From Jaguda Boys to Boma Boys to Area Boys.

The roots of today’s Lagos street gangs are buried deep in the city’s colonial history. In the early 1920s, Lagos was booming.

Jobs outnumbered workers. But by the end of the decade, the cocoa produce crash had pushed thousands into the streets.

Poverty in the city took a new and dangerous shape.

This is Amos Shackleford, 1887-1954, aka The Bread King of Lagos.

Amos Shackleford was a Jamaican. He first came to Lagos in 1913 to work for the Nigerian Railway, living at Ebute Metta.

He returned to Jamaica at the end of his three year contract with Nigerian Railway in 1916. He returned to Nigeria two years later in 1918 and became head clerk for the Nigerian firm of S. Thomas and Co.

The firm S. Thomas & Co was owned by PJC Thomas one of the leading Nigerian businessman of his time, and the first president of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce.

The announcement of the death of Bode Agusto at 68, today brings to mind his Afro Brazilian Muslim heritage.

He is the grandson of the Imam Lawal Basil Agusto 1885-1971.

We pay tribute to the illustrious Bode Agusto as we recall the life of his equally illustrious grandfather. Imam Basil Agusto QC was the son of a Muslim Brazilian returnees of Lagos island.

His family was one of many Afro-Brazilian Muslim families such as Salvador, Yahaya Tokunboh, Tiamiyu Savage, Jubril Martin, Gomez, Da Silva & Pedro families.

In 1854 Chief Ogunbona, Balogun of Ikija, generalissimo of the Egba & patron of the Christian mission threw a European style dinner party for all the Europeans & missionaries in Abeokuta.

It was to settle some very difficult problems between Christians & traditionalists. In 1854, Christianity was just about a decade among the Egba, so there was still issues.

The following are two accounts by two of the invitees, one focusing on the setting and the other Ogunbona’ speech.

As found in Religious Encounter & the Making of the Yoruba, By J.D.Y Peel.

The Lisa of Lagos, Chief Joseph Kosoniola Randle 1909–1956.

"The Chef de Mission of the Ceylonese team to the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, Mr J Grere (right) hands a caddy of Ceylon tea to the Chef de Mission of Nigerian team, Chief JK Randle.”

📷: National Archives Australia Chief JK Randle II the son of Dr. John Kehinde Randle, physician & sports philanthropist, was also a keen sportsman & supporter.

He was the first captain of the Zik’s Sports Club, private members club in Lagos.

He is the father of well known accountant, Bashorun JK Randle III.

Architect Margaret Maria Dada Marquis 1944-2022,

A fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, she is also reputed to be the first female architect from Lagos state.

She passed on in a Dubai hospital a week ago, aged 78 in the early hours of Saturday 19 Feb 2002. She had been gravely ill. Her death came 5 days after her 78th birthday.

She’ll most likely be interred in Dubai at a date to be announced.

She is the daughter of Januario Marquis, from the Marquis family of Lafiaji, Lagos. 

She was born in Ibadan on 14th February 1944.

Derek John ‘DeeJay’ Bullock, 1926-2009

Educator.

Born in Doncaster England.

He started as an Education Officer in the Colonial Service; his choice of posting was to Nigeria.

He landed Marina , Lagos, on the on the 4th September 1950. His first posting was to the Provincial Education Office, Abeokuta, where he served under Mr. J.M.M.Osimosu.

By April 1951, he made his first appearance in Government College Ibadan, for one term on relief duties!

Yoruba Sango Priest’s Costume with Leather & Mirrors, circa 1850
length: 96.5cm, width: 54.5cm (approximately.)

This splendid & well preserved tunic was worn by a Shango priest.

Sango devotion is a very important part of traditional Yoruba spiritual tradition. The double-sided tunic is of deep-red cotton cloth over-sewn with goat-leather panels in columns of double zig-zags & yellow cotton also in zig-zags.

The top panels are of unembellished goat leather, with shoulder pads on either side.

Each shoulder has a glass mirror insert.

The Olu of Warri has gone to be with his ancestors; long live the Olu.

It was announced about a month ago that the 20th Oba or Olu of Iwere Kingdom (Warri) Ogiame Ikenwoli, joined his ancestors.

It happened 5 months earlier, on 20th December, 2020. A successor was immediately chosen in Prince Tsola Emiko, 37 year old son of Ogiame Atuwatse II, 19th Olu of Warri. He’s also nephew of the deceased Olu.

The choice was made by the kingmakers & ratified by the Ifa Oracle, in accordance with Warri tradition.

