Christmas In Badagry 3

Christmas time in Badagry is usually fun. On every street, there are usually one or two parties going on. People are gathered together, eating, drinking, and dancing to their favorite tunes. Some people do request the services of a band or DJ to provide entertainment. In addition, there are historical places to explore. Some historical sites in Badagry were highlighted in my previous article. Locations like the Agia tree, where Christianity was first preached, the first-story building in Nigeria, the heritage museum, the point of no return, etc.
Additionally, Badagry has many beaches where one can relax. Badagry is a great place to be.

I visited various historical sites in Badagry over the Christmas holiday. Wow! I had a wonderful time and learned a lot, so it was a great experience. A person who was referred to as a guide gave us a comprehensive history of the area.
I discussed the heritage museum in my earlier article. In this post, I’ll discuss “the point of no return.”

The point of no return is the location where the slaves were transported to the United States and the Caribbean Island. It’s on the island of Gberefu. Reports have it that an average of 17,000 slaves were transported annually. The slave trade started in Badagry in 1473 and ended in 1888.

Kidnapped individuals, prisoners, and wartime loot are all examples of slaves. Reports state that these individuals were typically carried to the fleet market in Badagry, where they were sold and auctioned. The slave masters then sold them to the white people in exchange for mirrors, umbrellas, guns, jugs, ceramic plates, wine, porcelain, etc.

The auction takes place at the Seriki Barracoon. The slave masters pick their choice of slaves and move to Marina, where they take a boat across the lagoon to Gberefu Island. On this Island, the slaves walk a long distance to the point of no return with heavy chains tied around their necks, legs, and hands. There can be about 100 slaves tied together with a single chain. This makes it difficult for the slaves to walk properly. They pull themselves as they walk through the island to the point of no return. Along the way, is the attenuation well which the slaves were forced to drink from. It is on record that the water of this well has magical powers that make the slaves lose their memories. Another report has it that the water makes them weak and so as not able to revolt or fight the slave masters.

The slaves walk through the island(slave route) to the point of no return. It is recorded that any slave who gets to this stage has no hope of going back home. At this point, the slaves were made to board a ship to Europe.

Hmmm, it’s like African magic, but it’s not, that was the reality of what happened between 1483 and 1888 in Badagry, Nigeria.