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.
The Symbolism and Lessons of the Museum
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”
President Bola Tinubu has nominated Dr Bernard Mohammed Doro from Plateau State as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
This was contained in a letter transmitted to the Senate for confirmation, according to a statement issued on Tuesday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
Doro’s nomination follows the election of Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, as the All Progressives Congress National Chairman in July.
PUNCH Online compiles information about the ministerial nominee.
Political background
Bernard Doro is a community leader involved in politics in Nigeria and the UK, where he has lived for a long time.
He serves as the financial secretary of the APC UK chapter. He was appointed in June 2024.
Doro is part of the committee that organised the Nigerian Diaspora Investment & Cultural Summit 2024, which took place in Birmingham from December 4 to 7, 2024
There are rumours that he seeks the Plateau North Senatorial District seat in 2027, but he has not formally declared his intention.
Educational and professional background
Doro holds degrees in Pharmacy and Law, an MBA focusing on IT-driven business strategy, and a Master’s in Advanced Clinical Practice.
He is an independent prescriber and an advanced clinical practitioner, with frontline roles across urgent care, walk-in centres, GP practices and hospitals.
Beyond clinical duties, he has led youth mentorship and social-impact initiatives in the diaspora and at home, focusing on skills development and community empowerment.
He holds membership in local and international professional bodies, including a fellowship in the Institute of Mortgage Brokers and Lenders of Nigeria and membership in the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
Humanitarian
Beyond politics and professional life, Doro has also led youth mentorship and social impact initiatives in the diaspora and local communities.
He founded Doro Vision Farmers’ Seed Fund, an initiative aimed to empower Plateau North, Plateau State farmers by providing financial support to enhance their cultivation efforts.
He was honoured with the Award of Excellence and Humanitarian Service by the Asiwaju Nationwide Organisation on 11th October 2025.
Origin
Doro was born on January 23, 1969, in Kwall, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Senator Ned Nwoko has broken his silence following a viral video showing his wife, actress Regina Daniels, in distress, describing her recent actions as “drug-influenced” and “unprovoked carnage.”
In a lengthy post and a short video shared on his Instagram handle #princenednwoko on Sunday, Nwoko claimed the actress was battling drug and alcohol abuse, which he said was at the root of the crisis rocking their marriage.
“Regina was not always like this. Her current battle with drugs and alcohol abuse is the root of our problem.
“She must continue her rehabilitation programme, or I fear for her life and safety,” he wrote.
The senator alleged that Regina went on a violent rampage at their home in his absence, attacking staff and destroying property.
“She slapped and hit three staff in the past 48 hours and destroyed property, including cars and windows, for no just cause.
“Now she has moved to a place where she will have unrestricted access to drugs,” the senator alleged
Nwoko said he had offered his wife two rehabilitation options in Asokoro or Jordan, “where she will not have access to drugs.”
He further alleged that the scene at home was worsened by the interference of Regina’s associates, whom he described as “drug suppliers.”
“While I took Moon to the hospital, a scene of chaos unfolded at home, orchestrated by Sammy, Regina’s main drug supplier.
“Another known supplier of drugs to Regina is the tiny evil devil called Ann,”he alleged.
His post came hours after PUNCH Online reported that a video of the actress, visibly agitated and shouting during a confrontation, had gone viral on Saturday, sparking widespread concern.
In the footage, Regina could be heard saying, “In Ned Nwoko’s house, I am nothing, but in my own house, I am a Queen. Not again. I can’t stand the violence, it’s too much.”
Her brother, Ojeogwu Samuel Danhillman, popularly known as Sammy West, also reacted angrily on Instagram, accusing Nwoko of assaulting his sister and vowing to defend her.
“Anywhere wey man dey beat woman, whether na my sister or not, I go fight with my blood,” he wrote.
The cause of the altercation remains unclear, as neither Regina nor her representatives have publicly responded to Nwoko’s allegations.