The Ife Primary Education Research Project (1970-1983).

aka

The Ife 6-Year Primary Project. In 1970, as the Director of the Institute of Education of the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife), later Dean Faculty of Education, Prof. Babs Fafunwa & his team embarked on one of the most groundbreaking research projects in education for Yorubaland.

The AIONIAN Brotherhood of Schools and their founding principals.

This was an association of four of some of the oldest secondary schools in Yorubaland.

It was founded in 1929/30. AIONI was the combination of the first letters of the 4 schools

A - Abeokuta Grammar School
I - Ijebu ode Grammar School
ON - Ondo Boys High School
I - Ibadan Grammar School

The last 2 letters, AN were added to the name to make it adjectival.

“Ibadan, not before 1948.”

Eugene V. Harris was an American photographer who spent 10 years traveling the world, documenting lives in photographs. He spent time in Nigeria, visiting Lagos, Ibadan & Kano.

Here’s a selection of photos showing life in Ibadan, “not before 1948.” Ibadan is a traditional Yoruba city; people lived in the city and worked mainly on farms in outlying villages and hunted in the forests.

“Lagos, not before 1948.”

Eugene V. Harris was an American photographer who spent ten years traveling the world, documenting the lives of people in photographs. He spent some time in Nigeria, visiting Lagos, Ibadan & Kano.

Here’s a selection depicting Lagos life “not before...” Dockworkers.

August Agboola O'Browne

1895-1976

Celebrated Polish Jazz percussionist.

The only black member of WWII Polish Nazi resistance.

He survived the brutal war in which 94% of Warsaw residents were either killed or displaced, and continued living in the ravaged city until 1958. August Agboola O'Browne was born on 22 July 1895 in Lagos, to Wallace and Josefina Agboola.

Very little is known about his early life in Lagos, but he stowed away to the UK aboard a British merchant ship, with the help of his father who was a longshoreman on the ship.

Seguindo nossa linha sobre o Orixá Ìbejì, tem havido bastante interesse dos Iorubás do Brasil. Portanto, traduzimos para o português para seu benefício. Agradecemos a Ogunmide Kiniun @Ogunmidekiniun pela ajuda com a tradução. Orixá Ìbejì

O Culto Yorùbá Ìbejì

E

Eré Ìbejì.

Os iorubás da Nigéria e da República do Benin são conhecidos por terem uma taxa extraordinariamente alta de nascimentos múltiplos.

Orisa Ibeji

The Yoruba Ibeji Cult

&

Ere Ibeji. The Yoruba of Nigeria and Benin Republic are known for having an extraordinarily high rate of multiple births.

The rate of twin births is one of the highest in the world; 45 of every 1,000 births (in the United States it
is 28.9 of every 1000).

Happy Independence Day!

May God bless Nigeria and her peoples.

A few pictures from 1960.

A Nigerian students’ celebration rally in London. Souvenirs from the occasion in Lagos.

Kiriji War.

Or

Ekiti Parapo War.

Or

The Yoruba Civil War.

1877-1893

One of the longest civil wars in history. 23rd September is the anniversary of the signing of the peace treaty that ended the almost 17 year Yoruba civil war, also known as the Kiriji war.

The warring factions were the western Yoruba; Ibadan/Oyo against the eastern Yoruba; Ekiti in alliance with Ilesa.

Mama Alma Rohm of Iwo

1925-2016

Lived 66 of her 91 years on earth in Iwo.

Born in Waco Texas.
At the age of 9 she went through an experience in which according to her, the Holy Spirit said she would be a single woman all her life long and will be a missionary in Africa. She graduated in Education, English and Biology from Baylor University in 1947. She immediately proceeded to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary to study the Bible.

She graduated in 1949 and in July 1950, at the age of 25, set sail for Nigeria on missionary posting.

Pa Orlando Martins
1899–1985

Celebrated film and stage actor.

He was born in Oke-Suna Street, Lagos to Emmanuel Akinola Martins a Clerk in the marine department of PWD, & his wife Madam Paula Idowu Soares, a trader and clothes launderer. His mother, Madam Paula Soares highlighted, in a family photo with his father’s younger brother and three of his sisters, taken in the mid ‘20s while he was in England. His father had died at this time.

Oba Aromolaran I of Ijesaland

Reigned 1920-1942

His inner robe(only partially visible) was made from cloth which was a gift from the British administrative officer. It was used to mark the coronation of King George VI of England, father of the current queen. The picture was taken a year after George VI’s coronation, in 1937, when the Owa had been on the throne for approximately 17 years."

Incidentally that was the year the present Oba was born.

Source: collection of S Maryam Ajanaku