...The Brass are a people from the mangrove swamps of the Niger delta. Historically they had been traders, since the swamps were not conducive for agriculture, and their primary channel was the Niger River. However, the Royal Niger Company (a British company) made it illegal for them to trade on the river without paying dues as a foreign entity (the Niger River had been chartered to the RNC by the British government in 1886). The Brass couldn’t afford the fees and duties, couldn’t smuggle enough food, or find alternate trade routes, so they began to starve. In 1894, their leader, King Koko led them in a violent and desperate revolt, attacking the RNC headquarters in Akassa. They destroyed warehouses and machinery, stole property, and kidnapped several employees who they ritualistically ate as part of a spiritual ceremony to combat the smallpox epidemic that was also terrorizing their community… - Paraphrased from A History of Nigeria (Among the many fascinating anecdotes Ive learned this week)
Posted on: Thu, 28 Nov 2013 02:25:20 +0000
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