba land as a slave from Kogi state, he was supposed to be sold to the white men. But his intelligence and military knowledge made his Yoruba owner to keep him. He was a prince but sold by his uncles so that they could claim his father's throne. He was not an agent of anybody.
Interesting input, but still does not address the history the man in the interview was talking about. Do you have any counter info, book or interview to back up your writeup about Oshodi Tapa? Apparently a lot of history has not been documented and it seems oral accounts by family heads are still the order of the day. Like for instance, how did you know Oshodi Tapa was not an agent of the Oba? He supported Kosoko against Akitoye right? How do we know he was not working for the Oba since he allowed Akitoye to flee safely from Kosoko? What if Oba was rooting for his vassal Akitoye and did not support Kosoko's usurpation? Knowing Kosoko could not directly claim legitimacy as Oba only recognized Akitoye, and would have to wait for authentication and staff of office from Bini? You see, there is more than meets the eye here I think. Abi how u sef see am?
Interesting input, but still does not address the history the man in the interview was talking about. Do you have any counter info, book or interview to back up your writeup about Oshodi Tapa? Apparently a lot of history has not been documented and it seems oral accounts by family heads are still the order of the day. Like for instance, how did you know Oshodi Tapa was not an agent of the Oba? He supported Kosoko against Akitoye right? How do we know he was not working for the Oba since he allowed Akitoye to flee safely from Kosoko? What if Oba was rooting for his vassal Akitoye and did not support Kosoko's usurpation? Knowing Kosoko could not directly claim legitimacy as Oba only recognized Akitoye, and would have to wait for authentication and staff of office from Bini? You see, there is more than meets the eye here I think. Abi how u sef see am?
This man does not know what he is talking about when it comes to Oshodi. He is spewing nonsense please. Didn't Oshodi support Kosoko? Only because Kosoko was the rightful heir/claimant to the throne. By the time they were struggling for relevance, the Oba of Benin had lost control over the people he sent to set up a war camp in Lagos. The war was all about who could gain most from the British, slavery and control of trade. The Oba of Benin had no say in their wars, they were far wealthier than the Oba of Benin. At the end of the day, Oshodi got what he wanted and switched to the British side for more prominence and money. Even at that, the struggle was for kingship of Lagos Island, not Lagos State. After all, Kosoko and Oshodi went on exile to Epe. Oshodi was rewarded after negotiating with the British with a good part of land in Epetedo. Which means that they came from Epe to settle there. Oshodi was a pure mercenary and would have been as good as the Tinubu of his day.
The funny thing is the claim of Awori being Bini. The man is quite crazy.
All what we can get from his stupid speech is the fact that the Awori were the aborigines of Lagos which is an established fact! No wonder he didn't know what to say when the journalist asked him about the Aworis. Lol.
Take note- Oba Akinolu and the man are almost on the same page. They fear that if the true crowns were to be counted, they would not belong and that is the reason for there miscalculation. However, what they fail to realized is that is that Oba of Benin (last one and present) and the other yoruba obas struggle is just seniority war. If they were to be smart, they are supposed to watch.
Gotze1: I am not disputing, and did I insult you oya sorry. What baffles me is the superiority of the Yoruba people over bini that made them displaced the binis from their acclaimed land in ondo, osun, oyo, ekiti, Lagos, ogun, kwara, part of kogi and still even take part of edo, that is akoko edo just after ifon in ondo state. Yoruba too much. Sending the owner of those land to only one edo. This is laughable
Are you not baffled about the superiority of the Fulani people over the yorubas in kwara state? To the extent that the emir of Ilorin has always been a Fulani instead of yoruba.
baby124: Niger state. He was Nupe to be precise. I have Oshodi blood, but distant. So I know that history very well. Yoruba's call Nupe, Tapa people. That is why his name is Oshodi Tapa, to identify him as a Nupe. He was supposed to be king in Nupeland but was sold into slavery by his uncles after his father's death. His royal pride will never let him be a boy-boy to anybody. He freed himself and climbed to prominence all by himself. He was a military strategist and very sharp. That is the only way he could survive the betrayal by his uncles.
Yeah...you are right. I read up on the Nupe/Tapa connection some time ago. Actually the Nupe are found in Kwara, Kogi and Niger state. But the Yoruba established trading links with merchants from Bida at the turn of the century, and Bida was the old emirate of the indigenous Nupe people. Bida itself, is now part of Niger state.
