One of Ologunkutere’s sons, Oba Akitoye held a special position in the line of succession. Having held two reigns, he was the father of his second successor and uncle to both his predecessor and first. The Lagos residents with vested interests in the slave trade fiercely resisted him and ultimately overthrew him. The cooperation of those slave dealers with Kosoko, his first successor, resulted in his successful overthrow. His nephew Kosoko was the legitimate heir to the throne. But since Oluwole, the previous monarch, had passed away, he had been living in exile.
Akitoye foolishly attempted to reinstate Kosoko in the kingdom after ascending to the throne, defying the counsel of his obedient chiefs, including chief kingmaker Eletu Odibo. This would turn out to be an expensive error. Throughout his rule, Kosoko tormented him, using his devoted followers to fight back until he was forced to escape to Ijebu. Kosoko gave his warriors the order to return Akitoye’s head, but they were unable to kill their monarch and chose to honor him instead. They told Kosoko that he had put them into a trance so that he could pass right through them.
By now, the British powers had been gradually establishing colonies in the neighboring nations, so Akitoye turned to them for assistance. In 1851, with their support and more military might, he drove Kosoko from power and took back his kingdom. After that, he and the British government struck a treaty that outlawed the slave trade.
