Lokoja
| Lokoja | |||
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| Coordinates | 7 ° 48 ' N , 6 ° 44' E | ||
| Basic data | |||
| Country | Nigeria | ||
| Kogi | |||
| ISO 3166-2 | NG-KO | ||
| Residents | 61,886 | ||
 View of the city with the Benue Estuary in the background
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Lokoja is the capital of the state of Kogi in Nigeria . The city had about 61,886 inhabitants in 2006.
Location and economy
Lokoja is located at the confluence of the Niger with the Benue , about 480 km from the coast. Nearby is Mount Patta (340 m).
Today it is a trading center for the area's agricultural products, mainly cotton . In the nearby mountains are iron ore - mines .
history
In 1859 a British trading post was established, which later became the headquarters of the Royal Niger Company and also served as a base for Christian missions . From 1867 to 1869 the British consulate was in Lokoja.
In 1900 the area of Lokoja was a staging area for British troops who were to conquer northern Nigeria. The city later became the capital of the British Protectorate of Northern Nigeria .
Media events
On November 2, 2014, at least one person was killed in an explosion and subsequent revolt in Koton Karfe prison in Lokoja. 144 inmates, mostly imprisoned supporters of the Boko Haram, managed to escape from the prison in Kogi state.
