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Seriki Williams Abass: From Captive to Contested Power in Badagry (PHOTOS)

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The life of Seriki Williams Abass (born Ifaremilekun Fagbemi) is one of the most striking—and morally complicated—stories in nineteenth-century West African history.

Born in Ilaro (present-day Ogun State), he was captured into the transatlantic trade, transported abroad, and yet returned to become one of Badagry’s wealthiest merchants and a powerful local ruler.

His biography exposes the tangled intersections of slavery, commerce, religion and colonial rule on the Gulf of Guinea coast.

From capture to return

Accounts agree that Abass was taken into slavery as a young man and that, while he kept the Christian/European name Williams and the Muslim/West African name Abass, his original name was Ifaremilekun Fagbemi.

Sources diverge about the precise circumstances of his emancipation and route home: some traditions say he was freed in Brazil before making his way back to West Africa; others point to interludes in ports such as Sierra Leone.

What is clear is that he returned to the Lagos-Badagry littoral with knowledge, contacts and capital that he would convert into commercial power.

A merchant with terrible means

On his return Abass established himself as a major trader in Badagry, a port that long linked interior produce (notably palm oil) to Atlantic markets. In that capacity he became deeply involved in the transactions that sustained the nineteenth-century trade in enslaved and bonded labourers.

He built a substantial barracoon—a holding structure used to detain captives prior to shipment—part of a complex of buildings on his compound that today survives as part of the Badagry heritage site.

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That surviving structure has been preserved and interpreted by the Badagry Heritage Museum and the National Commission for Museums and Monuments as an important, painful testimony to the mechanics of the slave trade on the Gulf of Guinea coast.

Political authority under colonial rule

As Abass’s wealth and local standing grew, so did his political influence. During the period of early British indirect rule he was recognized as a senior chief in Badagry. Local records and colonial documents variously describe him as a paramount local authority or warrant chief; scholars caution that the precise administrative scope of those titles—especially labels such as “Paramount Ruler of the Western District”—is often overstated in later retellings. In short: he was indisputably one of Badagry’s foremost power-brokers, but the territorial reach and formalities of his colonial-era authority vary between sources.

Religious role and social status

Abass was also a prominent Muslim leader in the area and is commonly referred to in local histories by the honorific “Seriki Musulumi” (leader of Muslim faithfuls). This title highlights how his public identity combined commercial, political and religious leadership—an integration typical of many coastal elites of the period. At the same time, his status as a former captive turned trader and chief complicates simple judgments about victimhood or villainy.

Death, memorials and a difficult legacy

Seriki Williams Abass died in 1919 and was buried on his estate in Badagry. Today the barracoon and related colonial-era markers on the site are curated as part of the Badagry Heritage Museum.

Visitors confront in those spaces a layered history: the brutality of human trafficking, the entrepreneurial strategies of returnees and local elites, and the ways colonial administrative practices reshaped local power.

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Historians and heritage practitioners treat Abass’s life as a prism for difficult questions. How did people who had experienced captivity reconcile or rationalize participation in the slave trade?

How should communities remember leaders who were both survivors and perpetrators?

The preserved buildings and cenotaphs at Badagry are deliberately unsettling because they refuse simplistic narratives.

Reading the past with care

Seriki Williams Abass’s biography forces us to resist tidy moral categorizations. He is neither solely a heroic survivor nor merely a villainous profiteer; he embodies a historical reality in which violence, commerce and authority were often entangled.

The barracoon that survives at Badagry remains an essential site for public memory precisely because it preserves those tensions.

Sources
Badagry Heritage Museum / National Commission for Museums and Monuments (site displays and archives)

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Fans mourn late Nollywood actor Alex Ekubo

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Fans and followers of late Nollywood actor Alex Ekubo across social media platforms have expressed sadness over his demise, describing the incident as shocking and heartbreaking.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Nigerian entertainment industry has been thrown into mourning since Tuesday when news of the actor’s passing surfaced online.

Social media posts by his close colleagues, and trending media reports, stated that he died after a prolonged battle with cancer.

The incident has continued to generate frenzy on social media platforms, with fans across Nigeria and beyond pouring in condolence messages and tributes to the late thespian.

A fan, @Mr. Rekindled of AFC, asked: “Is this some late April Fool joke. God, what kind of news is this? Rest in peace bro I don’t even know what to type”.

@perpetua Ebubech wrote: “Rest well Alex I am done pressurising myself and being ungrateful. Being alive is enough. Aaaaaah Alex”.

@Amed Oshiorenua commented: “This one hurts me ooo”.

@sheismirah_bakr noted that: “Indeed, every soul shall taste death. May we leave behind kindness, love, and good memories May we be celebrated while we are alive, not only mourned when we are gone”.

@oheneba_nanayere_joyce wrote: “Ooo my God, have mercy on us”.

@SAMPSOLO on X wrote: “Omoh, sometimes when I hear such news I just sit down and think about life.

“Everything we’re struggling for can just end in one moment. It’s really scary”.

@nyarkowai23 said: “Aww fine boy. May his soul rest in peace”.

@_emefaaa wrote: “This is really sad, may his soul rest in peace”.

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@ceeyahs_xclusivcollection commented: “Social media makes a lot of us look like we are living happily when we are actually fighting our battles. Remember we are all passing through something. Stay humble, stay kind”.

@DOG3tt said: “What’s wrong with Nollywood, why is everyone dying young?”

@bbelleamieeee wrote: “I loved him in Keeping My Man with Ramsey and Ini. Sad news… rest easy Alex”.

Ekubo’s passing has also attracted tributes from his colleagues and other celebrities, with many describing him as a talented actor and a kind-hearted friend.

