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| An Igala Family with the Traditional Attire |
a. The Prime Minister
Attah Ayegba re-appointed Omeppa: the Achadu his prime
minster. This was because of his loyalty during the Igala Jukun war.
b. The royal councilors
Attah Ayegba created the offices of royal councilors. These
offices are hereditary within Ayegba descendants. The most senior royal
councilors include the following: Amana Attah, Ochai Attah, Makoji Attah, Odoma
Attah, Egene Attah, Ohiemogbolo Attah, Ekpa Attah, Inalogu Attah, Odekina Attah
and Omolobu Attah.
c. The Igalamela and state advisory council Attah Ayegba
re-constituted the state advisory council made up of the Achadu; the prime minister,
the senior royal councilors and the Igalamela chiefs. The advisory council was
the link between the Attah and his subjects
d. The king makers
He also re-constituted a body known as the king-makers
comprising the Achadu (prime ministers) as the chairman, the Igalamela chiefs.
They had responsibility for the installation of the new Attah and the funeral
rites of the deceased Attah.
e. The district Administration
Attah Ayegba Appointed his son and trustworthy relatives and
followers as district heads. The district heads Attah Ayegba also decentralized
authority, as it was not possible to administer the whole kingdom directly from
Idah at his period.
f. Palace administration In the Attah’s court there were two
groups of officials; the royal servants (Amedibo) and the Attah’s eunuchs
(Amonoji) who were central in the administration of the palace. The head of the
Amedibo was Ogbe. There are chiefs in their own right. These palace officials
performed similar functions, they protected the Attah, helped in mobilizing the
people to repair houses, the palace walls and carried messages to the districts
and collected tributes for the Attah. They acted as intermediaries between the
Attah and his chiefs as well as his subjects, protected the Attah’s treasures, royal
robes and regalia. The eunuchs protected the Attah’s wives and performed
rituals for the Attah. The titled eunuchs were exclusive officers and their
head the Ogbe was an important judge in the kingdom, presiding over the Attah’s
court with the obligation of informing the Attah about court proceedings.
g. Women chiefs
Attah Ayegba established some chieftaincy titles for women.
There are titles reserved for women from Attah’s royal family (the Attah’s
sisters). There are titles also reserved for the Attah’s wives. Iye Ogbaba and
Iye Dadu Akuma Attah, Iye Okponokwu, Iyya Attah, Omiya Ina, Omiya Kekele
(Omiakele).
The decline and fall of Igala kingdom Around the 18th
century AD the Igala Kingdom was at the height of its frame and power around
the middle of the 19th century, it began to decline and in January 1900, it
finally lost independence and sovereignty. Two main factors contributed to
this, internal weaknesses and external forces.
a. THE INTERNAL WEAKNESSES
i. The Size Of The Kingdom
The first internal weakness was the sheer size of the
kingdom. As it grew in size, it became more difficult to keep the remote
districts under proper control due to poor communications in those days.
ii. The constitution
Another internal weakness lay in the constitution. The Igala
state was a loose state with the district heads in the northest exercising a
kind of autonomy.
iii. The Break Up Of Igalamela
Another internal weakness was the removal of the Igalamela
chiefs from state advisory council. Attah Ameh Ocheje accused the Igalamela
chiefs of assassinating his predecessor Attah Ekelaga and replaced then with
royal councilors. The Igalamela chiefs who had checked the activities of
oppressive Attah’s could not exercise this function after their removal from the
council.
iv. The Collapse Of The State Economy
Another internal factor which weakened the kingdom and led
to its decline was the collapse of the slave economy as the slave trade was an
important aspect of the state economy. The Igala people traded in slaves with
Europeans. In 1841, Attah Ameh Ocheje signed the treaty on the abolition of the
slave trade and so the kingdom could no longer openly trade in slaves. However
the igala kingdom was lucky it had alternatives produce like palm produce. This
trade however took a long time to develop.
b. THE EXTERNAL FACTORS
The external factors which led to the decline of the igala
state were the Fulani Jihad and European interventions
i. The Fulani Jihad
The Fulani jihad launched in Sokoto in 1804 reached the
confluence of the Niger and Benue by 1850. In 1853 Etsu Masaba of Nupe took
Koton Karfe and Lokoja, then part of the Igala kingdom. The Igbira kingdom of
Panda was also destroyed.