Here is another historical account that sheds more light on Oshodi Tapa's identity:
Victorian Lagos: the Slave Economy and Inversion of Oshodi Tapa,
By ‘Damola Awoyokun | Premium Times | April 14, 2016
Antonio Landuji Oshodi Tapa was a prince in Nupe land when Usman Dan Fodio’s jihad, spreading Fulani warriors, invaded. They murdered his parents and sold him into slavery down south. According to the version of history that the family narrated in their press release, “Chief Oshodi-Tapa, a prince by his own right migrated from Bida in the present day Niger State of Nigeria."
On arrival in Lagos, Chief Fagbemi, who reported to the then King Eshilokun, announced him. After consultation with the Ifa Oracle, the King asked Oshodi to stay with Fagbemi. He later moved to the Oba’s Palace and was placed in charge of the inner section to oversee security.” The problem with legends like this, is that they corrupt the truth and like myth, they are careless with details.
Little Oshodi was a boy slave who outsmarted his tribulations. About to be loaded onto a transatlantic slave ship in Lagos, he fled in search of the town’s palace for refuge. This presented Oba Eshilokun with a conundrum. He was a major player in the slave trade who even numbered children amongst his merchandise. However, the religious algorithm that entrenched slavery asserted that one’s destiny as a slave was far more superior to one’s capacity to feel pain. And here was a little boy, an ajoji (foreigner) asking the king to consider his pain, over the weight of his chains. The call was too tough for Eshilokun that he sought guidance from Ifa divination.
Ifa introduced another dimension: ‘There is only one home to the life of a river mussel; there is only one home to the life of a tortoise; there is only one truth to the soul of man: if a child cannot call on an elder to help who else can he call on? The cycle of being must not be reversed; it is destiny too.’
Eshilokun raised Oshodi like one of his own children. Singling him out as a foreigner, he was called Tapa (the Yoruba designation for Nupe people), yet he enjoyed greater entitlements than a native. He was called ‘Oshodi’, meaning – the royal chamberlain – tasked with the wellbeing of the king’s wives. A great position of trust and kindliness it was.
However, if being concerned about the pain of others, and imagining what it is to be someone other than oneself, is the essence of compassion and the beginning of morality, why did Oshodi who knew about the horrors of being a slave invert to be one of the biggest slave brokers of his time? How come he was indifferent to the anguish of slaves and the pain of separation and loss he was inflicting on the slaves’ families? One would expect from him an outbreak of anti-slavery consciousness, just like Ajayi Crowther who refused to be inverted but grew up to be militantly anti-slavery, thus becoming Nigeria’s Founding Father.
Well, part of the reason may be due to the improbable kindness shown to Oshodi by the royal household; it radicalised his loyalty to the family business just like the restoration of Crowther’s freedom and dignity by the Royal Navy and British missionaries increased his devotion to Queen Victoria and the British culture.
When a Portuguese business partner asked Eshilokun for one of his sons to receive structured training in international slave valuation and management, contract enforcement, credit protection, shipping and diplomatic relations at a slave business school in Bahia, Eshilokun not totally trusting his business partner, hedged his bets by sending Oshodi Tapa instead of his own sons, Idewu Ojulari or Kosoko. It later paid off. Oshodi Tapa acquired the name "Antonio" in Brazil, which was then a Portuguese colony.
How were the port taxes and commissions collected? For every newly arrived ship in Lagos, an envoy led by the king’s staff bearer proceeded into her to show that the envoy had royal authority. The staff bearer was followed by security personnel and a trusted royal aide like Oshodi Tapa who was like the minister of commerce and the accountant general. This was why Oshodi Tapa’s Brazilian business school training, was key. (Kosoko later sent his own three sons Simplicio, Lorenzo and Camilio to Brazil for training to cut out the middleman.)
Prince Kosoko had seduced, obtained and deflowered an afrosexual lady of breath-taking top down beauty. Coincidentally, Chief Eletu Odibo, the head of the kingmakers was interested in this lady too. Enraged at his loss to a young man, he incessantly found grounds to deny Kosoko the crown. Kosoko no longer accepted the status quo, and vowed to take the crown by fire, and force.
It was in the middle of this turmoil that Oshodi Tapa returned from his Brazilian training. He hitched his allegiance to Kosoko, the son of Eshilokun who saved him from slavery. From exile in Badagry, they used the ship of a business partner Jose Domingo Martinez, to sail exultantly from Whydah to Lagos, and announced to Lagosians the imminence of war; it was time to choose sides.
