The 127th anniversary of the akassa raid; an event which was one of the earliest known fight for resource control in the ancient town of Nembe, an ijoid kingdom in Bayelsa state Nigeria.
It was on the 29th day of January 1895 the nembe-brass people decided that dieng by the sword is better than dieng of hunger. This was as a result of trade monopoly in the Niger which was claimed under Royal charter by the royal Niger company for the British crown. This went on to limit the trading and commercial activities of the Nembe people who like other coastal settlers since the primitive days are affiliated with the water bodies and tend to rely greatly on it for trading.
The royal Niger company went as far as to seize, molest, shoot and kill any Nembeian and seize their trading canoes when found on this water ways even lower down the southern ijo markets and even further into the creeks of akassa clan which leads towards the twon-brass river.
Amayanabo(king) William Fredrick Koko (mingi VIII) being the principal king over all the brass region 1853-1898 invited the kings and chiefs from Nembe (ogbolomabiri), Bassambiri, twon and okpoama on a general meeting to agree on what must be done. They then unanimously agreed that to die by the sword is better than dieng of starvation. This was how the headquarters of the royal niger company at akassa was raised on the morning of the 29th day of January 1895. Several clerk and kroo boys were killed, and their heads were taken back to Nembe as war trophies. Many royal Niger company workers and navy were captured and taken over to isikara(a sacred sacrifice island) to be sacrificed and eaten ceremoniously. There were only five casualties on the side of Nembe; one from chief Felix smoke amabebe war canoe, one from chief Akemegha Dogu war canoe who was one of his sons, one from the war canoe of chief Daniel kalango, and two from chiefs Debi and Igula who were chiefs from okpoama town. The damages done to the royal Niger company couldn’t be estimated as several furnitures, dollars, guns, clothings, ornaments were looted. 28 of the captors were later released by the chiefs whom were Christians, namely; chief Uriah Cameron, chief Christopher warri, chief Nathaniel yekorogha, chief Willam sambo etc.
In consequence of this raid, a punitive expedition was sent out by the oil Niger protectorate under the leadership of admiral Bedford on the 20th of February 1895. A canoe was stationed at kalabiema Kiri (creek) to keep watch and to warn the Nembe troops with a Canon shot signal. By the time the British navy got to monkey island, the whole town was under commotion as King William Fredrick Koko ordered that all chiefs go out with their war canoes to defend the kingdom.
The fighting was so intense but the Nembe navy retreated following the explosion on chiefs Gam Dede and okoko oruwari war canoes which left several people dead or at best wounded. The war canoe of oruwari sank to the bottom of the river.
There were great casualties on both sides but that of the Nembe fleets were greater. The battle which lasted for three days saw the storey buildings of chiefs Joseph Alagoa, Daniel opuene, Thomas adda-spiff, Bonnie igbeta destroyed, only the storey building of the king’s predecessor Amayanabo Josiah Constantine(mingi VII) was spared by the Brits.

King William Fredrick Koko.
Strong man

Yes he was indeed a strong man.
He was once a Christian School teacher who who dumped Christianity and took the bull by the horn

Mynd44 lalasticlala isn't this front page worthy?

Very rich Ijaw history.

The Brits attempted to bypass the Ijaw tribes so they can maximize profits.Similar strategy was used in Bonny and to some extent in Benin kingdom.Hence,the gradual decline in the wealth and influence of Ijaws and the great Benin kingdom.

Our story hasn't been told enough.Good one Alabo

How are we sure that Nembe is even Ijaw the way you people are claiming all the tribes on the Delta? Who would have known that president Jonathan isn't even Ijaw?

ScamHunter:
How are we sure that Nembe is even Ijaw the way you people are claiming all the tribes on the Delta? Who would have known that president Jonathan isn't even Ijaw?

The problem with Nembe is living too close to the Ijaws. Hence they've been subsumed.

JANK23H:
Very rich Ijaw history.

The Brits attempted to bypass the Ijaw tribes so they can maximize profits.Similar strategy was used in Bonny and to some extent in Benin kingdom.Hence,the gradual decline in the wealth and influence of Ijaws and the great Benin kingdom.

Our story hasn't been told enough.Good one Alabo

Give me the name of one very very prominent Ijaw chief in Bonny during the Palm oil trade of 2 centuries ago.

cc Alabo7978

SlayerForever:



Give me the name of one very very prominent Ijaw chief in Bonny during the Palm oil trade of 2 centuries ago.

cc Alabo7978

Yes I can give you one.His name is Nnamdu Cownu

Interesting read,I have been to Akassa many times during my tour of duty.

SlayerForever:



Give me the name of one very very prominent Ijaw chief in Bonny during the Palm oil trade of 2 centuries ago.

cc Alabo7978

*Alapu buoye-omuso
*Alapu Bristol (of the Bristol house of the direct line of Alagbiriye)
* Alapu agbaa fubara
* Alapu Tolofari
Etc,,,
This chieftaincy title or houses are of the Duawari's (original founding house) and are styled as Aseme-alapu.
These chiefs and houses are not the ones related to the free Igbo slaves.
INDIGENES of the Duawari's can become Amayanabo
They are the most powerful and influential chiefs and the king isn't bestowed with power to influence them.
They can even dethrone the king if there is a good reason to.

