How did the British control Nigeria and other British colonies?

The British controlled Nigeria and other British colonies by using authoritarian systems and by being unafraid to use force and fear to keep the Nigerians under control. The British never allowed the Nigerians to have rights within the colony that would allow them to have power or to make political decisions.

The British also kept military personnel in Nigeria in order to keep the Nigerian people firmly under British control. The British would create a false sense of security in Nigeria by allowing a governor to stay in charge of the city, but he had to submit to the British in terms of their rules through what is known as "indirect rule."