Tragic History of the Brave Jaja of Opobo

Who was King Jaja of Opobo? King Jaja of Opobo was a charismatic and courageous ruler of Opobo, a city-state in modern Rivers State, who fought against British trade penetration and rule in the Igbo hinterland. Jaja was a Nkwerre man who was born in Umuduruoha in Amaigbo around 1821. His real name was Mbanaso…

The British-Ijebu war of 1892

Background of the Battle of Imagbon.  In 1891, the Ijebu people, living 80 to 100 kilometers northeast of Lagos on the Magbon River, established a blockade and imposed tariffs on the trade route to Lagos, then a crown colony. The Awujale (traditional Ijebu ruler) closed the Ejirin market and cut off Lagos from its inland…