The succession dispute to the throne of Lagos and the British conquest and occupation of Lagos

Abstract

This paper examined the role and intervention of the British in the internal family dispute relating to the succession to the throne of Lagos that began in the early nineteenth century. That the usuper to the throne of Lagos, Kosoko who was branded a notorious slave trader was abdicated from the throne on the account of his notoriety as a slave trade dealer by the British and his uncle Akintoye, who was also a known slave dealer was re-installed as the ruler of Lagos on the agreement that the British missionaries and traders were given free course unhindered in their operations, lives much to be wondered about. The paper argued that beyond the moves to discontinue the trade in slaves and Christianize the area, there was much more the motivation for entrenching the British economic foothold beginning with Lagos which offered a leeway into the interior and coastal areas and the eventual colonization of Nigeria.

Keywords: Succession Disputes, Church Missionary Society, Foreign Office