In conciliatory gesture to pre-empt war, Akitoye invited Kosoko back from exile and gave him an estate to rule over. This only led to Kosoko’s winning over more people. In July 1845, Oshodi Tapa led the strategic war that became known as Ija Olomiro (battle of saltwater), because deliberately stretching the war meant that Akitoye’s forces were cut off from fresh water supply, and they could not survive drinking from the ocean surrounding them.
Ibo boy Why do you people lie through your teeth without shame like this? Your expedition towards the west marked your death knelt At Ore alone, ibo lost over 50 men in one single day and more than 750,000 in your misadventure. We will always beat you anytime you carry your madness pass Igbo land. That was the only time you ventured out and that was the only time you suffered the heaviest lost. You’ve been crying for revenge and you will get it in worst form than was given to you Bastard washerman
What is the total strength of the entire Biafran Army? bros, cool down dey lie nah.
There's a problem in this country - it's half education. There is nowhere in the places you cited where mention is made that Èkó is Bini word. Your reference further makes a mockery of your level of education and intelligence. See the bolded below.
Lagos was originally inhabited by the Awori subgroup of the Yoruba people in the 15th century.[16][34][35][36] Under the leadership of the Oloye Olofin, the Awori moved to an island now called Iddo and then to the larger Lagos Island.[37][38] In the 16th century, the Awori settlement was conquered by the Benin Empire and the island became a Benin war-camp called "Eko" under Oba Orhogbua, the Oba of Benin at the time.[39][40] Eko is still the native name for Lagos.
Other than the fact that the Awori were the original settlers of Èkó (Lagos) which eventually became a Bini war camp, where was it mentioned that Èkó means war camp in Bini?
Yes, there is a problem because you just showed that you are half educated.
Didn't you see the part on the Lagos state website where it stated that "the island became a Benin war camp called eko under Oba orogba, the oba of Benin at that time "
What does this statement tell you? Comprehension is really a problem in this country. I will post the Lagos state government website again and it's screen shot.. Eko is a bini word as you can't know more than the Lagos state government.
What is the total strength of the entire Biafran Army? bros, cool down dey lie nah.
Go and ask google. The bottom line is the Ibos were thoroughly beaten and almost annihilated but for quick result from the starvation policy, Ibos would have been annihilated as a tribe in Nigeria....and it all started with their suicidal venture into Ore that led to their mass grave funeral Try it again
Gotze1: [s][/s]Trash, go to akure and abuse deji, go to onitsha and abuse the king, go to ife and oyo and abuse their kings and see if thunder will not trash you into two. Your useless oba only has his mouth in his confined state of bini and not in yorubaland or anywhere. The ogun will kill your own Papa and the oba.
i have not insulted any of those kings you mentioned here and i am one who respect traditional institutions. Like i said...if you are man enough and you know say them born you well wherever you dey come Benin. When you enter just send me your number make i come track you. I use Osanudazi take swear na ur coprse go enta ambulance go ur papa house and i will gladly do my time in Okoh prison with joy in heart knowing well i have saved this world a little embarrassment.....Till then am done with you.
Yeah...you are right. I read up on the Nupe/Tapa connection some time ago. Actually the Nupe are found in Kwara, Kogi and Niger state. But the Yoruba established trading links with merchants from Bida at the turn of the century, and Bida was the old emirate of the indigenous Nupe people. Bida itself, is now part of Niger state.
Here is another historical account that sheds more light on Oshodi Tapa's identity:
[size=11pt]
It's not exactly clear which Nupe ruling house he came from. But it was important enough for him to be sold to slavery on his father's death. It was suspected that he was the only heir. Because of this he really had a lot of children so his dynasty will not die like that of his father's. He has a lot of descendants today. None have loyalty to Nupe because of the betrayal of their progenitor.
This man does not know what he is talking about when it comes to Oshodi. He is spewing nonsense please. Didn't Oshodi support Kosoko? Only because Kosoko was the rightful heir/claimant to the throne. By the time they were struggling for relevance, the Oba of Benin had lost control over the people he sent to set up a war camp in Lagos. The war was all about who could gain most from the British, slavery and control of trade. The Oba of Benin had no say in their wars, they were far wealthier than the Oba of Benin. At the end of the day, Oshodi got what he wanted and switched to the British side for more prominence and money. Even at that, the struggle was for kingship of Lagos Island, not Lagos State. After all, Kosoko and Oshodi went on exile to Epe. Oshodi was rewarded after negotiating with the British with a good part of land in Epetedo. Which means that they came from Epe to settle there. Oshodi was a pure mercenary and would have been as good as the Tinubu of his day.
