The testimonies of and about women were harrowing.
The use of the Lewis machine gun to shoot the women was given a robust defence by Captain Cornish: "The Lewis Gun is a very dependable weapon to keep mobs in distance. The only way to disperse an unruly mob is to kill them all." The shooter, Lt. Browning said: "I set the machine gun ready. This is a weapon of defence and more easy to control than rifles. I gave the order to fire."
Following the Aba Women's War in December 1929, the government, under the Collective Punishment Ordinance, set up a Commission of Inquiry in January 1930 to "enquire into the circumstances in which a number of persons lost their lives at Opobo, Abak and Ekpo during the disturbances." It was chaired by Major Birrell-Gray, with Mr H.W. B. Blackall, Crown Counsel, representing the Government of Nigeria.
The following were a few testimonies from the Inquiry. Evidence was heard from persons ranging from military officers, colonial officials, native court officials, to warrant chiefs, missionaries, farmers and, of course, women. Sittings took place in several parts of the Calabar and Owerri Provinces in towns and villages, such as Aba, Owerri, Umudike, Okigwe, Opobo, Bende, Etim Ekpo, etc.
The mood of the women, who at some point numbered about 5000, was described by Warrant Chief Akpan-Akpan Obo of Midim, whose wife, Mary Udo Ekpo, was killed on the Etim-Ekpo-Abak Road: "I reported to the District Officer (D.O.), Capt. Henry James that a crowd of women like ants on the road were coming into Abak. Most of the women had big machetes and sticks; and they tied certain leaves (Nkpata) on their heads. I saw sign of fighting." He also said he overheard the women call on one another saying: "Soldiers never fire at women."
Unfortunately, this turned out to be a deadly assumption on the part of the women. Troops armed with rifles and fixed bayonets had been mobilised from as far away as Ibadan, under the command of Thomas R. Price. In his statement, the Commissioner of Police, Calabar Province, Capt. Edmund T. Phillip Ford, said:
... We had heard that women of one of these towns (on the Ikot-Ekpene-Abak Road) had been advised to attack Ikot-Ekpene station. Capt. James, the D. O., reported to me that he had received information that a large mob of women armed with sticks and machetes were approaching Abak station with intent to destroy it. Capt. Gilbert M. L. Blackburn, Asst. Commissioner of Police informed me of the disposition of the Police and arrangements were made to repel the attack.
From Abak, the women marched into Etim-Ekpo, only to be meet by a platoon of troops led by Lt. R. W. Browning. According to the D. O., Henry James:
... The mob was about 100 yards away then and the order was given to fire two rapid rounds. A few figures seemed to fall, but this did not check the mob. They advanced all the more. As this had no effect, Browning ordered the Lewis Gun into action and ordered that few volleys be fired. He directed the firing. Few bursts went wide - either too high or low - a few bursts, four or five, took some effect and firing ceased. The mob started to run back and troops went after them... I saw several corpses and a number of wounded women...
The use of the Lewis machine gun to shoot the women was given a robust defence by Captain Cornish: "The Lewis Gun is a very dependable weapon to keep mobs in distance. The only way to disperse an unruly mob is to kill them all." The shooter, Lt. Browning said: "I set the machine gun ready. This is a weapon of defence and more easy to control than rifles. I gave the order to fire."
The testimonies of and about women were harrowing. Mary Ebritim said she was shot in the left arm and breast, and along with Jana Umana, was treated for bullet wounds. Florence Ann Stewart said her two sisters were shot dead by soldiers and buried by the government. Nwokoba, a native doctor, testified that his pregnant wife, Oyiridio, was beaten to death. Mary Oko Jaja from Opobo also lost her life and her brother, Walter Jaja wanted to know "why?"
But there was widespread dissatisfaction about the composition of the Birrell-Gray Commission. This saw the creation of a new "more representative" Commission of Inquiry in February 1930 to "inquire into the disturbances in Calabar and Owerri in December last year." It was chaired by Mr Donald Kingdon and had several Africans as commissioners, such as Sir Kitoyi Ajasa and Mr Eric O. Moore. Barristers, including Steven B. Rhodes, M. Thompson, J. S. Benjamin, E. E. Esin, S. Macaulay and W. R. Awoonor-Renner, represented some of the affected communities, such as the Aba Native Court area, Obohia Native Court Area, Owerri District, and Opobo Town.
Witnesses narrated how women marched in their hundreds on police stations, native courts and factories. These were the institutions of male power and authority that the women considered oppressive to them, their livelihoods and communities. There was anger over the price of palm produce being dictated by Europeans, to the detriment of local farmers, women traders and produce merchants.
Witnesses spoke of how native court houses along with court books were destroyed in places like Aba, Azumini, Abak and Etim Ekpo. A dispensary in Opobo, which served as a tax house, was destroyed, and factories over-ran.
The testimonies of and about women were harrowing. Mary Ebritim said she was shot in the left arm and breast, and along with Jana Umana, was treated for bullet wounds. Florence Ann Stewart said her two sisters were shot dead by soldiers and buried by the government. Nwokoba, a native doctor, testified that his pregnant wife, Oyiridio, was beaten to death. Mary Oko Jaja from Opobo also lost her life and her brother, Walter Jaja wanted to know "why?" Adding: "She made preparations for Christmas, not anticipating death." The Commissioners also heard that "good humoured women with sticks were shot and killed by police and troops, while those who were wounded were taken to hospital, but many died in the bush in Opobo and Egwanga."
In Opobo, Nwakpa was shot in the leg, and it was amputated. She testified that her wooden leg was "sufficient evidence of the tragedy." Nwakpa also confirmed that two women known as Nwai and Suepummari from Nkoro, were hit by bullets, and they fell into the German Creek and drowned. A woman identified only as Watugu of Akabo sustained injuries on her forehead and fingers, as well as a broken arm; while one Ama Ikpong Iko was also shot dead. The official report states that: nine women were killed at Etim-Ekpo; in Opobo 29 got killed or died from wounds and eight drowned. Many more received gunshot wounds and there were a number of unconfirmed deaths. Witnesses also spoke of women being "openly stripped on the roads, ravished freely and indecently assaulted, but were too ashamed to come forward to say so."
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Some women spoke firmly to the Commission on "total ending of tax and removal of warrant chiefs." Ada of Ihie said, "Tax must be abolished and chiefs voted for and changed every 18 months." She wanted the money "extorted from her people" refunded and averred that the rate of men's tax was "exorbitant and required reconsideration."
Ahudi from Isidima, who earned herself the title "An Ibo Suffragette" in the press, advocated for "people to elect their future judges." She was also of the opinion that the chiefs had "impoverished the country under the guise of government authority and there was no security for the poor people under the existing conditions." To applaud of those seated, she also said: "Women would follow the Commission about if necessary and send appeal to the women of Europe for sympathy and assistance as sisters and fellow women and mothers of the world."
Tayo Agunbiade is the author of Emerging From the Margins: Women's Experiences in Colonial and Contemporary Nigerian History.
