ILAJE AS AN ABORIGINAL TRIBE OF LAGOS.

BY CHIEF SOLA EBISENI

The recent comments of Oba Rilwan Akiolu of Lagos, suggesting that Lagos was founded by and the rulers being, of Benin origin, with respect, is an attempt to reinforce the pedlled fallacy on the history, giving undeserved credit to Benin.

This is more manifest from the obviously tainted story Oba Akiolu said he was told by his paternal grandmother, who he claimed was a descendant of Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi of Benin. Even the controversial revisionist story of Oduduwa, or their Izoduwa, being from Benin is part of the distortions.

The truth however, is that neither the territory of Lagos nor its monarchy was founded by Benin. All veritable historical accounts, including empirical evidence, which has survived centuries, point to the fact that Coastal Lagos was founded by the Ilaje, a Yoruba riverine tribe which aboriginal territory is immediately east of Lagos.

One of the most prominent early Obas of Lagos, who established his dynasty and palace at Iga Idunganran was Akinsemoyin (meaning: I am decorated by the Valiant) an obvious Ilaje-dialect name.

Even in modern times, the British Lagos Colony extended from Lagos eastwards covering the entire territory of the coastal areas of the present Ilaje Local Government of Ondo State. Ilaje and Epe had a joint administration as part of Lagos Colony through the Act of the Legislative Council made on the 12th November 1895, signed by George C Denton, Acting Governor and pursuant to Ordinance No.5 of 1890. Part of Ilaje territory, which is in the present Ondo State, was only excised from Lagos and merged with Ondo Province, for linguistic affinity, when the Province was created on the 23rd of December 1915.

RULERSHIP OF LAGOS ISLAND FROM THE BEGINNING

From the beginning, rulership of the Lagos Island was on kindred, community or tribal basis among the original Yoruba groups, particularly the Awori and Ilaje. As the Island increased in population and commerce, particularly buoyed by the trans-Atlantic slave trade, rulership assumed a fierce struggle among the groups and the powerful personalities on and around the Island.

The scenario was one of the survival of the fittest.
Stability, in terms of an organised monarchical order, was enacted at the ascendancy, during and after the reign of Oba AKINSEMOYIN who was of mixed Ilaje and Awori ancestry. His father was Ilaje while the mother was Awori of Apa, now in the Badagry area, where he also married.

Subsequent Obas are of a mixture of, Awori, Ilaje and at a point, non residential, Ijesha blood. The same Ilaje blood is traceable in some Lagos royal and notable families including Olumegbon, Oniru, Asogbon, Agoro, Ikudehinbu, Eletu Iwase, and the Kudehinbus - whose royal Court (Iga Ikudehinbu Chieftancy Family) is still part of the key Chieftancy and royal territory of Lagos Island, - seen visibly along Adeniji Adele Road towards the palace of the Oba of Lagos.

The story of the notable Lagos families of Ilaje descent will be dealt with in greater details in this presentation - including the fact that the Oniru family still proudly referred to themselves (up till fairly recently) as the Oniru of Mahin land. Mahin (along with Ugbo) is the most prominent Kigdom and Royal establishment in Ilajeland (Ondo State).

The Portuguese- African, Sierral Leoneand and other returnees (the genteel, often westernized and distingushed Lagosians - mostly from Brazil, some from the US, others from the Carribeans, etc) , after the abolition of slave trade, joined the existing groups from the late 17th century to make Lagos what it now is.

THE BEGINNING OF BENIN'S HISTORICAL ADVENTURE TO LAGOS THROUGH ILAJE TERRITORY

Benin was no doubt an imperial suzerain, particularly in the western Niger Delta. Its adventures westwards, along the coast, dated mid 16th century, when Oba Orhogbua (c 1550- 1578), led military expedition, through Ilaje homeland territory, to Lagos.

According to Oba Erediuwa, the immediate past and intellectually resourceful Benin monarch, in a lecture on 'The Evolution of Traditional Rulership in Nigeria' which he delivered at the Conference of Traditional Rulers in the Governance of Nigeria, held at the University of Ibadan on the 11th September, 1984 and which essentially later formed part of his book and memoirs, Oba Orhogbua met the stiffest opposition by the Ilaje- Mahin kingdom. This kingdom was so organised and developed that it was there the Benin, according to Orhogbua, first tasted rock salt, which they did not only savour but took home and celebrate even till today in Benin songs and anecdotes.

