Before the British bombardment of Lagos in 1851, Lagos was a major slave trading port under Oba Kosoko. Britain fought hard for the abolition of the slave trade in Lagos but due to some reasons having to do with Oba Kosoko, the mission was not accomplished. In 1849, Britain appointed John Beecroft as Consul of…
The Adubi War, also known as Ogun Adubi or Egba Rebellion, was a war that broke out between June and August 1918 as a result of the tax system introduced by the British colonial government in Abeokuta. Direct taxes were introduced by the colonial government alongside existing bonds and forced labor levies, culminating in the…
In 1945, a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s history occurred with the beginning of the First General Strike, a nationwide trade union movement led by thousands of workers that would later go down in history as the Nigerian General Strike of 1945. This strike marked a turning point in the history of Nigeria’s situation in Nigeria.…
Who was Victor Banjo and what put him in prison? Lieutenant Colonel Victor Banjo was a courageous Nigerian military officer who served during the Nigerian Civil War from 1953 until his death in 1967. Lt. Col. Banjo’s name has gone down in the history of the Nigerian Army because of his dedication and is mentioned…
During the unrest following the January 15, 1966 military coup led by Major Kaduna Nzeogwu, General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi seized power and became Nigeria’s first military head of state. Below is his first address to the nation. First Speech by General Aguiya Ironsi “The Government of the Federation of Nigeria has suspended its operations, the Nigerian…
It often happens that each war/conflict has its own specific nickname and vocabulary used in it. For example, a 16-year war fought in Yorubaland in the 19th century was called “Kiriji,” an onomatopoeic term for the thunderous sound of the cannons used during the war. Likewise, the “Mugbagba” war was named after the only food…
With an estimated population of 204 million, Nigeria is currently the most populous black country in the world. The country is characterized by the emergence of different eras of civilizations, states, kingdoms and empires as well as caliphates and colonial governments. Here are the top 20 historical facts about Nigeria that you as an ordinary…
In 1963, Obafemi Awolowo, former prime minister of the now-defunct Western Region, and many of his followers were arrested, tried, convicted of treason, and imprisoned for conspiring with the Ghanaian authorities under Kwame Nkrumah to overthrow the Nigerian federal government. . On March 28, 1966, while in prison, Obafemi Awolowo wrote the following letter to…
On August 16, 1983, the Federal Electoral Commission (FEDECO) held general elections for governorships across Nigeria. Alhaji Shehu Shagari, the then President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, promised Nigerians that the general elections would be free and fair, but this promise turned out to be in vain. The announcement of the election results was…
ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S CHAMBERS LAGOS 12517 Bo.16/S.3/60 ATTORNEY 3rd September, 1970 20075. Dr. O. Arikpo Commissioner for External Affairs Ministry of External Affairs Lagos. Dear Dr. Arikpo, Nigeria-Cameroon Border Delimitation They recall recent developments in Nigeria-Cameroon relations regarding the disputed Bakasi Peninsula, particularly the work of the Nigeria-Cameroon Joint Boundary Commission since August 12-14 Meeting in…