Chief Balogun Landuji Oshodi Tapa was born around 1800 in Nupe in the present day Bida local government area of Niger State, Nigeria. He was a warrior, traditional leader and statesman.
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Tapa lost his parents at a tender age of 6 to a tribal war. This led to him emigrating to Lagos where he seved as a servant under King Eshilokun. This also helped him escape being sold to the Portugese slave traders. He was placed under the supervision of one of the King's trusted men, Fagbemi.
Years later, a Portugese friend of King Eshilokun, requested the King to alone two of his children travel to Portugal with him. Being a slave trader, the King was suspicious of the request and instead handed two of his servants to the slave trader. They were Oshodi and Dada Antonio. While in Portugal, Oshodi was employed by Messrs. G. L. Gaiser as a Commission Agent and Toll Collector. With the arrival of the ships of the Portuguese merchants, business flourished, and Oshodi’s commissions from sales increased and he eventually became a rich man. He continued to be loyal to the King and was made a chief solely responsible for looking after the King’s wives and was the only one who could go into the Queen’s apartment to oversee repairs if the need arose.
Upon the death of King Eshinlokun, Oshodi remained loyal to his family and was instrumental in the choice of Idewu Ojulari as his father's successor. When Idewu's reign ended, Kosoko, a son of Oshinlokun, was said to be the rightful heir to the throne. He was however, an enemy of Chief Eletu Odibo, whose duty was to install and crown any new king. It was said at the time, that young Prince Kosoko had seduced Eletu Odibo’s would-be wife. In retaliation, Eletu Odibo used his powerful position to crown Oluwole as the next King of Lagos in 1836.
Both Kosoko and Oshodi were always hovering like a shadow in the affairs of Lagos and its stability. However, a peace agreement was reached in 1862 and Oshodi Tapa was able to acquire a plot of land and adapt to the peaceful trade that was emerging in the colony of Lagos. He was given a chieftaincy title after demonstrating his leadership in trade matters during the exile of Kosoko. After the peace agreement, he established a small community made up of 200 families.
Tapa soon rose up the rank to become a war general who organised the defence of Lagos when the British ships pounded it with artillery fire in 1851. It took these warships which would later participate in the Crimean War in Russia nine days to subdue Lagos and Oshodi Tapa’s forces destroying one of ships – Teazer.
Oluwole died in 1868 and was succeeded by King Akitoye. A monument was erected outside his compound in Epetedo in honour of him.
His net worth is not available.
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