Throwback to these Image of Lagos Baddies in the 1950s
An iconic image from the 1950s that shows the elegance of three stunning and stylish ladies in Lagos.
Establishment of UTC Stores and its Expansion to the Nigerian Market
An old photo of Union Trading Company PLC, also referred to as UTC PLC, was publicly listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in 1961 and was a diversified company formed in Switzerland. Swiss traders who were connected to the Basel Mission and the Basel Trading Company created it with the intention of donating a portion of their profits to the mission’s operations. Before entering the Nigerian market, the traders had prior business interest in Ghana and India. Before the First World War, the corporation had a successful cocoa business in Ghana. Years later, in 1932, the group opened a subsidiary in Nigeria. Through trade and acquisitions, the company expanded into Nigeria, where it established a number of subsidiaries, including HF Schroeder, UTC Foods, Dorman Long Nigeria, Amalgamated Metal Containers, and a motors division. UTC’s revenues soared from 150 million francs to around 1.5 billion francs during Nigeria’s oil boom, which followed World War II and led to a rise in merchandise importation into the country.
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Actor Ramsey Noah Reminisces on Filming as an 8 Year Old
Ramsey Noah, a Nigerian actor, has revealed several secrets that we were unaware of for years. Ramsey Noah revealed that he was the brand’s eight-year-old face when sharing a picture of Blue Band margarine. Filming today is more comfortable, the renowned actor claims, after realizing how tiresome the brand’s commercial video production was. He stated, what do you think? That’s me when I was the 8-year-old brand ambassador for BLUE BAND. God had obviously planned for me to be the center of attention from the moment I was born. I realized how comfortable filming today is when I think back on how tiresome the commercial’s still and video shoot was. The camera was enormous, and the lights were so big that they could cook croaker fish with their heat. It wasn’t humorous at all that they had to take off my clothes more than four times to iron off the perspiration because I was perspiring so much. And now that it has happened, I am filled with nostalgia for it and the development of our industry since then.
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Yan Tatsine Group, a Terrorist Group in the 20th Century Before the Birth of Boko Haram
Fewer people are aware of the Yan Tatsine organization, which terrorized Kano from the early 1970s until the late 1980sbut many of us are aware of Boko Haram’s history of terrorizing northern Nigeria. Maitatsine, who led the terrorist group Yan Tatsine in 1972, was accountable for several violent occurrences in Kano that caused around 16,000 deaths among people in northern Nigeria. Mohammed Marwa, aka Maitatsine, is notoriously known as the most wanted criminal in Nigerian history.The individual who doesn’t run away from his own terrorism lived as a terrorist in the city rather than in a secret cave or jungle. The man attempting to establish his own metropolis, which is more akin to a Northern Pablo Escobar. Mohammed Marwa, a notorious Muslim preacher in Nigeria, was better known by his moniker, Maitatsine. He is referred to as “the one who damns” in Hausa, “Maitatsine,” because of his public statements full of curses directed at the Nigerian government. The Yan Tatsine were his hardline supporters. His birthplace was Marwa, in the northern region of Cameroon. Following his schooling, he relocated to Kano, Nigeria, circa 1945, and quickly gained notoriety for his contentious sermons on the Qur’an. Maitatsine advocated against the use of watches, bicycles, vehicles, radios, and having more money than one needs. He was exiled by the British colonial rulers, but he soon returned to Kano upon independence. He had a significant and growingly radical fan base by 1972 under the name Yan Tatsine.He was detained by Nigerian police once more in 1975 on charges of slander and public abuse of political authority. However, during that time, he started to win approval from religious authorities, particularly after performing the Hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. In the 1970s, the number of altercations between his supporters and the police rose along with his following. Young people, unemployed immigrants, and people who believed that mainstream Muslim educators were not doing enough for their communities were the major audiences for his sermons. The Nigerian army was brought in by Yan Tatsine’s ongoing attacks on police and other religious leaders by December 1980. Approximately 5,000 individuals were killed in further armed conflicts, notably Maitatsine. Shortly after being hurt during the fights, Maitatsine passed away from either a heart attack or his wounds. The Sunday Trust magazine said in 2010 that Maitatsine’s remains were burned by the Nigerian military and are currently housed in a bottle…
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Alayeluwa Oba Okunade Sijuwade CFR, the fiftieth Traditional Ruler of Ife
From 1980 until his passing in 2015, Alayeluwa Oba Okunade Sijuwade CFR (born on January 1, 1930, and died on July 28, 2015) served as the fifty-first traditional monarch, or Ooni, of Ife, with the regnal title Olubuse II. He served as the traditional head of the Ife town in Osun State, Nigeria, which is home to the Yoruba Kingdom of Ile-Ife, a traditional Yoruba state. On December 6, 1980, he was crowned in front of the Emir of Kano, the Oba of Benin, the Olu of Warri, and the Amayanabo of Opobo, in addition to representatives of the Queen of England. Image Info: Ogiame Atuwatse II, the Olu of Warri Kingdom (reign 1987 -2015) and the Ooni of lle ife, Olubuse Il, Alayeluwa Oba Okunade Siuwade CFR.
