A brief sketch of the burial of ex-King Koko

Frederick William Koko, the last king of Brass, is said to have died of gout, on the 25th February, 1898, in a small village called Ebeama, where he had taken refuge after the bombardment of Nembe.

His remains were removed to Nembe and preserved for three days, during which time all the people living for miles around the town went to pay their last respects to their king and to mourn his loss.

As usual, guns and cannon were fired by the Chiefs and headmen of all the small villages around Brass, announcing the occurrence; his children were all attired in his cloths, holding in their hands various articles of dress, the property of their late father, and marched through the town in solemn procession; the best beloved son of the deceased by his first wife was borne aloft by four men, leading the procession — he being regarded as the late king's representative.

His grave was dug 30ft. square, with a square depth of 12ft., neatly cemented at the bottom, and closely ceiled with boards at the top; the room was then decorated with very rich silks; in it were also lodged the best part of his belongings, consisting of his bed and bedding, crockery, dinner-service, lamps, and a host of other articles too numerous for mention; his wearing apparel was packed in several boxes for use during his journey to the world of spirits, which, according to the belief of the people, could not be accomplished for an indefinite period of time; the coffin was of the best that the skill of the carpenter in attendance could produce; it was lined with silk and covered outside with the rich velvet stuff contributed by the Chiefs; the inside of the coffin was also filled with the bulk of his clothes, and whilst the corpse was yet laid out none but the most affectionate of his wives was allowed to see it.

On the seventh day of the burial ceremony one of his best beloved sons was chalked all over his body and conducted to the river side (Opupogu) shouting and yelling, and evoking him to whom the sound bore no import, on behalf of the people, this done, he ran home as quickly as his legs could carry him; this day saw the conclusion of the ceremony, when those who wished to return to their homes could do so, but on no account was any work to be done by anybody until the ceremony was announced to be over.

The  widows, orphans, and other relatives of the late king confined themselves within doors for six months to mourn their loss.

* King Koko in His War Canoe on His Way down the River, from The Daily Graphic of March 30, 1895 from wiki commons

A short history of Brass and its people by Adebiyi Tepowa

Journal of the African Society v.7 (1907-08)