Book – Ekumeku Movement: Western Igbo Resistance to British Empire (1883 – 1914) by Don C Ohadike

Introduction

As contemporary global geopolitical reconfiguration centred in West Asia intensify, it’s timely to refresh recent past African contributions and insights on anti-empire resistance, dynamic asymmetrical response, decentralised/guerilla doctrine and phased kinetic military operations. The context pivoting 19^th century British geostrategy from trans-Atlantic slavery to colonialisation of Africa is significant. The underlying emphasis is situated in African peoples’ dignity, integrity and agency. This critical book by Don C Ohadike explicates the framework and complexities of a prominent African anti-imperial armed resistance. It is important to connect this review with people’s unjust suffering, epistemic victimhood, and originality of their actions/thoughts. The review is divided into 3 main parts including general features/characteristics, triggers of resistance and spirituality of response.

General Features

This is an African resistance community cum organisation from Aniocha Igboland (modern Delta State, Nigeria), indigenously developed and home-grown by the people on the west side of River Niger. It drew members from different communities including Igbuzo, Onicha-Olona and Ezi, Ogwashi-Ukwu and Ubulu-Ukwu. Its contemporaries are Mau Mau (Kenya), Hehe & Maji Maji (Tanzania) and Samori Toure (West Africa). These organisations share certain features including but unlimited to cooperation of elites/charismatic leaders, support of society, sophisticated military strategies and credible political & economic grievances.

The term ‘Ekumeku’ is linked to whirlwind with stealth destructive force that sweeps away everything on its path. It is also associated with names like as Otu Ochichi (ruling party) and Otu Ekwunokwu (silent ones) mispronounced by the British as Ekumeku. However, the author extracted more than the main characteristics of the organisation.

Specific Characteristics

Ekumeku possess qualities that defined its posture drawing from unique cultural, political, economic and religious imperatives. These include pooling political, economic and military resources against a common enemy; military alliance with decentralised command devoid of a standing army and officer hierarchy; rapid post-battle assessment and reorganisation; and sophisticated general staff leveraging recruitment, strategies, tactics, operations and intelligence/target banks. The core strategies were knowledge of the land, path/road obstructions, guerilla doctrine, stealth operations, intelligence etc. The youth were the fighting force. While their offensive and defensive postures varied in depth; policy on potential collaborators include pre-emptive strike, verbal threats and covert warning visits. Nevertheless, it is critical to identify the root-cause of resistance.

Triggers

Resistance arose from British invasion/subversion, violent occupation, dehumanisation and loss of sovereignty etc. These were instigated by 19^th century British geostrategy change from slavery (abolition) to direct stealing of resources via colonising the Niger Delta. Others include invasion of Igboland starting with intelligence operatives (not explorers) infiltrations, 1860+ British gunboat diplomacy muscling unfair trade competition inland, plus genocide and massacres to abolish indigenous tribute system/rivers toll structure.

In addition, the entry of Royal Niger Company (RNC) led by George Goldie Taubman (1883 – 1890) in Aboh/Lower Niger is instructive because he manipulated (un)fair trade and ‘protecting’ Christians through unprovoked bombardment of communities. The expansion of fake Christian missionary propaganda/subversion from 1857 led to fake Christian interference in indigenous laws, customs and civilisations plus poor conversion results (strangers, outcasts and slaves). Empire was accompanied by ‘church’! These culminated in the decline of western Igbo’s economic leverage and evaporation of political power. In summary; subversion of civilisation and religion, and loss of sovereignty and destabilisation of societies caused much anger and forced embattled communities to rethink their situations.

Spirituality of Response via Resistance

Ohadike noted that the occupation of Asaba (1888 – 1890) removed any doubt of British intentions which activated internal policy reviews including collective defence initiatives that resulted in Ekumeku. Truth was invading British including European Christian collaborators of all traditions inferiorised Africans prior. For them Africans have no humanity, dignity, respect and autonomy. Bear in mind that European military doctrines then and now are about killing as many people as people. Precolonial African military doctrine was the opposite. Hence, British disproportionate pre-emptive violence on innocent people at the least excuse. Initial reconnaissance/ambushes/skirmishes with British agents provided the people with data, information, intelligence and experience.

