IJEBU BRITISH WAR (IMAGBON WAR)

 In 1891, the Ijebu tribe, dwelling between 50 and 60 miles north-east of Lagos on the Magbon river, set a blockade on the trade route from the interior into Lagos, which was a crown colony, and charged customs dues which served as their income. The Awujale, the traditional ruler of Ijebu, closed down the Ejirin market, cutting off Lagos from a source of up-country trade.

 Colonel F.C. Scott C.B. led the roughly 450-man British expeditionary force in what is also known as the Battle of Imagbon. The skipper and his crew, which included a few carriers, sailed along the Lagos Lagoon on May 12 before landing at Epe. They recruited an additional 186 soldiers when they arrived in Lekki. 8,000 men with outdated firearms were enlisted to oppose the British on the Ijebu side. The Brits struggled to enter the interior of the Ijebu kingdom because they underestimated the Ijebus' fighting skills. The British took and set ablaze four Ijebu-held villages on the first day of combat, inflicting fatal casualties on several of the Ijebu forces. The following day, they traveled to Atumba and, armed with Maxim guns, fought Ijebu soldiers in a skirmish. A British man and 11 Africans were among the 12 men who died for the British. The following day, they set fire to every Ijebu village they had taken. 

 Despite suffering significant losses in the current conflicts, the Ijebus remained adamant about stopping the British from crossing the Yemoji River. According to legend, human sacrifices were accepted by the Yemoji River deity in order to keep the British from crossing. To make it impossible for the Brits to cross, the Ijebus deepened the river deeper. The Brits did, however, succeed in crossing the Yemoji River and wreaked devastation on the Ijebus. They traveled to Imagbon, an Ijebu hamlet. The Ijebus had lost approximately 900 troops while the Brits lost only 56 men with around 30 wounded. The Awujale soon conceded defeat and surrendered, but the Ijebus were still determined to battle on.

  Later, the Union Flag was flown over Ijebu Ode. Some of Captain Scott's soldiers, especially the Ibadan irregulars who were later stripped of their weapons, disregarded his warnings about pillaging. The Ijebus-built toll gates at Oru were destroyed, and some of their shrines were set on fire. History has also referred to this fight as the 1892 Ijebu Expedition. The East & West Africa Medal with Clasp dated "1892" was given to every European member of the British expeditionary force. One of these medals is still on display in Cambridge's Fitzwilliam Museum. The southern Nigerian colony later annexed the Ijebu kingdom.