Epe is a town and
Local Government Area
A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a federated state, state, province, division (politica ...
(LGA)
in
Lagos State
Lagos State (, ) is a States of Nigeria, state in South West, Nigeria. Of the 36 States of Nigeria, Nigerian states, Lagos is the second List of Nigerian states by population, most populous state but the List of Nigerian states by area, smallest ...
,
Nigeria
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
located on the north side of the
Lekki Lagoon
Lekki Lagoon is a lagoon located in Lagos and Ogun states in Nigeria. The lagoon lies directly to the east of Lagos Lagoon and is connected to it by a channel. It is surrounded by many beaches.
Real Estate Developments
There are two phases in th ...
and about 90 km from
Ibadan
Ibadan (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and most populous city of Oyo State, in Nigeria. It is the List of Nigerian cities by population, third-largest city by population in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano (city), Kano, with a total populatio ...
. During the 2006
Census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
, the population of Epe was approximately 181,409.
[
There is no paramount ruler in the area as there are two major communities with individual ]monarch
A monarch () is a head of stateWebster's II New College Dictionary. "Monarch". Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest ...
s. These are the Eko Epe and Ijebu Epe communities within the same town. The notable festivals that are mostly celebrated in Epe land include Kayo-kayo Festival, Ebi day, Ojude-Oba, and Epe day.
A road junction at the entrance into Epe from the Lekki-Epe Expressway features a sculpture of two giant fish, erected by the Lagos State Government
Lagos State Government is the government of Lagos State, concerned with the administration of the state ministries.
The government consists of the executive, Lagos State House of Assembly, legislative and Lagos State Judiciary, Judiciary.
The go ...
.
Notable higher institutions like Lagos State University
Lagos State University (LASU) is a state-owned university established by the Lagos State government in 1983. Its main campus is situated at Ojo, Lagos State, Ojo, with sub-campuses at Ikeja and Epe. The university was set up "for the advanceme ...
(LASU), Yaba College of Technology
Yaba College of Technology, popularly known as YABATECH, was founded in 1947, and is Nigeria's first higher educational institution. It is located in Yaba, Lagos. , it had a student enrollment of over 16,000. It also has a secondary school and ...
, Lagos State University of Education(LASUED) ''(Formerly known as Michael Otedola College of Primary Education
Lagos State University of Education
Lagos State University of Education (Lasued) formerly Michael Otedola College of Primary Education, formerly Lagos State College of Primary Education was known as MOCPED, is the first specialized college of pr ...
- MOCPED).'', St. Augustine university, all have campus
A campus traditionally refers to the land and buildings of a college or university. This will often include libraries, lecture halls, student centers and, for residential universities, residence halls and dining halls.
By extension, a corp ...
es in Epe area of Lagos, Nigeria.
History
In years past, before this settlement came to be called Epe, the town had earlier been known as Igbo Obo (Forest of Monkeys). Some group of hunters from Ijebu, were led by one Urankaloye or Uraka had visited this part of the world during a hunting expedition in search for animals. Though it later served as the refuge for the forces of Kosoko, the Yoruba king ousted from Eko area of Lagos by the British in 1851. In 1892, Epe was the embarkation point for the military expedition sent by Sir Gilbert Carter, the then Governor of Lagos, to defeat the awujale (the Ijebu political and spiritual ruler) at Ijebu-Ode. Uraka and Aramope which were both hunters then left Ile-Ife on a hunting
Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...
expedition arriving in Ijebu-Ode, Uraka never knew that he was on a threshold of history.
When Uraka got to Ijebu-Ode, he got a message through an Ifa divination. He was told to move southwards towards the sea and should settle anywhere between his crossing of the sixth and seventh river. After crossing the fifth river called "OTERIN" (Cold Water), he got to a place later identified as ‘Poka’ where he used his popoka stick to strike the ground. Poka town was derived from his name called Uraka's popoka stick. At Poka, the Ifa oracle was further consulted for direction which led Uraka to proceed and after crossing the sixth river, he finally settled in a place called "ETITA".
