King Jaja Of Opobo And Wives Pictured In 1870

King Jaja of Opobo's wives (in present day Rivers State) pictured in circa 1870.

Jaja of Opobo (full name: Jubo Jubogha, born in 1821, was the first known Nigerian richest man, a merchant prince and the founder of Opobo city-state which now forms part of Nigeria`s River State.

Born in igboland, he was brought to the Bonny Kingdom at the age of 12 as a slave. He is considered a deity in his homeland and fought against 19th-century British imperial ambition in southern Nigeria. He died in 1891 on his way back from exile in the West Indies