In the words of Oba Erediauwa,... 'we the Edo people say that 'Orhogbua gbo'Olague, ona y'ukpe abekpen z'umwen rie Edo, meaning that Oba Orhogbua defeated Olague ( Mahin's Oba Alagwe) and used the sword to bring his salt to Benin. This is an allusion to the exploits of Oba Orhogbua while in his camp (eko) from where he overran the place known as Mahin with its ruler whom the Benin people nicknamed Olague. There, Orhogbua discovered the common rock salt and brought it to Benin who thereby tasted it for the first time. "

Umaghen, Maghen, Mahin, or Imahin are variants and metamorphosis of one of the 4 ancient kingdoms of Ilaje. The others are Aheri, Etikan and Ugbo ( mentioned alphabetically).

This Benin/Mahin war was confirmed by all historical accounts including Benin writers, authors and historians including Jacob Egharevba in history History of Benin and Ekpenede Idu as contained in his own work citing the Portuguese account of 'Lagos Before 1603'. However, contrary to the Benin account, the Benin/Mahin war witnessed heavy casualties on both sides' armies, leaving Oba Orhoghua with only a rag tag army, escaping with him through Langbasa lagoon to Lagos.

The unsavoury military encounter with Ilaje prevented Orhoghua from going back to Benin through the coast. He elected, instead, a tortuous journey through the Akure, Owo and Ekiti countries.

OBA EHENGBUDA/ MAHIN WAR AND END OF BENIN HOSTILITIES:

The attempt by Orhoghua's son and successor, Oba Ehengbuda, with the support of Itsekiri mercenaries, to violate Ilaje territorial integrity on his way again to Lagos, was devastatingly fatal as he and his army met their Waterloo in the hands of the Ilaje army at Eluju-Ibila, where the Benin were utterly defeated, ending Benin's ambitious expedition.

Although, some Benin historians and supporters, (supra), claimed Ehengbuda (1578-1606), got "drowned in river midway between Benin and Lagos (which is the exact geographical description of the Ilaje territory), when his boat capsized", the routing of Ehengbuda's army was total.

This incident is recorded in Ilaje folklore and described in Ilaje anecdotes as 'Eluju Ibila, a m'ode, m'oko, m'ojigwe, mu'gbangbanmi', which literally referred to the war at Eluju-Ibila as one 'where the Commander, the Captain, the ship, crew and all perished'.

The remnants of the army were pursued from Eluju-Ibila and finally routed in Agan lagoon where the Ilajes totally mastered and commanded. Egharevba confirmed Ehengbuda was killed in that encounter and the only Oba whose remains were not buried with his fathers in the Benin royal Court.

ACCLAIMED BENIN RULERSHIP

Much have been written by some historians and authors who are obviously obsessed with the Benin narratives that they tend to ascribe the rulership of lagos to the Oba of Benin who allegedly sent out one Ashipa on the surveillance of lagos and later his son, Ado, who, contrary to the earlier report of hostility, was not only well received but allegedly asked by the local population to rule over them.

The Benin Prince was said to have consented. Thus, Ado agreed and became the first oba of lagos on the Island and purportedly reigned in the latter part of the 17th century (1630-1669). He was purported to have had two sons who allegedly ruled after him before the throne was taken over by the son of his daughter.

This most simplistic narrative cannot stand in the face of other empirical evidence that render the Ado story contradictory and illogical. In the first place, even Benin itself confirmed that the first Oba of Benin to show interest and pushed westward beyond Benin and into the Lagos territory was Oba Orhogbua. We have also established the fatal consequences of the audacity and indiscretion of the Benin Empire in the attempt to violate the vast Ilaje riverine territory to Lagos by Oba Orhogbua and particularly his son and successor, Oba Ehengbuda, who lost his life and his army utterly destroyed by the combined Ilaje army.

