₦airaland Forum

A thread on how the Juju house Yok obolo was dedtroyed
www.nairaland.com/2348572/1904-british-punitive-expedition-against

Radoillo:
To my non-expert eyes, the face of the 'Bronze Image of an Obolo King' looks very much like how they would make it in precolonial Benin.

I wonder if there was a connection between both schools of bronze/brass art - the Bini School and the Lower Niger School.

Most likely there's a connection between the two schools (Benin bronzes and lower niger bronzes)

My take Benin empire was a large one and most likely many other Lower niger tribes may have interacted with them and learnt the art of casting.

ChinenyeN:
Not to derail your thread, OboloMan, but I've always found it interesting how Obolo could have such a collection of bronze and brass works, without any casting traditions. The Lower Niger Bronze/Brass industry must have been a very lucrative one.

One question, if you don't mind my asking: Was there a cast image for/of Yok-Obolo?

Oral tradition portrays the Art of casting as Sacred which was reserved for a selected few.

Bronze Artifacts, manila s and other cast works was a requirement from the god (Yok-Obolo) during burial rituals and other traditional rites in obolo.

It is on record that around the 17th century , the town of Obolo was a principle suppliers of copper alloy cast bracelets, manilas and other bronze works in the Niger delta region.

There's a saying among the ibibio's of akwa ibom that "If you want to get rich quickly go to Obolo (Andoni) burial grounds. This is likely due to the large amount of Manilas and bronze Artifacts present there.

Here's a cast image collected from the shrine.

Traditional boats used in Obolo (Andoni) 1880

Museum number Af1905,0413.50
Description
Religious staff (with two skulls and two manillas attached) , made of skull (leopard), rattan, wood, bronze.

Manillas (Local Currency)

Photographic Image of some religious objects removed from Yok-Obolo Shrine in Andoni 1904

' Museum number Af1905,0413.19 Description
Manilla currency. Roughly horse-shoe shaped, made of open circle of bronze with slightly wide ends at opening.

Museum number
Af1905,0413.62

Description
Leopard skull made of bronze.

Museum number Af1905,0413.61
Description Cast bronze sculpture of a leopard skull.

Museum number Af1905,0413.58-59
Description
Sword made of bronze, wire (copper), pigment.

British Museum number Af1905,0413.2
Description
Obolo Andoni artefact (armlet-like, spiral, with flared ends) made of copper, pigment.

British Museum number Af1905,0413.63
Description Obolo bell (cast) made of bronze.

British Museum number Af1905,0413.69
Description stool; carved of wood; stool with round wooden base, central pillar made of bark, round wooden top; twenty goat skulls tied around outside of pillar with braided vegetable fibfre; painted with mud

Bronze image of Obolo King

Bronze image of Obolo

BRIEF HISTORY.

The OBOLO (Andoni ) people are a distinct tribe Living in the Niger Delta region of Rivers (Andoni L.G.A) & Akwa Ibom State (Eastern Obolo & Ibeno L.G.As)

Prior to the British Colonial Era the Obolo's were among the first to come in contact with the Europeans and traded mainly with the Portuguese.

They Worshipped a national diety (god) called Yok-Obolo , Who is the founder /Spiritual head of the Obolo people elevated to a god upon death.

Christianity was already Accepted in Obolo land long before 1699 ( As recorded when John Barbot visited Dony Town (Andoni) in 1699, he observed that the King of Dony Town accepted Christianity and Priests were regularly sent in from Sao Tome and Brazil, to minister to him, The king of Dony town also spoke Portuguese )

Despite Christainity The Yok-Obolo was still feared among neighbouring tribes (Bonny, Opobo, Ibibio/Efiks, Ogonis e.t.c ) Which made them to spread terrifying news about the Obolo people to the British Colonial masters.

In 1869 King Jaja had to enter an oath of Allegiance with the Yok-Obolo before he was allowed to establish his new town opobo (1970) in the Andoni territory .This was against the wish of Bishop Ajayi Crowther who lamented that King Jaja was entering the “Heart of Darkness” when he came to Obolo (Andoni) is 1869 for a treaty with the Obolos

When the ugly stories against the Obolo (Andoni) were so much the British Colonial Authorities decided to send a Punitive Expedition against them in 1904, Which was led by Captain A.A Whitehouse with the sole aim of destroying Obolo ( Andoni) as a political entity and reducing there influence among neighbouring tribes in the Niger Delta.

On arrival A.A Whitehouse and his military team went straight to Alabie Town (Agwut-Obolo), burnt and destroyed the high altar of deity of the Obolo Monarchy, (Yok-obolo) and the site of the House of Skulls with over 2,000 skulls of Obolo (Andoni) Enemies killed in wars.

The British destroyed the House of Skulls and the Shrine of Yok-Obolo in 1904, and split Andoni into six parts, each attached to one of the six Native Courts in the Niger Delta with the aim of destroying Obolo Politically.

Some of the Bronze Arts & Crafts Collected by the British from Andoni (Obolo) during this Expedition are currently on display in the British Museum.

proud of my culture

South South and lower Niger Rich in culture .
Is there nothing from the north in British Musuem?

SHARIAREPORTERS:
Huh Buhari first real test Lemme see how he's gonna celebrate dis "great" criminal

First corruption Test for President Buhari
cc: lalasticlala, obinoscopy, ishilove

The impeached governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako has returned to Nigeria from a self-imposed exile. Nyako returned to the shores of the country on saturday, May 30, 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari took the oath of office.

He arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja and was received by friends and associates, Senators Binta Garba (Adamawa), Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa), Danjuma Goje
(Gombe), and candidate for Senate President, Bukola Saraki, among others.

Recall that Nyako and his deputy, Bala Ngilari, were impeached by the Adamawa State House of Assembly in July 2014 over issues bothering on financial mismanagement and failed leadership.

Shortly after the impeachment, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission declared Nyako and his son wanted for alleged criminal conspiracy, stealing, abuse of office and money-laundering.

The Efcc instituted a case against him and subsequently declared him wanted, he flew out of the country evading arrest and prosecution.

ayoolanr:
I am trusting it will be made public soon! If not, this will definitely be a bad start to the kind of change they preached!!!

Keep trusting the Dullard

Change indeed
#BabaOneChance d DULLARD

MKO4ever:
Jonathan Administration is weak, clueless and corrupt, Buhari's Administration will not tolerate such nonsense

His first painful mission will be commanding the army to Kill his Northern brothers #Bokoharam.

We can't negotiate with terrorists.

SUAREZ is KING .... We miss You #YNWA

JudismphD:
political pastor we are still waiting for the change. Abeg leave sermon

First Change convert BabaOneChance and his family from Islam to Christianity.

There is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God.

Pastor Osibanjo that is your first calling.

bjdon:
Yardua said that it would soon be over he failed

Goodluck said that it would be over he failed

Buhari says it will soon be over. ......?

He will be kicked out soon #BabaOneChance

lolababe331e:
We can see you care unlike the clown that would let days pass before even releasing a statement

How many statements has he released so far?

#BabaOneChance This is kworruption declare your assets publicly.
We no how many cows you have why are you hiding the other assets?
Change indeed

toboint:
d fact is boko haram wont accept amnesty, coz when GEJ tried to negotiate with them they refused. and if they do accept then i would agree that 'boko haram' was a tool to upset GEJ administration

They wanted Buhari to negotiate with them not GEJ .
let's watch How #BabaOneChance plays this script.
Amnesty ko?