Upon settling at Etita, Uraka saw a smoke emanating from a heavily thick forest
A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...
towards the lagoon. To see things for himself, Uraka traced the source of the smoke where he met some fishermen named Opute, Lugbasa, Alaro and Ogunmodede. Alaro and Ogunmodede were married but childless. Both later became deities and are worshipped in Epe till date, hence all Epe's sons and daughters are referred to as "Omo Epe Alaro Ogunmodede".
Meanwhile Uraka continued his hunting expeditions until he got to a place called Igbo obo (monkey forest), the present site of the Lagos State University, School of Engineering and formerly a military barracks, from where he continued his search for games. He later discovered a place called Oko-Eepe (Forest of black ants). As it turned out, whenever Uraka set his traps for games, he always returned home empty handed. This became a source of worry to him and his wife. Yet he was convinced that Oko-Eepe was home to the biggest games around. He complained to his wife named "PEETA" that the forest was infested with black ants and whenever he tapped his feet to ward off the black ants, animals around would take to their heels. More so, any animal caught by his traps were always eaten up by the ants before he got there.
Each time Uraka sets out for hunting, Peeta would ask if he was still going to Oko-Eepe. Eepe town derived its name from Oko-Eepe in the 15th century
A century is a period of 100 years or 10 decades. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages. The word ''century'' comes from the Latin ''centum'', meaning ''one hundred''. ''Century'' is sometimes abbreviated as c.
...
and some historians believed Peeta, Uraka's wife, must have played a vital role in the naming of Epe Town. Epe started expanding and in no time, some people settled at Areke or Aleke while others settled at the other side known as "Apakeji". Along the line, an Ijebu prince, son of the fifth Awujale of Ijebu-Ode, Obaloja left Ijebu-Ode and settled in Epe. He took the name Oloja and by 1790, Shagbafara was installed Oloja. As at 1810, Epe was fairly a large town. The town was relatively peaceful but had its own share of inter-tribal war. However, 1848 witnessed the Makun-Omi-Epe war. It was almost immediately after the end of Makun-Omi-Epe war that King Kosoko of Lagos sought refuge in Epe Land with over 1,500 followers. That was in December 1851, during the reign of Oloja Olumade.
Kosoko was denied entry into Epe town but after a long plea, he was directed to Ijebu-Ode to obtain clearance and permission from Awujale Anikilaya. The Awujale consequently considered him as a mark of royalty and sent "Oja Ikale" as symbol of permission and caring to Oloja Olumade, asking him to grant Kosoko and his lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
s’ asylum in Epe. Kosoko's stay in Epe was a subject of controversy. Some claimed that in his 11 years in Epe, he never had a house of his own, while others think otherwise. But whatever the case might have been, Kosoko's years in Epe changed the socio-cultural atmosphere of Epe town, because some of his followers to Epe town were Muslims.
Balogun Ajeniya, Oshodi Tapa, Buraimoh Edu, Balogun Agbaje, Disu Kujeniya, Braimoh Iyanda Oloko and Posu were some of the brave warrior
A warrior is a guardian specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal society, tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracy, social class, class, or caste.
History
...
s who were in Epe with Kosoko. Some of these chiefs converted to Islam. For example, Balogun Ajeniya, who later became a great promoter of Islam in Epe was one of them. These converts later formed a community under the leadership of Mallam Idris Saliu Gana, who happened to be an Imam
Imam (; , '; : , ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a prayer leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Salah, Islamic prayers, serve as community leaders, ...
in Lagos. This was responsible for the spread of Islam in Epe town to date. The term "Epe Onikurani" was as a result of the spread of Islam in Epe. In appreciation for the treatment accorded to him in Epe, Kosoko gave one of his daughters named Kusade to an Ijebu Chief, Adebawon of Idogun in marriage; Adenusi was the product of that marriage
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
.
In 1869, Kosoko was pardoned and later returned to Lagos. The bulk of his followers left with him, including his daughter Kusade, and leaving behind his grandson Adenusi. Adenusi's family is still multiplying in Epe to date. Those left behind by Kosoko formed bulk of what is now referred to as Epe Eko. In 1892, Epe was the embarkation point for the military expedition sent by Sir Gilbert Carter, the governor of Lagos, to defeat the awujale (the Ijebu political and spiritual ruler) at Ijebu-Ode.