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Colonel Achuzie AKA “Hannibal” the Man who recaptured Onitsha from the Nigerian Army
Major Achuzia was an unsung hero. The Biafran 4th Commando Brigade carried out Operation Hiroshima as a military operation to retake Onitsha from the Nigerian 2nd Division. Joseph “Hannibal” Achuzia was a Nigerian aeronautical engineer with British training who was a major in the Biafran Army. He was born in Asaba in 1929 and passed away there on February 26, 2018. Before enlisting in the Biafran Army in May 1967, Achuzia worked as an engineer for the Portharcourt-based Shell Petroleum firm. He was one of the leaders and founders of the Portharcourt citizen militia, and after it was dissolved, he became a colonel in the Biafran army. By January 1970, when the civil war ended, he had a son and a British wife, but left for the southeast due of concern for anti-Igbo feeling among his comrades. Achuzia rose to the rank of Major and assumed command of the Biafran 11th Battalion, which was tasked with protecting the region between Atani and Ndoni from an impending Nigerian onslaught, following the forced withdrawal of Biafran soldiers into Onitsha on September 20,1967, due to the River Niger Bridge. Following eight days of brutal house-to-house warfare that led the Biafran 18th Battalion under Colonel Assam Nsudoh to flee From Onitsha, the 11th Battalion under Major Achuzie connected with the18th Battalion east of the city and prepared a counteroffensive. In a concerted pincer operation, the 11th Battalion, led by Maj. Achuzie, swung north along the New Market Road, and the 18th Battalion swung south along the Old Market Road. Achuzia’s forces killed or captured most of the 5,000-man Nigerian 2nd Division army that was stationed at Onitsha. In the days after the Biafran assault, the Nigerian 2nd Division launched two different counterattacks, but both were repulsed by the 11th and 18th Battalions based in Onitsha. On January 19, 1968, President Ojukwu gave Achuzia complete command over the Biafran 11th Division after Murtala Mohammed’s Nigerian 2nd Division arrived in Awka, providing Nigerians with a straight path to Onitsha. After holding off the Nigerians for two months under Maj. Achuzie’s command, the 11th Division would ultimately lose the fight in less than twenty-four hours after the Nigerians began an onslaught on March 20 and broke through the Biafran defensive lines encircling the city. Despite suffering significant casualties, the Nigerians were…
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Female Hostess in the 1960s
A female employee at a Lagos, Nigerian airport
Bola Ige Captured in a Picture with Friends in the 1930s
Chief James Ajibola Idowu Ige, SAN, born on September 13, 1930, and slain on December 23, 2001, while holding the position of Nigeria’s Justice Minister, are pictured from left to right. He was a politician and attorney from Nigeria. He held the position of Nigeria’s Federal Minister of Justice from January 2000 until his murder in December 2001. Prior to this, from 1979 to 1983, he presided over Oyo State as governor of the Second Republic of Nigeria. From left to right, we have Tamunobere Oforiokuma, who was born in Calabar on January 12, 1931, and is currently living, previously the Federal Ministry of Finance’s Acting Permanent Secretary. This photo shows Akin Mabogunje (October 18, 1931 – August 4, 2022; later Professor of Geography, University of Ibadan) and Caleb Olaniyan (1930-2009), who later served as Professor of Zoology at the University of Lagos. Michael Adebayo Ifaturoti (1926 – February 21, 2007), who is currently known as O’dua Investments Company, is pictured here. He eventually served as Chairman of the Western State Public Service Commission and later WEMABOD.
