Prominent Towns in Lagos

Lagos Island
Latitude: 6.4541          Lat (DMS) 6° 27' 15N
Longitude: 3.3947      Long (DMS)              3° 23' 41E
Elevation (Feet): 114
Population Est.:  10,404,112
Zip Code:  101241

History
Lagos Island is the historical centre of Lagos. The buildings, alone, within this area are a display of Nigerian history, from the birth of Lagos (around 1300-1400 CE) till today. Despite all the history that encompasses this island, it is rarely visited for this purpose.
Lagos Island is comprised of: Idumota Axis, Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lekki Peninsula, Marina, Obalende, Onikan, Victoria Island, Eko Atlantic City
Lagos Island (Isale Eko) was home to the Brazilian Quarter of Lagos where the majority of the slave trade returnees from Brazil settled. Many families lived on Broad Street in the Marina.
The poorer eastern side of the island contains the main markets and the poorer housing. The island is extremely crowded and congested and attempts have been made to build new roads out over the lagoon in order to improve traffic flows. Oh It is also the part of Lagos which the Oba(King) of Lagos resides. It is also believed that the Eyo festival can only be held in this part of Lagos.
Some popular and memorable building on the island include, Tafawa Balewa Square (where Nigeria’s independence celebration took place on October 1st 1960), the Brazilian Quarter (where the majority of the slave trade returnees from Brazil settled), the National Museum (a museum with notable Nigerian art), Civic Centre (the largest and most important Convention Centres in the city), Taiwo Olowo’s Monument (a monument building over the tomb of Chief Daniel Conrad Taiwo, who died in 1901) and less known Oba’s Palace (a magnificent building constructed over 300 years ago.
It is the official residence of the Oba (King) of Lagos), Water House (one of the oldest examples of Brazilian architecture in Lagos), and Cuban Lodge (a residential property completed in 1931 that is a mixture of British and Brazilian architecture)
According to Andreas Joshua Ulsheimer's report, the southern part of Eko called "Isale Eko", meaning "South Lagos" was founded in late 1400 and in 1550-1578 the Oba Orhogbua of Benin established a military camp "South Lagos" and from that base waged war on some people described as rebels against his authority, in the immediate interior.
Orhogbua, according to Benin traditions left Lagos when he learnt of a coup against him at home, but he left behind in Lagos, a military camp under three generals.
His son and successor, Ehengbuda (1578-1606) on his journey to Lagos, is said to have drowned in a river mid-way between Benin and Lagos, when his boat capsized.
|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.

    Oral traditions indicate that Benin found pre-existing settlement on Lagos and nearby Ido Islands. Ulsheimer also confirmed this. Some of the inhabitants in the Lagos interior lived in towns walled for defensive purpose and Ulsheimer's group armed with two cannons helped the local Benin army to conquer and completely destroy one of such towns described as dissident.

    Accordingly to some oral traditions, Benin forces settled at a strategic place on the northwest tip of Lagos Island where they could easily mount a defensive garrison and still overlook the lagoon which narrows suddenly at this point between Lagos and Ido Island.

    The Ogun was an important waterway leading to inland trade, the large number of colonies established by Benin throughout the Ogun basin (west from Lagos to Badagry, and north from the coast to (latter-day) Ilaro Division boundaries, attests to its interest. Ido was surrounded by water and given the palisades Ulsheimer found around Lagos, it was quite likely that Ido was also fortified against Benin invaders. Whether Benin was initially unwilling or unable to take Ido is unclear. Certainly it did so later, for its refugees founded a new settlement nearby, especially along the southern side of the lagoon in today's Eti-Osa. In contrast to Ido, Benin established a firm base across the lagoon on Lagos Island with little resistance. At the time, Lagos Island had one known settlement, founded by the legendary Aromire, "lover of water", as a fishing camp.
Ido, according to traditions, was a centre of local activity. It was the seat of Olofin, a strong leader who appears to have dominated a group of villages that were thought to exist prior to Benin conquest and to be Awori Yoruba ancestry. In mythological language, Olofin was said to have had many "sons" amongst whom he divided the area's lands. These sons and the settlements they represented were the early settlers met by Benin forces. At the time, they probably represented a village group, allied for governmental, protective and perhaps economic reasons. Later as Lagos grew and its government expanded. Olofin's sons became known as Idejo, landowning chiefs. The number of chiefs in the Olofin alliance is usually remembered as a formulaic eight, ten, sixteen or thirty-two. Twelve of them are today recognized by government: Aromire, Oloto, Ojora, Onitolo, Onitano, Onikoyi, Oniru, Oluwa, Onisiwo, Eleguishi, Ojomu and Lumegbon. The Olofin title disappeared while the Olumegbon is now the leader of the Idejo class and presides over its installation ceremonies.


