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IGALA COLONISATION OF NORTHERN IGBO STATES* (1450–18th century).

Chapter · August 2018

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IGALA COLONISATION OF NORTHERN IGBO STATES* (1450–18th century).
Michael Achile Umameh
The Igala mega state attained the height of its fame during the mid-17th century. The rise of
the Igala mega state disrupted and contributed to the shift of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade from
the Bight of Benin to the Bight of Biafra and the decline of the Benin Empire between the
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The Idah-Benin war (1515-1516) was a war of mutual
independence. The Igala state reached its political and commercial supremacy afterwards,
when it became a leading exporter of choral beads, horses, medicine, skills and of course, slaves
to the coastal region. Its growing power, nevertheless, changed the dynamics of the earlier
complex relationships with several northern Igbo communities. Joseph Hawkins in 1797
already captured the relentless raiding of the extreme northern Igboland by the Igalas. In his “A
History of a Voyage to the Coast of Africa” he noted the growing conflicts between the 'Ebo
Country' and 'Galla'.

By the late 17th century, the Igalas conquered and held socio-economic, political and religious
control of the indigenous northern Igbo mini-states. From Opi, Nsukka, Nsugbe, several Igbo
communities on the Anambra river, the lower Niger, through Okpanam to Asaba the Igala held
sway. Trading out post with Onitsha and the Ijo middlemen were fully established. The
mythical Omeppa, Inenyi Ogugu set up garrison at Opi and several Igala warlords played their
part in the build up of the Igala colonial take over of these northern Igbo states. But no other
individual played a greater role in shaping Igala-Igbo colonisation during the 18th century than
Onoja Oboni, the legendary Igala warrior and slave trader.

Onoja Oboni’s personality and heritage has been shrouded in mythical imagery over time.
Ranging from being the Son of Eri, the grandson of Aganapoje to being a descendant of one of
the Idah royal families; the priestly sub-clan of Obajeadaka in Okete-ochai-attah. The key areas
of consensus are; he was a master strategist, slave raider and trader, conqueror, coloniser and
imperialist. Added to these were his diplomacy, expansionist traits and the acculturation of
conquered territories. He built himself a walled city in Ogurugu and recent archaeological
findings of the remnant of the ruins of his fort on the grounds of the University of Nsukka
confirm this. The Igala soldiers built forts and fortifications that stretched from Ete down to
Opi and then to Anambra. Oboni’s rise to power affected the history of the North-western
Nsukka and the Igbo communities on the Anambra River and the Lower Niger during the Igala
commercial and socio-cultural ascendancy and domination. This was the reinforcing of the
golden age of Igala imperial expansion.

In this way, Igala mega state took control and allegiance were paid. Until the decline of Igala
power, the Ezes of Enugu Ezike, Akpugo, Nkpologu, Ibagwa Ani and Opi continued to receive
their titles from Idah; investiture, installation and confirmation of their office was only by the
royal blessing of Attah Igala in Idah. The Eze were only validated when the returned home
with Igala choral beads ‘aka’, staff of office believed to be imbued with protective charms to
ensure longevity and security of the Eze as well as prestige animal (horse) to bolster up their
ego. There were also periodic royal visits to the Atta Igala to pay tributes and as well intended
to strengthen diplomatic ties and inter-group relations, renew allegiance, and assured insurance
from slave raids.

In terms of indigenous technologies, the Igala soldiers built factories (forges) for
manufacturing Dane-guns, ironworks, carving, introduced arrowheads with tip-poison from
sting ray; cloth knitting, terracing of Nsukka hillsides and brought in a well developed political

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 and social hierarchies. At this time Igala empire had become a cultural exchange hub for other
merging states; the influence was felt as far north as the Nok civilisation and down east to Igbo-
Ukwu civilisation. Till date many of the Igala-Nsukka borderland remain bilingual.

On the religious level, the Igala installed their own priests- the Attama- as the custodian of the
dangerous ‘alusi’ shrine, took control as mediators between the spirit and the Igbo
communities, presided over divinations and fashioned ‘Ikenga’, ‘Okwute’ (ritual staffs) that
combined both Igala and Igbo religious elements. The Attama thus became the major agents of
Igala socio-cultural control. Several efforts to keep the Attama lineage Igala failed, eventually
the priestly office have been greatly igbonized, even though the nominal Igala identification is
still predominant. Many of the northern Igbo state settlements have lineages with Igala names,
cultural practices with marked Igala modification and adaptations. The use of Igala circular
basket in contrast to the Igbo rectangular types persists till this day.

By the turn of the 19th century, the Igala empire was too large for any reliable and robust central
control. Internal decay and implosion set in. The Fulani jihadists started contracting the Igala
imperial power, conquered territories in the north switched tributes, forced or/and seceded from
the Igala empire. The Bassa war added more pressure to the war-weary empire. The abolition
of slave trade brought in untold economic recession. In 1914 the British burnt down Ibagwa
and Obukpa as a punitive measure. By the 1920s, Igala empire was a spent force and a limping
shadow, the British easily took over control of both Nsukka and the Igala territories.

Reference:
Achebe, N. (2011). The female king of colonial Nigeria: Ahebi Ugbabe. Indiana University Press.
Boston, J. S. (1960). Notes on Contact between the Igala and the Ibo. Journal of the Historical society of
Nigeria, 2(1), 52-58.
DeLancey, V. (1973). The Igbo-Igala Borderland: Religion and Social Control in Indigenous African
Colonialism.
Ebeh, J. I. (2015). Igala Ontology and Its Influence on Their Social Praxis. African Research Review, 9(1),
123-135.
Egbunu, F. E. (2001). Chieftaincy Titles Among Igala Christians: Problems and Prospects Enugu.
Eze, O. C., Omeje, P. U., & Chinweuba, U. G. (2014). The Igbo:“A Stateless Society”. Mediterranean
Journal of Social Sciences, 5(27 P3), 1315.
Hawkins, J. (1797). A History of a Voyage to the Coast of Africa: And Travels Into the Interior of that
Country: Containing Particular Descriptions of the Climate and Inhabitants, and Interesting
Particulars Concerning the Slave Trade. author.
Oforka, V. C. (2015). The Bleeding Continent: How Africa Became Impoverished and Why It Remains
Poor. Xlibris Corporation.
Okwoli, P. E. (1973). A short History of Igala. Ilorin: Matanmi and Sons.
Okwoli, P. E. (2006). The History of the Fifty Years Reign of the Attah Igala, Alhaji Aliyu Ocheja Obaje,
1956–2006.
Oriji, J. (2011). Political Organization in Nigeria since the Late Stone Age: A History of the Igbo People.
Springer.
Shelton, A. J. (1968). Onọjọ Ogboni: Problems of Identification and Historicity in the Oral Traditions of
the Igala and Northern Nsukka Igbo of Nigeria. Journal of American Folklore, 243-257.
Shelton, A. J. (1971). The Igbo-Igala borderland: religion & social control in indigenous African
colonialism. State University of New York Press.

* This is a working document towards a more comprehensive ongoing investigations. Suggestions and
comments can be sent to: [email protected]

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