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Brief Background of His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo Oba Ewuare II
Prior to ascending to the position of Oba of Benin, Eheneden Erediauwa studied at Immaculate Conception College in 1968 and Edo College in Benin City, Nigeria, from 1965 to 1967. He received his A-Level diploma from London’s South Thames College. He earned a degree in Economics from the University of Wales in the United Kingdom and a master’s degree in public administration from Rutgers University Graduate School in New Jersey, in the United States. He was employed at the UN from 1981 to 1982. In addition, he represented Nigeria as an ambassador to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and the Finnish Republic. Additionally, he served as Nigeria’s envoy to Italy. When Ewuare was anointed Oba, he was wed to Princess Iyayiota (Obazuwa N’erie), Queen (Oloi) Iroghama (Obazuaye N’erie), and Princess Ikpakpa (Ohe N’erie). Later, he married other women.
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How Lieutenant General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma Rose to the Rank of Commander Despite His Murder Involvement in a Bloody Mutiny.
Danjuma’s parents, Kuru Danjuma and Rufkatu Asibi, were born in Takum, Taraba State (formerly Gongola), Nigeria. When Danjuma was younger, Takum was mostly a farming hamlet, with families and clans cultivating yams, rice, cassava, and beniseed. His father was a devoted peasant, and all of his forefathers had been well-liked members of the society. Kuru Danjuma was a farmer who exchanged tools and farming implements for metal parts. Captain Theophilus Danjuma (as he was then known) led northern soldiers who detained General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi and his host, General Adekunle Fajuyi, in Ibadan in 1966 after Danjuma participated in a countercoup with the 4th Battalion at Mokola. Then, both men were swept off their feet and brought to a roadside bush where they were shot after being stripped naked. In retaliation for the killing of federal officials in Nigeria’s first coup, Danjuma, Murtala Mohammed, Buka Suka Dimka, Muhammadu Buhari, Sani Abacha, Musa Usman, Ibrahim Taiwo, Ibrahim Bako, and Ibrahim Babangida, among others, took part in a bloody mutiny known as the “July Rematch” on July 29, 1966. General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, the first military Head of State of Nigeria, and Lt Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi, the first military Governor of the former Western Region, who was entertaining Aguiyi-Ironsi at his home in Ibadan, were picked up by Danjuma from the side of the road as they were escaping an ambush planned by Danjuma, Mohammed, Dimka, Buhari, and others. After imprisoning them in the back of his vehicle, Danjuma drove them to a remote part of Oyo State, where he gave them the order to leave and executed them in cold blood. At the onset of the civil war campaign in 1967, he was elevated to the rank of lieutenant colonel and dispatched to conquer Enugu later that year. He was named Commander of the 1st Infantry Brigade of the Nigerian Army in December 1967, and he served in that capacity until July 1968.
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Beautiful Picture of Nigerian Lawyer and Politician, Okoi Arikpo and his Wife Asi Archibong-Arikpo
Dr. Okoi Arikpo was a Nigerian scientist, anthropologist, lawyer, politician, and diplomat who was born in Ugep Cross River, Calabar. He was Nigeria’s foreign minister at the time. Early in the 1940s, Dr. Okoi Arikpo served as president of the West African Student’s Union in the United Kingdom. Students from West Africa studying in Great Britain used this organization as a focal point. In order to bring attention to the political issues that African colonies and their leaders are confronting back home in various African countries, WASU engaged in lobbying members of the British Parliament. The organization served as the focal point for the mobilization of some left-leaning individuals to support the struggle of the colonial territories.
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American First Lady, Rosalynn Carter Visits Nigeria
First Lady Rosalynn Carter, the 39th US president’s wife, waves as she passes through the Lagos hamlet of Badagry while on a tour to Nigeria. Godwin Babatunde Oba Akran, the Oba of Badagry, is accompanying her.
Ever Heard of the Mysterious Esié Figurines Found in Esié Town in Igbomina, Kwara state in the12th century?
