Kosoko
| Kosoko | |
|---|---|
| Oba of Lagos | |
| Reign | 1845 - 1851 |
| Predecessor | Akitoye |
| Successor | Akitoye |
| Born | Kosoko Lagos |
| Died | 1872 Lagos |
| House | Ado, Ologun Kutere, Osinlokun |
| Father | Osinlokun |
Kosoko (died 1872) was a member of the Ologun Kutere Lagos Royal Family who reigned as Oba of Lagos from 1845 to 1851. His father was Oba Osinlokun and his siblings were Idewu Ojulari (who was Oba from 1829 to 1834/35) and Opo Olu, a wealthy and powerful female slave holder.
Kosoko's ascendancy to the Obaship of Lagos in 1845 was predated by a series of dramatic events.
When Oba Ologun Kutere died (between 1800 and 1805), a succession struggle ensued between his older son (Osinlokun) and his younger and preferred son (Adele). Though the kingship was not determined by birth order but by Kingmakers and a consultation of the Ifa Oracle, Osinlokun and his followers mounted opposition to Adele's kingship. Adele's reign was then cut short in 1821 by his older brother, Osinlokun, around 1821, forcing Adele to exile to Badagry where he assumed headship of the town.
Kosoko offended the powerful prime minister (Eletu Odibo)and Kingmaker by marrying a woman betrothed to Chief Eletu Odibo. Eletu Odibo, as head of the akarigbere class of chiefs, was vested with the authority to oversee the selection and installation of obas. Kosoko's arrogant decision would come to haunt his bid for the throne as Chief Eletu Odibo took great offense and the feud between both men altered the Obaship succession many times and set the stage for British intervention in Lagos later in 1851.
When Osinlokun died in 1829, Kosoko's brother, Idewu Ojulari, became Oba and reigned from 1829 to around 1834/5, however Idewu Ojulari's reign was unpopular and at the behest of the Oba of Benin, to whom the people of Lagos had petitioned (Lagos was under Benin suzerainty up until the reigns of Oba Akitoye and Dosunmu who rebuffed payments to Benin), Idewu Ojulari committed suicide.
Since Kosoko was now unacceptable to Eletu Odibo, the Kingmakers invited Adele home from Badagry to rule as Oba of Lagos for a second term. Oba Adele's second reign terminated upon his death in 1837 and again, Eletu Odibo blocked Kosoko's accession and installed Oluwole, Adele's son.
The intensity of the Eletu Odibo and Kosoko feud increased with Eletu Odibo extending his vendetta to Opo Olu, Kosoko's sister, accusing her of witchcraft. The diviners found Opo Olu innocent however Oba Oluwole banished Opo Olu from Lagos, leading Kosoko and his followers to pursue a failed armed rising known as Ogun Ewe Koko ("leaves of the coco-yam war") which resulted in Kosoko and his followers fleeing to Epe.
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Wikipedia