LOL, there was no Lagos state back then bro, just Eko and the inhabitants from various origins. You should know that. Oshodi Tapa had served Oba Osinlokun before either Akitoye or Kosoko and was engaged in extensive trading that only a strong attachment to the ruling house can give allowance for. So I think your assessment of Oshodi Tapa is not complete, he was a top confidante of the ruling house and not a mere mercenary as you claim. Besides Eko paid regular tribute to Bini, so that line about Elekos being richer than the Oba is a bit off. Oba's court could exact any amount of tribute they wanted all the way from Epe to Eko you know right? Even the Lisa of Ikorodu house came from Bini, and owed allegiance to the Oba.
There is more history that is hidden than is known for sure, and that includes a lot of genealogies most people are mistaken about. For example, most of the guys commenting here have no idea Idumota, Idumagbo and all such Idu prefixed names have Edo origins, Esan to be precise. But fierce Yoruba nationalism gets in the way of history I guess
When I talk about the founding of Lagos, I do not mean the discovery of the geographical space or the topography known as Lagos. I am talking about the establishment of an ancient port by the Edos in a joint venture with the Portuguese in South Western Nigeria. The said port became the matrix cornerstone of the metropolis, known today as Lagos, Nigeria.
The Portuguese visited West Africa at a time the Edos had an empire that was very largely in control of a very vast portion of West Africa. The empire of the Edos spread from today’s Nigeria to Ghana. The Oba of Benin, back then, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Orhogbua was represented in Portugal by an Ambassador and the King of Portugal, back then King Emmanuel was represented in Edo Empire’s administrative capital Benin city by an Ambassador sent from Portugal. The King of Portugal and the Oba of Benin agreed that international trading ports should be built in some locations along the West African coast where the Oba had influence and control. The international trading ports became the matrix cornerstones for some of today's major cities along the west coast of Africa. Lagos is one of the international trading ports built then as a result of the joint Portuguese - Edo venture. The Edos called the settlement where the port was built Eko, meaning camp in Esan Edo. The Portuguese called the settlement Lagos, which means lakes in Portuguese. Back then, there was already a city in Portugal also known as Lagos.
To have a better understanding of what the Edos did in Lagos, we should consider a modern example, very near home. There were folks in Abuja and the other settlements that constitute Nigeria's federal capital territory. However, the genesis of the Abuja that we have today is directly traceable to the decision of the federal government of Nigeria under General Murtala Muhammed to relocate Nigeria's federal capital from Lagos to the present location. Thus the founder of Abuja as Nigeria's federal capital territory is the Federal Government of Nigeria. Today, the Federal Government of Nigeria runs Abuja. The Federal Government of Nigeria has broken up Abuja into districts and zones and has named the zones and districts. The Federal Government of Nigeria is running Abuja now.
The above is exactly, the story of the Edo people in Lagos. The Edos and the Portuguese settled on Lagos Island as a choice location to build an international trading port and thereafter, the Edos "possessed" the place. An ancient port was built, and for hundreds of years the Edos developed, controlled and managed Lagos. Research has actually shown that the Edos extended their control, influence, dominion and suzerainty over Eko from Lagos Island to all that area now known, called and referred to as Lagos State. Thus, the gist of this article is not about who discovered Lagos, but who founded Lagos. The era of the founding of Lagos is over now. This article is not about the ownership of Lagos, based on the Edos past occupation of Lagos. The British came after the Edos, they too have since left the scene. This article is about the aspects of the Edo founding of Lagos that have been forgotten or have been undetected by Historians radar.
The experiment of the Edos and the Portuguese in Lagos (Eko) is reminiscent of the experiments that created New York, Los Angeles, London and Chicago among many other global cities. The above named locations are all cities that were built on the platform of trading ports and exploded around such ports. These cities and many other global cities all grew exponentially as a result of the development or building of ports in such locations. Chicago did not grow into a major city until an inland water-way port was built in Chicago.
Lagos which was initially a camp (Eko) established by the Edos for the development of a trading port, has now grown into a major cosmopolitan settlement. Unfortunately, the story of the founding of Lagos has suffered severe mutilation, by many who had hitherto attempted to tell the story of the founding of Lagos with a jaundiced perspective. The oral version of the founding of Lagos has been so tampered with, that the names of places in Lagos today are meaningless in any language whatsoever. These names are only meaningful if reversed back to the language of the original founders of Lagos. The language of the original founders of Lagos is the Esan Edo language. The history of early Lagos is embedded in the names of places in Lagos. A good understanding of that language, which is the Esan dialect of the Edo language will throw open the doors to the history of early lagos.
