Kunle Adelabu
The return of the late King Kosoko of Lagos, after his exile in Epe, will be commemorated between September 15 and 16th, 2022, by the King Kosoko family.
The anniversary tagged, ‘The Return’ will re – enact the movement of King Kosoko, a former King of Lagos who was deposed and went on exile in Epe, returned to Lagos in a night journey with his chiefs and warriors. He later became the Oloja of Lagos controlling Ereko part of Lagos.
Kosoko was forced out of Lagos after the British Royal Navy’s bombardment of Lagos in 1851, leading to his sojourn in Epe where he established the Eko Epe section with his lieutenants.
According to Prince Abiola Kosoko, the Oloja-elect of Lagos who spoke with THE IMPACT, the late Oba who left Epe on the 15th of September 1862, arrived at the Ereko waterfront on the 16th of September, 1862.
In commemoration of the anniversary, ‘landing light’ would be lightened at the King Kosoko palace/King Kosoko Memorial Museum, Ereko, and taking to some notable ‘Igas’ and personalities to formally announce the celebration and get their endorsements.
Thereafter, there would be procession late in the night to commemorate the triumphant return.
Prince Abiola, explaining the idea behind the celebrations, said that it is to put the record straight and further reawaken sons and daughters of Kosoko in Lagos and globally to their history.
“I discovered that people are distorting the history and it is our duty to put it right, that is one aspect of ‘The Return’ re – enactment and celebrations”, he said.
“It is also to reawaken members of the Kosoko family to their responsibilities of preserving the heritage and history of the family. It is to bring back memories of Kosoko who was a warrior, great merchant and driver of commerce and trade”, he added.
“Wherever the late King goes, he usually takes along the commerce, this accounted for the reason the British had to appeal to him to return to Lagos and when he did, the commerce, trade and unity also returned to Lagos.
“It was believe that he had a potent charm for the development of trade and commerce which he always deploy anywhere he was”.
As part of the commemoration, there would be Jumat service on Friday and award ceremony which would be conferred on a popular market leader, tenant who have spent about 100 years with the family and acknowledgement of family members who have been preserving the family heritage.
