Oral tradition relating to slavery and slave trade in Nigeria, Ghana ...

The advent and practice of the transatlantic slave trade 19
made into slaves and consequently absorbed into the community that
captured them, although with the distinctive status of slaves and the
appendage expectations from this category of people.
From the existing activity of slavery, the Europeans came to
meet a flourishing slave related activities that stemmed from the intertribal
or inter-communal warfare that was common around the coasts
of West Africa, Nigeria being no exception. Bounties of such activities
were mostly in human and material resources thereby; accumulation of
slaves became a status symbol. Such slaves hereby referred to as domestic
slaves were used in the farms or household environment. This was
common among kings, chiefs and wealthy and prominent members of
the society, so the number of slaves one had signified how rich one was.
The female slaves were usually considered to play the dual
roles of mistress or domestic helpers while the men that were kept
within the town were mainly used for their strong physique, and good
state of health. These were sometimes castrated to avoid unnecessary
distraction to the opposite sex and also to enhance their physique.
By the time the Europeans came, this practice was appropriated
for their benefits by the exchange of their gifts for the valuable and
incomparable lives of slaves. This was the beginning of the Trans-
Atlantic slave trade.
The Trans Atlantic slave trade thus became a ready source of
revenue for the kings and the wealthy in the society. Slave markets
thereby grew up as of necessity to get human stock ready for the slave
merchants and the idea of building interim slave keeping houses in
the form of Baracoons or prisons consequently emerged.
Badagry is highly associated with the history of the Trans
Atlantic slave trade in Nigeria. Major forms of the activities related to
the trade have been narrated as having taken place in this ’ancient
city’ as it is popularly referred to amongst its inhabitants and neighbours.
There were no extensive fortes or castles as such in Badagry
because the waters of the area provided natural habours for the
European slave ships, which could birth on these waters for months
until they were ready to move.
Buying and selling of slaves took place at the slave markets in
Badagry as in other slave dealing areas during the Trans Atlantic slave
trade period.There were slave markets in the vodun shrine of Vlekete,
the Agbalata or Obada market, the Ikoga auction place and other
areas.