We owe a debt of gratitude to several people and institutions in the course of publishing this book. Firstly, we wish to thank the widow of Stephen Ellis, Prof. Gerrie ter Haar, for agreeing to write the introductory chapter on the life and work of Stephen Ellis. Her enthusiasm and moral support went a long way in encouraging us to forge ahead.
We also want to thank Prof. ter Haar, as well as Prof. Chibuike Uche and Dr. Akinyinka Akinyoade for accompanying Prof. Ton Dietz, the Director of the African Studies Centre, Leiden to the University of Lagos, Nigeria, on 28 October 2016 for the public presentation of Stephen Ellis’ book, This Present Darkness: A History of Organised Crime in Nigeria.
At the University of Lagos, we hereby express our gratitude to the former Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Rahamon A. Bello, for the warm reception of the Africa Studies Centre Leiden (ascl) team and fruitful deliberations on the areas of collaboration between the university and ascl. We are grateful to the Dean of Faculty of Arts, Prof. Muyiwa Falaiye, and those who played prominent roles in organising the roundtable for the book presentation. In this regard, we would like to single out Prof. Ayodeji Olukoju and Dr. David Aworawo of the Department of History and Strategic Studies. We gratefully acknowledge the editorial assistance received from Dr. Tunde Oduwobi of the same department. Finally, we thank the African Studies Centre Leiden, its publications team (Dr. Harry Wels and Machteld Oosterkamp) and Brill Publishers for agreeing to publish this book as a way of keeping the memory of Stephen Ellis alive. We sincerely hope that the publication of this book will help to cement the relationship between the University of Lagos and ascl, which has been forged through the recently created Institute of African and Diaspora Studies at the University of Lagos.