The Koko Slave Route in Delta State tells a chilling story of how the quiet Ijaw town of Koko once served as a transit point in the transatlantic slave trade. Situated near the Forcados River and connected to the Atlantic Ocean via inland waterways, Koko was strategically located to support the movement of enslaved Africans from the Niger Delta interior to waiting European slave ships.
During the peak of the slave trade in the 17th and 18th centuries, local middlemen often acting under pressure or through collaboration, collected and transported captives from inland communities. These enslaved individuals were brought to Koko, where they were held temporarily before being canoed out to larger vessels anchored offshore.
Like other Delta communities, Koko’s involvement in the trade was fueled by both European demand and local power dynamics. Chiefs and traders engaged in the trade as a source of wealth and influence, often exchanging humans for guns, alcohol, and foreign goods. The slave trade deeply altered the social and economic fabric of the region, introducing violence, mistrust, and long-lasting trauma.
Although little physical evidence remains in modern-day Koko, the oral histories passed down by elders still echo the memories of a painful past. Efforts to document and preserve this history are growing, as descendants and historians seek to acknowledge Koko’s role in this global tragedy and promote healing through remembrance.
