Itan ilu Eko (Lagos)

The first man who built Iseri and settled there in 1699 was a hunter named OGUN-FUNMI-NIRE (the deity of Iron has given me success).
He was of the royal family of ILE-IFE and had a favourite wife named OLOMU. As a hunter, he used to come from ILE-IFE to hunt in a great desert, known as the town of Iseri to the present day; He would come there and spend a few months before returning to his home ILE-IFE, with the game killed, and he continued to live thus for many years.
After a time, many other hunters from the neighboring towns came and joined him in his hunting expedition in the same forest.

A few years later he and his party rebuilt their huts into houses, and each of them brought their people. Not long after the neighboring people heard the news of this new town, and they came to dwell with them there.
Thereafter, OGUNFUNMINIRE was given the official title of the OLOFIN-AWOGUN- JOYE.
In this way a part of the settlers there spread from; Iseri to Iro, Ado, Irenpa, Ojo, Ota and so on towards the west; another part followed the downward course of the river hill till they arrived at the mainlands like Agboyi, Ogudu, Ojuwoye and Ebute-Metta, where they built towns and settled till about the year 1794.

1794 was the year when the fierce inter-tribal war called OGUN-AJAKAIYE a wide world war occurred and it destroyed many Yoruba towns. Fearing for their safety the inhabitants of Ebute-Metta broke up their town, and moved to IDDO Island and OTO. After a time they built another small town ‘IJORA’ on the southwest part of IDDO Island. It was not very long after they moved to IDDO that the FIRST INVASION FROM BENIN TOOK PLACE.

The inhabitants were fortunate that at this crisis their Olofin or ruler was a man of great courage and strong character, and under his leadership, the King of Benin’s soldiers were repulsed. Subsequent attacks met with no better success, and the Olofin gained fame and influence. He is reputed to have had thirty-two sons and one-half of these, he made headmen or petty chiefs.

One succeeded his father as OLOTO of Iddo. The title of Olofin fell into abeyance, probably because of the distinguished character of Olofin and the high regard entertained for him after his death. Four others were made chiefs of portions of the neighboring mainland, and the Island of Lagos was divided among the remaining ten sons. The custom of the Lagos chiefs to wear ‘white caps’ came originally from IDDO, and was introduced by the ten of the Olofin, whose successors wear similar caps.

In addition to the territorial chiefs who wore the ‘white cap’ in token of their position as landowners, there were certain court functionaries, appointed by the king, who also received permission to wear this distinguishing head-dress. The two classes of chiefs were however, quite distinct. Some little time after the Olofin’s death there began the peaceful penetration into Lagos of settlers from Benin.

Written in 1914 by Omo-oba John B Losi the Headmaster of St. John Evangelist School.

YorubaRenaissance