The Igbo-Igala Wars refer to a series of conflicts that occurred between the Igbo and Igala people of Nigeria in the 18th and 19th centuries. These wars were characterized by fierce military conflicts, territorial conflicts and disputes over resources and political dominance. The conflicts occurred in the southeastern region of Nigeria, primarily in the areas now known as Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Kogi and Delta states. These wars led to the terrible Battle of Nsukka.
In the 16th century, after the defeat against the Benin Kingdom, there is a large Igala migration across the Niger river. Soon afterwards, the Jukun migration from Wukari conquered a royal dynasty in Idah and brought them into contact with Igbo-speaking groups. The Igbo-IGALA war was different from the Arochwuku-Ibibio war. The Nsukka-Igala Wars took place in the 18th and 19th centuries after the Igala invasion, leaving most of Nsukka under Igala control. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Nsukka had one of the best military forces in what is now Enugu North, with which it waged war against its neighbors to gain more territory for its growing population and for other purposes. Each community that made up Nsukka town had stationed a fighting force made up of people from that community.
Nsukka’s numerous wars with his neighbors were generally so successful that some surrounding communities sought Nsukka’s help to protect themselves from attackers. The Nsukka are the most famous Igbo subgroup involved in these wars when the Igala people conquered Nsukka and installed priest-kings who would rule the district for almost a hundred years. The IGALA people and their soldiers are known for their courage and traditional spells work well on them in ancient battles. After a few years, Igbo warriors took control of Nsukka and defeated the IGALA soldiers.
The Nsukka people have inhabited the area since the 3rd millennium BC. Northern Igboland was uninterrupted from 1000 BC, as evidenced by archaeological continuity and the glottochrones. Historian and archaeologist Edwin Eme Okafor considers them to be one of the earliest subgroups of the Igbo. During the period of Igbo-Igala Wars, marked by labor shortages and insecurity due to slave raids and Nsukka-Igala conflicts, notable changes occurred in the iron smelting practices of the Nsukka people.
Due to the urgency, some ironworks resorted to the direct use of wood in the smelting process and abandoned the usual combustion to produce charcoal. This adaptation of smelting techniques shows the impact of war on the traditional methods of the Nsukka community, which incorporated wood into their process to sustain iron production under harsh conditions.
The conflicts begin with the arrival of a figure named Onọjọ Ogboni, whose origins are mysterious. One of the conflicts of the 18th century was the Battle of Nsukka in 1794, which ended in Nsukka’s military victory, although with significant casualties, including Eze’s eldest son and three of his wives. The battle was witnessed by Joseph B. Hawkins, sailor and explorer. In the early 19th century, the Eastern Igbo subgroups residing in Ebonyi State experienced significant migration to the Cross River areas, which in turn resulted in border conflicts between various Eastern Igbo groups with their neighbors such as the Ikwo-Nsobo and the Osopo of Ebonyi manifested state. Cross River State, Izzi – Osopo and Yala in Cross River State and Mgbo-Igala in Benue State.
The relationship between the Igbo and the Igala had nothing to do with conquest. People just use the word conquest without knowing what it means. The relationship is more brotherly. The founder of the Kingdom of Idah (the seat of Igala) was Onoja, the last son of Eri (the ancestor of many Igbo groups) when Onoja left the Kingdom of Nri and migrated to find his own kingdom. From then on there is one migration after another and they maintain their traditional practices. Until the British conquest, it never happened that any part of Ala Igbo, not even Nsukka, was conquered by a foreigner (which of course led to the British waging the worst and longest war in history at the hands of the Ndi Igbo – the Ekumeku War) and the British War Aro). When you conquer a people, you must do these three things, otherwise it wouldn’t be a conquest.1. Rename the conquered territory in your language or enter the name of the conquering group. 2.Imposition A new system of power and a new leader of the winning group. And finally, the most important number 3: Present the religion and deities of the conquering group and make them the main religion. None of these three things happened in any part of Ala Igbo until the British conquest of Ala Igbo.
If you doubt me, please provide the name and title of the person Igala used to gain authority over Nsukka at some point. Furthermore, Nsukka never had an Eze at that time and Onyeisi ruled every community. The Onyeisi system is still practiced in Nsukka, although there is now the general Eze/Igwe system. The Onyeisi system makes the oldest person in the community the traditional leader, regardless of gender. Yes, the Igala and their Igbo neighbors once had land disputes like the Nsukka and Nsugbe, but the Igala or any other group never conquered any part of the Ala Igbo. Thanks