Timeline of important dates and events in Idoma colonial history

“If history is the recount of past events, then dates are the vehicles through which we journey to the past.”

Owing to its strategic location on the border of the old Northern and Southern Protectorates (South of river Benue, some seventy-two kilometers east of its confluence with river Niger) present-day Idoma land was one of the first places in Northern Nigeria to come in contact with the Europeans.
It started as a trade relationship -first with the Portuguese merchants via Idah/Bini kingdoms’ relations- then the British over the time tried to imposed control on the locals which was met with strife resistances, and reprisals by the British and their machineries, and then eventual colonization by the British.

Here are important dates of events in the colonial history of Idoma;

1787-1807: The Idoma chiefdoms/territories of Adoka, Agatu, Onyagede, Agila, Utunkun, Edumoga, Otukpa, Okpoga, Otukpo traded palm oil, ivory, slaves with the Portuguese merchants through Idah and Iboland via Bini kingdom.

1848: The first thing to appear in print in Idoma, John Clarke’s Specimens of
Dialects published by Berawick-upon-Tweed pp.10-11, Number 149.
Professor Edwin Ardener identifies the subject/speaker to be Wm. Scott, a sawyer and a settler in
Fernando Po “from Doma country”, whom Clarke knew in 1841.
Prof. Robert Armstrong thinks that the specimen is of the Western dialect of Idoma.

1883: Eza Ogaba became the eleventh Ots’ Agila (King of Agila chiefdom).

1886-1910: Royal Niger Company (RNC), expanded trading in Idoma territories; Oweto-Agatu, Igumale, Ukwonyo, Agila, Adoka, Onyagede, Ugboju-Icho.

1890-1900: Annexation of Idoma land by the British.

1899: Anglo-Idoma war broke out.

1899: British forces led by Major Maclintock burnt down Odugbeho in Agatu.

1900: The British seized control of Idoma land (colonial rule).

1901: Madakin Amajo was appointed by captain Fitz-Herbert Ruxton to take charge of Enugba, Enogaje and Ogbangede (all in Agatu).

1904: Anglo-Adoga War (tax revolt war between the British colonial masters and the Adoga clan of Obu) in Otukpa.
The British moved their war base to a place between Odoba and Epaegbo and launched attack which was neutralised by counter attack, the information leaked to Adogas prior to that moment of the incident, who quickly mobilized and divided themselves in two. One group at home protecting the aged, women, children and sacred forest while the main body lead by the Obu resistant fighters under the leadership of Mr Iyalla Atungwu advanced towards Eglo’ipepu. A whiteman, popularly known as Mr Orkosi, their mercenaries and some locals were killed.

1906: Some British colonial agents (Abakpa or Hausa/Fulani) were massacred by Idoma warriors at Aku (close to Odugbeho, Agatu).
The British soldiers burnt down Aku in a heavy reprisal attack.

1907: Seven of eight Abakpa (Hausa) traders collecting rubber for the Royal Niger Company were killed by Idoma warriors in a fracas that ensured in Obena-Adoka.
The British immediately launched a full-scale war on Adoka killing more than twenty people, razing twenty-three villages in Adoka – Ehaje, and confiscating all available livestocks and foodstuffs to support the colonial force.

1907: The British appointed Alabi alias Abubarka, a Hausa speaking Yoruba man from Ilorin as the District Chief of Ugboju.
Chief Amanyi, an influential Ugboju man was appointed as his deputy.

1908: Ogiri Okoh was bron in his maternal home land, Iga-Okpaya.

1908: The Colonial forces reached
Oglewu with the Colonel Trenchard led Niger-Cross River
expedition.

1908: Otukpa was completely annexed by the Colonel Trenchard pacification.
Col. Trenchard ‘s peace mission team visited Adoga clan and apologized to the Adogas four years after the Anglo-Adoga war.

1908: Otukpa became part of Okpoto district of the Onitsha province with the District headquarters at Okpoga.

1908: Chief Awudu Elachi the Anawogene Ai- Oono became the district head of Otukpa.

1908: Akweya of Akpa sent a delegation to the Colonial base at Ankpa to solicit the white man’s support in their perennial land dispute with the Utonkon.
Consequently, the British brought Akpa under colonial control.

1910: One Galadima (a Hausa man) was
appointed as President of the District Court. While Momoh, a Nupe man was appointed as District Head of Agatu based at Obagaji; Momoh was also succeeded by Isah another Nupe
man.

1910: A British boundary demarcation expedition led by Captain Byng Hall passed through Adoka, moved to Ugboju and Onyagede.

1910: Chief Amanyi of Ugboju led one of the most violent rebellion against the British and their Hausa allies.
Amanyi led Ugboju warriors to ambush a British expedition sent to occupy Ugboju and Onyagede. The uprising continue with guerilla attacks and British reprisals for two years.

1910: The Colonel Trenchard patrol team reached Igede land, but was compelled by the hostile resistance of the people to withdraw.

1910: Okpoga was named the headquarters of the Southern Idoma districts by the British colonial government.

