DOCUMENTARY: EBUN HOUSE,ODUNFA STREET,LAGOS ISLAND, NIGERIA

-

By Victor Olubiye


Ẹbun House was designed by Herbert Macaulay for Andrew W. Thomas, father of Ọlabode Thomas and Tinuọla Thomas, in the Afro-Brazilian architectural style.

The structure was adorned with intricate decorative elements above the arched windows and wooden shutters. A prominent feature on the first floor was a covered wooden balcony, extending from the façade, with elegantly crafted window frames and Gothic arches on the lower section, enhancing its aesthetic appeal.

Distinctive dentil moldings lined the cornices beneath the second-floor windows, adding to the building’s grandeur. The top floor was accentuated by four dormer windows, while an elaborate fence and gateposts enclosed a small front courtyard, leading to a beautifully arched entrance.

Andrew W. Thomas: A Lagos Auctioneer and Social Figure

Andrew W. Thomas was a renowned auctioneer who thrived in Lagos and played an active role in associational life. He was the brother-in-law of Marian Oyebomi Thomas and brother to Victoria A. Taylor (wife of Bryant Oludele Taylor). A devout member of the African Church Bethel (Broad Street), he frequently hosted social gatherings, including: 

A dinner at Ọnasokun House on January 24, 1902, in honor of Francis Colley Green's retirement from public service.

 An evening tea reception for the Young Men's Bethel Church Association on December 30, 1902.

He passed away on January 7, 1924, and was laid to rest at Ikoyi Cemetery.

The Fate of Ẹbun House

Tragically, Ẹbun House was destroyed by fire, erasing a piece of Lagos' rich architectural history.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FISU Presidential Race: DokTur Awo Declares, Unveils Three-Point Agenda

-
Image
DokTur Awo By Victor Olubiye Awosina Kehinde Johnson, popularly known as DokTur Awo, has declared his intention to contest for the office of president of the Federation of Ijesa Students’ Union (FISU). Johnson, a student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, made his intention known in a declaration statement in which he outlined his leadership experience and proposed agenda for the union. He said his ambition was driven by a desire to contribute to the growth, unity and advancement of Ijesa students across the six local government areas of Ijesaland. Johnson, who hails from Okun Compound, Imesi-Ile, in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State, said his leadership experience had strengthened his commitment to student representation, accountability, inclusiveness and service delivery. He listed his previous positions to include president of the Obokun Students’ Union between 2025 and 2026 and president of the Imesi-Ile National Students’ Union from 2023 to 2025. He also served as na...
Read more

Excellence International Schools Elects New Prefects After Two Weeks of Campaigns

-
Image
The Newly Elected Prefects   By The Creativity Site Excellence International Schools, Koboro, along Onigbedu Road, Itori, Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, has elected new student prefects following a voting exercise held on Friday, October 9, 2026 for the 2026/2027 Academic Session. The election, which followed two weeks of campaigns by the contestants, was conducted through a paper ballot system in which students wrote the names of their preferred candidates on paper and dropped their votes into a ballot box. Teachers who participated in the conduct of the election to promote a free and fair process included Mr Olubiye Victor Segun, Mrs Odukoya Temitope, Miss Abolade Toyosi, Mr Femi Awe and Mr Amosun Taiwo. At the end of the exercise, Awe David emerged as the new Head Boy Prefect with 82 votes, defeating his opponent, Jamiu Sulaimon, who polled 23 votes. Salawu Abraham was elected Assistant Head Boy with 81 votes, ahead of Julius Samuel, who secured 25 votes. In the gi...
Read more

OPINION: If Eight Hospitals Could Not Save ToluwaniSings, What Hope Is Left For The Poor?

-
Image
By Victor Olubiye The death of gospel singer Olayemi Bayonile Bolaji, popularly known as ToluwaniSings, should prompt Nigeria to ask difficult questions about emergency healthcare and the responsibilities of government. According to his personal assistant, Babadunni Gbolabo, efforts to obtain medical attention for the singer after he slumped took them to between seven and eight hospitals in Ibadan, Oyo State. Speaking to BBC Yoruba, the aide said some facilities reportedly cited doctors' unavailability or an ongoing strike, while the attempts to secure treatment were unsuccessful. ToluwaniSings died on October 14, 2026. His family's loss is painful in its own right. But the circumstances described by his aide have also raised a public-interest question: how should Nigeria's healthcare system respond when someone needs emergency medical attention? The allegations must be investigated before any hospital is declared responsible for the singer's death. The University Colle...
Read more

FROM PARTIES TO PERSONALITY CULT: How Nigeria's One-Man Empire Buried Opposition

-
Image
By Samuel Ashiwel In 1999, Nigeria returned to democracy with a loud promise. Different parties, different ideas, different choices for the people. Twenty seven years later, that promise has been strangled. Governors defect like prisoners seeking parole, commissioners sing praises to survive, ministers vanish into silence, and the entire country is being forced to bow to one man. This is no longer a party system. It is a personality cult, and it is killing Nigerian democracy. For months, Nigerians have watched a political drama that feels less like democracy and more like a surrender ceremony. In April 2025, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori did what many thought impossible. He led the entire PDP structure that had ruled Delta since 1999, including former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, the party that was once the face of the South South, into the APC in one afternoon. It was not a defection. It was a wholesale auction of a state. What followed was a dam break. In June 2025, Governor Umo...
Read more

