Niger State
Niger or Niger State is a state in Central Nigeria and the largest state in the country. The state capital is Minna, and other major cities are Bida, Kontagora, and Suleja. It was formed in 1976 when the then North-Western State was bifurcated into Niger State and Sokoto State. It is home to Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar, two of Nigeria's former military rulers. The Nupe, Gbagyi, Kamuku, Kambari, Dukawa, Hausa and Koro form the majority of numerous indigenous tribes of Niger State.
James Robert Phillips
The British Government as a result of these events and ongoing complaints against the Royal Niger Company from the Brass people of the Benin Rivers, the killings of the Hausa princes during the Bida Battle and ongoing territorial rivalry with the French, revoked the Royal Niger Company charter granted in 1886. Following the revoking of its charter, on 31 December 1899, the Royal Niger Company sold its holdings to the British government for £865,000 [£77,712,386 today]. On 1 January 1900, all its territories and assets passed to the British crown. The surrendered territories together with the Niger Coast Protectorate were formed into Northern and Southern Protectorates of the Niger River. As such, under the British Government control they became British Protectorates and part of the British Empire. In 1914, the two protectorates were formally united and amalgamated as the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria by Governor Lord Frederick Lugard.