1911: Mallam Auta (a Hausa man) was appointed by the British as District Head of Adoka, but he was immediately removed and replaced by a legitimate ruler Och’Adoka Idu.

1912: The British and their machineries crushed the Amanyi’s revolt. Amanyi was captured and deported to Keffi.

1912: Idoma revolt fighters in Onyagede killed British backed Hausa traders and scribes, burnt down their houses.
The British resident officer evacuated Hausa traders and interpreters, launched a heavy reprisal attack on Onyagede.

1912: Chief Awudu Elachi the headman (District head) of Otukpa died.

Late 1912: Amanyi was released from Keffi and reinstalled back as the deputy district headman of Ugboju. But, no longer willing to overthrow the British and their Hausa allies, Amanyi ventured into trading and left the native court in the hands of the Hausa colonial agents.

1912: Railway line reach Idomaland at Igumale.

1914: The Ugboju people led by Ameh Oyi Ija, the new deputy to the Hausa colonial chief of the district, attacked Hausa traders’ quarters at Ombi. The attack resulted in the death of “a large number” of Hausa. The British colonial forces staged a bloody reprisal.

1915: Chief Early Idoko District Head of Okpoga died.

August 1916: Okpoga Native Authority was reformed.

1918: British administrator, Mr N.J. Brooke transferred Okpoga Division from Southern Nigeria to the Mushin Province of Northern Nigeria.

1918: Yala was transferred from Okpoga and added to Ogoja Division.

1918: Okpoga paid General tax.

1920: Ameh Epe, a leader of the constabulary was given the warrant of District Head and presided over the District Court while the real Chief of Adoka, Idu was neglected.

1920: Customary courts were established in Igumale,Otukpa, Utunkun and Oyangede.

1921: Mackay, a British officer over seeing the Railway construction in Idomaland abolished the remaining alien District headship after investigations carried out by Government anthropologists show that Chieftaincy was not new to Idomaland.

1922: Agila was transferred from Abakiliki province (Southern Province) to Okpoga Division.

20 May 1922: Prince Abutu Obekpa of Otukpa was born.

1922: Igede was brought under British colonial control and handed to Okpoga Division.

1922: Ugboju, Onyagede, Oglewu, Adoka, Ochekwu and Agatu were transferred from Bassa Province to Okpoga Division and renamed Idoma Division. ‘Idoma’ was initially a name given to an ad hock District created in 1912 comprising of Ugboju, the headquarters of Onyagede and Oglewu. Okpoga was still the headquarters of the unified Idoma.

1922: Munshi Province was changed by the then Lieutenant Governor of the Northern Provinces, to Benue
Province. But unfortunately for the Agatu people they were transferred in 1926 to Nasarawa Division, though they resisted this rigorously, it was only restored in 1932.

1922: Ajaka was installed as the Idoga of Onyagede.

1922: Prince Jacob Obande was born in Elelazi, Igumale.

1923: Idoma Native Authority was established.

1923: Otukpo and Oju Local Governments were created by the Idoma Native Authority seated at Okpoga.

1923: Railway line reached Otukpo. A train station was established.

1923: War between Otukpo and Ugboju ,Abah and Amepe two brothers from Ugboju were killed.

1923: Fight broke out in Edumoga

1923: Fight/riots in Owukpa

1923: Ujo Aka became the Obande of Ugboju.

1924: For administrative convenience the Divisional Headquarters was shifted from Okpoga to Otukpo.

1924: Chief Apeh Omeh Okama the Anawogene of Ai-Oono became the new district head of Otukpa.

1924: Methodist Church mission was established in Igumale.

1924: Methodist School Igumale was established.

1924: Reverend Norcross of the Methodist Mission Igumale produced a translation of the Gospel of Mark and The Acts of the Apostles in addition
to a primer and a hymnal in ldoma.

1924: Abraham Ajene Okpabi was born in Ito.

1926: Ogbuloko Inawo led Igede rebels against the British and their Hausa allies.
The uprising continue with guerilla attacks and British reprisals for three years until it was crushed by a massive British military operation.

1927: Sir Donald Cameroon the then Governor General of Nigeria, formally approved the Idoma Central Native Council (Ojila or council of chiefs). The leader of the Ojila was the
Och’Ogbole. Some of the Och’Ogbole included the following Chief Elaigwu k’Awa, the Alegwu of Ojope from
Ochekwu, Chief Enyi Ukpo – the Och’Apa of Igumale, Okenyi Aba Etema the Idoga of Orokam and Chief Ujo Aka Obande of Ugboju as the last who held such post. This system continued until 1947.

1928: Ukwelle escort was used by the British to suppress the Igede people with traces of all forms of brutality.

December 28, 1926: Prince Edwin Ogebe Ogbu was born in Utunkun.

1929: Ogbu Loko was killed by British special forces in a village near Utunkun.

1929: Rebels were murdered in Ipupu (Upu) Otukpo.

1930: A Roman Catholic Mission was also established at Obu Otukpa; the first primary school in Otukpa District.

1930: Apeh Omeh Okama the district head of Otukpa died.

1932: Alegwu of Adoka, Eche Agbane died.

