Ekumeku War of the Anioma People

The Anioma-British war popularly referred to in history				continued to resist as the Ibusa forces reinforced.
as Ekumeku or Ekwumekwu in some Anioma				Major Festing's further appeal and indeed
quarters occurred between 1883-1914 and involved				reinforcement of troops from Lokoja that joined the
Anioma and the British. The Anioma are mostly Igbo				forces of the Royal Niger Company helped the Forces
therefore all Anioma speak Igbo beyond the enclaves				to sustain victory over the Anioma community of
of non Igbo ancestry of the Anioma region. It is				Ibusa.
therefore easier to recognize that Ekwumekwu is an
Igbo word. However, different sources have				"Indeed it was not the possession of more
interpreted "Ekumeku" differently.				sophisticated firearms that ensured Major Festing's
				ultimate victory, it was rather wanton and callous
Ekumeku is indigenously known in Anioma historical				destruction of Ibusa farms and villages that forced
context as "Aya Ekumeku". Aya in Igbo language				them to sue for peace.
denotes "war" while Ekwumekwu in Igbo
onomatopoeia connotes "Do not talk about it" or "Not				Ukwunzu/Owa-the British (1904)
to be spoken about". This is a portrayal od secrecy				On the 11th February 1904, severe fighting increased
associated with Ekumeku movement. The terribly fast,				between Ukwunze and Owa on one side and the
devastating and invisible nature or strategy employed				British as the other party. W. E. B. Crawford Coupland,
to wage the war couples with the initiation requirement				the Divisional Commissioner ordered for 4 Connaught
necessary for the recruitment of soldiers may have				Rangers, 2.95 artillery and other weapons with which
warranted the word "Ekumeku" In the years of the				the people were subdued.
Ekumeku war, it was a taboo to reveal the secrecy
behind the activities of the cult regarding initiation,				Owa-the British (1906)
operational bases, movement and sources of the cult				The Ika people displaying prowess of the most
group.				war-like of the Western Igbo speaking people with the
				fierce wars fought to end S. O. Crave-Read and his
This situation posed the British with so much difficulty				British styled inhuman treatment. In this war, Ekute
as they were unable to manage the activities of the				provided military support to the Ekwumekwu soldiers.
Anioma perceived worrisome to their imperialist				The Ika people fought a well prepared battle as Lt H.
policies. The mystery surrounding the activities from				C. Moorhouse would later put up a brilliant defence of
which the people derived unexplainable strength				himself on why he appeared prone to sustaining
puzzled the British who perhaps were hasty to abolish				casualties stating that the Ekwumekwu soldiers
what they believe could become established in the				operated with a well trained soldiers and geographical
socio-cultural society of the Anioma and constitute				knowledge was an advantage. Mr. S. O. Crewe lost
hindrances towards realizing their economic aims if				his life in the battle.
nothing was speedily done.
				Ogwashi-Uku-the British
Resistance was strong in western Igboland with series				The Anglo-Ogwashi-Uku war which began on
of wars waged to resist the British who had strong				November 2, 1909 with a mandate to the British
economic interest in the region and Ekumeku with well				Forces to kill everybody proved to be a partial
organized leaders joined in oath-taking secrecy to				disappointment ion the part of the British and more
forestall the activities of the British in the region.				than anything proved that the British Forces could
Guerrilla warfare was the effective weapon if this				collapse if matched with sophisticated arms and
was to be achieved. The Ekumeku became the				ammunition. In that war the British sustained 34
greatest of the Igbo nationalism that instilled fear and				casualties with the death of Captain H. C. Chapman.
discipline in the minds of the British on how and how
not to deal with the Igbo people generally. It was from				With the fall of Ogwashi-Uku, the Anioma was
Ekumeku that other Igbo regions derived boldness to				doomed for balkanization. Dr. Egwu briefly summarizes
confront the British. Perahps, there existed no region in				what thereafter befell the Anioma as thus:
Southern Nigeria where the people ferociously and
collectively rose to resist the British imperial conquest				"Anioma Region was divided into four and joined to
as in the Anioma region where the war lasted for 16				other groups neighbours who were then given political
years with heavy casualties on both belligerents.				precedence over Anioma. Asaba Division was joined
				to the Benin Province and Aboh Division (Ndi-Olu) were
Attempts in the 19th and 20th centuries by the British				joined with Urhobo, Ijaws and Itsekiris to make up the
to impose imperialistic and hegemonic measures that				Delta Province. Onitsha, Oguta and environs were
