The Badagry monument that tells the story of pain, power, and redemption through the legacy of Chief Seriki Williams Abass
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Located in Badagry, Lagos State, the Seriki Williams Abass Slave Museum—also known as the Seriki Abass Barracoon—stands as a solemn reminder of Nigeria’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and the complex legacy of Chief Seriki Williams Abass, a former slave turned slave merchant.
A Gateway to History and Memory
The image depicts the entrance to the Seriki Williams Abass Slave Museum, one of Nigeria’s most haunting and historically significant landmarks. Situated in Badagry, Lagos State, this museum occupies a 19th-century barracoon—a holding cell where enslaved Africans were kept before being shipped across the Atlantic.
The structure was once owned by Chief Seriki Williams Abass, a man whose life tells a complex story of bondage, survival, and complicity. Born in the early 19th century, Abass was captured and sold into slavery at a young age. He was taken to Brazil, where he learned to read, write, and speak Portuguese fluently. Upon his return to Nigeria, he became a powerful middleman in the slave trade, working with European merchants to supply enslaved people from the interior to the coast.
The Man Behind the Museum
Chief Seriki Williams Abass, born Ifaremilekun Fagbemi, hailed from Ijoga-Orile in Ogun State. After his capture and eventual return from Brazil, he settled in Badagry, where he established a thriving business empire. His multilingual skills and connections with European traders elevated him to a position of immense influence.
Although he had once suffered the horrors of enslavement, Abass participated in the trade for decades, maintaining large holding rooms—known as barracoons—where enslaved people awaited transportation. His barracoon, now a museum, is said to have held at least 40 captives per room, often shackled and awaiting an uncertain fate across the ocean.
After the abolition of the slave trade, Abass transitioned into legitimate commerce and governance. He served as a traditional chief and maintained relations with the British colonial administration until his death in 1919.
Preserving the Legacy of the Enslaved
The Seriki Williams Abass Slave Museum was designated a national monument in 2003 by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM). Today, the site offers visitors a glimpse into the dark history of slavery in West Africa.
The museum’s exhibits include chains, branding irons, documents, and photographs that detail the transatlantic slave trade. Some of the original wooden holding rooms are still intact, preserving the eerie atmosphere of a place that once echoed with the cries of men, women, and children bound for the unknown.
Guides at the museum narrate the stories of the enslaved, the traders, and the eventual abolition efforts that reshaped global history. Visitors can also explore nearby landmarks such as the “Point of No Return”, where captives were loaded onto ships bound for the Americas, never to return.
Badagry: A City of History and Resilience
Badagry itself is one of Nigeria’s most historically significant towns. Located along the Atlantic coast, it was one of the major ports for the exportation of enslaved Africans between the 16th and 19th centuries.
Today, Badagry stands as a centre of remembrance, featuring several notable attractions, including:
The First Storey Building in Nigeria (1845)
The Slave Route and Point of No Return
The Vlekete Slave Market
The Heritage Museum
These sites, including the Seriki Abass Museum, collectively form a living classroom for history, reminding Nigerians and the world of the human cost of slavery and the resilience of those who endured it.
Beyond its historical significance, the museum symbolises the complexity of human morality. Chief Seriki Williams Abass represents both the victim and the participant—captured and enslaved as a young man, yet later complicit in perpetuating the same system that once destroyed his own freedom.
This contradiction invites reflection on the cycles of oppression, the human thirst for power, and the redemptive potential of memory. By preserving this history, Nigeria confronts its past not to glorify it, but to ensure it is never repeated.
A Journey Through Time
Visitors to the museum often describe the experience as deeply emotional. Standing within the barracoon’s narrow rooms, one can almost feel the weight of chains and hear the whispers of those who never made it home. It’s a reminder that the past lives on—not in bitterness, but in the pursuit of truth, justice, and reconciliation.
References
National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM)
UNESCO Slave Route Project
Vanguard Nigeria: “The Story of Chief Seriki Williams Abass”
The Federal Road Safety Corps, on Friday, urged motorists who are participating in the fasting periods, to ensure that they take rest at intervals, to avoid road crashes.
The FRSC Commander in-charge of the Sagamu-Ore-Benin Expressway corridor, Mr Nasir Mohammed, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ota.
He noted that the advice had become expedient following the commencement of fasting periods by both Christian and Muslim faithfuls.
NAN reports that Catholic faithfuls had commenced lenten season with the distribution of Ash on Wednesday, which period is marked by 40 days fasting.
In the same vein, Muslim faithfuls had also began observation of Ramadan in the Islamic calendar, which period is also marked by fasting.
Mohammed urged motorists to be cautious of fatigue and possible dehydration during the fasting periods, and ensure that they take hours of rest before returning to the steering.
He also warned motorists against over speeding and wrongful overtaking, which could lead to tragedy, adding that drivers must strictly adhere to all safety rules while on the road.
“We are appealing to motorists, especially Muslims and Christians who are fasting, to always observe the rest after every four hours of driving, to prevent avoidable loss of lives.
“Also, all motorists are enjoined to drive to stay alive; Wishing all safer roads and fuller life.” he said.
Ogun State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Adijat Adeleye has disclosed that the Nigerian Tiktoker, simply identified as Mirable, has been admitted to a State-owned health facility, and is currently receiving comprehensive medical attention.
Adeleye added that an investigation had begun and the survivor is presently receiving psychosocial support, and is responding positively to medical treatment.
The commissioner stated this on Thursday night shortly after visiting the survivor at the health facility, in the company of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, and the Medical Director of the facility.
According to her, the visit was aimed at assessing the survivor’s condition and ensuring that appropriate medical and welfare interventions were promptly administered.
The Commissioner praised the personnel at the State-owned medical facility and the State Ministry of Justice for their quick response, as well as the Nigeria Police Force and Ogun State Police Command for their rapid and timely action as soon as the case was transferred to the State.
“This structured approach is intended to protect the survivor’s welfare while guaranteeing that investigations are conducted professionally, thoroughly, and strictly on the basis of verifiable evidence”, Adeleye said.
She added that detailed examinations and all required clinical procedures are being carried out in line with established standards for managing cases of alleged sexual assault, while the security agency is carrying out their investigation simultaneously.
“The welfare, dignity, and safety of every survivor remains our utmost priority. The Prince Dapo Abiodun led- administration maintains a zero-tolerance stance on sexual and gender-based violence, stressing that “while we stand firmly with survivors, we are equally guided by due process.
“Investigations must be evidence-based, transparent, and fair to all parties involved, even as whosoever is found wanting would be made to face the full wrath of the law,” she said.
She urged residents to steer clear of speculative narratives or sensational commentary that could compromise due process while assuring them that the State Government would get to the bottom of the issue to ascertain the veracity of the claim.
Meanwhile, she assured members of the public that further updates would be communicated at the appropriate time as credible findings emerge from ongoing investigations.
Nigerian TikToker, known simply as Mirabel has finally opened up on the allegation of rape she earlier raised in a viral video.
It was recalls that the content creator, with the username @mirab351 had, alleged that she was sexually assaulted by an unknown man at her residence in Ogun State.
She claimed that the alleged rapist inflicted an injury on her privates with a blade.
Her story generated reactions across social media, causing the Nigeria Police to swing into action.
Some netizens, however, expressed scepticism on the factuality of the allegation, stating that the stories were not adding up.
But the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said on Thursday that the command was investigating the matter.
However, Mirabel, who opened up to Popular social media activist, Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, VDM said she had been into drugs and could be hallucinating.