Modern Epe is a collecting point for the export
An export in international trade is a good produced in one country that is sold into another country or a service provided in one country for a national or resident of another country. The seller of such goods or the service provider is a ...
of fish, cassava (manioc), corn (maize), green vegetables, coconuts, cocoa, palm produce, rubber, and firewood to Lagos. Special leaves useful in preserving kola nuts are trucked to Ijebu-Ode, Shagamu, and the other main kola-shipping towns. Epe is best known for its construction of the motorized, shallow-draft barges that navigate the coastal lagoons. \
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...
is the major occupation in Epe. The town is served by secondary schools, several hospitals, and a health office. They are popularly known for fishing. Epe is home to the Oluwo Fish Market
The Oluwo fish market also known as the Epe fish market is the biggest fish market in Lagos state. It is located in Epe, Lagos State, Nigeria. The Oluwo fish market traders are mostly women because of the chain of distribution which allow the fis ...
, the largest of its kind in Lagos State
Epe to this day is a predominantly Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
town.
Notable people
*Femi Otedola
Olufemi Peter Otedola (born 4 November 1962) is a Nigerian businessman and philanthropist. He is the former chairman of Forte Oil PLC, and is the current executive chairman of Geregu Power PLC.
Femi Otedola made his first fortune in commodit ...
, businessman
*Akinwunmi Ambode
Akinwunmi Ambode (; born 14 June 1963) is a Nigerian politician who served as governor of Lagos State from 2015 to 2019. He was a civil servant for 27 years and a financial consultant before running for public office.
Ambode ran for office of ...
, governor
* Shafi Edu, businessman
*Michael Otedola
Michael Agbolade Otedola KSS (16 July 1926 – 5 May 2014) was a Nigerian politician who served as governor of Lagos State during the Nigerian Third Republic.
He was born on the 16 July 1926 into a Muslim family at Odoragunsin, Epe Local G ...
, governor
*Dapo Sarumi
Dapo Sarumi is a Nigerian politician from Lagos State. He was the former minister for Information. In 1991, he contested the Social Democratic Party (Nigeria) gubernatorial primary under the People's Front faction of the SDP led by Shehu Musa Yar' ...
, politician
* John Obafunwa, lawyer
*Adeyemi Ikuforiji
Sabit Adeyemi Ikuforiji (; born 24 August 1958) is a Nigerian economist and politician who served as speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly from 2005 to 2015.
He was charged alongside his former personal assistant Oyebode Atoyebi on a 5 ...
, politician and economist
*DJ Cuppy
Florence Ifeoluwa Otedola (born 11 November 1992), professionally known as DJ Cuppy or simply Cuppy, is a Nigerian disc jockey, musician and producer. She is the daughter of Nigerian businessman Femi Otedola. She grew up in Lagos and moved to ...
, DJ and producer
*Wale Raji, Epe representative of the House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...
*Femi Hamzat
Kadri Obafemi Hamzat (; born 19 September 1964) is a Nigerian politician who has served as Deputy Governor of Lagos State, deputy governor of Lagos State since 2019.
He was born in Lagos into the family of Late Oba Mufutau Olatunji Hamzat and L ...
, politician
*Lanre Rasaq, Balogun of Epe and politician
*Tobun Abiodun, Member Lagos State House of Assembly
*
Tourist centers and monuments
* Agricultural Training Institute, Araga, Epe.
* Centre for Rural Development's ERUDComplex and Botanical Garden, Igbodu, Epe.
* Eko Tourist Beach Resort, Akodo, Ibeju-Lekki.
* Lagos State University Epe Campus.">ASU Epe Campus.
* Lekki Free Trade Zone Complex.
* Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Epe Campus.
* Lekki Rest House: Confinement Home of Nigeria's first Opposition Leader.
* Murtala Mohammed Botanical Garden, Epe.
* Recreation Centre, Epe, Marina.
* Relics of Brazilian Architecture and Atlantic Slave Trade, Lekki Town.
* Youth Rehabilitation and Development Centre, Ita-Oko Island, Epe.