It is manifestly obvious that the early history of Lagos Island can be very easily deciphered by an accurate understanding of the names that have remained in Lagos from the time of the founding of Lagos. Eko is not a general Edo word. Eko and Idumu as in Idumota and Idumagbo and all the Idis and Idus are all specifically Esan Edo names. They are not Bini Edo nor Afemai Edo. The Benin alternative for Idumu is Idunmwun. In Lagos we have Idumu as in Idumu-Ota and Idumu-Agbo. Thus Lagos was originally founded by the Esan Edos. However, we should recognize that while the Esan soldiers were founding Eko and many other parts of what is today known as Lagos State, under the auspices of the Edo army; the Bini army was contemporaneously founding Etin Osa, Agidingbi, Oshodi et al. (All Bini Edo names). IDU-GARRAN (Quarters of Igarra [soldiers] confirms the presence of Etsako Edos in the Eko project. Without a doubt, all the members of the Edo family i.e. Esans, Etsakos (Osakon) [meaning Dental Surgeons] were in Lagos at the invitation of Emperor Orhogbua.
---Clipped due to size Written by ANTHONY OKOSUN TonyOsun@yahoo.co.uk
Odigbosky, vbèè óye hé? My guy, why you dey vex like dis, nah??! Chill, abeg. Na those IPOB-Igbo keyboard internet warriors dey misyarn anyhow....na dem cause dis bad belle. Take am easy, you hear ọtenmwen. Nothing spoil.
My Chair, i domor you i dn hear Wetin u talk.. Egua tor....
Go and ask google. The bottom line is the Ibos were thoroughly beaten and almost annihilated but for quick result from the starvation policy, Ibos would have been annihilated as a tribe in Nigeria....and it all started with their suicidal venture into Ore that led to their mass grave funeral Try it again
Yeah, the same way the Obi of Onitsha goes to pay homage to the Oba of Benin, and the same way the Asagba of Asaba and the Igwes of Nsukka and Ossomala go to pay homage to the Atta of Igala. It makes sense!
Yes. The Asagba of Asaba and obi of Onitcha are bini princes. I have schooled you on it before. Am sure you are pained again that the true lagosians are coming out to say the truth.
In Uromi and other Esan towns, Idumu Idis, Idus and Eko are still in vogue. Till this day in Uromi there is still Idumu Okojie, and Eko Imiokolo. In Uromi, there is Idumu Eka, Ukoni, Uromi. That is, the quarters of immigrants from Ika. In Uromi, there is Idisaba, that is the quarters of immigrants from Asaba. In Uromi, there is Idumu Oshodi, that is the quarters of Oshodi family members that immigrated to ancient Uromi from Benin. In Uromi, there is Aga - Ausa (Hausa) quarters of Hausa immigrants. In Uromi there is Agi-Igbo (Quarters of Igbo immigrants. Agi-Yo-Oba (Aga-Azanama) (Quarters of the Yoruba immigrants). Aga is used here like Idu, Idi or Eko i.e Aga-(Enegbode) Ga Aga Accra, Ghana; which was equally founded by the Edos.
On its official web site, the government of Lagos presented its own version of the history of the founding of Lagos Island “Until the coming of the Bini's, Lagos's geographic boundary was what is known now as Lagos Mainland. Lagos Island, the seat of the Oba of Lagos then consisted of a pepper farm and fishing posts. No one lived there though. The name Eko was given to it by its first King Oba Ado during its early history, it also saw periods of rule by the Kingdom of Benin. Eko was the land area now known as Lagos Island where the king's palace was built.”
In his piece, captioned Brief History of Lagos Island, Michael Uchebuaku, wrote on Yahoo Contributor Network “However, there is another account of Lagos before 1603 that comes from a Western visitor. In 1603, Andreas Joshua Ulsheimer, a German surgeon, aboard a Dutch merchant ship, visited Lagos. According to his accounts, Lagos was a large frontier town surrounded by a strong fence and inhabited by "none but soldiers and four military commanders, who behave in a very stately manner."
