An image from the 1970s showing a gathering of strong, formidable military leaders. Notably, the picture includes about four past Nigerian chiefs of state. Comment Below and Identify the Military officers you recognize!
Mighty warlords are seen in a historical photo from the 1877 (19th century) KIRIJI War, also known as the Ekiti Parapo War. Olugbosun of Oye, Fabunmi of Oke Imesi Ekiti, Ogedengbe of Ijesha land, Aruta of Ijesha land, Faboro of Iddo Ekiti, and the flute player Afunpe are all seen in this photo. From 1877 to 1893, the Yoruba people in Western Nigeria engaged in the longest tribal conflict in modern history. The 16-year Kiriji War, also known as the Ekiti-Parapo War, was mostly fought between Ibadan and the combined troops of Ekiti and Ijesha. In Yoruba country, it was the war that put an end to all wars. “Kiriji” was the onomatopoeic term for the conflict, derived from the booming sound of the cannons that Ogedengbe’s Ekitis and Ijeshas, commanding over the Ibadan soldiers, purchased in large quantities. But it came to a standstill. As a result, the Kiriji War continues to be the longest civil war in history involving any West African ethnic group. The tribes of South-Western Nigeria are, in fact, the only race in contemporary history to have fought one another in civil wars for 73 years (1820–1893) and to have survived the ordeal to remain a single tribe.
The famous Shitta-Bey Mosque was built in 1891 with funding provided by the illustrious businessman and philanthropist Mohammed Shitta, often known as “Olowo Pupa,” the first Seriki Musulumi of Lagos. Various sources have estimated that the mosque’s construction cost between £3000 and £7000. Senor Joao Baptista Da Costa, a Brazilian exile in Lagos, designed the mosque with Afro-Brazilian architectural elements with help from native constructor Sanusi Aka. Another design by Senor Da Costa is the Taiwo Olowo Monument in Lagos. On July 4, 1894, the Shitta-Bey Mosque was inaugurated under the direction of Sir Gilbert Carter, the Lagos governor. Oba Oyekan I, Edward Wilmot Blyden, Abdullah Quilliam (who represented Sultan Abdul Hamid Il of the Ottoman Empire), and well-known Lagosian Christians including James Pinson Labulo Davies, John Otunba Payne, and Richard Beale Blaize were among the others there. In a letter sent to the Sultan of Turkey, Quilliam urged the Muslims of Lagos to accept Western education. Mohammed Shitta-Bey sadly passed away exactly one year after the mosque opened.
Natural tradition and customs dictate that Alafin and Eleshin Oba, the king’s horseman, should have been buried next to each other. In 1946, as the ceremony commemorating the Aláafins’ death was about to take place, a British officer went out and arrested Eleshin Oba, throwing him into jail since, as per British law, attempting suicide is a crime. The son of the Eleshin Oba, who was trading in Ghana at the time and was a native of the Gold Coast, hurried back to bury his father. upon discovering he was still alive. The abomination so appalled him that he instantly took his own life. Pierre Verger first studied and recounted the historical incident in the 1960s. The drama “Death and the King’s Horseman” by Wole Soyinka explored the circumstances surrounding his death.
One of the well- known locations in Lagos State with a deep historical legacy is Ebute Metta even though a lot of us might not be aware of it. We will reveal the historical evolution of this place in this article. Located in the Lagos Mainland local government district, Ebute Metta is an ancient neighborhood whose houses were primarily constructed utilizing Brazilian architectural style during the colonial era. It is well-known for producing and selling regional clothing and food. Ebute Metta is a component of Otto’s Awori Kingdom. Its capital, Otto, is located on the route to Lagos Island, right before Iddo. In Yoruba, Ebute Metta translates to “The three Harbours.” This is so because the three harbors that make up Ebute Metta’s main structure are Iddo, Otto, and Oyingbo. In the past, these harbors were under the authority of Oba Oloto of Otto, who had his emissaries’ collect taxes from ships carrying cargo to Lagos Island. There was a lot of tension in Abeokuta in 1867 between the followers of the traditional religion and the Christian community, and things were about to go out of hand. It was almost like a sectarian conflict. The native Christian converts in Abeokuta implored the Europeans to take them to Lagos as they were about to be abandoned by some European missionaries, fearing that the traditionalists would wage war against them without the support of their European protectors. After arriving in Lagos, the European missionaries went to the monarch to request that he set aside land for the Egba Christians who had come from Abeokuta. The monarch replied that Lagos Island was already full and that he could not afford to offer the Egba people the little land that was still available. Rather, he recommended that John Hawley Glover, the Colonial Governor, get in touch with his brother Oba, the Oloto, whose lands lay just across the lagoon. When Governor Glover reached out to the Oloto, they consented to grant the Egbas a sizable portion of property extending from Oyingbo (now Coates Street) to a point immediately before the Yaba lands start (Glover Street), where the LSDPC Estate was eventually constructed some 130 years later. Two prominent Egba Christians are Saros and Amaros.…
