SERIKI WILLIAMS ABASS SLAVE MUSEUM, OLD SLAVE PORT, MARINA, BADAGRY, LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA By ANAGO JAMES AKEEM OSHO

Establishment The Seriki Faremi Williams Abass Slave Museum (Brazilian Baracoon) was established in 2003, in the family compound of Chief Seriki Faremi Williams Abass in Badagry, Lagos. The Seriki Williams Abass Compound was first made a monument in 1940 during the colonial administration that made Chief Seriki Williams Abass the Senior Chief Ilaro Division (SCID) in 1913. This made him the paramount Chief of the division which includes Badagry. As soon as Nigeria gained her independence in 1960, the monument became abandoned until 2003 when the government of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (the former president of Nigeria) made the heritage a national monument through the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Onikan, Lagos, Nigeria. Cultural and historical features The museum of Seriki Abass is a slave history museum and the compound was a former Baracoon. It was an embankment where slaves were kept while waiting for the arrival of slave ships to be exported through the Point of no return on Gberefu sea beach-Badagry. The compound of Seriki Williams Abass is unique for its architecture. The baracoon had forty slave cells where men and women were separately kept. There were other baracoons in Badagry during the slave trade era but only that of Chief Seriki Abass exists today.

Other baracoons were destroyed by the British because they continued to trade in slaves but Chief Seriki Williams Abass complied and supported the enforcement of the British to stop the Slave trade. Chief Seriki Abass became a farmer, money lender, general merchant. He traded with Henry Pooley and sons Limited England, German firms of G.L Gaisel, Witt and Busch. He continued to trade directly with the Brazilians. He rented out his houses and landed properties for huge profits.

‘’Chief Williams became one of the most remarkable figures in the Badagry District whose administration was effected by twenty salaried chiefs and 30 police Constables’’. The federal government of Nigeria through the National Commission for Museums and Monuments kept two slave cells (baracoon) intact for tourists and visitors to see and experience. According to the oral history collected from Chief Alh. Sanni, Baale of Gberefu-sea beach, Badagry, on 1-2-2014, 10.31a.m., in his palace at Gberefu-Badagry, where he proclaimed that Chief Seriki Abass was the one who changed his family's name from Olugbodi to Sanni because of his relationship with his ancestor whom Seriki Abass encouraged to be a Muslim. The Government should try to refocus their thoughts on this compound. The present government should encourage tourism and the promotion of history and African languages in school. The Museum / Baracoon Artifacts and Paraphernalia in the exhibition They include; *Ceramic bowls owned and used by Chief Seriki Abass *Seriki Abass German tea mugs *Brass Dish, a gift to Chief Seriki Williams Abass from Brazil in the 19th century, Gramaphone records owned and used by Seriki Williams Abass * Clay pots like the soup and water pots used by Chief Seriki Abass (the style is found across Yoruba land) *Hand writing of Seriki Williams Abass *Staff of office given to Chief Seriki Williams Abass by Governor McGregor of the colony of Lagos in 1902 *The regalia of Chief Seriki Abass worn in 1895 when he became the paramount ruler of Badagry *The popular Seriki Williams Abass umbrella used in exchange of forty slaves *Aso etu, clothes worn by Chief Seriki Abass *entrance door to Chief Seriki Abass ‘s storey building built in 1847, which collapsed in 1995 *Ruins and foundation of the collapsed storey building of Seriki Williams Abass *Remnants of burnt bricks used to build the baracoon of Seriki Abass *Some iron corrugated sheets and hinges from the collapsed storey building of Seriki Abass *Slave hankle shackle *Children chains * Remnants of Chief Seriki Williams Abass Chariots *Nails from the collapsed storey building of Seriki Abass *Cowries (Some money of Seriki Abass) *Weighing equipment from Henry Pooley and Sons Limited England *Mausoleum of Chief Seriki Abass where he was buried in 1919 *Seriki Abass’s Badagry Native court * Cutlass used by the slaves of Seriki Williams Abass on his farm *Tour of the museum and compound etc. Some of the numerous achievements of Chief Seriki Faremi Williams Abass - 1882, Seriki Williams Abass was involved in the partitioning of the Gberefu Island - 1895, It was in this year that Major J.E. Ewart made Seriki Williams Abass the political ruler of Badagry. - 1895, the Muslim community made Seriki Abass their head by giving him the chieftaincy title of Seriki Musulumi. - 1896, he built Badagry Central Mosque at Sango, Badagry. - 1897, Seriki Abass became the Seriki Musulumi of all the town and villages that were under Badagry District. - 1898, he founded Egbe Killa. - In 1901, when the Native Council ordinance was promulgated, Seriki Williams Abass was appointed by Gov. Mac Gregor to represent the district on the central native council in Lagos - April 1899, he led the Badagry Muslims that petitioned Acting Governor Denton to Establish a Muslim School in Badagry. - 1902, the Badagry Council was created and Seriki Williams Abass was appointed as the president. -1902, Seriki Faremi Williams Abass founded Aiyetoro near Ilaro, Ogun State. They town founded primarily for the displaced Egbado’s to have a place to call their own because of their experience during the Yoruba civil war and slave trade. - 1914, he was appointed paramount chief over the whole Western District, which was transformed into Ilaro Division of Abeokuta province. The former district head men “were appointed” district head chief “and brought together into a council of chief presided over by Seriki Abass as the “Senior Chief Ilaro Division”. In addition, he became the paramount chief of the whole Western Yorubaland under the British. - 1918, Seriki Abass became the president of the native court of Ilaro, Addo, Idogo, Igbeda, Oke Odan, Eggua Ipokia, Leke etc. -1919 “Seriki Abass is widely reported to have been the first to possess a lorry in Egbado Division. The Seriki ford lorry was bought early in 1919; and plied the Abeokuta-Aiyetoro road. -Seriki Abass as the president of Ilaro Divisional native Authority, crowned the Alase of Ilase and Oniboro of Iboro as Oba. They received their crowns from him. -1919 Chief Seriki Abass died and buried in his compound in Badagry. Written and Compiled by Anago James Akeem Osho https://anagoadventures.blogspot.com/2014/03/seriki-williams-abass-of-badagry-and.html#more anago.tourism@gmail.com 08037043233, 08099045371 REFERENCES - Bibliography 1. W.C. Wormall, 1934, A Report on the Egun-Speaking people of Badagry District of the Colony, page 19, 22, 24. 2. Ashamu Sewanu Fadipe, Slave Trade and Western Civilization in Badagry, 2002 3. Anago James Akeem Osho, The history of Seriki Williams Abass, Rafisho Commercial Agencies, 2015 4.A.I. Asiwaju, Western Yoruba land under European rule 1889-1945, Page 163. 5. A.I.Aswiaju, Western Yoruba land under European rule 1889-1945, Page 103. 6. Sunday Times, March 3, 1974 page 11 7. Badagry: A study in History, Culture and Tradition of an Ancient City, Page 360. 8. Journey from Epe, Page 24, 31. 9. A.I. Aswiaju, Western Yoruba land under European rule 1889-1945, Page 79. 10. Olaide Mesewaku (2002) Badagry District 1863-1999, John West Pub. Ltd, Ikeja-Lagos. 11. Oral History, Chief (Alh) Sanni, Baale of Gberefu Island-Badagry, 1-2-2014, 10.31a.m., Geberfu Island-Lagos. Interviewed by Anago James Akeem Osho 11. https://anagoadventures.blogspot.com/2014/03/seriki-williams-abass-of-badagry-and.html#more