1934: Chief Obekpa Onoja (alias Ejema) the Olema Ai-oodo became the Och’Otukpa.

1935: First grammar of Idoma ( twenty copies of Grammar of Otukpo Dialect of Idoma in bound form, 429 pages long) was printed by Captain (later Dr.) R.C. Abraham, then an Assistant District Officer.

1935: The Alapa of Adoka, Ogiri Oko became the Alegwu (District Head).

1935: Capt. GDC Money was District Commissioner of Otukpa.

1935: Ujor the Obande of Ugbojo and chairman of the Ojira K’Aioche K’Idoma (council of chiefs) appointed young and vibrant Ogiri Oko as the Representative of the Ojira in the Northern Council of Chiefs.

1936:Completion of Otukpo-Makurdi/Enugu Express road.

3rd April 1937: Edwin Idoko Obe, first medical from Middle Belt Nigeria, was born in Ai’Roga, Itabono-Owukpa.

1944: First pan Idoma association Idoma Loving Union, ILU, (later renamed Idoma Hope Rising Union, IHRU) officially took off . It was largely made up of demobilised soldiers, Colonial government workers, educated elites and miners. Founding members include, Abutu Obekpa, Jacub Obande, Joseph Akatu, Mr. Onazi, Adeyi Ameh, Ela Abogonye (first Mayor of Otukpo), Ogwuji Ikongbe, Owuna Ochagwu, and others.

1946: Cotton depots were built in Oshigbudu and Obagaji Agatu.

10th October 1947: Agaba’Idu Ogiri Okoh became the first Och’Idoma.

1948: Four Intermediate Area Courts were established in Idoma Division. The Courts were based at the Intermediate Headquarters at Idoma North at Iga, West at Ugbokolo,
South at Utonkon and Eastern Idoma at Oju.

3rd February, 1949: Agaba’idu Ogiri Okoh was officially installed as Och’Idoma (i) by the Acting Resident of Benue Province D.F.H. McBride.

December 1950: Robert G. Armstrong (later Research Professor of Linguistics at the University College, Ibadan’s African Studies Institute) came to Otukpo on a fellowship to study Idoma
language and culture.

1951: Edwin Ogebe Ogbu became the first graduate (combined honour degree in Sociology and Anthropology from Bethune Cookman College -now Bethune Cookman University- Florida, USA) in the whole of old Northern Nigerian region.

1955: Dr. Edwin Ogebe Ogbu became the first Master degree/Ph.d holder (MA in Education from Standard University) in the whole of Northern Nigeria.

1954: Idoma State Union party was formed with its headquarters at Otukpo.
It founding members include; Omakwu Ogwiji (President), Adanu Omoha (General Secretary), among others.

1954: Rt. Hon. Ameh Ebenezer Odoh became the first representative of the idoma nation at the Federal House of Assembly in Lagos.
At the Federal House of Parliament, he was the first person to move the motion that the Federal Capital Territory be move from Lagos to Central Nigeria.
He moved for the capital to be relocated to Otukpo in the middle belt region of Nigeria: 1976, Abuja in Central Nigeria was declared the country’s new capital.

1954: Mr. Isaac Onyejefu Ochinyabo established a monthly newspaper, “Onyata”.

April 1956: The Northern house of Assembly elections was held in Idomaland.
Abutu Obekpa was elected to represent Idoma west in the regional assembly under the platform of the majority Northern People Congress, NPC.
Ajene Okpabi was elected to represent Igede.

1956: The minority Idoma tribal party, Idoma State Union, which allied with NCNC, won two seats in the Northern House of Assembly.
It also has two members in the house of Representatives.

1957: Attah Otsoga, the 16th Ots’ Agila died.

1958 (20th August): A General Purposes Committee replaced the Advisory Council as the policy-making body in Idoma NA.

1958: Jacob Obande became the first parliamentary secretary to Nigeria’s first and only Prime Minister, Tafawa Balewa.

1960: Och’Idoma (I) Agaba’idu Ogiri Oko died.

1960: Ajene Okpabi became Och’Idoma (ii) and was handed his staff of office by the then Nigeria head of state, the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth 11.

1960: Rev. Spencer printed various Bible translations and hymns in the Agatu dialect.

1st October 1960: Nigeria got independence from Britain (Idoma land included). Rt. Hon. JC Obande (Itodo K’Idoma), Chief. Hon. Abutu Obekpa (Idoga K’Idoma), Amb. Dr. Edwin Ogebe Ogbu (later Och’Idoma iii), Rt. Hon. Ameh Ebenezer Odoh were among those that faught for Nigeria’s independence.

References:
(1) Northern Nigeria: Idoma Division achieves.
(2) Colonialism by proxy: Hausa Imperial Agents And Middle Belt by Prof. Moses Ochonu.
(3) Colonial Africa And It Legacies Biological Studies Of Agaba’Idu Ogiri Okoh Och’Idoma I 1947-1960 by Ambrose Adikwu Enokela.

Sunny Green Itodo is a writer and media practitioner based in Abuja, FCT.
Email: greenbox247online@gmail.com.