Queen of Sheba, known by the Yemeni Arabs as Bilkis, and by the Yorubas as Bilikisu Sungbo Alagawura in the tenth century. The queen, who arrived to see King Solomon after learning of his exceptional wisdom, was portrayed in the Christian Bible as a woman of great strength, intelligence, and insight. She arrived with “a very great caravan of camels, carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones,” according to the account. Additionally, it was said that “so many spices were brought into Israel never again as those King Solomon received from the Queen of Sheba.” In Islamic tradition, the Arabs, who think she sprang from the Yemeni city of Sheba, also known as Mareb, call her Bilkis, Bilqis, Balqis, or Balquis. Numerous connections have been found between the Biblical queen and Bilikisu Sungbo of Ijebu country, according to historical and archaeological research. It is thought that the Queen of Sheba is connected to wealth, eunuchs, and ivory. Ancient West African palaces were known to contain eunuchs, while ivory and gold are known to have been extremely abundant in Nigeria during that period. According to history, the Ethiopian national epic and founding tale, Kebra Nagast, or “Glory of King,” features a significant appearance by The Queen of Sheba. In accordance with this legend, after learning of Solomon’s wisdom, the Queen of Sheba, also known as Makeda, went to his court.…
The area that is now known as Ojuelegba was once a forest and the dedicated site for the worship of Ẹ̀shù Elegbua, also known as Légba among the Fon people of the Benin Republic, Exu in Brazil, Echu-Elegua in Cuba, Papa Legba in Haiti, and Papa La Bas to some African Americans, long before civilization existed and the British bombarded Lagos in 1851. The Aworis, who were believed to be the first people to live in this area, worshipped láàlu ogiri ̲kŲ, the deity responsible for maintaining order and the divine defender of natural and divine rules, directly beneath the current Ojuelegba bridge. The shrine has been relocated multiple times before it was finally established at its current location, a short distance (to the south) from the current Ojuelegba roundabout. The stone, which was made of lateritic earth with cowrie shells marking the eyes and mouth of Eshu and into which worshippers poured daily offerings to appease the god, has now made way for urbanization. The inscription “Ojú-Ìbọ Elégba” dates back to the time the town’s name, Ojú-elégba, was formed. It means “the eyes of Elegba” or the Shrine of Elegba). Ojuelegba gained notoriety for its wild nightlife in the 1970s, in part because of Fela’s shrine, which was first situated in Empire, and also because it serves as a major hub for travelers between the Surulere, Yaba, and Mushin neighborhoods on the mainland. In addition, it connects the constantly crowded Apapa-Wharf shipping yard to the Ikorodu and Agege motor roads. As a result, it is well-known for its constant gridlock caused by the lack of traffic lights and a traffic warden. In 1975, Fela wrote the well-known song “Confusion” about it.
This is the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, which is located outside of Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria, on the banks of the Osun River. More than 400 plant species, some of which are endemic, are found in the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove in Southern Nigeria. Of these, more than 200 species are recognized for their potential medical benefits. August is when the Grove celebrates the Osun-Osogbo Festival each year. Thousands of Osun worshippers, onlookers, and visitors from all walks of life are drawn to the celebration. One of Africa’s largest unspoiled regions is the Osun-Oshogbo Sacred Grove. There is no hunting, farming, or fishing allowed on the 75 hectares of holy land. The power of Mother Nature in all her splendor is embodied in the sacred forest. This is demonstrated by the uncommon antelope species, monkeys, and other exotic creatures that may be seen wandering around the grove and mingling with the infrequent tourists that come to take in the scenic splendor of the sacred forest as well as the artistic beauty. One of the last remaining holy forests that formerly bordered the boundaries of most Yoruba cities before widespread urbanization is the centuries old Osun-Osogbo Grove. Acknowledging the Sacred Grove’s cultural and global significance, UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 2005. Sacred groves were formerly located close to every Yoruba settlement, but since these have gradually disappeared, Osun-Osogbo has become a crucial hub for Yoruba identity and the Yoruba diaspora. By the time it was added to the 2014 World, the historic setting was still a house of worship and the site of an annual celebration. The historical preface to “Oshogbo” narrates the tale of a hunter who, after turning to the river Osun goddess for assistance, freed his people from starvation and enslavement. The hunter went on to construct a settlement beside the river, which grew into a thriving town.
Because of the shell fire flowing out of the cannon, the British troops’ use of it against Oba Kosoko during the battle was known as Ogun Ahoyaya, or Boiling Battle. This cannon is still present in front of the Obas Palace at Iga Idunganran, Lagos, along with three more. The sounds produced by this cannon, which was fired upon Lagos in 1851 by British forces, are onomatopoeic and give rise to the name Agidingbi in Lagos. The roar was so powerful that it could be heard all the way to Badagry and the Lagos mainland. As a result, the name was kept, and a portion of Lagos still goes by it today. This is how Agidingbi got its name in Lagos.
One of Nigeria’s first civil engineers, Igwe Israel Eloebo Iweka (Eze Olodo) (1879–1934), constructed the enormous Iweka Road in Onitsha in 1924. Additionally, in 1922, Iweka translated the first Igbo history from the Igbo language into English. In 1932, he was appointed warrant chief of Obosi. In 1939, Isaac Iweka, his eldest son (1911–1996), became the first Igbo to graduate with a degree in civil engineering from Imperial College, London.