The Ibani (Bonny) Civil War of 1869 and the Obolo Response

Abstract

The emphasis of this paper is the Obolo response to the Ibani (Bonny) civil war of 1869. The Ibani who were accommodated by the Obolo at their present location, were engulfed in a civil war fought by the Annie Pepple House led by Chief Jaja and Fubara Manilla Pepple House led by Chief Oko Jumbo. This war had both negative and positive impact on the socio-political and economic development of the Ibani. The Ibani ethnic group split into two distinct Kingdoms Bonny and Opobo. The Obolo in their magnanimity provided a place of settlement for Chief Jaja and other fourteen chieftaincy houses who fled Bonny. Thus, Jaja and other escapees established Opobo which occupied a strategic location at the Lower Imo River. Similarly, in Obolo provided land for the Ibani of Bonny in their satellite villages to cultivate their cash crop plantations to cushion the effect of economic hardship and recession. The paper explored both primary and secondary sources. The findings of this paper was that the Obolo prompt response to the Ibani civil war of 1869 eventually saved them from total political and economic collapse. This further consolidated the Obolo and Ibani (Opobo) relationship.

Keywords: Ibani (Bonny) Civil War, Obolo Response