Colonial History of Imeko

By Kayode Oladele 

“History builds a better understanding of the world and history saved and preserved, is the foundation for future generations.”-Annonymous 

In 1859,  Rev. Charles Andrew Gollmer , the first missionary ever to step his feet on the soil of Imeko, a thriving town in the northwest of the coastal city of Lagos, visited Imeko and witnessed the coronation of the new Onimeko of Imeko, Oba Oyefi Akanku I. Rev. Gollmer was very impressed with the elaborate and colorful coronation ceremonies which attracted a very large number of people from Imeko, Ketu and other neighboring  towns that he wrote his impression down in his diary. He spent ten days in Ketu in the present day Republic of Benin and five days in Imeko  (17th-22nd August,1859)  before he returned to Lagos through Abeokuta.

Following the Lagos Treaty of Cession which was signed by Oba Dosunmu (Spelt Docemo by the British), Lagos was declared  a Colony on March 5, 1862. Apart from Lagos suburbs, other major towns under the Colony of Lagos included Epe, Badagry , Ikorodu and Imeko.

In 1874, Rev. Valentine Faulkner, a CMS itinerant missionary visited Imeko on an enquiry research of the history of the  British Colonial Contact with Colony of Lagos and its environs which he sent to Sir Cornelius Alfred Moloney, the then acting British Administrator of Lagos Colony. Moloney later became the Governor of Lagos Colony  from 1886-1890.  

In 1891, the British Colonial government created the Western District of Lagos Colony and made  Imeko  the Administrative Headquarters.  It is interesting to note that at the time the British Colonial government commenced  its government operations in Imeko in 1891, the town had almost become desolate due to incessant wars with the Dahomeans which started in 1882. However, two things happened that quickly made the resettlement of Imeko possible. The first was the decision by the British Colonial administration to create the Western District of Lagos and made Imeko the administrative headquarters. The second event was the defeat of the  Dahomean war mongers: the King of Abomey, who walked the path of his father and grandfather, Gezo and Glele, was leading the Dahomean war against Imeko, Ketu and Abeokuta  was captured and caged by the French Army led by Gen. Alfred Dodd as a result of which peace was restored in the area. 

As a result of this development, several indigenes of Imeko returned home to resettle in 1893, two years after Imeko had become the new Administrative Headquarters of the Western District of Lagos. Therefore, the major resettlement of Imeko took place in 1893, the same year Oba Durodolu Akanku II was officially installed as the Onimeko of Imeko. 

The jurisdiction of the Western District of Lagos covered several communities in today’s lagos and Ogun states  including Badagry, Imeko, Agbara, Ado-Odo, Igbesa  Ipokia, Ago-Sasa,  Oke-Odan, Eggua, Ilaro, Igbogila, Sawonjo,  Igan -Alade, Ijoun, Ijale, Ijaka Isale, Ijaka Oke, Aworo, Ibiyan, Tobolo, Jabata, Wasimi, Igan-Okoto, Joga, Ishaga, Imasayi, Iboro, Ibese, etc. The settlement of Iwoye-Ketu was then under the French Dahomey while Ayetoro, Yewa North Local Government headquarters had not been in existence then, having been officially founded in 1911 under the leadership of Seriki Abass.

In 1899, the Colonial government also established the first Preventive Service ( Immigration and Enforcement arm of the Customs ) in Imeko to prevent smuggling from French Dahomey into the Colony of Lagos. 

This was the  case until 1906 when the Colony of Lagos was merged with the Southern Protectorate to form  a single entity known as the Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria. The Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria was then divided into three Provinces namely: (1) The Western Province (2) The  Central Province and (3)The  Eastern Province respectively.  

While Lagos retained its position as the Headquarters of the Western Province, the Province was further divided into eleven Districts and a sub District. under the new dispensation, the old   Western District of Lagos  with Imeko as the Headquarters was divided into two namely, Imeko District (otherwise known as Western Frontiers District) with headquarters at Imeko and Badagry District with headquarters at Badagry. Precisely, following is the list of all the Districts that made up the Western Province: Lagos District, Epe District, Ikorodu District, Ijebu-Ode District, Badagry District, Imeko District, Egba(Abeokuta) District , Ilesha District, Ondo District, Oyo District, Ibadan District and  Oshogbo sub-district respectively.

In 1910, part of Badagry District including Badagry and its environs were merged with Lagos District while the rest of the defunct  Badagry District  namely, Agbara, Igbesa,  Ado-Odo, Ipokia, Ilaro, Oke-Odan, Imasayi , Iboro, Joga, Igan-Okoto, Sawonjo,  Ilaro and Igbogila  were merged with their kins in Imeko District. The new Imeko District covered the entirety of what is now known as Yewa today,  yet, with Imeko as the Administrative headquarters. 

By an Agreement dated August 4, 1910, between the Onimeko of Imeko, Oba Durodolu, his principal (hereditary) Chiefs namely the Esaba, Ara, Esiki, Oga Otun, Oga Osi, Ajina, Oshura , Olumoro, the Baales of Jabata and Wasimi and Sir Walter Egerton the  Governor of the Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria, the Onimeko in-council and the Baales of Wasimi and Jabata granted to the Government of the Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria , a large parcel of land measuring 230 Sq Miles for the establishment of three Forest Reserves namely (1) Omudo-Idose Forest Reserve (2) Abafon Forest Reserve and (3)Oha Forest Reserve. 

However, Imeko lost its status as administrative headquarters on the 21st of March 1914 (following the Amalgamation of Nigeria) when Lord Fredrick  John Dealtry Lugard, the last Governor of Southern Nigeria Protectorate (1912–1914), the last Governor of Northern Nigeria Protectorate  (1912-1914) and the first Governor-General of Nigeria (1914–1919), established a new headquarters in Ilaro and closed the administrative office in Imeko. 

Ilaro officially became the administrative headquarters on 26th, March 1914. It started as Ilaro District and later became known as ilaro Division covering all the jurisdiction hitherto covered by the defunct Imeko District.