By 1854, the Fulani had become a real threat to the kingdom,
the sourthern bank became flooded with refugees. They carried out sporadic
raids in Ife district. The refugees, who crossed to the Igala kingdom, begged
Attah Amaga to allow them stay in the area and he agreed. These refugees
include Igbira Mozum, Bassa Nge, Bassa Komo, thereby introducing a new clement
into the Igala kingdom namely minority groups.
ii. The European intervention
The European intervention came in the form of commercial
firms eg the Royal Niger Company. The British government gave a royal charter
to this company in 1886. The charter empowered the company to do business in
the Niger Benue basin. The company’s area of influence stretched from Asaba,
its headquarters, to Jebba in the river Niger and Ibi on the Benue river. The
company opened trading posts at Idah, Itobe, Gbobe and Bagana. Unfortunately it
made unfavourable regulations that ruined the economy of the local people. The
Attah of Igala’s treasury was ruined.
iii. The Declaration of the Protectorates of Northern and
Southern Nigeria
In 1900, the British government decided to take full
responsibility for the territories acquired by the royal Niger company. In
January 1900, British formerly assumed a protectorate over Northern and
Southern Nigeria. With the death of Attah Amaga in February 1900, the
independent sovereign state of Igala came to an end.
OPPOSITION TO FOREIGN RULE PRINCE AKWU AGAHIU, ATTAH OCHEJE
ONOKPA, ADUKWU OKEKWU AND OTHERS
a. PRINCE AKWU AGAHIU
Prince Akwu Agahiu was the first son of the Attah Amaga who
died in 1900. During his fathers reign, the royal Niger company controlled all
the political and economic life of Igala people. Atta Amaga’s treasury was
empty.
Prince Akwu Amaga had no alternative but to organize
guerilla war fare against the European traders and the royal Nigeria company.
He was a nationalist opposed to the European takeover of the political economic
life of the people. He and his followers raided the royal Niger company’s
stires at Idah several times and killed many European traders. He also
organized guerrilla activities on the river Niger. The royal Niger Company
reacted by bombarding Idah town twice between 1896 and 1900.
b. ATTA OCHEJE ONOKPA
Attah Ocheje was installed as the Attah Igala in 1901 under
the supervision of British colonial officials. After his installation he
refused to believe that his predecessor Attah Amaga had surrendered his
sovereignty to the British Government. He also refused to accept that his
kingdom could be partitioned into northern and southern divisions. He rejected
a situation where he was not given any role in the administration of his
kingdom.
Despite Attah Ocheje Onokpa being a nationalist he could not
rally his people to fight the British administration. This was because the
British administration succeeded in isolating him from his chiefs and subjects
an accused him of conspiracy and acts capable of disturbing the peace in the
area. As a result the colonial administration deposed him in 1903 and banished
him to Asaba where he died.
c. ADUKWU OKEKWU
Another Igala nationalist who opposed foreign rule was
Adukwu Okekwu. He and his followers reorganized guerilla war against the
British colonial administration. In march, 1903 Adukwu Okekwu launched an
attack on the assistant district commissioner for Idah Mr. Boyle and his escort
of about twenty men. They were on their way from Idah to the Anambra river
creek (the Afa-Obale area in Ibaji) through Alade when attacked. My Boyle and
his escort escaped and returned to Idah. The acting High Commissioner Mr.
Leslie Robyn directed that a small military expedition be sent to area. This
military unit attacked Adukwu Okekwu’s stronghold in the forest and destroyed
the village. He was captured and sent to Asaba for trial in the Supreme court
of the Royal Niger Company and sentenced to detention or exile for ten years.
He was exiled to old Calabar where he died. As a result of Adukwu Okekwu’s
activities, military garrisons were established in Idah and Ogrugu.
d. OTHER NATIONALITIES IN IGALA KINGDOM
Other Igala nationalities who opposed foreign rule were
Odoma Okolobade (a brother to Attah Ocheje Onokpa) Ujogo Onegote (Onu Egume)
Inedu Obi (Onu Ankpa), Oguche Agi (Onu Ankpa) etc. These people were suppressed
by military force.
9. Opposition to the partition of the Igala Kingdom
a. Attah Oguche Akpa, Prince Atabo Ijomi and Amanabo Ogili
In 1900, the Igala kingdom was partitioned into two. The
southern section which comprised the present Ofu, Igalamela / Odolu, Idah and
Ibaji local government areas were made part of Onitsha province of southern Nigeria.
The Northern section which comprised the present Bassa, Dekina, Omala, Ankpa
and Olamaboro Local government areas were made part of Bassa Province in
Northern Nigeria.
Bassa province was divided into three administrative
division:
i. Dekina division comprising: Bassa Komo, Dekina and Egume
districts
ii. Ankpa division comprising: Abejukolo, Imane, Ankpa and
ogugu districts
iii. Boju division comprising: Idoma, ojokwu and Agatu
districts.
The colonial administration appointed alien
district heads mainly Hausa to rule in the above districts. Idah the southern
section of the kingdom was regarded by the government of southern Nigeria, as a
district. A colonial high commissioner was appointed to rule it. Some
historians were of the opinion that the Attah was just a powerful district head
at that time.
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