Kpengla initially attempted to negotiate a situation with the Oyo Empire that would cement the position of Dahomey as middleman between Oyo and the Europeans. The proposal was that Dahomey would destroy eastern slave ports which were taking trade away from Dahomey and Oyo ports, forcing the Europeans to trade with their ports. Kpengla believed that this situation would result in the Oyo moving their trade from rival ports like Porto-Novo into the Dahomey port of Whydah. As a result, Kpengla destroyed Epe in 1782 and Badagry in 1784. Having fulfilled his part of the agreement, Kpengla grew angry when Oyo and Porto-Novo continued to trade actively as a rival port to Whydah.
Kpengla initially attempted to negotiate a situation with the Oyo Empire that would cement the position of Dahomey as middleman between Oyo and the Europeans. The proposal was that Dahomey would destroy eastern slave ports which were taking trade away from Dahomey and Oyo ports, forcing the Europeans to trade with their ports. Kpengla believed that this situation would result in the Oyo moving their trade from rival ports like Porto-Novo into the Dahomey port of Whydah. As a result, Kpengla destroyed Epe in 1782 and Badagry in 1784. Having fulfilled his part of the agreement, Kpengla grew angry when Oyo and Porto-Novo continued to trade actively as a rival port to Whydah.