Tell me thank you for the knowledge.

CaptainStephen:
Interesting read,I have been to Akassa many times during my tour of duty.

I hope you enjoyed the place.
The location has seen better days and will still go on to see more better days.

ScamHunter:
How are we sure that Nembe is even Ijaw the way you people are claiming all the tribes on the Delta? Who would have known that president Jonathan isn't even Ijaw?

I am a Nembe person, and we are an ijoid clan.

JANK23H:
Very rich Ijaw history.

The Brits attempted to bypass the Ijaw tribes so they can maximize profits.Similar strategy was used in Bonny and to some extent in Benin kingdom.Hence,the gradual decline in the wealth and influence of Ijaws and the great Benin kingdom.

Our story hasn't been told enough.Good one Alabo

The Brits were a selfish people.
Driven by national interest.

Alabo7978:

*Alapu buoye-omuso
*Alapu Bristol (of the Bristol house of the direct line of Alagbiriye)
* Alapu agbaa fubara
* Alapu Tolofari
Etc,,,
This chieftaincy title or houses are of the Duawari's (original founding house) and are styled as Aseme-alapu.
These chiefs and houses are not the ones related to the free Igbo slaves.
INDIGENES of the Duawari's can become Amayanabo
They are the most powerful and influential chiefs and the king isn't bestowed with power to influence them.
They can even dethrone the king if there is a good reason to.

Tell me thank you for the knowledge.

Okay I know Tolofari. Agbaa Fubara should be one of the kings. True?

ScamHunter:
How are we sure that Nembe is even Ijaw the way you people are claiming all the tribes on the Delta? Who would have known that president Jonathan isn't even Ijaw?

If Jonathan isn't of the ijo Ethnic group, which Ethnic group is he from?
Yoruba?
Igala?
Ibibio?
Igbo?
Abi urhobo?

SlayerForever:



Okay I know Tolofari. Agbaa Fubara should be one of the kings. True?

Agbaa fubara wasn't a king as per say.
But a king may have been chosen from that house.

Civilized people globally are futuristically evolving into the innovative age of information technology, green energy and industrialization... This Paleolithic cavemen are still waxing lyrical over some useless "feat" from the dustbin relics of ancient history in the 18th century... SMH

mancoconut:
Civilized people globally are futuristically evolving into the innovative age of information technology, green energy and industrialization... This Paleolithic cavemen are still waxing lyrical over some useless "feat" from the dustbin relics of ancient history in the 18th century... SMH

You have just spoken like a child �
What is a people without a history?
All ya feeling woke should try and travel out.
In most places in Europe, France and Italy most expectially they still hold on to their history.
You see full time housewives taking care of homes that have been passed down from generations.
Feeling woke doesn't mean degrading your root you know �

Alabo7978:

Agbaa fubara wasn't a king as per say.
But a king may have been chosen from that house.

Okay. Please show us any British documented records showing Tolofari, Agbaa, Omuye and Bristol being prominent Chiefs in the oil trade, to avoid sharing conjectures.

Alabo7978:

I hope you enjoyed the place.
The location has seen better days and will still go on to see more better days.

sure I enjoyed myself there, touring brass, okpoama and other towns too.

Such a pity needed development isn't there as it should have been.

CaptainStephen:
sure I enjoyed myself there, touring brass, okpoama and other towns too.

Such a pity needed development isn't there as it should have been.

Yea, that is why we all clamour for resource control.
From struggling with the Brits to struggling with the country, it's been an age long thing.

This is quite informative I never knew ijaws once practiced cannibalism.

SlayerForever:



Okay. Please show us any British documented records showing Tolofari, Agbaa, Omuye and Bristol being prominent Chiefs in the oil trade, to avoid sharing conjectures.

I use to have lots of documents in my old phone, but it's unfortunate it isn't in the one I'm typing with currently, but all coastal Amayanabo's, PERE's and Alabos or Alapu's were brokers in any trade with the Europeans because their kingdoms were practically a land being leased.
There were publications in the British media that king Koko of Nembe was partly fuelled to war with the Brits at Akassa because they had stopped the slave trade.

Alabo7978:

I use to have lots of documents in my old phone, but it's unfortunate it isn't in the one I'm typing with currently, but all coastal Amayanabo's, PERE's and Alabos or Alapu's were brokers in any trade with the Europeans because their kingdoms were practically a land being leased.
There were publications in the British media that king Koko of Nembe was partly fuelled to war with the Brits at Akassa because they had stopped the slave trade.

We'll stick with Bonny. Since no documents, no p.

Wow

mancoconut:
Civilized people globally are futuristically evolving into the innovative age of information technology, green energy and industrialization... This Paleolithic cavemen are still waxing lyrical over some useless "feat" from the dustbin relics of ancient history in the 18th century... SMH

What is your name and what have you achieved?

JOemmy:
This is quite informative I never knew ijaws once practiced cannibalism.

Every african kingdoms did practice cannibalism but stopped as civilization came.
Though I came across the news some weeks ago that people in imo state still eat human beings, it's absurd.