NewStats: 3,265,462 , 8,186,798 topics. Date: Sunday, 15 June 2025 at 05:11 AM 6b3967

You’re wrong, Aworis are Lagos’ first settlers, Lagos monarch counters Oba of Benin

The Olofin of Isheri and Adimula of Awori Kingdom, Oba Sulaimon Bamgbade, on Thursday said the Aworis were the first settlers in Lagos.

Bamgbade urged the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, to retrace the origin of the Benin Kingdom to Ile Ife, like the Aworis have always done.

This is coming in response to a recent comment by Oba Ewuare II, who traced the origin of Lagos to the Benis.

The PUNCH reports that the monarch’s comment has elicited opposition from a prominent Awori monarch, the Olota of Ota, Oba Adeyemi Obalanlege; some academics and a Lagos chief, among others.

Oba Ewuare II sparked controversy among Nigerians especially on social media during a visit to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Sunday, when the king said the Binis founded Lagos.

“It is in the history books that the Binis founded Lagos. When some people will hear it now, they will go haywire; what is the Oba saying there again? But it is true. Go and check the records. Maybe not all over Lagos as we know it now but certain areas in Lagos, maybe the nucleus of Lagos, were founded by my ancestors. The Oba of Lagos will say so,” Oba Ewuare said.

But reacting to the comment in a statement on Thursday, the Olofin said contrary to Oba Ewuare’s claim, Lagos was founded and established by Olofin Ogunfuminire, the progenitor of the Awori people.

He said, “Olofin Ogunfuminire left Ile-Ife to settle at Isheri before migrating with his wife, Ajaiye, to present-day Iddo in the heart of Lagos. It was at Iddo that Ajaiye was blessed with the fruits of the womb. Her offspring are the Idejo who are the actual traditional landowners of Lagos.

“The spatial region of the land owned by the Idejo spans from Lagos Mainland (Iddo) to Lagos Island and up to Eti-Osa which he allocated absolutely to his children and other descendants.

“In this regard, he assigned Iru to the Oniru, Ikate to the Elegushi, Lagos Island to Aromire, Iganmu to Ojora, Otto, and mainland to the Oloto (up to Odo–Iya Alaro). Isheri was the dispersal point where other Olofin Ogunfunminire descendants left to found other Awori towns. For instance, Akeredun left Isheri to establish Igbesa, Odoyi left Isheri to find Agboyi, Osolo and Eleidi Atalabi left Isheri to find Ota.

“These facts are firmly established and ed by extant literature written by foreign authors and researchers such as Kristin Mann who in his book titled ‘Slavery and Birth of an African City: Lagos 1760- 1900,” wrote and I quote: ‘Migrant fishing people first settled in Lagos and from the beginning water and canoes had a prominent role in the lives of its inhabitants. Prior to the sixteenth century, Aworis, the southernmost of the Yoruba-speaking people, dispersed from Isheri, a village twelve miles up the Ogun River. A group of them settled at what is now Ebute Metta, on the mainland.

“Until the need for greater security drove the community to a smaller island in the lagoon opposite Lagos Island. There, they established two settlements, Otto and Iddo, and soon attracted fresh immigrants. In time, people from Iddo moved to the northwestern corner of the larger Island opposite, which eventually became known as Lagos, looking for land to farm.

“The settlers recognised the paramount ruler called the Olofin, based in the more populous community of Iddo but tracing mythical descent from Isheri and via the founder of that village to Ile-ife, the cradle of Yoruba civilisation.”

Olofin added, “The Benin who later came to Lagos as mere traders met Olofin and his descendants on the island of Iddo and its neighbourhood where they, Benin settled down and were well received and hosted by the community. As time went by, a feud broke out between the Benin and their hosts. Facing imminent defeat, they called for reinforcements and assistance from the Oba of Benin.

“Olofin Ogunfunminire and his mentees vehemently and successfully repelled these attacks. As a compromise, and as part of the tolerant disposition which is the character of the typical Awori, the Benins were eventually relocated to live with Aromire on his pepper farm on Lagos Island at Iga Idungaran (Idungaran in Awori means pepper farm) where they after a while and probably due to the indifference of the original land owner, introduced a more structured organisation.

