Thread by @YorubaHistory

Recall of Adele and what led to it

Oshiloku the son of Kuteri, was older than his brother Adele, and so had a prior right to the throne. But this right he waived in favor of Adele.

Photo: A young Oba Oyekan I r. 1885 - 1900 identified by Uyi Obaseki (Alamy)

Source: Historical Notices of Lagos, West Africa by Rev. J. Buckley Wood (1933)

The reason assigned for his doing so is, that he was a lover of money and held some position which brought a good income, that he preferred keeping this position to becoming King;...

... because if he were King, though his revenues would be larger, his expenditures would be equally great; and besides this, the money would be regarded as public money.

After some time Oshiloku began to regret having forgone his right to the throne, and to act with a view to deprive Adele of it, and obtain it for himself; but Adele received warnings and used means to strengthen the position.

So the coveted opportunity did not occur.

Oshiloku went to offer sacrifice, with some of his adherents, to a place not far from Ikorodu. Adele not only forbade his return to Lagos, but sent a force after him to fight him and his party Oshiloku was driven to Isheri.

Adele now deemed himself secure from further annoyance from his brother, and allowed his natural character to manifest itself.

He was proud and exacting, mean and covetous, and ruled with so much harshness and arrogance that his people became greatly disaffected towards him.

A large party collected themselves, and left Lagos for Isheri, to bring back the exile Oshiloku and place him on the throne.

When this party returned, bringing with them Oshiloku, on nearing Lagos they prepared for the struggle they would have to make to effect a landing; for they appear not to have doubted that Adele had organised his people for the purpose of opposing their return.

This Adele had attempted to do but had signally failed; the people would not fight for him. Seeing how matters stood, he used the darkness of the night to make his escape; & the following morning Oshiloku & his party landed unopposed & he was soon made King in the room of Adele.

The latter fled to Badagry, and there was there at the time the Landers arrived there, on there way to Niger, in 1830, and he it was who troubled and fleeced them so much.

Oshiloku occupied the throne only for a brief period; how long exactly does not appear. He was followed by his son Edewu, whose reign, like his father's, was short.

In the ordinary course of things, Kosoko, the brother of Edewu, and the son of Oshiloku, should next have reigned.

But the exiled Adele was brought back and restored to the throne.

Adele owed his return to Lagos to the existence of a bitter feud between Kosoko and a powerful Chief, whose official name was Eletu.

It was the office of the Eletu, when a king had been chosen, to crown him, and unless the Eletu performed his part the person designated for the throne was not endowed with the prerogatives of the kingly office.

This made the Eletu a person of much consequence.

But in addition to this, the Eletu with whom Kosoko had to deal was a man of vigorous and robust [FA] character.

It was a privilege of the Kings of Lagos that they might take for a wife any young woman who happened to please them; and whether the parents or friends of such young woman liked it or not they had to put up with it.

In a somewhat limited way Kings' sons acted after the manner of their fathers.

It happened that Kosoko took as a wife with leave asked, a young woman who was betrothed to the Eletu. The Eletu resented the injury done him and was angry beyond measure.

As was mentioned the reign of Edewu was short, and it seems to have terminated unexpectedly.

On his death the Eletu lost no time in recalling Adele from Badagry.

It does not appear that Kosoko was at all prepared for this move or that he had taken precautions to secure the throne for himself; on the contrary he acted as sure of succeeding his brother.

He was unprepared to offer any elective opposition to the restoration of Adele, so he allowed what he could not hinder.

Adele ruled for three years after his return; during this period Kosoko was maturing his plans for succeeding him when the throne was again vacant.

At the expiration of the period mentioned, Adele died.