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Lagos was originally inhabited by the Awori subgroup of the Yoruba people. Under the leadership of their Olofin the Awori moved to an island now called Iddo and then to the larger Lagos Island. In the 15th century the Awori settlement was attacked by the Benin Empire following a quarrel and the island became a Benin war-camp called "Eko" under Oba Orhogba, the Oba of Benin of the time. Lagos is a huge metropolis which originated on islands separated by creeks such as Lagos Island that fringe the southwest mouth of Lagos Lagoon protected from the Atlantic Ocean by long sand spits such as Bar Beach which stretch up to 100 km east and west of the mouth. From the beginning Lagos has spread on the mainland west of the lagoon and the conurbation, including Ikeja and Agege, now reaches more than 40 km north-west of Lagos Island. There are suburbs like Ikorodu, Epe and Badagry and recently more local councils have been created to bring the total number of local governments in Lagos to 57. |