"The Lagos visited by Ulsheimer and his trading colleagues nearly four centuries ago was in many ways highly developed. Each day its four commanders came together as a court and each day two envoys were dispatched to take decisions back to their ruler in Benin. To do so, Ulsheimer wrote, was a common practice in all towns under the suzerainty of Benin…"
"Ulsheimer's accounts seem to confirm Benin oral traditions of conquest and occupation of Lagos during the sixteenth century. How Oba Orhogbua of Benin occupied the island of Lagos, established a military camp there and from that base waged wars on some people described as rebels against his authority, in the immediate interior. Ulsheimer gives the first account, documenting the transformation of Lagos from fishing camp to a trading centre, and from an autonomous settlement to a Benin tributary. Lagos Lagoon was known to European traders by 1485, when it first appeared on maps, but the town of Lagos was not included.”
“If Ulsheimer's account is correct, then it appears that the daily gathering of Lagos governors was one of military commanders from Benin, and not heads of local settlement. Gradually, however, additions were made to that body. The vehicle via which accretion took place eventually was called Ose Iga a ceremonious meeting of Lagos held at the palace every seventeen days.”
OSE-IGA as recorded by the ancient German Surgeon Andreas Joshua Ulsheimer, after his 1603 visit to Lagos is clearly ESAN EDO. OSE is from OSENOBULUA which is ESAN EDO. BINI EDO would be Osa(lobua). IGA means worship in Esan Edo. IGA is in contradistinction to EGUA (PALACE in Esan Edo) [Yorubanized in Lagos to IGA]. OSE-IGA as written by Andreas Joshua Ulsheimer, the 1603 German Surgeon visitor to Lagos means (WORSHIP OF GOD) / CHURCH in Esan Edo. OSE-IGA as used by the Edos in 1603 in Lagos is a connotation of the spiritual instrumentality of assimilation of the local Awori’s into the politburo of state leadership in the early days of the Edo tributary of Lagos. For easier understanding by the reader of the concept of OSE-IGA, we will now consider an Esan Edo alternative for OSE-IGA. ISODELNIMI which literally means knocking on the doors of the spirits is a variant of OSE-IGA. ODE means door in Esan Edo. ELINMI means Spirits. Members of Esan IGBABONELINMI (applauding the Spirits via clapping of hands) masquerade dance group, inducts new members through the instrumentality of ISODELINMI. The fact that the Esan Edo army commanders in Lagos as far back as 1603, assimilated the local Aworis into the institution of governance in Lagos via OSE-IGA and not ISODELINMI is a vindication of the success of the early Portuguese Catholic Reverend Fathers cum Missionaries, who originally settled in IDUN-FADA, Lagos, later Islamized and or yorubanized to IDUN-TAFA.
In a piece captioned Erelu Kuti : A Series Of Excerpts From The Oral Records Of Lagos, the author wrote “While Akinsemoyin was ruling, Erelu Kuti married Alagba, the high priest that had predicted that her brother would become Oba”
The Esan Edo soldiers who were invited by Emperor Orhogbua to help overcome the Awori military opposition in the area now called Eko, came with their war god called Agba and his priest was the Chief Priest of Agba. Alua-Agba means the altar of Agba. The prominence of Chief Priest Alagba in the oral accounts of the founding of Lagos as corroborated by the name in the article Erelu Kuti : A Series Of Excerpts From The Oral Records Of Lagos proves this fact. The name of Chief Priest Alagba is a latter day yorubanisation of the Uromi war god Agba. Alu-Agba in Uromi Esan means the shrine of Agba. Agba was the Uromi King that fought Oba Ozolua of Benin for about seven years till their tired and frustrated soldiers conspired to kill both the Oba and the Onojie to put an end to the war. Some historians believed King Agba of Uromi did not die immediately and that was the reason for the war between Idah and Bini under Oba Esigie. Onojie (King Agba) was deified as a God of war by the Uromi Army. The presence of Alua Agba in Eko (Lagos) is a confirmation of the fact that the ancient Uromi war machine, as an integral part of the ancient Edo empire military campaigns, played a prominent role in the founding of Lagos. Alua Agba is unique to Uromi. Based on the uniqueness of Alu-Agba deity to Uromi (god of war); it is certain that Uromi warriors were part of the reason Lagos Island acquired the name Esale Eko (Camp of the Esans) This development was the genesis of the founding of Lagos] The Uromi army had previously helped the Oba to re-conquer Akure. Esan soldiers had also previously helped the Oba to subdue and rule Ondo and gave Ondo town the title Osemawe of Ondo. Osemawe in Esan, means It is God that installed you. The Uromi army had also previously helped to defend and re-take Ekiti after an Ibadan military invasion.
