By Chief Festus Oguche
Anaja Ameh Abokko was a unique man, and he was great in his endeavors. Unfortunately he is hardly celebrated by his people, for which he made great sacrifices. He deployed his intellect to assisting the Attah Igala in his dealings with the white people when they came calling.
He, it was that nudged the Attah into declining to endorse the Deed of Cession, rather choosing the Chief Judge of Idah, who happens to be of his clan, one Lobo, (who William Allen described as ‘pre-eminent for dignity as he was in the elegance of his dress and looked remarkably handsome’) to sign the Treaty for and on behalf of the Attah.
He believed that by so doing, the Attah will not be bound by the terms of the agreement of the lease, if at anytime the table turns, but which was represented to the agents that the Attah does not sign an agreement with any mortal. Ameh Abokko was a consumate jurist with profound knowledge of the law and, in addition to his official naval duty of overseeing the major outposts that oversee the confluence area and beyond for the Attah, he weilded great authority in advising His Majesty in his dealings with Europe. His intelligence at negotiations, acumen in trade and savvy at diplomacy, particularly on the Deed of Cession fetched him great admiration that the British could not help but to succumb to Attah’s proposal that the Anaja be made the de facto Governor of Lokoja and all the territories comprising the Treaty. He made the British representatives of Queen Victoria to endorse to an undertaking that inspite of the lease of the territory, all persons living within the territory subject matter of the Treaty, owe allegiance and loyalty to the Attah being subject to him, and not the Queen of England. Ameh Abokko was he that extracted yet another agreement with the English on the Ega- Anaja territory, which, if the agreements were followed would have been to the utmost advantage of Igala land. He it was that forewarned the Attah, right in the presence of the Queen’s agents that it all looks like scam and these people will collect these documents and never return.
The am’enefus (particularly Mr. Schon who Attah Ocheje admired his glasses and enquired what it meant, apparently thinking that it gave him additional eyes), swore to heavens that they must surely return to implement the Treaty. For this, Abokko counselled the Attah to demand for consideration beyond the useless gifts they brought for him, (which gifts the Attah stated were unfit for his position) That was how 150 bags of cowries were paid. Inspite of this the Anaja was still sceptical on the genuineness of the Queen’s agents as he didn’t trust them at all. He never believed the stories of the modem farm spewed by the white people, and something in him told him something was abnormal with the transactions.
All his predictions came to pass, and that is what the kingdom is suffering to this date. Should such a man, (a worthy senior advocate of Igala land of his own time), not be celebrated, even by his own family or kinsmen? He stated quite unequivocally for all to hear, that the white people were up to something sinister, and should never be trusted. Years later, the British abandoned the modern farm which they claimed the lease was meant for, and showed up in Berlin at the Otto Von Bismarck’s conference where they tendered all of the Agreements entered into with both Attah and the Anaja, claiming possession of the territory bordering the Rivers Niger and Benue, for which the area that is today known as Nigeria was conceded to the queen. Portugal, France, Germany, Spain had no option than to withdraw their individual claims on the territory..
That’s why I requested to speak with any of his descendants here, but got no response.
Crowther captured everything about the man in his book.and the updated version of Laird, McGregor and Oldfield have all the details on him, most of which I procured from the Archives both here and overseas.
Igala report.