Jaja 1638549 225505188 2008-07-14T01:23:14Z Jimmy Lavoie 1805366 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/90.207.7.38|90.207.7.38]] to last version by Dulcem (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]]) :''This article is about the Nigerian ruler Jaja. For the French cyclist, see [[Laurent Jalabert]].'' '''Jaja of Opobo''' ([[1821]]–[[1891]]) was a [[Nigeria]]n merchant prince and the founder of [[Opobo]] city-state. Born in Amaigbo in [[Igboland]] and sold at about age twelve as a [[slavery|slave]] in [[Bonny]]. Jubo Jubogha later took the name "Jaja" for his dealings with the [[United Kingdom|British]]. Jaja proved his aptitude for business at an early age, earning his way out of slavery, was [[acculturation|acculturated]] according to [[Ijaw]] (Ibani) rituals and eventually established himself as head of the Anna Pepple House. Under Jaja's leadership, Anna Pepple soon absorbed a number of Bonny's other trade houses until internal divisions forced Jaja to break away as Opobo city-state in 1867. Opobo soon came to dominate the region's lucrative [[palm oil]] trade, and was soon home to fourteen of what were formerly Bonny's eighteen trade houses. Jaja also moved to block the access of British merchants to the interior, giving him an effective monopoly; at times, Opobo even shipped palm oil directly to [[Liverpool]], independent of British middlemen. At the 1884 [[Berlin Conference]], however, the other European powers designated Opobo as British territory, and the British soon moved to claim it. When Jaja refused to cease taxing British traders, [[Henry Hamilton Johnston]], a British vice consul, invited Jaja to negotiations in 1887. When Jaja arrived, the British arrested him and tried him in [[Accra]] in the [[Gold Coast (British colony)|Gold Coast]] then exiled him to [[Saint Vincent and the Grenadines|Saint Vincent]] in the [[West Indies]]. In 1891, Jaja was granted permission to return to Nigeria, but died en route. Following his exile and death, the power of the Opobo state rapidly declined. ==References== *[http://purpleplanetmedia.com/bhp/pages/jaja.shtml Jaja at Black History Pages] *[http://www.bookrags.com/biography-ja-ja-of-opobo/ Bio at www.bookrags.com] *[http://www.igbaniawo.org/opobohistoy.html History of Opobo] [[Category:1821 births]] [[Category:1891 deaths]] [[Category:Nigerian slaves]] [[Category:Nigerian businesspeople]] [[Category:Igbo people]]