Human sacrifice
In the northern parts of West Africa, human sacrifice had become rare early as Islam became more established in these areas such as the Hausa States . Human sacrifice was officially banned in the remainder of West African states only by diplomatic pressure, or when they came under colonial rule by European powers.. An important step was the powerful Egbo secret society being persuaded to officially oppose human sacrifice in 1850. This society was powerful in a large number of states in what is now south-eastern Nigeria. Nonetheless, human sacrifice continued, normally in secret, until West Africa came under firm colonial control.