Veteran actor Richard Mofe-Damijo wrote: “Life is not only fickle, it can also feel unreal. Even as I type this, I still struggle to fully process it, and it deeply saddens me to hear this news.

“Rest in peace to a truly great soul. You came, you saw, and you conquered. We are proud of the life you lived, the journey you embraced, and the legacy you leave behind.

“Sleep well, our dear Alex.”

Actor Bolanle Ninalowo also wrote: “Rest on, Alex. May God heal your family and us all.”

Singer Peter Okoye simply posted: “RIP”.

Actor Chinedu Ikedieze wrote: “Jesus, how?”

In a post on his X page, human rights activist and politician Omoyele Sowore described the late actor as a “rare talent”.

“My profound condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Nollywood star Alexx Ekubo, who I understand passed away after a prolonged battle with cancer.

“I never met him personally, but I still cannot forget a movie of his I watched on an Emirates flight from New York to Dubai en route to Nairobi.

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“He was a rare talent whose presence lit up the screen effortlessly. May he rest in power.”

NAN reports that Alex Ekubo, born on April 10, 1986, was widely regarded as one of Nollywood’s most versatile actors, known for his performances in several hit films and television productions.

However, his prolonged absence from the public had raised concerns among fans and colleagues, as he stayed away from social media and public events for a long time.

His last post on Instagram was made in December 2024, shortly after reports emerged that his engagement to US-based model Fancy Acholonu had been called off.

(NAN)

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Why I assaulted my daughter, Ilebaye – Father

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Father of former Big Brother Naija All Stars winner, Ilebaye Odiniya, Emmanuel Odiniya, has broken his silence over the viral altercation involving his daughter, claiming he was provoked before allegedly assaulting her during a family confrontation.

In a voice note purportedly from Odiniya, and shared on Facebook on Sunday by Kogi-based journalist, Jeremiah Promise Enemona Ocheme, now circulating online, the father said the incident was not driven by hatred for his daughter but by frustration over what he described as her changed behaviour after winning the reality TV show.

“I want to put the records straight that what led to that incident was not that I don’t love my daughter. She is one of my best children,” he said.

He claimed he made sacrifices and mobilised support for her emergence as the winner of the BBNaija All Stars edition.

“During her time in the Big Brother Naija house, I contributed a lot. I stood by my daughter and made sure people voted for her massively. I used my influence and connections, including governors and other people, to support her until she won,” he stated.

According to him, their relationship allegedly deteriorated after her victory, accusing the reality star of becoming disrespectful and physically aggressive towards him.

“After she came out and won, she changed. Ilebaye stopped listening to me. I would book her appointments five to six times in a week and she wouldn’t give me audience. She stopped regarding me as her father,” he alleged.

The father further criticised her lifestyle, particularly her alleged cosmetic procedures.

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“I warned her against getting cosmetic surgery — face reconstruction with fillers and BBL. She’s too young for that,” he said.

Emmanuel also alleged that his daughter had physically attacked him on previous occasions.

“She has hit me twice, and I didn’t do anything to her. One day she took an AC hanger and hit me with it till blood started gushing out of my body,” he claimed.

Speaking on the latest confrontation, he alleged that the reality TV star assaulted him first before the situation escalated.

“In this recent incident, she insulted me, hit me first with a sea hanger, causing bleeding, pushed me, and then broke an electric lantern on my head,” he said.

He also accused her of neglecting him financially despite his health challenges.

“I am very sick and needed to go for medical treatment in Dubai. I called Ilebaye to help me with some money and promised to refund her. She said she didn’t have money. But I saw her video spraying bundles of naira at a colleague’s wedding,” he alleged.

The father further alleged that his daughter negatively influenced her younger brother and interfered in his marriage.

“She has also influenced her younger brother with drugs, and he was expelled from school because of it. She once advised me to divorce her mother,” he added.

Despite the accusations, Emmanuel maintained that he still loved his daughter and wanted reconciliation.

“I still love my daughter deeply. I want her to change and do better. I ask for prayers from Nigerians. The police have already intervened and settled the matter,” he said.

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PUNCH Online had earlier reported that Ilebaye, alongside members of her family, including her father and younger brothers, were hospitalised following the confrontation at their Abuja residence.

The incident became public after the reality TV star shared an emotional livestream video crying for help, sparking concern among fans and followers online.

Confirming the development, the spokesperson for the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, Josephine Adeh, disclosed that all parties involved sustained injuries and were receiving medical treatment.

“The man is in the hospital; he is sick. All of them were badly injured and are all in the hospital,” Adeh had said.

She also stated that the siblings were under police protective custody while investigations continued into the matter.

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Kwara concludes airlift of pilgrims for 2026 Hajj

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The Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has concluded the airlift of intending pilgrims for the 2026 Hajj exercise with the departure of the last batch of 223 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.

The pilgrims departed aboard Max Air from the Babatunde Idi-Agbon International Airport, Ilorin, at about 6:05 am on Saturday.

The development was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by the Press Secretary of the Board, Sodiq Abdulmumin Folarin.

Speaking before the departure, the Chairman of the Board, Prof. Mashood-Mahmud Jimba, thanked Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for supporting the successful transportation of the pilgrims.

The Executive Secretary of the Board, Abdulsalam Abdulkadir, advised the pilgrims “to be good ambassadors of the state and country at large while in Saudi Arabia.”

Also speaking, the Amirul-Hajj and Etsu Tsaragi, Aliyu Abdullahi Kpotwa, urged the pilgrims to pray for peace and unity in the country and the state.

The final batch was accompanied by Jimba, Abdulkadir, Kpotwa and other state officials.

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