FULL LIST: Nigerian Celebrities Who Died Between January and August 2026

-
Image
  From veteran actors and filmmakers to musicians and media personalities, Nigeria’s entertainment industry has suffered a string of notable losses in 2026. By Victor Olubiye Nigeria’s entertainment industry has recorded several notable deaths in the first eight months of 2026, with veteran actors, musicians, filmmakers and media personalities among those who have passed away. The losses have cut across different parts of the creative industry, including Yoruba-language Nollywood, indigenous music, television production and the wider media space. Among the latest was veteran actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, whose death on August 23 came just days after the industry mourned several other personalities. From Hassan to Juju musician Saint Janet and filmmakers Dimbo Atiya and Temitope Osoba, the deaths have left colleagues, fans and families mourning across the country. Here are 10 notable Nigerian entertainment personalities whose deaths were reported between January and ...
Read more

COMMENTARY: THE BURNING BRIDGE: From Promise to Peril

-
Image
  By Samuel Ashiwel The tragedy of a nation is not when it fails to cross to the other side. It is when it deliberately sets fire to the bridge while still standing on it. Every functional polity is built on a bridge. One side of the river holds raw potential; population, resources, diversity. The other side holds the promise; stability, prosperity, and justice. The bridge itself is made of invisible materials: trust in institutions, respect for rules, commitment to merit, and the willingness to produce rather than merely share. In the early years of our political journey, that bridge existed. There was competition among the constituent parts. One region built monumental estates from agricultural proceeds. Another built the largest markets in West Africa from trade and commerce. A third built enduring educational institutions from its own internally generated revenue. The centre was weak, the federating units were strong, and development was a race. Then, gradually and consciously,...
Read more

Poverty for Sale: How Nigerian Politicians Buy Power with Hunger and Ignorance

-
Image
  They do not need to snatch every ballot box to stay in power. They only need to keep you hungry, broke, and politically blind. In Nigeria today, poverty is not a failure of government. Poverty is the strategy of government. Illiteracy is not an accident. It is the tool. This is the unspoken secret of Nigeria's corridor of power. Political actors have discovered that the easiest citizen to rule is the one who is too poor to say no and too illiterate to ask questions. And for years, they have manufactured that citizen in millions. The deliberate manufacture of poverty A politician who wants to be worshipped must first create a worshiper who has no choice. The formula is simple and wicked. For four years, deny the people jobs, good roads, stable electricity, and functional hospitals. Let small businesses collapse under multiple taxation and harsh policies. Let graduates roam the streets for years after NYSC. Let the price of food swallow the minimum wage. Then, a few months to elect...
Read more

NYSC CORPS' ABDUCTION: Should NYSC Still Be Sending Corps Members Far From Home?

-
Image
  By Victor Olubiye  A young Nigerian graduate leaves home with a NYSC call-up letter, a few clothes packed in a bag and the excitement of beginning another stage of life. For many parents, it is supposed to be a moment of pride. Their child is leaving home to serve the country. But what happens when the journey to the orientation camp becomes a security concern? That is the question the recent abduction of prospective corps members in Imo State raises. Reports said prospective corps members travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, towards orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom were attacked along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Imo State. According to the Imo State Police Command, security operatives later located the suspected camp where some of the victims were being held after using drones and trailing the abductors. However, the police said they were cautious about moving into the area because intelligence indicated that the camp might have been planted with imp...
Read more

COMMENTARY: You Know Your Leader Is Wrong, So Why Are You Still Defending Him?

-
Image
  By Samuel Ashiwel You know your leader is wrong. You know the policy is hurting the people. You know the promises have not been fulfilled. Yet, when someone raises the same concerns, you are the first to defend him. You blame the opposition, attack the critic and find a reason why your leader should not be questioned. Why? Is it because you genuinely believe he is right, or because admitting that he is wrong would mean admitting that you, too, may have been wrong to defend him? This is one of the difficult questions facing Nigeria's political culture. For many people, political loyalty has gone beyond supporting a party or a leader because of their ideas. It has become a commitment that sometimes makes it difficult to acknowledge mistakes, demand accountability or speak the truth when it matters most. We have created a culture where some people would rather defend a politician than question his decisions, even when the consequences affect their own lives. You join a party to belo...
Read more

THE PERMANENT CAMPAIGN: How Elite Politicians Mastered Power But Never Learned to Govern

-
Image
By Samuel Ashiwel Nigeria is not a country lacking ideas. It is a country lacking governance. Because we have killed governance and replaced it with permanent politics. In every serious democracy, politics is seasonal and governance is continuous. You do politics to get power, then you stop politicking and start administering. You plan, you build institutions, you manage resources. In Nigeria, we have inverted the process. We do politics to get power, and then we do more politics to keep power. Governance never starts. The campaign never ends. The country is trapped in an endless election rally while the real work rots. That is why Nigeria moves a lot but never moves forward. A SYSTEM BUILT FOR SURVIVAL, NOT FOR SERVICE Our current leadership structure is not designed to administer a country. It is designed to survive politically. From the ward to the federal level, the question is never "Who is the best administrator?" The question is "Who is the most loyal politician? ...
Read more