A former Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo, has said that Benin people have no rights to lay claim to the ownership of Lagos.
According to Asari, it is okay to say that the Bini army once attacked the tiny Lagos Island with the help of the Ijaw army that ferried them through the sea but did not lay claim to any part of the state.
Recall that the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, on a courtesy visit to the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the weekend, claimed that the Centre of Excellence was founded by Binis.
The Oba of Benin claimed that, according to history, Lagos was founded by the Binis and in his words, ‘’It is in the history books that the Binis founded Lagos. When some people will hear it now, they will go haywire, what is the Oba saying there again? But it is true.”
The claim has so far generated a lot of debate on social media and Asari described such a statement by the Oba of Benin as nonsense.
“Look at how unintelligent and stupid you are to say that the Bini people founded Lagos. It’s a useless argument. Daume also attacked Lagos and attacked Abeokuta and Daume is in Benin Republic. So Daume people will say they owe this place because they came to fight there?” Asari said in a video on X.
“Borogu, which of them is the Benin Republic, will now say that because they had their army all over the place in those days, Igbo-Ora and the whole Okedun belong to them?
“You don’t know history. The Bini army attacked Lagos Island. The Ijaw army ferried them to attack not the whole of Lagos, just Lagos Island.
“Lagos was five divisions, four of these divisions were in the former Western Region. You don’t know history. But they keep Talking about ‘Lagos belongs to Benin’ which Oba of Benin can Lagos belong to?
“Something is wrong with you people. If you say that the Bini army attacked Lagos, it’s okay. That sounds reasonable. But it’s Lagos Island which they attacked by the sea. Ijaw people ferried them according to history.”