Regina Daniels, who married Nwoko in 2019, has often been in the public eye alongside the politician and businessman.
The couple’s marriage, marked by a 40-year age gap, has long drawn public attention and debate.
Many people today speak of betrayal and mistrust between the Yoruba and Igbo, but few understand the deeper context or the actual conversations that took place among the leaders of both ethnic groups.
I had the rare privilege though just a young observer who had learned “how to wash his hands” of sitting in on some of these meetings between Yoruba and Igbo elders.
One such memorable gathering took place in Owerri around 1989. There, I listened in awe as Uncle Bola Ige and other Yoruba leaders addressed claims made by some prominent Igbo figures, including Chief Mbakwe and R.B. Okafor.
The accusation? That Chief Obafemi Awolowo had promised to support the Igbo in seceding from Nigeria, and then betrayed them by not following through.
Bola Ige responded with clarity and fire. Turning to Mbakwe, he asked directly:
“You were present at the meeting between Awolowo and Ojukwu, as I was. Did Awo ever make that promise?”
He then turned to two other Yoruba and two Igbo leaders who were also present at that historical meeting.
“I have the transcripts,” he warned. None of the Igbo elders refuted him.
Awolowo, according to Ige, had never promised to follow the East into secession. What he did say was:
“If the Igbo are ever driven out of Nigeria, the Yoruba will take it seriously and reassess their own position.”
The room fell quiet. The accusation crumbled in the face of truth. The Igbo leaders did not deny this version of events.
Then came Bola Ige’s thunderous retort:
“Who are you to accuse the Yoruba of betrayal?”
He laid out a powerful chronology:
1. At Independence, Awolowo offered a joint NCNC-AG government Zik as Prime Minister, Awo as Finance Minister. Negotiations were ongoing when suddenly Zik announced a coalition with the NPC instead. The East aligned with the North to crush the West, jailing Awo and his allies.
2. In 1965, the West and East agreed to boycott the election. They reached consensus in the early hours, but by morning, the Igbo broke ranks and voted while the Yoruba held the line.
3. In 1979, post-election negotiations for a Yoruba-Igbo coalition (UPN-NPP) were underway when the NPP suddenly entered a coalition with the North’s NPN without notice.
4. In 1983, the same betrayal occurred. Yet Awolowo still sought unity. He met Zik again in Benin, pleading that only a Yoruba-Igbo alliance could rescue Nigeria. The meeting ended inconclusively, and again the East returned to align with the North.
With visible emotion, Uncle Bola continued:
“We can go on and on. But let me ask you: how many Igbo have been killed in Yoruba towns like Lagos, Ibadan, Akure, or Oshogbo?
You thrive in our cities, build your businesses here, and attend our schools yet you call us enemies.
Meanwhile, your people are regularly killed in Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, Zaria, and your shops looted. Yet you count the North as allies. If you choose to be perpetual slaves, we cannot help you.”
The silence that followed was deafening. No one interrupted him. No one challenged the facts. The Yoruba delegation stood and ended the meeting.
I can only hope Chief C.O. Adebayo’s memoirs will someday detail that historic exchange further.
Key Takeaways:
A. The Yoruba have long extended a hand across the Niger. The Igbo, for decades, declined to take it until recently.
B. Many Igbo leaders of the 1970s to 1990s actively propagated the myth that Awolowo betrayed them, using it to solidify internal unity and distract from internal failures. The one common rallying point was hatred for the Yoruba.
C. Time is a great healer. Many Igbo reading this today may be learning, for the first time, that their leaders knew Awolowo never betrayed Ojukwu or the East during the Civil War.
A Call to Our Generation:
Even if our parents quarreled, should we, their children, inherit their grudges? Must we perpetuate old divisions in a Nigeria struggling for unity and growth?
It is time.
Time for a genuine handshake across the Niger.
Time to heal, to build, and to move forward together.
Originally shared on the “Friends Ikoyi Club 1938” Forum by Dr. Adenike Marinho