“The first settlers in present Lagos are Aworis and the dispersal point of Aworis is Isheri. As the Olofin of Isheri and Adimula of Awori Kingdoms, I implore The Oba of Benin to retrace the origin of the Benin Kingdom to Ile Ife, like the Aworis have always done.”

https://punchng.com/youre-wrong-aworis-are-lagos-first-settlers-lagos-monarch-counters-oba-of-benin/

This is an epic response.

Pride goeth before disgrace. See the kind of harsh ,hurtful, horrible words and invectives being used for the Oba of Benin. Smh.

The Ooni counselled same Oba of Benin against pride and vainglory attempt to revise history in order to give the bini credit that's false just to hype himself and the bini. Oonirisa is today vindicated.

According to Mujahideen Asari Dokubo, saying Benin founded Lagos shows how unintelligent some people are - THAT IS HISTORICAL PARASITISM - ASARI DOKUBO


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgLTNhetuwQ?si=Glv69X2MR1I7EAZh. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0Q0sJro0Ow/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Lagos belongs to Benin, period

RonuRonu:
Lagos belongs to Benin, period

Did they move the land in Bini to Yorubaland? No.
Is the Oba of Benin being economical with the truth? Read it here https://nairaland.macsoftware.info/7926245/eko-founders-controversy-academics-olota
QED

Anybody wey yarn dust go chop disrespect. No Oba is immune to backlash. Queen of England, while alive, would be wary of all her speeches. But in Africa, monarchs always exercise the temptation to speak or do anyhow. They quickly forget say dem no get two heads, like everyone else. The Yorubas will say b'ase b'eru la b'omo. Respect is reciprocal.

Thank God, the whites even came down to Africa. People would have remain shackled to the pleasures of the kings, who had the liberty to live as they please. No level playing field, courtesy of one who may not have been the most educated, most knowledgeable, most benevolent—just lucky enough to be the DNA product and continuity of two people who the society have given the tag king and queen. Such an unfair world! One of why Africa remains archaic. Most developing developed countries have no place for any monarch. Your level of respect usually depends on your contribution to humanity, in of what you offer. The stupid tags and treatment they give vassals, "slaves", and the honourable tags they brandish themselves, "queens", "kings", "prince"... slaves are enthralled, can't grow in life, while princes and princesses are sent overseas to go school alongside commoners children of the Whites, and people prostrate to them when they return all in a bid to herald culture.
T'anni culture ofo. Any king wey do rubbish these days, go see lawful rubbish quickly.


Dear you out there, if anyone has ever brandished you with the tag slave, for your low-class background or anything, here's a directive that you can rise above everyone who give you that tag. Believe in yourself and rise above everything they label you with. You can get out of prison and still rewrite your story. You can come from the most isolated hinterland, norty forty and rise up to the people at the peak. Never settle for less. You've got you. People graduated from Unilorin and UI at 40+ ages in this year's convocation. Tear the walls and soar. I've got your back.💪💪

B

neither the aworis nor the binis can lay claim to the entire Lagos, the aworis had their territory in Lagos the binis also had their territory, Lagos is a state just like osun, just like you have the Ooni of ife who governs the ife territory of osun state, there are also other traditional rulers in the same osun, you can't come today and claim the ancestors of the Ooni founded osun state they only founded ife, same can be said about Lagos and how you guys always try to make it look like the aworis controlled the entire Lagos, the binis also had their territory, which means the oba isn't wrong.

Make all of Una go rest abeg

RonuRonu:
Lagos belongs to Benin, period

Lol, are you Bini? Only 1p0b bandits reason this way. Yoruba are the owners and are in both dejure and defacto control of Lagos.

Una don start ba?

RonuRonu:
Lagos belongs to Benin, period

If dem born you and your lineage well, come and lay claim to Lagos in person!

I'm sure your father would love to see you and your cohorts in bodybags

Olori pelebe!

Na Igbos carry the matter for head like gala, oh i forgot that's their JOB!

Whether they agree or not, that's their wahala

Yorubas own Lagos period

You can go and Die!

The ibos seem to care more about who owns Lagos than the people they claim own it 😂

No be juju be that?

Lol! He was not informed too?

Edo oni mo se


Everyone is claiming ownership of Lagos, very soon the Portuguese will enter the race and say they founded Lagos, after all it was named after their city (Laos)

Tinubu urchins believed that Tinubu developed Lagos but don't want to hear that Benin founded Lagos, this is purely double standard

By the way, since everyone is claiming to be founder and owner of Lagos, can we now say it's a 'NO MANS LAND'

Eko oni baje

Oba of Benin I know for sure can never lie.


