CHRISTIANITY AND ANCIENT EVENTS THE BRITISH PACIFICATION OF IGBO LAND PARTICULARLY IN ORUMBA SOUTH L.G.

A British Colonial Force The pacification of Igbo land and indeed all the communities and settlements east of the Niger by the British Colonial Forces began in the late 19th century A.D. Pacification, as it was proclaimed by Britain, was an exercise whose moral objective was to bring peace to a troubled land, defaced with ritual killings, slave trade, inhuman traditions and other forms of sordid practices. Politically though, the campaign by Britain was also a design to invade Africa, crush the various ethnic feudalim and monarchy and entrench a colonial administration of the western civilisation. The campaign was also an avenue through which the colonial powers, in collaboration with the Movement for the Abolition of Salve Trade, fought the sordid business which had its base in Africa and flourished through the coasts of the River Niger. The highly militarized expedition by the West consequently led to the British conquest of the ethnic strong holds of Igbo land and the Niger Delta. The conquest of these African settlements went simultaneously with the entrenchment of British rule in all the colonial territories. One of the earliest causalities in the British invasion of the Niger Delta was the ancient Bini kingdom (the present day Benin kingdom) which was conquered in the late 19th century A.D. and their monarch, Oba Ovarami, abducted into forced exile in Calabar by the British forces. British force On 20th February 1902, Eket and the entire Ibibio 1and were conquered by the British forces led by Captain Venno. The war in these riverrine areas later

spilled over to the Igbo heart land of Arochukwu after four days of fierce battle with the Ibibios. On 24th February 1902, Arochukwu was invaded by a contingent of One Thousand (1000) fortified British forces. The invasion of Arochukwu was carried out by a combined team of a British contingent led by General Ralph Moore and another contingent known as the Royal Army Regiment, which joined forces from Eket under the command of Captain Venno. The invasion which was resisted by the Arochukwu military network, led to the killing of hundreds of Arochukwu warriors and the destruction of the famous Arochukwu shrine, known as Ibini Ukpabi, which served as an out let for the sordid trade on human beings, otherwise known as slave trade. The conquest of Arochukwu and the destruction of the famous Ibini Ukpabi had immediately sent warning signals and fear across the various sections of Igbo land that had revered the Arochukwu might and the sacredness of its shrine. Between the last decade of 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the British forces invaded the coastal ethnic group of Itsekiri Koko and unleashed terror on King Nana and his indigenous Itsekiri warriors. For more Click here : leave your comment after reading