Gallery
File:Epe.jpg, Epe roundabout
File:Epe Express Road.jpg, Epe express road
File:Lekki-Epe Expressway Sandfill Bustop.jpg, Lekki-Epe Expressway Sandfill Bustop
File:Epe market, Lagos state.jpg, Epe market
File:Through Epe Mangrove.jpg, Epe mangrove
File:Yaba-College-of-Technology-Gate.jpg, Yaba college of technology gate
File:Atlantic Hall, Poka-Epe.jpg, Atlantic Hall
Atlantic Hall is a private coeducational secondary school in Epe, Lagos State, Nigeria which holds about 600 students and is located about 70 kilometres from Lagos. It opened in 1989 in the Maryland area, Ikeja, Lagos State, with dormitories cl ...
, Epe
Timeline
AD 1780: Oloja Shagbafara installed Oloja of Epe.
1810: Epe became a fairly large town.
1836: Awujale Figbajoye Anikilaya established Ejirin market.
1848: Makum Omi-Epe war
1851: King Kosoko sought refuge in Epe
1852: Islam was introduced by followers of Kosoko in Epe.
1854: Kosoko and his chiefs signed a treaty of peace with Mr. B. Campbell, British Counsel not to regain Lagos in return to have palma and Lekki as his port.
1862: British negotiated with Kosoko and obtained from him cessions of Palma and Lekki. Koso, Oshodi Tapa and others left Epe and returned to Lagos on 16 September 1862.
1863: Governor Freeman twice attacked Epe with a force of West Indian Regiment, Hausas and British sailors, Chief Posu Submitted and signed a treaty of cession on 26 March.
1875: Posu, a leading figure among followers of Kosoko to prove his mantle and ceded Epe to the British died in Epe on 14 December 1875.
On 29 December 1882: Awujale Fidipote left Ijebu-Ode in anger unexpectedly to settle at Epe where he remained till his death on 14 June 1885.
On 15 August 1885: Asani Giwa of Okepopo was killed by the Eko Epes at Ikosi Market.
1886: Some Ijebus who came with Awujale Fidipote to Epe killed Agurin, the guard in charge of Ejirin market.
1888: Balogun Agoro of Epe drowned via Lekki
1892: British Expedition to Ijebu-Ode landed in Epe base of operation. Inspector A. cloud Willoughby was shot dead at Odo-Ragunsen.
18 May 1892: Christianity was established in Epe
1894: St. Michael's C.M.S School was established.
1898: Baale Buraimoh Edu, veteran politician sponsored and finance the course of Muslim Education in Epe.
1898: Government Muslim school was opened
1901: Chief Imam Uthman died on 22 January and Epe Town Council was established
1903: Paul Ogunsanya and others brought Roman Catholic Mission to Ibonwon
1905: Misunderstanding between Ijebu-Epe and Eko Epe became much more acute as a result of Ijaw fishermen, fishing on the lagoon.
1912: War broke out between Ijebu Epe and Eko Epe
1917: 9 July, Baale Buraimoh Edu died
1923: S.A Mejindade Esq opened the Islamic school which became Ansa-ud-deen school in 1946
In March 1930: Daddy Solomon Ademuwagun introduced Cherubim and Seraphim in Epe.
1937: Commissioner of Colony (Captain Emberton) the District Officer (Mr. Childs) Assistant District Officer (Mr. Gilbons) had an important meeting with Baale Abidakun and Kaka, Balogun Abudu Kadiri Oluwo and Amunikoro Mr. T.O. Seriki and A.B. Egberongbe, all of Ijebu Epe and Eko-Epe on the way and means to engender harmony and mutual dealing towards the re-organization to native administration.
1937, 14–15 September: Commissioner of colony, district officers, bales and Baloguns of Ijebu and Eko Epe had important meetings with the baales of adjourning villages to convey to them the decision taken at the meeting on the 28 of August and to sought their opinions on the proposals set up for the formation of a native administration in District.
References
External links
Epe Local Government
{{Authority control
Local Government Areas in Lagos State
Populated coastal places in Nigeria
Local Government Areas in Yorubaland