According to another historian:
A trading camp for the exchange of goods was founded and called Esale Eko (Camp of the Esans) after the Esan Edo soldiers that crushed every military opposition and founded the camp. The Portuguese called the camp Lagos (meaning land of 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, the whole of Esan Edo is still broken up into Idumus, Idis, Idus and Ekos. In Uromi, there is, till this day, IDUMU OKOJIE AND EKO- IMIOKOLO
The crack Esan Edo soldiers who were invited by Emperor Orhogbua to help dislodge the stubborn 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 second article above proves this fact.
The people who came from Esan Edo announced their presence by installing their leader and naming him UROMIRE, later yorubanized to AROMIRE. The Uromi royal family is a branch of the Bini royal family, thus Uromire would be most acceptable to Emperor Orhogbua
The palace of the new king was called Egua (Palace in Esan Edo) later yorubanized to Iga
Lagos or Eko quickly became a main slave trading center, thus the emergence of names like
OAIGBON (House of slaves in Esan Edo) Yorubanized to OYINGBON
IGBONASHELEN (Esan Edo for Slaves who have already been sold ) later yorubanized to IGBOSHERE
In Esan Edo dialect IGBON means slave (Please not Igbo)
Till this day, descendants of the Uromi Esan Edo war machine that was invited by Emperor Orhogbua to help crush the Awori military opposition that was proving too stubborn or over-stretching the Bini Edo army stationed in ETIN OSA, OSHODI, and IDDO (all bini Edo names) are still very militant I.e. ANTHONY ENAHORO, ANTHONY CARDINAL OKOJIE, and ANTHONY ANENIH 
Another historian in Lagos said, the settlements represented by Idejo chiefs were not established simultaneously, but in stages. Traditions in Idejo families confirm that this was, indeed, the case and furthermore that not all Idejo families were of Awori descent. As indicated, the people of Ido did predate Benin conquest. Warfare had driven them from the mainland area of Ebute-Metta, "three wharfs" to Ido Island where they established two small settlements; Oto village, facing the mainland, and Ido, a fishing camp facing Lagos Island, which eventually disappeared or were absorbed into the larger village.

    These two settlements were governed together under a chief who became known as Oloto and whose family controlled a large stretch of land on the mainland behind Ido. The southwest part of Ido Island was settled by a group of migrants whose origins were traced to Aramoko in the Ekiti area. This group's first headman, Kueji, married an Ido woman, one Isikoko by name, and they settled at Ijo-Ara (Ijora) where Kueji took the Ojora titles, Aro and Odofin, eventually arose within the Ojora line. Whether or not this occurred before the Benin era is not clear.

    There were other chiefs in the Ido group. The Elegushi of Ikate and Ojomu and Ajiran have traditions stating they fled Ido to escape Benin raids and settled in Eti-Osa area in the south shore of the lagoon east of Lagos Island. This being the case, their settlements and independent chieftaincies came after, not before, Benin. The Ojomu title, however, is not entirely explained by the refuges tradition, since until recently it was not included in the Idejo, but in the Akarigbere class of chiefs, that is in the administrative line of Lagos chiefs that, for the most part, claim Benin origins. Another Ido chief, the Opeluwa, also became a Lagos chief. Eventually, then the Lord group gave birth to four Idejo chiefs (Oloto, Ojora, Elegushi and Ojomu) and one Ogalade chief (Opeluwa). At least one (oloto) and possibly three chiefs (Oloto, Ojora, and Opeluwa) were in existence at Ido before the arrival of Benin.
The members of the Aromire settlement gave land to Benin conquerors on Lagos Island, as they, like the Oloto People, existed prior to conquest. Armoire again did not represent a single group. One section of the family settled at Tolo on the western tip of Lagos Island, and it became headed by the Onitolo, a descendant of the Aromire family. Another Idejo title holder, the Onitano, was said to be the grandson of Oshoboja's daughter. Still another Idejo chief, the Onikoyi, was brought into Lagos by Aromire family through marriage.
The founder of Onikoyi family lived at Oke-Ipa on Ikoyi Island, named after his ancestral home, which was believed to have been in Old Oyo. Adeyemi a leader of the Oke-Ipa settlement married Efunluyi, daughter of Meku Armoire, who was believed to be the sixth title holder of the Aromire line. In honour of her deliverance of a son, called Muti, Chief Meku allocated to his daughter and son-in-law a plot of land near Iga Aromire "Aromire Court", on Lagos Island. The house built on that plot became Iga Onikoyi and Aromire's son-in-law the first holder of an Idejo title in Lagos, the Onikoyi title. All in all, four related Idejo chieftaincies came out of the Aromire line: armoire itself, Onitolo, Onitano, and Onikoyi.
The remaining four Idejo titles clearly came into existence after the invasion of Benin. 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. The Osega was attended by a body of chiefs whose agenda was devoted to proposing and debating community policy. Before discussions at each meeting, sacrifices were performed. After each meeting the assembled chiefs were fed and entertained by the Oba. Rights to sit on his highest decision making body of the community were extended to all recognized chiefs. Indeed, the culmination of investiture ceremonies took place in the Ose chamber of the palace.
Until a chief was brought into Osega, he was effectively not a functioning part of the larger policy. It does appear, however, that leaders of surrounding villages who saw themselves as clients of the Oba could attend the Osega. Village settlement in and around Lagos Island were of several types: those powerful enough to be represented by their chiefs on the Osega; those that were clients (and the nature of the tie differed markedly among settlements. Ranging from complete dominance and overlordship to a loose control or dependency); and those that retained autonomy, foregoing the political and protective links that representation at the Lagos Osega could offer them.

    The number of chiefs with rights to attend the Osega grew slowly and fluctuated. Olumegbon, leader of the Idejo class was said to have been brought into Lagos and given a title by Ado, one of the early Bini rulers. The first Olumegbon came from Aja, east of Lagos toward the Lekki Lagoon. The reasons for his inclusion among the chiefs who attend the Osega seem unknown. It is possible that the Benin warriors found him and his people located at a vital position on their east-west trade corridor and therefore wished to control that position themselves by alleviating its headman to a chieftaincy title in Lagos rather than subjugating him. It is also possible that he was originally a part of the Ido alliance and brought in as its senior representative. In any case, Olumegbon was allocated a plot for an Iga in the Iduntafa area of Lagos and thus within the portion of land originally allocated by Aromire to the Benin rulers.