The Anglo-Ibusa War of 1898 and Other Wars of the Anioma People’s Ekumeku – Part One

By Emeka Esogbue
I finally obtained the report submitted by Lieutenant Festing of the Royal Niger Constabulary on the Ibouza (Ibusa) Military Expedition of 1898 as reported to the British monarch.
It tells the story of the Anglo-Ibusa War of 1898, the very first phase of the Ekumeku rising of the Anioma people. Now, we know the dates of the Ibusa War as January 8, 1898 and it broke out at exactly 6.am when the British first attacked Ibusa. It was a 6-month war in 4 phases with the casualties on both sides recorded though I suspect inaccuracy of these casualties from the report of the British Military Commander.
All the weapons used against Ibusa are mentioned. Ibusa was betrayed by an Ibusa indigene that Major Festing, Commander of the British forces paid tribute to in this report. He called him a 'Local Agent', subtitled, "Festing's Tribute to the Services of a Local Agent" in the report. Though unnamed, he is described as hard working and one who did his duties thoroughly to the Company throughout. Festing said "The gentleman was (of) the greatest assistance throughout the Expedition and I have no hesitation in stating that I could have done nothing and found nothing without him... He was the only man ...who was able to give me any information as regards country people etc". The destruction of Atchara (Achala) is mentioned on Jan 15.
Ibusa only fell after the British raided their yam farms. The British could not remain in Ibusa because there was no water. I must not fail to cite a river in Ibusa that the report described as a 'most dangerous defile'. It says, "Notwithstanding every precaution we invariably had men shot down". I, Pen Master strongly suspect this river to be 'Oboshi River'. Let me stop here to visit reports involving other Anioma communities.


Report from Crawford on Onitsha-Olona (Onicha Olona) where there was claim of murder of twins by the locals and other forms of human sacrifices. The British captured Obolu said to be instrumental in starting Ekumeku in the community in 1902. "A bother of his by name China had died and Obolu bought a woman slave from, Ubomi from a man called Nwabudike and buried this woman space in the same grave as his dead brother after she had been beaten to death with a stick inside the grave".
For Ubulu-Uku, it says, "we experienced difficulty in capturing Idegu of Uburu Uku (Ubulu Uku) whom we caught at Ajema (Ejeme) on the borders of the Kwale country and Dunku, an old offender". Many other Anioma communities are mentioned including Akuku (Akwukwu Igbo), Ugbodu, Allah (Illah), Ibu (Ebu), Ukara (Ukala), Issele Asaba (Issele Azagba) etc.
I am surprised to learn that the British compelled Ogwashi-Uku to pay court fine for the murder of an Ibusa man but they later feared the court fine and other peremptory acts of the District Commissioner implied official support for the rival claims of Okonjo, and opposition to the chieftaincy claims of Nzekwe and his people in Ogwashi-Uku. This was one of the causes of Ekumeku in Ogwashi-Uku.