Secondly, the Ado story is unnatural and untenable.
By the 17th century, to which the Ado narrative was tied, the Lagos area was already a beehive of activities. Peoples and kingdoms have evolved, even foreigners, Portuguese, the Dutch, Germans and Britons have accessed the area. The idea of a people unanimously inviting and agreeing to be ruled by some native foreign powers was no longer fashionable or practiced. Even till this day, Benin historians continue to reject the well established history of Benin sending emissaries to Ile-ife and requesting for a king to rule over them, by which Oranmiyan was sent which established the extant monarchy and dynasty.

Contrary to the warped Ado story about Lagos and as earlier stated, rulership of the Island was by the different Yoruba indigenous and autochonous groups therein who established authorities over their own people and occasionally struggled among themselves.

The pattern of rulership that emerged in the 17th Century was a mixture of the Awori, Benin, Ilaje and some other Yoruba groups.

While the Ado or Edo Prince story may not be totally ignored, it must be emphasized that it was not the name of any particular person.The people of the riverine areas and other parts of Yorubaland generally refer to people of Benin as "Ado", an obvious corruption of "Edo". Thus, in most parts of Ilaje, Ikale or Apoi, Akure etc, the area or quarter where Benin or Edo people are resident are usually referred to as "Ado quarter".

So, the brief period of the possible initial Benin interference in the rulership on the Island was most likely established by the remnants of the Oba Orhogbua army who escaped the Mahin- Ilaje attack on their way to Lagos. It was probably the Ado king era.

The Ado was not the name of any person but reference to Ado or Benin interference in the rulership of the Island.
This interference was short-lived for several reasons and it was so evident.

Firstly, the Benin incursion could not be reinforced or sustained because, as we reiterated, the successor to Oba Orhogbua, his son, Oba Ehengbuda, could not make it to Lagos as he was killed and his army utterly crushed by the Ilaje army on his military expedition to Lagos.

Secondly, the well established Benin succession culture of father to first son or, at least, father to direct son, is not part of Lagos culture. Instead, the Yoruba Ruling House system is what is prevalent till date.
Strenuous efforts have been made to link subsequent rulers of Lagos to the fabled Ado ruler, purporting them to be his sons in order to give a semblance of the Benin culture.

Akinsemoyin was the leader of the anti-Benin resistance. The dynastic struggle by the Ilaje and Awori was against the rulership and possible Ado hegemony from the very beginning, preventing the Ado from establishing any kingdom or even a palace.
Akinsemoyin, an Ilaje man with awori links maternally, and by marriage, was the perfect symbol of the resistance. This war between the Ado group and the aboriginal Ilaje and Awori led by Akinsemoyin forced him temporarily to relocate to the Awori enclave in Apa in the Badagry area where he launched his war of intrigues and attrition until he succeeded in putting an end to what could have been an emerging “Ado” foreign rulership.

AKINSEMOYIN WAS ILAJE AND NOT SON OF ADO

The most ridiculous claim was the suggestion that Akinsemoyin, an undiluted Ilaje Yoruba, was the second son of the fabled Oba Ado, of Benin origin. In the first place, as already established, Ado was not the name of any human person but a generic title or reference to people of Benin descent. Secondly, the said Ado, even if human, was not born in Lagos. He was said to have led his father's army from Benin through the sea (another fallacy), therefore an adult who did not speak Yoruba or could have had his children even as an adult in Benin. Even if his children were born in Lagos and all of them on the throne, since he moved into and was said to be the first Oba, the naming of his son, in the typical Ilaje dialect, was certainly far-fetched.

Beyond argument however, is that Akinsemoyin is of Ilaje ancestry from the neighbouring Ilaje homeland and kingdom. Akinsemoyin (I am decorated by valour or strength) ruled Lagos just earlier than Oba Ogunsemoyin (Ogun decorates me) - who ruled as the Amapetu of Mahin kingdom in the Ilaje homeland from about 1850-1899. He was the Amapetu of Mahin who, on the 24th day of October 1885, signed the Treaty of Peace and Protection with the Queen Victoria of England represented by W. Brandford Griffith Lieutenant Governor Administering the Government of the Gold Coast Colony.

It is common knowledge, even among the Yorubas generally, that the names of the people of the Ilaje and Ikale descents are easily distinguishable from the other Yorubas even till today.

