The British Massacres and Lugard’s Punitive Expeditions in Nigerian History
By: Balami Lazarus
Are we back to the days of Lord Fredrick Lugard? Nigeria is once again bleeding with innocent bloods caused by terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers.
And that there has never been in the annals of Nigerian history a chapter or even a complete page or paragraph that fully mentioned or explained the punitive expeditions of Lord Frederick Lugard’s massacres in Nigeria. I am yet to see that. But rather, he was hailed as the hero of amalgamation, which gave birth to modern Nigeria.
Similarly, today the aforesaid criminals are recognized and are printed and electronic.
From the late 18th century to the dawn of the 19th century was a period of colonial reformations where the north and the south stood as protectorates administered by the British government from Lagos as her crown colony.
Historical developments in both the north and south of the Niger were trials of blood, bloods of innocent Nigerians; Lokoja was the confluence of these bloods. These periods were marked by Lugard’s expeditions of massacres, killings, and punitive and wastage of human lives and resources.
Lord Frederick Lugard was brutal and ruthless, a British army officer who was known to have caused the deaths of many Nigerians in the protectorates that later made up the nation known, called, and addressed as Nigeria.
Lugard’s administration of Nigeria was an expedition of atrocities, killings, and massacres where terror was the rule of law. Towns and villages that showed resistance were dealt with mercilessly, resulting in massacres.
Let me reel out a few of Lugard’s punitive and bloody expeditions.
Akassa raid/Brass oil war (1895). Hundreds were killed. Akassa burnt down. Benin raid (1897). Over a thousand men and women were massacred, and historical works of art, among other treasures, were looted. Benin City was burnt down.
Sultan Attahiru the first and his over 1000 followers were mercilessly killed at Burmi in 1903 in present Gombe state. The most annoying thing about this was that Attahiru was pursued by Lugard and his soldiers and subsequently massacred them.
The Satiru massacres of 1906 were one of the worst punitive expeditions in the then Northern Protectorate carried out by Lord Frederick, where 2000 men were killed and Satiru was wiped out completely on the map of modern Nigeria as a town.
There were the Ekumeku massacres (1898-1911). Aba women riot (1929), where women were shot and killed. There were also the Iva Valley/Enugu Colliery massacres (1949).
There were pockets of punitive expeditions in both the protectorates. However, South Bled much longer, right from 1890 to 1949. While North conquest was sharp and short (1900-1907).
The colonialization process of Nigeria no doubt came with punitive expeditions and massacres. Therefore, Lord Frederick Lugard’s presence in the history of Nigeria is a subject of study. Over to historians and researchers.
Balami, a Publisher/Columnist, 08036779290
