DOSUNMU A.D 1853-1885

1. When king Akitoye in 1853, he left as heir his eldest daughter, named Asi, the mother of Ajose. She was accordingly informed by the chiefs that she was to be the sovereign in the place of her deceased father. But when the question was brought before the English consul, he declared that king Akitoye had left a will in which he named son (Dosunmu) to be made King after his death.

2. The fact was in the early hour of the morning that the king died, two of his messenger’s hastily ran to the English Consul with the will made by Akitoye, and prevailed upon him to choose the eldest son of the deceased king whose name was Dosunmu to be their future Monarch. When the question of the election arose between the chiefs and the English Consul in council, the chiefs in order to comply with the consul agreed that a son born of the same parents should be chosen. In this way Dosunmu was placed on the throne of Lagos on the 22nd of June 1853. He received the support of the English Government.

3. One day during the month of March 1854, King Dosunmu left them to offer sacrifice to the god Erinkiran at a village called. He went with him his attendant and some of his wives, after he had left, his began to clean the palace in order that when the king arrived in the evening he might find everything neat and tidy, they took all the furniture and other things out of the house swept the whole, put them back to their proper places, but they forgot outside the casks containing gun powder which according to customs were generally stored inside the palace unlike the European.

4. When it was dusk they remembered that the kegs of the gun powder were still left outside, and at once they began to remove them into the house as the kegs were being rolled into the house a lot of powder fall out of one of them, without being perceived by any one. When evening came a man named Ode whose duty it was to light the lamps in the court threw by accident a match on the ground and it set fire on the powder on the floor, which ran along until it came to the kegs in the store. All the kegs took fire, blew up there was a terrible shock, by this time, King Dosunmu had not returned from his sacrifice. But when he was coming home in his paddle canoe, some of his son hastened to inform him that the kegs of powder were on fire during his absence, then the canoe men proceeded to row with great joy and were singing homeward, the following sweet song.

The entry of a leopard

5. On the 2nd of August 1854, a male leopard entered the town and caused many injuries, he nearly killed two men by inflicting wounds upon them. This Leopard was at last killed by a Diviner (Babalawo) from the interior.

6. A few days after this occurrence, a dear also gained entrance into the town, and was killed by the people. The 15th of April, 1856, witnessed the expulsion of Madam Tinubu from Lagos by King Dosunmu.

7. The cause was this: - this woman was very rich and her wealth was great that she hardly knew the number of her slaves. As there is scarcity anything a rich person cannot do, she would take upon herself the responsibility of issuing orders which should come only from the king, she was a friend of the king of Dahomey, and anything that occurred in Lagos was secretly reported by her to that king.

8. When king Dosunmu got tired of her conduct, he complained about her to Consul B. Campbell and received authority to banish her from the town. The consul even supplied the king with policemen to assist him in driving out the woman.

9. Dosunmu accordingly sent her an order to leave the town at once, and not to pass another evening in the town, but that she should sleep in her farm-house at Igbobi. But Tinubu came to the king at his palace, and began to relate to him the story as to how she and the king’s father (Akitoye) had been on very friendly terms which fact he himself was aware of. But the king informed her that he did not want her to live any more in the town, and more also he did not like her to sleep in Lagos that night.

10. When she returned home, her slaves were prepared to fight the policemen, but she informed them that she was not a slave at Abeokuta, but a free born, and she had waited to Lagos and that God blesses her. She said that she and her slaves should not fight but that she was willing to leave Lagos. In this way Tinubu left Lagos that day.

Declaration occasion. The signing of the Treaty

11. On the 6th of August, a public declaration was made that the country was coded to English Government; this declaration was confirmed by King Dosunmu himself who signed the document in the afternoon at his square in the following terms. –

Signing the treaty:

Articles 1. – In order that the Queen of England may be the better enable to assist, defend and protect the inhabitants of Lagos, and to put an end to the slave trade in this and the neighboring countries, and to prevent the destructive wars so frequently undertaken by Dahomey and others for the capture of slaves, do with the consent and advice of my council, give, transfer and by those presents, grant and confirm unto.

Disputes between the Idejos and King.

12. There was great dispute between the Idejos and the king because the land of Lagos and it neighborhood did not belong to the king Doremo, and for that reason they absorbed that he no right to give them away to the British Government, because the owners of the land of Lagos from the beginning were the “white-cap-chiefs” called the “Idejos” and none of them had signed the treaty of custom of land to the English Government, which King Dosunmu and his kinsmen and two chiefs, the Apena and Asogbon with one fetish priest, Obanikoro, had signed on the 6th August, 1861.