would subjugate the Anioma people for their own				joined to the Eastern Provinces. This made political
economic gains triggered-off the Ekwumekwu war.				unity nearly impossible. This was the genesis of our
Anioma had viewed socio-economic activities of the				woes!
British in the Anioma region as an intrusion that must be
resisted at all cost and the British decided to employ				With the fall of Anioma, the great price for losing a
the use of force to subdue the people. This became a				war was paid by the people. The region was
threat in the Anioma society. Scholars of the Anioma				balkanized by the British and many Anioma territories
History believe that while Britain because of its				such as Onicha-Ado (Onitsha) and Oguta were
experiences derived from other parts of the country				permanently lost to the easterners. That of Onitsha
was well prepared for the outcome, the Anioma were				was characterized with a change of the name that
little prepared and only ready to defend its territory				disassociated it from Onicha-Olona, Onicha-Ukwu,
from economic violation of the British. This gave the				Onicha-Uku kinsmen but in all Anioma achieved for the
Britisn an upper hand over their Anioma counterparts. It				Igbo nation a movement more extensive and resisting
was not until towards the end of the war that the rest				than what the British had experienced in Africa South
of the Anioma towns prepared themselves for the				of the Sahara.
battle the British.
				Igbafe in his work opines "the ability to manipulate their
The Anioma nation had before 1898 engaged in violent				Age Grade system and other associations building an
clashes with the British resulting in the identification of				extensive network of communication throughout the
the Anioma region as a difficult terrain and it was the				whole of Anioma…no matter its cost, honour, bravery
feeling of the British that the area needed to be				and integrity which have been internalized and
purged if they would derive economic gains from the				consolidated in their myths, legends, proverbs and
region and for the social activities of the British to be				typical behaviour patterns.
impacted on the people. Interestingly, the British had
already noted the leaders of the region as violent				The Anioma Ekwumekwu commanders were:
because of their unpleasant experiences with the
people. In 1830, the Lander Brothers reported their sour				1. Dunkwu Isusu (Onicha-Olona)
experiences in the hands of the Anioma back home				2. Ochei Nwayazia (Onicha-Olona)
as they were captured by the Anioma community				3. Nwabuzo Olimagwo (Issele-Uku)
who did not understand their reason for crossing				4. Mokobia Odiajo (Ogwashi-Uku)
through their territory. It was a crisis that put the				5. Nwaiyogolo (Ogwashi-Uku)
Anioma in the bad book of Britain only waiting to				6. Eninwizomo (Ugbodu)
explode.				7. Idegwu Otokpoike (Ubulu-Uku)
				8. Monye Ukpe
By 1870, the crisis between Anioma and Britain had				9. Diei Nwobodo
escalated culminating in the invasion of Ndoni, an				10. Egbune Uza
Anioma community by the British in the same year.				11. Awunor Ugbo (Akumazi)
The British parliament had ruled that the use of force				12. Abuzu (Idumuje-Unor)
would be necessary to compel the people of Ndoni to				13. Idabor (Issele-Uku)
cooperate with their economic terms among several				14. Agbambu Oshue (Ibusa)
others. Atani another Anioma community would suffer
the same fate as it engaged the Royal Niger				Some of the Anioma towns that participated were:
Company in 1880 in a bid to control the trade of the				1. Isheagwu
region. The Royal Niger Company with its charter				2. Kwale
perpetuated what Joseph Egwu an erudite scholar				3. Ugbolu
regarded as the first genocide against the Anioma				4. Obiaruku
people. Finally, in November 2, 1897, Onicha-Ado				5. Aboh
(Onitsha) an Anioma community was bombarded in				6. Ebu
what was to set the Anioma rulers against the British				7. Ubulu-Uku
in many years of guerrilla warfare.				8. Ogwashi-Uku
				9. Akumazi-Umuocha
Ibusa-Royal Niger Company War (1898)				10. Onicha-Ado (Onitsha)
The real first of the Ekumeku wars was between				11. Obomkpa
Ibusa and Royal Niger Company. Dr. Joseph Egwu in				12. Ezi
an article titled"Ekwumekwu Movement" published in				13. Issele-Uku
Anioma Essence Vol. 1, No. 4, 2008 edition delivers a				14. Ilah
beautiful account of the Ibusa-Royal Niger Company				15. Okpanam
War in which the Royal Niger Company forces				16. Issele-Azagba
commandeered by Major Festing decided to attack				17. Owa
Ibusa.				18. Ibusa
				19. Idumuje-Ugboko
Strangely, the Royal Niger Company launched a				20. Agbor
surprise attack on Ibusa and thus won an initial victory				21. Igbodo
which through was temporary. The Ibusa forces				22. Umunede
retreated and the feeling of the British was absolute				23. Asaba
victory.				24. Ute-Okpu
				25. Ashama
Writing further, Father Zappa in 1898 emphasized that				26.
rather than surrender, the Ekwumekwu soldiers

Vancouver Info

Ekumeku War of the Anioma People

Articles