Final answer:
West Africans obtained slaves outside of their nation by raiding other villages and capturing individuals.
Step-by-step explanation:
The West Africans obtained slaves outside of their nation by raiding other villages and capturing individuals. They engaged in warfare with neighboring tribes solely for the purpose of capturing people to be sold as slaves. This was a common practice during the period of the transatlantic slave trade, with Africans themselves being the primary perpetrators of enslavement.