13. On account of the dispute between the king and the Idejos, king Dosunmu impressed it on the English officers to add two clauses above mentioned to the treaty.

14. In spite of the addition made to the treaty, the Idejos still refused to give their consent to the treaty signed by king Dosunmu and said that they could not give their land away to European. For six months they persisted in this refusal.

15. On the 11th of February 1862, consul Henry Stanhope Freeman the then Governor of Lagos organized a meting of the Idejos and king, in order to explain to them the treaty of cession to the English Government. He assured them that the treaty would not deprive them of their power and right over their land in Lagos, and that they were the owners of their land, that king Dosunmu and his leaders had no land anywhere here except what they (Idejos) give them.

16. When the Declaration was publicly made by means of Government notification, the Idejos and king Dosunmu unwillingly agreed to the yearly stipend to be paid by the English Government to the king, after this there were no more wars, and everything went on peacefully during the rest of his reign.

Harbor war was blocked up

17. In the month of April 1870, the entrance to the Lagos harbor was blocked up with heap of sands so that they cloud enter the lagoon. All the chiefs in consequence went to Governor, (the Governor and father of small children) and told him that they denied to offer sacrifice to the sea god (Yemojn) for it had been the custom, when the harbor her was thus closed to offer a sacrifice to the sea god. The Governor gave them power to carry out their purpose, and even encouraged them by giving them good present. The head of the fetishers who conducted the worship at the time was chief Oniru.

18. On the 28th of April, all the different worshipers of Idejo began in work of propitiation, the worshipers of the sea god (Yemoja) god of wind (Oya) god of Thunder (Sango), the goddess of love and beauty (Obatain), and other fetishers went daily to the own shore to offer sacrifice with name, sheep and other things. Their sacrifice was accepted as they believed and the heap of sand disappeared from the month of the harbor, and the steamers were able to come in and go out

A comet visible

19. In the month of September, 1882, in the nineteenth year of his reign, a comet appeared in heaven, and caused great excitement among the people in Lagos, people said that it signifies bloodshed, confusion in countries, famine, deaths of great personages and kings, the destruction of countries and also their evils of a general character that occasionally visit the people of any nation.

The great quarrel began

20. Some time after, a great misunderstanding arose among the elders of the town at ‘Itakuta Court” at Isale Eko, where wary play was always indulged in the names of the personages who fell into displeasure were the following: - His Majesty King Dosunmu the old Sogbon, Apena, Tiawo Olowo, Ogunbevon and others. The dispute because so serious that it would have led to civil war if the country had not been in the hands of the English Government.

21. Yet the quarrel continued so far that it was headed down to the offering of these men, who in their turn were bent on the destruction of one another. This misunderstanding lasted for many years; it was recognized under the name of quarrel of Taiwo Olowo and the king Dosunmu”. The same dispute caused the quarrel between Apena and the king which necessities the interference of the English Government.

22. Apena was chief of Osugbo- the magistrate of the Council, as one king was so much attached to him that he gave him the right and power of granting to the public the “Eyo play”, which is a ceremony conducted with the funerals of distinguished persons in the town. Apena was also allowed to receive from the Government to royal seal of Lagos on all licenses issued by him. Thus Apena was placed above the other chiefs and his position was so high that whenever the other elders and Apena were present at the king’s palace, Apena’s seat would be set next to that of the king. He put on the same bead and necklaces as the king. The chiefs looked on in wonder at this special friendship and favor between the king and the Apena.

23. After some times, the chiefs formed a compact against them, on day when there was a convocation of the chiefs, the chief Eletu Ojibo gave an insinuation to king Dosunmu saying: - “Rich Gentlemen” – are for the king) when was a new “Ologun Atebo” nominated (the position of such chief in Lagos was next to be king) without our knowledge for Apena is trying to imitate your Majesty. Apena then answered and said “who are you, the Eletu, that you would thus deride me?” the Rich Gentlemen too became involved in the matter, and was questioned by Apena, whether he too was an enemy with the other chiefs. Thus the quarrel became greater and greater among the chiefs with Apena.

Apena was deprived of his advantage

24. At length, king Dosunmu deprived Apena the right to issuing Eyo licenses to the people and prevailed upon the Governor to refuse the king’s royal suit to any one unless he should apply for it himself.

25. Mean while a gentleman named Jacob Alesinloyo intended to secure Eyo Play in honour of the funeral obsequies of his mother, and therefore went to Apena to make arrangements about having the Eyo. Apena consequently came to the king in order to procure for Alesinloyo the necessary licence, but was told by the king in a negative manner that “you can do as you pleased”.

