Slave trade was outlawed by British nationals under the Abolition Act of 1807. British warships were sent to West African coastlines to intercept any ship suspected of harboring slaves. The ship’s presence marked the beginning of British involvement in the Niger Delta politics and their subversion of the local population’s sovereignty. A few Spanish ships that were in Bonny waiting for slaves were taken by the British Navy in 1836. Because of his rage, Lieutenant Tryon and his men, the captain of the British fleet, were taken into custody by Alali, the king of Bonny. In retaliation, the British moved additional warships into Bonny and threatened to blow the area up if their troops were not freed.
Bonny was made to sign a document guaranteeing the safety of Europeans’ lives and property in addition to being made to cooperate.
Bonny carried on her slave trade notwithstanding the treaty. In 1837, the British responded to a British trader’s imprisonment in Bonny by sending warships to secure his release. In March of that year, Alali was removed from office by the British. Alali was replaced by William Dappa Pepple, who was more popular among Europeans.
The entire Nigerian coast was included in the Bays of Biafra and Benin when Britain appointed a consul there in 1849. John Beecroft, the consul, had his office at Fernando Po. Consul Beecroft’s primary duty was to protect the lives and assets of the British traders in the region. He could always rely on the British warships that stayed in West Africa during the 1800s to uphold his power.
In his six years as consul, Beecroft persistently meddled in local politics and wielded considerable power in Benin and the Bight of Biafra. He overran Lagos in 1850, toppled Kosoko, and established Akintoye. He went to Itsekiri in 1851 as well. Where he utilized the British Navy to set the town on fire in response to unrest between European traders and the town of Bobe. Once more in 1851, the British consul acted as a mediator during the slave uprising in Calabar against the owners. Beecroft forbade human sacrifices, which had previously favoured using slaves as part of the peace accord. By 1852, Beecroft had grown to such a position of authority. He presided over the election of Ephrain, the monarch of Old Calabar, following the death of Archibong.
Following his term, two other consuls (Burton Hopkins and Hewett) succeeded Beecroft. They carried on Beecroft’s efforts to increase British influence in the Niger Delta. The British, through their warships, explorers, traders, and consuls, dominated the region by the 1880s. Consequently, other European nations readily acknowledged and accepted Britain’s position in the Niger delta during the 1884–1885 Berlin Conference. This indicated that the British did not face any resistance when they occupied the Niger Delta in 1884. However, this does not imply that the British faced no resistance when occupying the Niger Delta region.
In the Niger Delta, at least, King Jaja of Opobo and Nana of Itsekiri opposed the growth of British power.
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