The British Colonial Invasion Of Uromi in 1901 (Agba: The Esan God Of War, 4)
Welcome to part four of our series: “Agba: The Esan God of War”. In this part of the series, we will talk about the resistance to colonial war in Uromi. The British colonial invasion of Uromi started on March 16th, 1901, they were armed with over two hundred troops, cannons, and shotguns. This article is going to examine mostly the resistance but also The British colonial war on Uromi and other parts of Esanland.
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The British Colonial Army Underestimated Esan People
The following is a publication at Cscanada.net and it’s titled “Colonial Conquest and Resistance: The Case of Esan People of Benin Province of Nigeria”. The article talks about Colonial Conquest and Resistance in Esanland.
The British colonial army’s underestimation of the Esan people is a pivotal aspect of the war. As European forces embarked on their campaigns of conquest, they initially disregarded the strength and strategic capabilities of Esan military forces.
However, the British soon found themselves embroiled in protracted conflicts with the Esan people, who defied expectations by mounting fierce resistance against the invading forces.
Despite possessing only rudimentary weaponry compared to their European counterparts, the Esan demonstrated remarkable tenacity and resourcefulness in their defense of their homeland.
See also Agba, The Esan God of War – 1: The Origin Of Uromi And Esanland
This resistance persisted for over twenty-five years, defying colonial projections of swift and easy conquest. Scholars have often overlooked such confrontations between foreign invaders and non-centralized societies like the Esan, focusing instead on clashes with centralized states.
Yet, the Esan’s decentralized societal structure proved no impediment to their ability to mount stiff and prolonged resistance against colonial encroachment. The Esan’s resistance surpassed that of many centralized states, highlighting the formidable spirit and determination of the Esan people in the face of colonial aggression.
Resistance to European Colonial forces in Esanland
The resistance to European colonial forces in Esanland is a testament to the unwavering spirit and determination of the Esan people to defend their land and sovereignty against foreign intrusion.
Remember that before the British Colonial forces launched their inversion of Uromi on 16th March 1901, they had already burned down Benin city and the Esan people were aware of this.
The Benin punitive Expedition led by Sir Harry Rawson, involving a British contingent of 1,200 personnel was launched on February 9, 1879. It was supposedly in retaliation for the ambush and massacre of a group of 250 individuals, including British Acting Consul General James Phillips of the Niger Coast Protectorate.
Following the seizure of Benin City, numerous high-ranking chiefs’ residences, sacred sites, ceremonial structures, and palaces were pillaged, with many buildings set ablaze. This included the Palace itself, which was destroyed on Sunday, February 21st, 1879.
To justify their plunder, invasion, and destruction of Benin, the British propagated various narratives. They claimed to have discovered evidence of past human sacrifices during the expedition, as reported by journalists from Reuters and the Illustrated London News, who described the town as “reeking of human blood.”
They claimed that upon entering the abandoned palace, they were confronted with a horrifying scene. Their story was that the Oba Ovonramwen, gripped by panic over his actions and fearing retaliation, had orchestrated a large-scale human sacrifice to avert impending catastrophe. And that bodies of those sacrificed by the Oba were found in pits, while many were crucified and left hanging from trees.
This narrative was crafted to justify the capture of the Oba by the British Consul-General, Ralph Moor. The Oba was subsequently dethroned and exiled to Calabar, along with two of his wives. A British Resident was installed, and six chiefs were executed in Benin City’s marketplace.
Most of the looted treasures from Benin City were claimed by the expedition, including approximately 2,500 religious artifacts, visual records of Benin’s history, mnemonic devices, and artworks, with official figures indicating their transfer to Britain.
Among these were over a thousand metal plaques and sculptures collectively referred to as the Benin Bronzes. The Admiralty confiscated and auctioned the spoils of the war to offset the expenses incurred during the expedition.
Coming into Esanland with clearly the same intention, you wouldn’t expect the people to welcome them with an open hand. Instead of willingly surrendering to the enemy forces, the people organized themselves to fight for their land. After all, we are talking of the land of Agba, the Esan God of war. So, if the British want to occupy their land by force, then they must be prepared to fight.
It can be said that Esanland, now nestled into present-day Edo State, remained a focal point of British conquest as the colonial powers sought to expand their influence and control over the region.
