Rufai Oseni, a broadcast journalist and news presenter, has weighed in on the ongoing tribal disputes among Lagosians over the ‘ownership’ of Lagos State.
The journalist took part in the conversation just days after some politicians in Lagos State claimed that the Igbo ethnic group is plotting to take over Lagos from the Yorubas. They pushed the narrative that Igbos, as represented by Labour Party (LP) candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, want to take over Lagos.
Oseni, on the other hand, stated in a tweet on Wednesday, March 15, that Lagos was a British colony until it was ceded to a Lagos Monarch.
He went on to say that the British were responsible for some of the state’s developments. He also posted a picture of the treaty cessation document signed by the then-British government and Oba Dosunmu.
Oseni refused to acknowledge the position that “Lagos is no man’s land,” or that “it is a Yoruba land”.
He wrote;
This Land called Lagos was owned by the British for 99years, from 1861-1960….Most of the initial development was done by the British.”
A Colony 1. a country or area under the full or partial political control of another country and occupied by settlers from that country. Lagos was a British Colony!”
Up till 1960, Most Lagosians were British Subjects. On Independence most of them opted to Join the Nigeria Federation, they could have got British passports if they wanted.”
The Treaty of Cession, 6 August 1861 or the Lagos Treaty of Cession was a treaty between the British Empire and Oba Dosunmu of Lagos (spelt ‘Docemo’ in English documents).