Situated in the south-central region of the nation, Kwara state is home to the little town of ESIE. The main reason for its fame is that it is the location of Africa’s largest collection of stone carvings. A hunter found these stone engravings for the first time in 1775. Many theories have been proposed to explain the Esie figurines, but their exact origins are still unknown. In an alternate history of Esié, these insurgent settlers were said to be from a different Yoruba tribe and had sent word to Elesie, the traditional chief of Esie land, that they intended to settle down in his town. However, to their great dismay, they were met with no one to receive them, so they chose to settle outside of the city of Esie. It was subsequently discovered that these settlers were a threat to the city’s security. The deity of the land, who was siding with Elesie of Esie, transformed the 800 obstinate settlers into stone statues because they were preparing to mutiny and were undermining the chief’s authority. Soapstone, or steatite stone, is used to make the figures. The figurines were arranged in a circle when they were discovered. They show people in sitting or kneeling positions, including ladies, men, kids, and animals. Some are clinging to their musical instruments or farming implements. The heights of the figurines differ. The pieces were carved sometime between the 12th and the 15th century, according to estimates. According to some academics, the figures are connected to a nearby ancient Yoruba country. The figures were formerly a community of people who were cursed by the gods and turned into stone, according to a common theory about the engravings. In 1933, the Esie figurines came to the attention of the general public due to the work of a Nigerian missionary named H.G. Ramshaw.…
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Epic History of Sango (ORISHA) the 3rd Alaafin of Oyo Empire
Ben Enwonwu Chukwukadibia, the most prominent African sculptor and artist of the 20th century, created the statue shown in this image. Following his brother Ajaka, the second Emperor of the Oyo Empire, who ruled for seven years, Sango was the third Alaafin of Oyo. He was the youngest of Oduduwa’s descendants and the second son of Oranmiyan, the man who founded the Oyo Empire. Sango was a strong and courageous man who got the most of his unique skills from his mother’s tribe, the Nupe. His mother, Torosi, was a Nupe princess. Olowu, Ajaka’s cousin and the ruler of Owu Kingdom, regularly waged war against Oyo Empire during the reign of Alaafin Ajaka. Later, Olowu dispatched his men to seize Alaafin Ajaka and transport him to Owu. The Oyomesi, or Oyo’s council of chiefs, dispatched for Sango in Nupeland, where he had resided, in an attempt to save Alaafin Ajaka. Alaafin Ajaka was banished, and he was crowned King after saving Ajaka. During his lifetime, Sango was married three times: first to Oba, who was considered the genuine wife in the conventional sense; second to Oshun, who was considered a concubine; and third to Oya, who was not granted a marital privilege or dowry. The three spouses are now the river’s goddesses. Oya was a prominent figure in the Yoruba pantheon and one of the most powerful African deities. Because of her strength and bravery on the battlefield, they thought she was untouchable by the enemy. (OYA) She is a symbol for the elements of lightning, wind, death, and rebirth. Oya was a spirit who could transform into many animals and summon rain. The romance between Sango and Oya ended tragically. Oya was generally more than just Sango’s wife. Because of their tight bond, Oya was able to gain access to Sango’s heart. She might utilize Edun Ara or Sango’s thunderbolt—both of whom have achieved amazing military victories—to hasten Sango’s demise. Oya becomes closer to Sango as a result of the ensuing jealousy between Oba and Oshun, becoming his princess consort (Ayoo) and gaining access to Sango’s thunderbolt Edun Ara), which ultimately brings about his demise. During his reign, he had two generals: Timi Agbale Olofa-ina, who was a fire arrow shooter, and Gbonka, an equally strong man.…
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View This Interesting Image of Charlie Boy from the 1980s
An image from the 1980s showing young Charlie Boy
Danafojura – Egun (Danafojura Masquerade)
One of the earliest masquerades in the Yoruba Kingdom is the Danafojura. No matter how big the fire is, this Egungun will not burn because its fire resistant. He also possesses the ability to knock people out and bring them back to consciousness. A formidable and age-old masquerade, he is regarded as an “elder” by his contemporaries. He performs his dance performance amidst a massive conflagration while donning the costume of fire. During its outing, Danafojura tells his handlers to “Set me ablaze on fire,” which is the literal meaning of his name. This extremely old Egungun Danafojura ignites an enormous fire without suffering any harm. One of the few Egungun who appears in public during Oyo Kingdom’s “Ose Sango Festival.” According to historical traditions, this masquerade Danafojura fought in elite fights when Shango (an Orisha), the son of Oranmiyan, was Oyo’s Alaafin during the Old Oyo Empire. Alaafin Ajaka and Oba Eweka of Benin were brothers. The Egúngún masquerade is described by scholars as the spirits of the dead, or “ará òrun kinkin,” or the inhabitants of heaven. They are a unique entity that interacts with both humans and the Orishas, acting more as a go-between for people and their ancestors.