THE AKINSEMOYIN DYNASTY.

Oba Akinsemoyin, it was, who actually established a well-structured monarchical order on the Lagos Island. As a true indigene, unlike a foreign (Benin) rulership, Akinsemoyin established the permanent palace at Iga Idunganran. The prosperity of Lagos, as an important port for slave and assorted European and African merchandise in the West African sub-region was established. However, the internecine dynastic struggles among the various groups and personalities saw to it that AKINSEMOYIN could not be succeeded by any of his four children.

In the account of some Benin authors and supporters, one Eletu Kekere, allegedly son of Gabaro, was said to have succeeded Akinsemoyin for a short while of 1 year. This account, obviously was to reinvent a so-called Ado dynasty entrenched in the semblance of Benin father to son culture.

The truth is that there was nothing of the sort as the struggle for the throne resumed in earnest soon after the demise of Oba Akinsemoyin. The children of Akinsemoyin were probably supplanted by his friend, confidant, Chief priest, Chief Spiritual and Security Adviser and renowned traditionalist, Chief Alaagba, an Ijesha, who manipulated the Ifa oracle and imposed his son, Ologun Kutere, a warlord, who sustained himself on the throne of Lagos by force of arms.

The well established role of Alaagba and his son, Ologun Kutere is often twisted by some story-tellers that Erelu Kuti, an alleged daughter of Ado, who was said to have pleaded with her supposed brother, Oba Akinsemoyin, in his life time, to allow his son reign since, according to them, the sons of Akinsemoyin were allegedly too young to succeed him.

The fallacies in this narrative, with the obvious untiring objective of linking the throne with Ado, were borne out of the fact that, as earlier established, Akinsemoyin, an Ilaje man, was not related to Ado who never established any kingdom.

Secondly, the Benin system of direct first son succession had no place for the suggestion that a son could not succeed his father on the strength of being a minor. Thirdly, Akinsemoyin, who ruled for close to 50 years was hardly anyone not to have children old enough to succeed him.

While Erelu Kuti may be Alaagba's wife and also a powerful woman on the Island, the point being made is that Ologunkutere seized power at the death of Akinsemoyin and established his reign with military force and the fearsome spiritual powers of his father in the unending struggle for power by the mighty and noble on the Island. He did not own the throne to any right by birth, or concession to Erelu Kuti.
The just and continuous struggle of the descendants of Akinsemoyin for the throne of their father even by ligitigation is legitimate. This struggle was also enacted at the Justice Kassim Tribunal of Enquiry of 1978 by the Lagos State Government.

ILAJE AND THE LAGOS FAMILIES.

Several Lagos prominent families were incorporated into the rulng class system on account of intermarriages and relationship with Akinsemoyin. Some of these families, which are descendants of Akinsemoyin's daughters, are Oluwa, Onisiwo, Akogun, Olumegbon and Oniru.

Oniru and Ashogbon were themselves of Ilaje descent just as the Lagos Chieftaincy Ikudehinbu. whose family quarters (Iga Ikudehinbu) still stands in the Lagos royal territory on Adeniji Adele Road.

For instance, the history of the Oniru family, written by the ISALE EKO WORO AMBASSADORS, published on their facebook account indicated thus:
“CHIEF YESUFU ABIODUN ONIRU, 13TH ONIRU OF IMAHIN LAND (then comprising largely current Victoria Island and beyond) was born 1864 during the reign of Oba Dosumu of Lagos (1853-1885) at a time his own great grandfather; Chief Akiogun was the head of the Oniru settlement and the tenth oniru of lagos.” He is said to hail from Akiogun who married Fabi Aromire, who bore him Sagbanla who begat Opeseyi who begat Yesufu Abiodun through Princess Gbosebi, daughther of Oba Akinsemoyin.

Other entrenched Lagos family of Ilaje descent include the Agoro who are among descendants of Oba Alagwe Agoro of Mahin who fled Ilaje on account of the civil war that engulfed the Kingdom when Agoro was assassinated by one of the nobles.

PATTERN OF AND NAMING OF INDIGENOUS SETTLEMENT.

