Complex sentence: In 1886 Lagos became a separate colony from the Gold Coast under Governor Cornelius Alfred Moloney at a time when the Europeans were scrambling for African colonies and the protagonists in the Yoruba wars were wearying.
Split into simpler sentences: In 1886 Lagos became a separate colony from the Gold Coast under Governor Cornelius Alfred Moloney. At this time the European powers were in intense competition for African colonies while the protagonists in the Yoruba wars were wearying.