To properly understand the story of Lagos, one must try to understand the meaning of all the prominent names of the key persons, events and quarters (places) in ancient Lagos. These names make no sense and are meaningless in any language, even the Yoruba language which has now become very dominant in Lagos, Awori dialect or even the Bini dialect of the Edo language. The names that have survived adulteration or pronunciation corruption indicate that the names were originally Esan Edo names. The Portuguese were the international trading partners of the Edos. A trading camp for the exchange of goods was founded and called Esale Eko (Camp of the Esans) after the Esan Edo soldiers that founded the camp. The Portuguese called the camp Lagos (meaning settlement by lakes). The Esan Edo soldiers broke up the whole area into territorial sub-divisions or quarters called Idumus, Idus, Ekos and Idis (Idumota) (Idumagbo) in the Esan Edo dialect. Till this day, Lagos is still broken up into Eko, Idumus, Idus and Idis. Till this day, Esanland, Edo state Nigeria is still broken up into Ekos, Idumus, Idus and Idis.
To have a better understanding of the military co-operation between the Esans and the Binis, that probably led the ancient Esan army to Lagos; this little snippet of history culled from the declassified colonial British intelligence report on the Esan people would be relevant.
“In 1485 during the reign of Oba Ozolua, Joan Alfonso D'aveiro, a Portuguese became the first European to reach Benin. He reported that during this time the Oba of Benin was having a great deal of trouble with his outlying districts. In fact Oba Ozolua was killed in a war against the Uzia, one of the smaller Ishan towns. On another occasion when the Oba of Benin went to war against Akure in present-day Ondo State, some Onogies in Ishan contributed warriors though some years later, during a war of succession in Benin Ishan Onogies were divided between the two combatant camps. The constant feuds among the various Ishan chiefdoms most probably created favorable opportunities for the Oba of Benin to impose his suzerainty over them and, this the chiefdoms either singly or collectively would cast off when the opportunity offered itself to reassert their independence.”
In the article “THE ISHANS (Irrua and Evbohimwin Connection); the author Professor Ademola Iyi-Eweka wrote: “Of the Edo-speaking group. Ishan/Esan is the closest to "BINI" ie the dialect of those who live in and around Benin City. In fact, when the people of Benin sneezes, those in Ishan/Esan develop hiccups, then and now. Riots that erupts in Benin politically, often reverbarates in Ishan/Esan land. Before 1897, the Ishans/Esans were the most avid defender of the Edo monarchy. It is not surprising, because Ishan/Esan women have produced most of Obas of Benin. Eheniuan, the first Ezomo of Benin, who later became the commander of the Benin/Edo Royal army is of Ishan descent.”
“Prince Erediauwa marched into Benin City, ahead of an Ishan/Esan dominated military. He was crowned Oba Osemwende of Benin in 1816. It was Oba Osewende who granted to the Enogie of Uromi, the right to inherit the estate of any person who died childless within Uromi district. This was his reward for supplying men and material in the war to reconquer Akure in 1818-20 rebellion and the battle in defence of the Ekitis against the Ibadans.”
An examination of historical names in Lagos, including the name of the widely popular Eyo festival, not excluding the names of some popular Lagosians by anyone who is sufficiently versed in the Esan dialect of the Edo language, will lead to only one reasonable and logical conclusion, that the defunct Edo empire created the geo-socio-political entity known today as Lagos State. As the names that dates back to the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries of Eko metropolitan development suggests, Lagos was an Edo mega project. Yes, the Edos and the Portuguese built a trading port on Lagos Island; then again, documented accounts, oral accounts now recently documented and name residue as relics of Edos past occupation of Lagos, which lasted for about 500 years indicates that what is today known as Lagos state was the creation of the Edos. In this regard and as suggested by the available names, still been used all over Lagos, it would appear that the Esan Edos played a very large part in the foundation and or creation of Lagos. Among the historical names in Lagos that shouts EDO very loudly as shall be explained in more details soon hereunder, are Akiolu, Oyekan, Tinubu, Opebi, Okouromun, Esan, Akiode, Ojomon, Ojuelegba, Eyo (as in Eyo Masquerade), Onigbongbo, Igbobi, Ikeja, Ogba, Ipodo (Ikeja), Iduntafa, Idumota, Idumagbo, Agidingbi, Alausa, Idungaran, Iga Idungaran, Ashogbon, Oshodi, Odibo, Idimu, Idiroko, Araba (As in Chief Araba of Lagos), Idi Araba. These names, though often time relics of the yorubanized and or Islamized versions of the original Esan or Bini Edo names, yet help to tell the forgotten story of the birth era of modern Lagos.