Among the two indigenous tribes of Ilaje and Awori, while the Awori families preferred more of the upland areas focused on acquisition of land, the Ilaje families, except for a few ones some of which we have mentioned, were more concerned with developing settlements along the Atlantic, lagoons and creeks, particularly in pursuits of fishing and coastal trading.

The naming and pattern of settlements in Lagos, put beyond reasonable doubts, that while the Ilaje had indigenous (riverine) population, as large as the unpand Awori, they dominates most if not all of the Lekki Peninsula, mixed with Egun and Aganyin later settlers, The Awori and Ilaje also occupy the territories around the creeks of Apapa, Ajegunle, Makoko, Iwaya, Ebute-Iwaya, Oko-Agban, Ebute-Metta, Ayetoro, Bariga, Oko Baba, Oto, Oyingbo, National Theatre (where the Ilaje were displaced), Ijora, Igbo Elejo, Ojo, Aloro Island (off the coast of Kirikiri) Ajah, Badore, Iton Agan, Oworonsoki, Agboyi.

In the east of Lagos, Ilaje shares indigenous existence with the dominant Ijebu groups in the Epe and Ikorodu divisions in Majidun, Ijede, Owode, Ajegunle, Agbowa, Bayeku, Igbogbo etc. In the Egun/Awori area of the old Badagry Division, there are established Ilaje indigenous settlements amidst dominant Awori and Egun areas in Ojo, Apa, Erekiti, Ajara, Topo etc.

Some popular communities in Lagos such as Obun Eko (again, an Ilaje name refering to an ancient market for fish and smoked-fish trading; which means Lagos Market in Ilaje Language. The word "Obon" - pronounced "obun" by other Lagos Yorubas means Market in Ilaje language - thus Obun Eko or Lagos Market). Its still in the Idumota axis, Idunmagbo, Igbo Osere (Igbosere) too may well be an Ilaje name. Igbo Osere, for instance, means the forest with predominant 'osere' trees in the then forest area that supplied its specialized osere woof for the carving of fishing and other canoes.

Not coincidentally, there is another Ilaje-named Igbosere settlement between Araromi in Ondo State and Ise in Lagos state.

Of all the indigenous tribes of Lagos State – Awori, Ilaje, Ijebu and Egun, Ilaje is the singular most ubiquitous group found significantly in all Lagos administrative territorial divisions and spreading even to the Ogun State Awori Towns of Ado-Odo where I was born and spent a great part of my childhood and still remains, over a hundred years, home to the larger part of my grandfather's large descendants. There is at least an Ilaje Bus stop in every single one of the 5 Divisions - usually close to the waterside.

Writing on the Ilaje situation in Lagos, Ajose Kudehinbu, former Head of Service of Ondo State and prince of the Ilaje Aheri kingdom who spent his early childhood in Lagos, recalled that one of the several places Ilaje had occupied and which he visited with his father, growing up then, in the city was 'Agege-Odo', Igan oke, Igan odo, Ojuota, Onighanran, commonly now called Akoka and present site of the University of Lagos from where the original Ilaje occupants were evacuated to establish the University.

He remembered how his father who died years ago at 96, and a Baale in a Lagos suburb stated that "when he got to Lagos, the whole of Ebute Meta to Apapa was water, with the Ebute Meta end notorious or famous for its many crocodiles that the Ilaje liked to bait and hunt down, then and elsewhere, even today, though less so.”.

He lamented in conclusion, 'the decision of the Ilaje to concentrate all attention on their fishing occupation along the coast, rather than move upland and take ownership, must remain their greatest undoing in socio-political life of Lagos". Certainly why many narrators of Lagos history almost tend to leave out the Ilaje role in that history. They were largely unseen and little noticed in their out-of-city fishing enclaves, and except for the very few Ilaje chieftaincy families in Isale Eko, Ilaje did not have family compounds in the main upland areas, like other categories of Lagosians.

Evidently, in none of these Lagos areas do you find any community traceable to Benin establishment or royalty and no family requires the consent of the Oba of Benin in land alienation as obtained in Benin customary land tenure system.

Chief Sola Ebiseni, Legal Practitioner and traditional historian, was a former Commissioner in Ondo State.