Unlike the conquest and destruction of Benin city which took the British colonial forces of 1,200 personnel in less than a month (February 9, 1897, to February 21st, 1879), the war to take over Esanland took a much longer period and quite challenging military logistics.
Of course, this invasion and subsequent occupation were not isolated events but rather integral components of the broader British campaign to assert dominance over Nigeria following the revocation of the royal charter granted to the Royal Niger Company (RNC) in 1899.
The revocation of the charter was a calculated maneuver by the British to solidify their interests in the Southwest of the Niger, setting the stage for the imposition of colonial rule. So, “on 1 January 1900, the Royal Niger Company transferred its territories to the British Government for the sum of £865,000.”
Despite facing formidable odds, the people of Esanland fiercely resisted the encroachment of European colonial forces. Their resistance was fueled by a deep-rooted sense of pride in their heritage and a determination to preserve their autonomy and way of life.
Esan warriors mounted spirited defenses against British incursions, employing guerrilla tactics and leveraging their knowledge of the terrain to wage a protracted struggle against the invaders.
This resistance, while ultimately unable to halt the tide of colonialism, nevertheless left an indelible mark on the history of Esanland, serving as a testament to the resilience and bravery of its people.
Even today as we talk, the legacy of this resistance continues to inspire present-day Nigerians to honor the sacrifices of their ancestors and to safeguard the hard-won freedoms that were secured through their struggles against colonial oppression.
There is no doubt, therefore, that the first motion for the independence of the Nigerian nation will be moved by an Esan person, Chief Anthony Eromosele Enahoro. Quite generally, the Esan people as you would have understood by now in this series, are always ready to fight for their rights and what they believe is theirs.
This was demonstrated by Agba himself (The Esan God Of War), taking on one of the most dreaded Benin Oba warriors, Oba Ozolua, originally known as Prince Okpame and later Ozolua n’Ibaromi, meaning Ozolua the Conqueror and both of them will die in that war in 1503 AD.
Then we see King Ogbidi Okojie unwilling to go easy before the mighty British colonial power and then Chief Anthony Eromosele Enahoro moves the motion for Nigerian independence, and all of them from the small town of Uromi and Esan.
There is certainly a pattern here, as against being mere coincident. Now, let’s talk about the prelude to the war.
See also Agba, The Esan God of War – 1: The Origin Of Uromi And Esanland
Prelude to the British war in Uromi and Esanland
Look at the prelude to the British war in Uromi as starting from Benin, the most centralized system around. In 1897 as already stated, the British launched the Benin Expedition, causing the Esan region to break away from the Kingdom of Benin, then under the control of the British forces.
Subsequently, in 1899, the British initiated an invasion of the Esan kingdoms, a military campaign that stretched over seven seven-year periods.
The Esan territory presented a formidable challenge to the British conquest due to its strong autonomy. Even as neighboring regions succumbed, Esan kingdoms continued to resist, led by defeated Benin chiefs like Ologbosere and Ebohon, inadvertently safeguarding Esan soil from western intrusion by establishing military outposts and obstructing roads.
This resistance persisted until April 22, 1899, when Ologbosere surrendered at the border village of Okemue.
As we have previously discussed in this series, Esan people are not new to warfare, so they have trained themselves over the years, they know their terrain and they know what to do to defend their homes against the enemy forces.
The first kingdom to be attacked by the British was Ekpon (on April 22) which fiercely opposed the British incursion and it sparked months of battles. As the initial British advance into Ekpon stalled, the kingdom launched an ambush on the British camp at Okueme on April 29, prompting British forces to retreat temporarily.
However, they regrouped, ultimately defeating, and killing Ologbosere in May of the same year. Despite subsequent British efforts, including attempts to conquer Irrua, the adoption of guerrilla warfare by Esan kingdoms proved remarkably effective, compelling the British to retreat.
The Esan military strategy became so successful that the British refrained from further incursions into Esanland until 1901.
The British war in Uromi in March 1901
As you already know by now, Uromi is the land of Agba, the most populous kingdom in Esanland, and were certainly aware that the time was coming. As it’s often said among Esan people, you can beat a man, but there must be evidence of where you have dragged him on the grand.
That simply means Uromi and Esan people made sure that the victory was not cheap for the enemy forces which in the case were the British colonial army.
The British war in Uromi can be said to be centered around the steadfast resistance of Ogbidi Okojie, the young prince and later king of the Uromi kingdom.