Oba gha to okpere!!!

Ibo people

Let me advice you

You have your land now

Better develop it so that Yorubas can wish they own it

Nobody will help you develop your land trust me!

The first Oba of Lagos was a Benin man. Beside the Portuguese were the first discoverers and named Lagos. So what is all this fuse of ownership of Lagos?

If there was war between the Yorubas and the Edos, who do you think will win?

; Having larger numbers of fighters doesn't determine victory ✍️

After all, King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fought against Xerxes and his 100,000 Persian armies and won 👌

But I thought Tinubu created Lagos and he is the one that brought about all the developments in it too. Infact he is the source of the air everyone Is breathing In Lagos according to his urchins. Also on several occasions especially during his campaign for the presidency he always called himself the Lagos landlord lol.


So Tinubu owns and founded Lagos. Period

The fact that it's mainly the insignificant monarchs countering what the Oba said days ago, tell a lot about the whole thing..

Most of the so called monarchs want to be on the news with this. What a smart move. I heard they're even telling other monarchs to do so while it lasts ..

Seun (obviously a Yoruba guy) and his mods won't stop at nothing in making sure that such news hit front pages back to back..

But I want you to know that, the more you fight the more obvious it becomes ..

But honestly typing, the Oba truly struck a nerve, you know that moment when someone mistakenly or intentionally spray pepper in your eyes

PS: I'm not from Edo state...

The Aworis who are the true owner of Lagos have spoken
.
I love this. The Oba of Benin should stop doing nonsense and he should immediately come back to Ife where his crown originated

[/quote] from

[quote]Bamgbade urged the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, to retrace the origin of the Benin Kingdom to Ile Ife, like the Aworis have always done.

Like I have said, if Benin have found Lagos like the Oba allege falsely, they would have had ancestral land in Lagos and they would have been one of the actual Omo onile.

Kabiyesi have just reiterated that now. Oba of Benin should come and tell his his own father ancestral land in Lagos.

Her offspring are the Idejo who are the actual traditional landowners of Lagos.

“The spatial region of the land owned by the Idejo spans from Lagos Mainland (Iddo) to Lagos Island and up to Eti-Osa which he allocated absolutely to his children and other descendants.

In Nigeria.. We drag everything.. But end up losing all.

We drag tribe, drag states, drag communities, drag kindred.. Come to the family we drag land.

No sense of communal brotherhood.

Of everything affecting Nigeria.. What they are inviting the press and wasting time and resources is who first settled or own Lagos.


Come to the Europe most especially UK. They attract the best Brian from all over the world irrespective of where they come from to come contribute and make their nation great. Come to the universities of recent there has been increase in the number of black lecturers of recent mostly Nigerians lecturers

But in Nigeria, once you are not in my tribe or ur tribe just get lost.. If you like have the intelligence of Albert Einstein the other tribe will kick you off.

Even in the bible Nebudchadnezer had to subdued nation through warfare, forcefully take their bright and intelligent personalities take them to Babylon to build his kingdom..
Today the western world are doing same not through war but through subtly means
Why will kick out the intelligent ones on the useless excuse of tribe.

See where it has landed us.. Still unemployment, inflation, insecurity, bad leadership etc.

Everyone knows Bini were from Ile -ife, the way they are turning the hands of clock backward by claiming all south were once under Bini empire is worrisome.







EVEN IN WIKIPEDIA, BINI PEOPLE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT BINI PRECEDED FROM IFE.

Land grabbing ProMax.

Noted.

All these explanations aren’t necessary to me. Na person wey no know him history go dey vex when some people say things that they aren’t sure of.

If a mad man pack your clothes while you're inside bathroom bathing don't run follow the mad man otherwise people will think you're the mad man.

Sheuns:
All these explanations aren’t necessary to me. Na person wey no know him history go dey vex when some people say things that they aren’t sure of.

You're right.

No need for all this garbage talks.

FreeStuffsNG:


https://punchng.com/youre-wrong-aworis-are-lagos-first-settlers-lagos-monarch-counters-oba-of-benin/

Make una settles this matter once & for ALL...

LAGOS na overated but u all wan claim ba?

Oba of Benin is deflated. Leave him alone. He is at the Vulcaniser's workshop at Aso rock in Abuja and Lagos House at Ikeja seriously gasping for air! He dare not visit Obaseki's place at Satellite Town in Lagos and make such spurious claims.