What is today known as Lagos state was evidently one large Edo colony cum protectorate. The history that the names found in virtually every town and village in Lagos tells shows that the Edo Empire controlled and governed Lagos for about 500 years and more deeply so within the first 300 years, at which period there was a massive immigration of young Esan Edo men among other Edos, as Edo soldiers, workers and administrators to the Edo colony and protectorate of Lagos. How else can anyone explain the deeply entrenched Esan Edo names all over Lagos State. For Esan Edo names to become so rooted in Lagos means that the people who originally deforested these settlements that have now become big urban settlements all over Lagos state originally spoke the language that gave birth to these names. Yes, as attested to by the writings of the ancient German Surgeon, Joshua Andreas Ulsheimer who visited Lagos in 1603 aboard a Dutch ship, there were towns and other communities in the place now known as Lagos state at the time of the arrival of the Edos. What however, became the game changer in Lagos and led to the institutional dominance of Esan Edo names in what is now Lagos State, Nigeria was the military superiority of the Edo army and secured Lagos for Edo and Portuguese economic activities.
Based on the very loud silence of the writings of the ancient German Surgeon, Joshua Andreas Ulshaimer who visited Lagos in 1603 aboard a Dutch ship, on the issue of slavery; it would be safe to conclude that though Lagos later descended in slave trading, Eko or Lagos was not originally founded for slave trading. Evidently, the Trans Atlantic slave trade was an accident of history that rudely interrupted the noble project of the Edos and the Portuguese in Lagos.
Names found all over Lagos apart from merely just confirming Edo Empire’s suzerainty over what is today known as Lagos state also tell another story; and that story is the prominent space occupied by the Esan army in the Edo empire’s military. In the era of the Edo Empire, every Esan town had an army. Uromi was and remain the largest of the Esan towns. During the era of the founding of Lagos Uromi had the largest Esan cotton based economy, and by implication had the largest military in Esan land. The Esan army was built and boosted by profits from the Esan cotton and textile industries. The perfect suitability of Uromi climate for cotton cultivation attracted a huge influx of immigrants seeking prosperity and better life for themselves and their families to ancient Uromi. Cotton and textiles attracted early European and Arab traders to Esan; in this regard, ancient Uromi was the Esan Edo flagship. It would appear that the very large pre-colonial Esan Edo army played a very massive role in the Edo imperial military, political and economic campaigns. It would further appear that many people who today live in many of the places that hitherto were under Edo Empire’s suzerainty are actually descendants of ancient Edo soldiers.
LOL, there was no Lagos state back then bro, just Eko and the inhabitants from various origins. You should know that. Oshodi Tapa had served Oba Osinlokun before either Akitoye or Kosoko and was engaged in extensive trading that only a strong attachment to the ruling house can give allowance for. So I think your assessment of Oshodi Tapa is not complete, he was a top confidante of the ruling house and not a mere mercenary as you claim. Besides Eko paid regular tribute to Bini, so that line about Elekos being richer than the Oba is a bit off. Oba's court could exact any amount of tribute they wanted all the way from Epe to Eko you know right? Even the Lisa of Ikorodu house came from Bini, and owed allegiance to the Oba.
There is more history that is hidden than is known for sure, and that includes a lot of genealogies most people are mistaken about. For example, most of the guys commenting here have no idea Idumota, Idumagbo and all such Idu prefixed names have Edo origins, Esan to be precise. But fierce Yoruba nationalism gets in the way of history I guess
The Eko you are talking about does not include a lot of parts of Lagos Island not to talk of Ikorodu. You can write as many articles as you want, but we know our history and we know who is who. Even the British knew that there was more to the area known as Lagos State now than what we know today. They were simultaneously trading with many royal families. Lisa of Ikorodu? Lol!!!! There is nothing like the Lisa of Ikorodu. They went on exile to Epe because a lot of them had Epe ancestry as well, and Epe Oba's took them in rather than having them killed. Epe's are Ijebus, but you won't know that because you refuse to do your research before typing useless and stupid articles.
??
Chill, abeg. Na those IPOB-Igbo keyboard internet warriors dey misyarn anyhow....na dem cause dis bad belle. Take am easy, you hear ọtenmwen. Nothing spoil. 
I read up on the Nupe/Tapa connection some time ago. Actually the Nupe are found in Kwara, Kogi and Niger state. But the Yoruba established trading links with merchants from Bida at the turn of the century, and Bida was the old emirate of the indigenous Nupe people. Bida itself, is now part of Niger state. 
