The British shelled Lagos in 1851, allegedly due to Kosoko’s abduction of the crown from Akitoye and his involvement in the slave trade. Lagos’ thriving slave trade is now deemed inadequate and unacceptable, despite its historical significance. There were far more intricate circumstances leading up to the bombardment of Lagos.
Lagos is ideally located at the confluence of several creeks in the lagoon, making it a hub for natural water transportation to the surrounding area. Since the Portuguese arrived there in 1472, its advantageous position has made it a popular port of call for European ships. Lagos was drawn to the British in part because of its position.
The British were primarily motivated to take control of Lagos, or at least actively participate in its trade, as they had previously been barred from doing so, particularly after Kosoko assumed the role of Oba. From this position, they sought to take advantage of the resources located in the Yoruba hinterland.
Lagos’s population was primarily made up of farmers. There weren’t many people living on the island of Lagos itself; in 1750, there were only about 5,000 people living there. During this period, Badagry, situated approximately 48 kilometers west of Lagos, was a renowned hub for the slave trade. However, conflicts with Dahomey damaged Badagry’s reputation, and traders from Europe—including slave traders at the time—turned to the Lagos trade routes. Along with thousands of slaves, European goods—mostly cotton, weapons, and gunpowder—passed via these. Even when Clapperton and Lander visited Badagry in 1825, the majority of European traders were Portuguese. But the British needed an Oba they could control to take control of the throne in order to establish a presence in Lagos. Luckily for the British, they could take advantage of the long-standing dynastic rivalry in Lagos.
When Adele was selected to succeed his elder brother Esilogun as Oba in 1811, the conflict erupted. Adele later took sanctuary in Badagry, where Esilogun persuaded the British to assist him in regaining the kingdom. But Adele was unable to make a reappearance until Esilogun passed away. Oluwole, Adele’s son, succeeded his father. After Oluwole’s death in 1841, there was a dilemma because Kosoko, Esilogun’s son, had previously contested Oluwole’s right to succeed his father. Therefore, Kosoko believed he could fulfill his dreams when Oluwole passed away. However, Akintoye—who was occasionally referred to as Adele’s brother or Oluwole’s younger brother—was selected instead.
Kosoko successfully conspired to depose Akitoye from the throne in August 1845. Initially fleeing to Abeouta, Akitoye later sought refuge in Badagry, which was already the hub of Christian missionary endeavors. The missionaries and repatriates quickly came to sympathize with him there. The chiefs of Abeokuta even sided with Akitoye. His supporters united to call for the British to reinstate him as Lagos’ head. To also outlaw the slave trade, and allow them to establish a presence in the economically viable town.).
Lagos was seen by missionaries and traders as the entryway to the hinterland’s resources. Both sides intended to bring Christianity and lawful trade to the remainder of Yorubaland from Lagos.
The situation was made worse by the fact that Kosoko continued to be antagonistic toward the missionaries, even as Akitoye danced to their music. He even made an attempt to drive the missionaries out of Badagry and forbade freed slaves returning from Sierra Leone to live in Lagos. Fortunately for all those Kosoko alienated in this way, the consul, John Beecroft, proved to be a ready ally. Beecroft chose to make a show of force, using Kosoko’s unwillingness to sign the anti-slavery pact as a justification.
Invasion
With eleven gunboats, Beecroft invaded the harbor on November 20, 1815. Kosoko was adamant that unless Beecroft moved forward with the two gunboats that were available, he would not be receiving him. Kosoko continued to refuse to sign the anti-slavery treaty during their conference. Beecroft made another “visit” to Lagos five days later. But Kosoko’s soldiers made him encourage and force him back. Two officers were lost and sixteen more were injured on the British side. It damaged British reputation.
On December 24, 1851, the British arrived in large numbers. On that day, a group of 400 British troops, including Commodore Bruce, Captain Jones, Lyster, and Beecroft, pushed into Lagos.
The shelling commenced two days later. Kosoko’s death was sealed on the 27th when a rocket fell on his armor. He ran away to Ekpe the next day. Akitoye was crowned Oba on New Year’s Day, 1852, after having returned to Lagos earlier. He quickly ratified a pact promising to outlaw human sacrifice, ban the slave trade, and safeguard missionaries and other Europeans. Missionaries and traders moved from Lagos to Badagry shortly after that. Fraser, the Ouidah Vice-Consul, relocated to Lagos to take on the role of Consul. On July 21, 1852, Benjamin Campbell succeeded Fraser as the first Consul for the Bight of Benin, residing in Lagos.
After Akitoye’s death on September 2, 1852, his son Dosunmu took over. Commercial operations in Lagos had stopped booming by 1861 as a result of the Ijaye conflict, which had closed all commercial routes into the interior. Furthermore, there was a noticeable interest in Lagos from the French, who were already involved in Dahomey. In order to be better equipped to handle the issues, the British government approved the annexation of Lagos. In light of these circumstances.
With HMS Prometheus’ guns moored in the lagoon, Dosumu was forced to give up his kingdom to the British on August 6, 1861. Dosumu, McCrosky, the Acting Consul of the Bight of Benin, and Commander Bedingfield of the British (royal) Navy signed the treaty of cession.
Dosunmu cedes Lagos port and island to Great Britain, enabling Queen Elizabeth to protect Lagos people and stop slave trade. Dosunmu was permitted to keep his title of Oba (king of Lagos) and received a pension of 1030 pounds a year. In addition to receiving a pension, Kosoko was allowed to go back to Lagos. The new colony consisted of the island of Iddo, and a stretch of land stretching over sixteen kilometers from the shore. For a brief period, the colony’s governor was the consul of Lagos, Freeman, until Glover was named governor in 1864. The colony of the Gold Coast was merged with the “settlement of Lagos” in 1874.
This arrangement remained in place until January 13, 1886, when Captain C.A. Moloney became the colony of Lagos and took over as governor.
Check out the fall of yorubaland.
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