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Major Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro Sentenced to Death by Maj. Gen. Aguiyi-Ironsi Government
The first secessionist from Nigeria, known as “Boro,” was an Ijaw soldier from the Niger Delta and a nationalist. He is credited with starting the movement for minority rights in Nigeria. On February 23, 1966, he proclaimed the “Niger Delta Republic” to be independent: He uttered: “This is an important day in the history of the Niger Delta as well as in your own life. It might turn out to be the best day in a very long time. This is not because we intend to put the sky to an end, but rather to show the world our thoughts and feelings on oppression. Remember your impoverished folks; remember your 70-year-old grandma who still farms before she eats; remember your petroleum that is being pumped daily from your veins; after that, struggle to be free.” He was born in the little village of Oloibiri in Ogbia LGA, which is in Bayelsa State, in the eastern Nigerian Niger Delta. In Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, Oloibiri is a historic town. On January 15, 1956, Shell Darcy made the first commercial oil discovery in Nigeria, in the village of Oloibiri. Odumegwu-Ojukwu received an instruction from Aguiyi-Ironsi to find Boro. Federal troops surrounded Mbiama and its surroundings. Since they didn’t discover Boro and his boys right away, they claimed to have received intelligence that he was hiding underwater at Mbiama. They were informed that the Ijaw man could survive for days underwater, so they decided to bomb the river at Mbiama in an attempt to kill Boro or force him to emerge from the water. Actually, somewhere in late February 1966, there was a bombing of the Engenni river at Mbiama. The Ijaw locals were startled as the air force plane went extremely low, all the way up the river to Joinkrama and the surrounding bushes. The majority of Nigerians have not benefited from the oil discovery in Oloibiri; instead, it has mainly caused environmental degradation and the eradication of the Niger Delta’s indigenous population’s way of life. Additionally, with a starting daily production of 5,000 barrels of oil (which would eventually increase to 2,000,000)
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“Rising Sun of Biafra is set forever.”- Major General Yakubu Gowon Declares
1970 saw the capitulation of Philip Effiong, the Chief of General Staff of Biafra during the Nigeria-Biafra War, to Major General Yakubu Gowon, the Head of State Odumegwu Ojukwu. The January 1970 Civil War Victory Message from Major-General Yakubu Gowon, the Head of State of Nigeria: The alleged “Rising Sun of Biafra” is set forever. Anybody who continues to refer to any region of the East Central State of Nigeria as Biafra is doing a grave disservice. The violent chapter has now come to an end. The era of national reconciliation is just beginning. We have the chance to create a new nation once more.
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Ladipo Market, Biggest Auto Spare Parts Market in West Africa
Customers sort through the Mitsubishi sector of the Ladipo Market, filing past engines and other parts. Did you know that the majority of used parts in the Ladipo Market are said to originate in Europe? It is thought to be the largest auto parts market in West Africa.
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Epic history of Oshodi Lagos Named After a Warlord from Tapa Tribe.
Without mentioning the exploits of the fabled Chief Balogun Landuji Oshodi Tapa, Lagos history would be incomplete. For those who don’t know, Oshodi Tapa was a young child of Nupe descent from the North who was going to be transported as a sold slave onto a Portuguese ship. After his parents were killed, he fled and took sanctuary in the Oba of Lagos palace. Under Fagbemi, Kosoko’s father, Oba Eshinlokun, adopted him and reared him like one of his own princes. He was able to purchase his own slaves and enjoyed some degree of success in trading. A few years later, monarch Eshilokun’s friend, a Portuguese trader, asked the monarch to let two of his children to travel with him to Portugal, promising to bring the children back. The King was quite cautious about this offer and decided to give two of his most devoted subjects instead of jeopardizing the lives of any of his own offspring. He so decided to accompany the Portuguese merchant with Oshodi and Dada Antonio. The King denied his own children an opportunity that would have benefitted them more in the long run, even though he believed he was safeguarding their interests. After traveling to America with the Portuguese merchant for many years, Oshodi and Dada Antonio were eventually given back to the King. Oshodi worked as a commission agent and toll collector for Messrs. G. L. Gaiser after arriving from America. When the Portuguese merchants’ ships arrived, commerce took off, Oshodi’s sales commissions rose, and he eventually amassed wealth. Oshodi remained faithful to the King and was elevated to the rank of chief, with the exclusive duty of taking care of the King’s women, demonstrating that he never forgot the hands that, in a sense, nourished him. In the unlikely event that repairs were necessary, he was the sole person with access to the Queen’s apartment. Chief Oshodi never wavered in his devotion to his kids following the passing of King Eshinlokun. In particular, he sided with his father’s successor, Idewu Ojulari. It was Chief Eletu Odibo’s responsibility to install and crown any new monarch, and Kosoko, a son of Oshinlokun, was considered the legitimate heir to the throne after Chief Idewu Ojulari’s rule. The would-be wife of Eletu Odibo was…
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