Secondly the threat of encirclement evidenced in the British conquest of Benin (1897), Aboh (1883), Idah (1883), Brass (1895) etc forced the elites to confront reality, attend it, discern positions and decide solutions. These processes involved methodical execution of councils, public consultations and propitiation of both revered ancestors and the spirits. Therefrom unanimous decisions joined to recalibrate and embark on a common struggle through formidable armed resistance. Military planning, logistics, training, weapons purchase, obtaining charms and general preparation are developed with clarity, process and method. Apart from European weapons, every aspect was home-grown and indigenous creativity. Communities fully supported armed resistance. This was a people’s army, and all their pre-conflict processes were implemented in secret. Operations were launched in 4 phases, led by different leaders and sparked in specific places across western Igboland.

The first (1897 – 1898) operation started at Issele-Ukwu in 1987 when the Obi (Egbuna) unilaterally abolished certain religious practices and released all his slaves. Immediate protest followed led by titled chiefs who accused the monarch of abomination while acting under Catholic influence. A civil war ensued were the majority called for and got Ekumeku’s assistance. They destroyed parts of Illah’s Catholic mission, barricaded RNC forces at Issele-Ukwu Catholic mission and ransacked Catholic missions at Ezi, Ebu and Ubulu-Ukwu. A consequence of their response was 1898 liquidation of RNC.

The second (1902 – 1903) conflict started at Onicha-Olona before spreading to Ezi and Ogwashi-Ukwu. British West African force engaged in scorched earth policy to commit war crimes, murder, intimidate and destroy communities. They also suffered losses from Ekumeku’s hit-and-run tactics and ambushes under the charismatic generalship of Dunkwu. One of the highlights of this phase was resistance leaders submission to British 'justice' for trial from which Dunkwu famously escaped.

1904 – 1905 clash joined at Ubulu-Ukwu and spread to Ukwunzu, Onicha-Olona, Ezi, Akwukwu and Issele-Ukwu. Ekumeku was mobile, rapid and organised to launch attacks on Native Court buildings, Catholic missions, warrant chiefs and government officials. The British suffered heavy losses at Ukwunzu, Obomkpa, Onicha-Olona and Ugbodu. Ekumeku hero was Nwa Ngwele Amane, a fine general and sharp tactician.

The last (1909 – 1910) battles centred around Ogwashi-Ukwu and Ogwashi-Uno led by the Obi (Nzekwe) in a twist of circumstance. As usual Native courts, CMS and Catholic missions were targeted in hit-and-run operations. However, internal battle assessments and situation reports acknowledged the mounting odds against a better resourced enemy. Western Igbo communities accepted the inevitable and relinquished their sovereignty to the British. Nzekwe was restored to the throne while Ogwashi-Ukwu Catholic mission was closed afterwards for a long time. The end of Ekumeku-British war opened the door to 1914 amalgamation of north and south Nigeria by war criminal Federick Lugard.

Summary

One of the main attractions of the book is its explicit rendering of authentic accounts of Ekumeku resistance, heroism and sacrifice from multiple open sources and British records. An interesting feature is the author’s discovery of gaps, manipulations and falsification of data/information in British records. They minimised their losses and casualties while inflating Igbo losses, a legacy the British continued till today in different genocidal theatres. He also noted that British colonisation was a profit policy ably supported by the ‘church’ hence colonial Christianity was fake. Nevertheless, western Igbo’s agency, dignity, intelligence, civilisational awareness, sophistication in military matters and long formidable resistance against the sole global hegemon of the time were laid bare. The rich legacy of these ancestors are memory banks for continuity, procurement of justice and reminder to contemporary African communities and leaders to stop reinventing the wheel or look outside. I highly recommend this books because no one or community need another’s permission to be.

Life is beautiful!