The Berlin Conference and the Massacre of the Abeokuta Mission

In 1886, a British missionary party was ambushed in the town of Ijemo, near Abeokuta in present-day Nigeria. This episode examines the massacre of the Abeokuta mission and its aftermath: the punitive expedition led by British Consul Harry Johnston, the destruction of the town, and the trial of the Egba chiefs accused of the killings. We explore the tense political context of Abeokuta under the Egba United Government, the rise of the Alake (king) Gbadebo I, and the broader scramble for the Yoruba hinterland. Lucas and Luna discuss how the Berlin Conference's principle of 'effective occupation' played out on the ground in West Africa — not through neatly signed treaties but through violent encounters like the Ijemo massacre. They also touch on the role of British consuls, the Lagos colony's expansionist ambitions, and the long shadow these events cast over Nigerian colonial history. This episode offers a granular look at a pivotal moment that shaped the relationship between the Egba people and British imperial power. #BerlinConference #AbeokutaMassacre #IjemoMassacre #HarryJohnston #GbadeboI #EgbaUnitedGovernment #Yoruba #LagosColony #Nigeria #EffectiveOccupation #ScrambleForAfrica #BritishEmpire #Missionaries #PunitiveExpedition #WestAfrica #History #FexingoHistory #ColonialAfrica Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo