ZeroAssumptions

Just by the Atlantic Ocean, the Lagos State Government has an abandoned structure. This structure was conceived in a bid to boost tourism in Badagry and Lagos State in general. The staircase on the right , that is, the Tunne@of Embarkation, depicts the journey of the slaves into the ships to start a forever journey of servitude never to see their native lands again. The slope on the left has a glass door called the Door of Return. It was to celebrate the regaining of freedom by ex-slaves who returned through the same port never to be ensnared or enslaved again. I hope the Ministry of Tourism and ntergovernmental Relations, Lagos State will revisit this beautiful project and others like it and see it to completion

Freedom is priceless and these statues are a sculptor’s depiction of the joy and celebration of two former slaves when their chains of slavery was broken and they became free once again.

The legend of Seriki Williams Abass is stunning. Born Faremi, Abass was captured in a slave raid and sold to a master in Dahomey (present day Benin Republic) from whom he got his name, Abass. After years of servitude, he was sold by his Dahomeyan master to a Brazilian named William from whom he got the William in his name.After abolition and on returning to Nigeria, Abass started his own slave business in which he became very prosperous exchanging hundreds of slaves for a bottle of whiskey, umbrellas, Dane guns, canon guns, mirrors and chinaware.Abass returned to the place where he was captured as a boy and meeting it desolate, he beckoned on people to return and inhabit the place since, “the world is now peaceful”. That place, Aiyetoro, is a thriving town in modern day Ogun state of Nigeria.