Though there are several movies that have tried as much as possible to depict what the Slave Trade Era looked like, one would not really understand how saddening and emotional the Era was until you take a trip to one of the slave museums, like those in Badagry. If you are not in the mood for an emotional downtime or not a lover of history, you may want to skip the journey to the slave museums.

With about 4 slave museums present in Badagry, they all help preserve the cultural heritage and remind visiting tourists the sufferings people affected by the slave trade went through. The slave trade museums include - Badagry Heritage Museum, Seriki Faremi’s Brazilian Baracoon, Vlekete Slave Market and Mobee Royal Family Slave Museum.

Though most of these museums have slightly varying stories about their founders, they all share the same agonizing experiences of slaves that have been held captive in the rooms. On your visit to each of these museums, you will be assigned a tour guide who will explain in great details the story behind each room and object.

Vlekete Slave Market

This market was established in 1502, it served as a meeting point for European slave merchants and African middlemen. This market was as at that time the largest and most populated, selling close to 900 slaves per week. Slaves were usually auctioned for commodities like iron bars, mirror, dry gin, whiskey, gun and other items.

Seriki Faremi’s Brazilian Baracoon

Seriki Faremi William Abass Baracoon consists of 40 tiny rooms and each room was used as a cell to hold 40 slaves. Several other items on display include, wrought iron chains of various sizes and shapes. The smaller chains are used on the children of the slaves to prevent them from disturbing their parents while they worked on the plantation.

Seriki Faremi was a man who mostly exchanged slaves for housewares and other items as the Brazilians that time do not recognize cowries as money.

The idea of Chiefs using Umbrella dates back to the colonial era. Seriki’s famous yellowish heavy umbrella is said to have cost him 40 slaves and other items such as porcelains, cups and gramophone records, each cost him 10 slaves.

The Seriki’s clothes, documents of transactions and the staff of office presented to him by the colonial masters are still present at the scene.

Badagry Heritage Museum

It is a storey building located in the centre of the historic tourist town of Badagry (in the Boekoh quarters area, known as “Adugbo Oyinbo” in local Yoruba dialect, meaning “neighbourhood of white men”). It houses the artefacts, records and culture of the Badagry people. Items in the museum dates back to pre-slave era, slave era and post slave era.The African story did not begin with slave era and this museum shows it; as you will find the culture & records of the people who inhabited Badagry long before the settlers came and changed everything.

There are 8 galleries all named at different periods of the slave era in the Badagry Museum. The Introductory Gallery, which is the first one you will see as you enter the museum, has a statue of a man with broken chains.All galleries explain how slaves are captured, sold, punished, transported and most of all, real heroes who fought for the abolition of slave trade are on display in the gallery.

Mobee Royal Family Slave Museum

Just like the other slave museums, it contains similar objects the slave traders used to hold slaves captive during the slave era.
One unique item found in this museum is the Cannon gun, which is usually shot three times a day - in the morning as a sign the slaves are going to the farm, in the evening to tell the slaves are coming back from the farm and later in the night, to tell all slaves to stay indoors, anyone found outside after this warning is usually sold into slavery.

One interesting fact however is, while the founder of this slave museum aided slave trade, his son, Chief Sumbu Mobee facilitated the abolition of slave trade.

Badagry Slave Route: Point of No Return

To cross over to the “Point of No Return”, you will need to hire a boat from the jetty where slaves were taken away 4:00am every day to the other side to work on the plantation or be shipped to their final journeys abroad. Rows of coconut trees planted by the slaves are still along the shore where you will take a boat.

Along the roads, white stones are arranged to mark the exact route the slaves walked on, chained by shackles in a single file.

Through the journey to the “Point of No Return”, you will notice a well and close to it is a landmark that reads, “Original Spot, Slaves Spiritual Attenuation Well”, built by all the chiefs in Badagry dealing on slave business who came together at that time to cast a spell in the well, a kind of black magic which brings forgetfulness. Nobody has drank from this well in over 600 years and the rainbow looking shadow cast over the water will make you wonder if the spell is still potent.

An incantation the slaves were also made to read before they are shipped away is present at the location. A drink from the well and reading the recitation present at the scene is meant to aid forgetfulness. The recitation reads:

Recitation By The Sold Slaves.
“I am leaving this land,
My Spirit leave with me.
I shall not come back now,
My shackles do not break.
It is the shackles that hold the ship down.
My ancestors bear me witness,
I shall not return.
This land shall depart,
My soul do not revolt,
My spirit go along with me.
I depart to that land unknown
I shall not return.”

Another twenty minutes’ walk will bring you to the “Point Of No Return.” Two slanting pillars with iron casts visible from afar leads to final path through which numerous slaves have been taken against their will to unknown destinations.

Though slave trading was stopped by the British West Indies in 1863, it continued till 1886 in Badagry.

The Town, Badagry is indeed an ancient city, and a visit to the slave museums can be a bitter sweet experience!

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