26. Apena then applied to the Government for licence, but it was refused him, and was told that unless he received permission from king Dosunmu he could not obtain it. He replied that he had already been granted the right by the king to receive the royal seal for his licence. He was answered that it was indeed a fact, but at present, instructions had been received from the king to give the royal seal to nobody, and if he wished to obtain it, he will produce a warrant from the king.

27. When the latter was presented at Government house the Governor sent it back with one of his policeman to king Dosnumu. When the king saw the letter which was sent to enquire whether he had written it or not, the king gave a negative answer, he then called Apena and reprimanded him for having inserted his name in the letter sent to the Government without hid knowledge. These circumstances however created great dissatisfaction between the king, Apena and the chiefs.

28. A meeting was then called to discuss the matter and to put an end to it, Apena however was boasting and threatening the chiefs and the king. Seeing the attitude of Apena towards the king, Oyekan the king’s son stood up, and suddenly gave Apena a slap on his face adding that, if Apena should insult his father, it should be in Apena’s house, and that Apena should never take such advantage in the king’s palace. The king did not approve of this action of Oyekan, he got vexed and uttered the following imprecations, saying: -“the boy the imprecations by saying; - the boy shall not be lost, but he will live a long life of prosperity.

29. This action of Oyekan opened fresh wounds in the quarrel instead of curing it. When the chiefs of the Council or the “Ogbonis” began to beat the big drum, which gave an insinuating sound Against Apena, he got inflamed at the instance, went to the “Ogbonis” house, interfered, and told them not to beat it any more, and threatened that with punishment if they should do so.

30. On leaving the lodge the members went to report him to the king who told them not to take any notice of Apena’s words.

31. On the next session of the council, the chiefs beat the drum in the same manner, and were feasting themselves, when Apena heard it, he rose up in anger, and took his sword and hastened to the lodge room. He spoke thus to the members of the lodge: - “I, the Apena have forbidden you to beat this drum, and you take no notice of my command”, so saying, he trusted his sword into the drum and tore it. The report of his action of the Apena was brought to the king and chiefs, who at once came out to look for him the lodge room but he had gone away after committing this wicked act. If he had been met either on the way or in the lodge room, he would have had to pay very dearly for his action, and probably a civil war would have ensued.

32. Soon after, the chiefs approached the then Governor of Lagos R.K Barrow, and related to him the matter. He called Apena and reproached him for his bad behavior. The chiefs however, were not satisfied with Apena, and brought other charges against him, and asked the Governor to settle the unceasing dispute among them by deporting him from Lagos. For, if he should not take this step a civil war would follow, since there could not be tow kings in one town.
33. Thereupon, the Governor sent Superintendent of police Mr. Willoughby to arrest Apena and his fellow insurgents on the 17th of September, 1884; the following are the names of those who were arrested: - Apena, Ajansa, Okoya, Idoluwo, Agoro, Akinnwunmi and Obirikiti when these people were brought up, the Governor transported them to the Gold Coast.

34. Before the departure of the steamer, Apena stood out and said “Odidere ki ku s’oko ifeje” that is “a parrot never perished when looking for her living” –meaning he was sure to return again to Lagos in safety.

35. After their deportation, the town was in peace. Then the king’s party sang and said- “while the English were looking for soldiers, Ajase was packed up and went away beyond the suns”.

36. On the 31st of August, 1884, two Mohammedan pilgrims Mecca, Isau the son of Onipede, and the other an elderly residing at Olowogbowo returned to Lagos from their pilgrimage on Obun-Eko market day. It was a grand occasion for the Mohammedan to see them return, after their departure since 1877. All the Mohammedan went to meet them at Ebute-Ero. Many went on horseback, on their way home they visited Imam, and also king Dosunmu at his palace. He received them kindly because they were the first son to go from Lagos to Mecca and to return safely.

The king’s character

37. This king was great affection for his chief, he desired the prosperity of his country and would often impress it on his chiefs that the times have fallen into the hands of the Europeans and therefore, there was no more injustice and barbarous practice. By his wisdom, he freed himself from annoyance and difficulties of his times, activities and the change of Government. Whenever his people trespassed against the English laws, he would reproach them for it, and caution them to avoid such act in the future. This was his conduct during his reign; he was twenty-five years on the throne and died on the 26th of February 1885.

38. The following appellation well known to many people shows his courage, power and influence.