The largest city inhabited by the
Ijebus, an ethnic group who speak the Ijebu Language, it is historically and culturally the headquarters of Ijebuland. The name "Ijebu-Ode" is a combination of the names of two persons namely, AJEBU and OLODE who were conspicuous as leaders of the original settlers and founders of the town. Today, however, due to migration, colonization, and inter-tribal marriage, Ijebu-Ode is now composed of a mixed people who majorly speak the general Yoruba language, as opposed to the local dialect. In 1891, the Ijebu tribe, dwelling between 50 and 60 miles north-east of Lagos on the Magbon river, set a blockade on the trade route from the interior into Lagos, which was a crown colony, and charged customs dues which served as their income. The Awujale, the traditional ruler of Ijebu, closed down the Ejirin market, cutting off Lagos from a source of up-country trade. The
British colonial government persuaded the Awujale several times to open the blockaded route but the Ijebu ruler remained adamant. However, in May 1891, a British acting governor, Captain C.M. Denton C.M.G, together with some Hausa troops (mostly slaves who fled the North to the South and were recruited by the British) went to Ijebu kingdom to make an agreement with the Awujale on opening the blockaded route and allowing the free passage of goods into Lagos. The Awujale refused but after much persuasion and pressure, the Awujale agreed in January 1892 on the terms of receiving £500 annually as compensation for the loss of customs revenue. However, the agreement didn't last long. A white missionary was denied access to pass through the kingdom and was sent back. The British colonial government was provoked by the action of the Ijebus and authorized the formation of an expeditionary force to attack the kingdom; the British gathered men from the Gold Coast, Sierra Leone, Ibadan, and Lagos (the Hausa troops numbering nearly 150 men).
British-Ijebu War Also known as the Battle of
Imagbon, a Colonel, F.C. Scott C.B, was the commander of the British expeditionary force numbering around 450 men. On 12 May 1892, the captain and his men, including some carriers, sailed up the Lagos Lagoon and landed at
Epe. When they got to
Lekki, another 186 soldiers were recruited. On the Ijebu side, 8,000 men, equipped with old rifles, were recruited to fight the British. The British underestimated the fighting prowess of the Ijebus thus giving them a hard time penetrating into the interior of the Ijebu kingdom. On the first day of battle, the British captured and burnt four Ijebu-held villages with some of their force sustaining fatal injuries. The next day, they proceeded to Atumba and, equipped with
Maxim guns, engaged in a skirmish with Ijebu forces. The British lost 12 men which included a Briton and 11 Africans. Every Ijebu village they captured was subsequently burnt. The Ijebus were sustaining heavy losses in battles thus far but were determined to prevent the British from crossing the Yemoji River. The goddess of the Yemoji River was said to have accepted
human sacrifices in order to prevent the British from crossing. The river was dug deeper by the Ijebus to make it impenetrable by all means for the British. However, the British managed to cross the Yemoji River and unleashed havoc on the Ijebus. They proceeded to the Ijebu settlement of Imagbon. The Ijebus had lost over 900 men while the British lost only 56 men with around 30 wounded. The Ijebus were still determined to fight on but shortly afterward, the Awujale surrendered and admitted defeat. The
Union Flag was later raised above Ijebu Ode. Captain Scott warned his men against pillaging which some didn't heed especially the Ibadan irregulars who were later deprived of their arms. The toll gates in Oru built by the Ijebus were destroyed and some of their shrines were also torched. This conflict is also known in history as the 1892 Ijebu Expedition. All European members of the British expeditionary force were awarded The East & West Africa Medal with Clasp dated ‘1892’. Today, one of these medals can be found in
Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. Ijebu kingdom was later annexed to the colony of southern Nigeria. ==Monarch==