Ogbidi Okojie is said to have been born (January 1, 1857) with a strong belief in his divine right to rule, and he fearlessly opposed the encroachment of British rule in Uromi. The backdrop of this conflict was the crumbling of the old order in Nigeria as the British colonial system gained momentum.
They were busy displacing traditional rulers, looting local treasuries, and selling them abroad to cover their military campaigns.
On March 16th, 1901, Uromi faced an invasion by over 200 British troops armed with cannons and shotguns. Despite lacking modern weaponry, the Uromi people, under the military command of Prince Okojie I, resisted fiercely for more than 50 days.
The British, surprised by the resilient guerrilla attacks, shifted their focus to capturing Okolo N’Ojie, the N’Ojie of Uromi, expecting it would weaken the resistance of Uromi fighters.
The fierceness of Prince Okojie was a response to the British forces who had captured the village of Amedokhian, where Okolo N’Ojie, his father was stationed, and they killed him. The news of his father’s capture so angered Prince Okojie that he vengefully hunted and killed the Captain of the British troops before reinforcements were brought to Uromi.
However, intelligence reports revealed to the British that it was Prince Okojie, not the captured king, who was the driving force behind the resistance. Even after the arrest and subsequent death of Okolo N’Ojie, Okojie persisted in opposing the British.
The British, at this point resorting to drastic measures, engaged in looting and destruction in Uromi, attempting to demoralize the locals by publicizing the arrest of Okolo N’Ojie.
Okojie’s refusal to surrender and the continued resistance forced the British to seek a truce. Okojie, lured by the promise of his father’s release, not knowing that the British had already killed him in Amedokhian village, attended a peace meeting only to be arrested, tried, and found guilty of inciting resistance.
In April 1901, one month into the war in Uromi, he was banished to Calabar, where he met Oba Ovonramwen, the exiled Oba of Benin.
Recalled in the same year, Okojie was reinstated as the Onojie of Uromi because Uromi people cannot be without an Onojie which is by heredity as against a political appointment where the British could have simply appointed anyone to become the Onojie.
Now as the Onojie of Uromi, Okojie also became the president of the colonial-created Native Court, overseeing Uromi territory on behalf of the British. Despite seemingly meeting colonial expectations, Okojie maintained his opposition to British rule, and he was eventually deposed and exiled again in 1918, this time to Benin.
See also The Life and Legacy of Ogbidi Okojie (King of Uromi, Nigeria)
Okojie’s resistance persisted even in exile, with him writing petitions to the British to be allowed back home. In 1931, he was finally recalled to Uromi and continued his kingship until he died in 1944.
Throughout his life, Ogbidi Okojie left a lasting legacy, building schools, supporting education, and contributing to infrastructure development. His influence extended beyond Uromi, impacting Esan, Agbor, and Benin City.
His wish for the independence of black Africa and Nigeria inspired generations after him, like Chief Anthony Enahoro, who initiated the self-government motion to free Nigeria from British rule.
Although the 1956 motion was rejected, mostly by northern Nigerians for nothing more than political reasons, the fire for self-determination was burning, and more Nigerians were inspired by the move. Ultimately, in 1960, Nigeria became a free and independent country.
Ogbidi Okojie, the Uromi umbrella, is remembered as a symbol of resilience and leadership in the face of colonial challenges.
Yes, we are talking of the year 1960 but here is the kick, looking back from where we are coming from: remember that Chief Anthony Enahoro and King Ogbidi Okojie have been successful as great sons of Uromi, building upon the legacy of their great ancestor, Agba Nojie, The Esan God of War.
That is hundreds of years before and that is what the whole story is about. As often said among Esan people, if you don’t know where you are coming from, you certainly do not know where you are going.
Conclusion On The British Colonial War In Uromi
In conclusion, the resistance to the British colonial war in Uromi stands as a powerful testament to the unwavering spirit and determination of the Esan people to defend their land, culture, and sovereignty against foreign intrusion.
The bravery and resilience displayed by figures like Ogbidi Okojie echo through the annals of history, reminding us of the indomitable strength inherent in the Esan heritage.
All Esan sons and daughters must understand that the unwavering determination of their ancestors symbolizes a profound commitment to preserving their heritage amidst the challenges of the day. This is an enduring legacy of courage and perseverance for generations to come.
Want to learn more about storytelling? Start by downloading the first chapter of The Storytelling Mastery.
