British conquest · November 1901 – March 1902
The Anglo-Aro war
To break the Aro network and its oracle, the Southern Nigeria Protectorate sent 87 officers, 1,550 soldiers and 2,100 carriers under Lieutenant Colonel Montanaro in four columns from Oguta, Akwete, Unwana and Itu.
Overview
To break the Aro network and its oracle, the Southern Nigeria Protectorate sent 87 officers, 1,550 soldiers and 2,100 carriers under Lieutenant Colonel Montanaro in four columns from Oguta, Akwete, Unwana and Itu. Arochukwu fell on 28 December 1901 after four days of fighting, and the British set out to destroy the Ibini Ukpabi shrine; accounts differ on whether they did, and its site survives as a heritage place. The last great battle was fought near Bende, and Aro leaders, among them Okoro Toti, were tried and hanged. Resistance went on for years in Afikpo and Ezza.[3],[2]High confidence
Who took part
- British forces· Colonial force
- Aro Confederacy· Defended
What happened
- 28 December 1901 · Arochukwu
Arochukwu taken
After four days of fighting the town falls.
- After the capture · Arochukwu
The Long Juju destroyed
The British say they blew up the shrine of Ibini Ukpabi, the high court of the east. Accounts differ: one says the stronghold was destroyed, another that the shrine still stands; its site is visited today.[1],[2],[3]Disputed
- Early 1902 · Bende
Bende
The last major battle; the war ends three weeks later.
Kingdoms involved
Sources
Every claim carries a confidence level: high (well attested), medium (one source or approximate) or disputed (sources disagree).