The Oba of Lagos, His Royal Highness, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, has finally told the world via a historical narrative and background the real owners of Nigeria’s economic capital city of Lagos and parts of neigbouring Benin Republic.
Lagos, he said, belongs to the Great Benin Kingdom and has never been part of Yoruba land.
This was contained in a statement issued and signed by the Lagos Monarch which was released from his palace.
“Coming from the palace, with what I was told by my late paternal grandmother who is a descendant of Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi and also reading from factual Historical books, let me share this Knowledge with you all on Eko/Lagos. Modern day Lagos was founded by Prince Ado, the son of the Oba of Benin,
According to the revered king, Prince Ado was the first Oba of Lagos, the son of the Bini King, Prince Ado, named the town Eko until the Portuguese explorer Ruy de Sequeira changed the Maritime town to Lagos, which at that time from 1942 was Portuguese expedition center down the African Coast.
“It was a major centre of the slave trade until 1851. Lagos was annexed by Britain via the Lagos treaty of cession in 1861, ending the consular period and starting the British Colonial Period.
READ ALSO: Update on royal battle:Calm as court upholds HRH Akiolu as Oba of Lagos
“Lagos experienced growth prior to the British Colonial rule and even more rapid growth during the Colonial rule throughout the 1960s, 70s, continued through the 80s and 90s till date.
Thanks to the Awori’s, Bini’s, Yoruba’s, migrants across the nation and the world at large, as no particular group of people can take the glory alone.
He said the Awori’s are speakers of a distinct dialect close to that of the Yoruba language with a rich Bini mixture.
“Traditionally, Awori”s were found in Ile-Ife, they were known to be the Bini’s who followed their self-exiled Prince, the first son of the Ogiso (now called Oba) of the Benin Kingdom, whose step-mother was after his head.
“The exiled Benin Prince Izoduwa known to the Yorubas as Ooduwa (Oduduwa) was made the ruler of the Ife people due to his powers and followers from the Great Benin-Kingdom.
“Izoduwa (Ooduwa) was made the first King of Ile-Ife in 1230 AD. His followers from his father’s Kingdom in Benin are today’s Awori people who settled in Eko now called Lagos.
“In 1300, the King of Benin-Empire heard from one of his traders who was a settler in Eko on how the Bini’s were treated by the Awori’s who lived in their area.
Upon hearing this, the King of Benin commanded the assembling of a war expedition, led by his son, Prince Ado, which headed the settlement of the Awori’s and demanded an explanation.
READ ALSO:
“On arriving Eko, Prince Ado and his Army were more than received. The Aworis asked the Bini Prince to stay and become their leader.
The Oba of Lagos in a statement from the palace said rince Ado agreed on the condition that they surrender their sovereignty to the Oba of Benin, to which the people agreed. Hearing this, the King of Benin gave his permission for Prince Ado and the expedition to remain in Eko.
“The Oba of Benin sent some of his chiefs including the Eletu, Odibo, Obanikoro and others to assist his son, Oba Ado in the running of Eko.
“From the crowning of Prince Ado as the first Oba of Lagos (then called Eko), Lagos served as a major center for slave trade from which the Aworis, the Oba of Benin and his son the Oba of Lagos and all the children/descendants who took over as his successors for over four centuries supported the trade.
“The Oba of Benin was the head of the Benin Empire which is the present-day Western, Southern and Eastern modern day Nigeria.
The King never obliged anyone to speak the Bini language as he believed everyone was entitled to their own choice of language.
“The name Eko was given to it by the first king of Lagos, Oba Ado, the young and vibrant Prince from Benin. Eko was the land now known as Lagos Island, where the king palace was built. The palace is called Idugaran meaning “palace built on pepper farm”
“Until the coming in of the Benin’s 1300 AD, Lagos geographical boundary was Lagos mainland, Lagos Island, the seat of the Oba of Lagos then consisted of a pepper farm and fishing post. No one was living there.