UKWUANI AND THE URHOBO PEOPLE UP TO 1900 – A STUDY IN INTER-GROUP RELATIONS

UKWUANI AND THE URHOBO PEOPLE UP TO 1900 – A STUDY IN INTER-GROUP RELATIONS

CHAPTER ONE 
INTRODUCTION 

This work is on the inter-group relations between Ukwuani and Urhobo peoples up to 1900. One aspect of Ukwuani and Urhobo history that has not received much attention from historians in recent times, is the effect of inter-group relations between them. Many have written on the various aspects beginning with the origin, culture and annual festivals of the Ukwuani’s and the Urhobo’s. Yet, the more recent events – the inter-group relations between them, which virtually have affected nearly all aspects of Ukwuani and Urhobo lands has not caught the attention of many historians despite the fact that many of these people are now living witnesses to the events. It is therefore, the aim of this study to construct the history of Ukwuani and Urhobo in relation to their experiences and analyze the events as they occurred and show how they were affected in terms of their political, social and economic activities up to 1900.

GEOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND OF THE UKWUANI’S

Ukwuani is an ethnic group in part of Delta State in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and it is administratively divided into three local government areas, namely; Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West and Ukwuani Local Government Areas of the same state1 with the administrative headquarters located at Aboh, Utagba-Ogbe (Kwale) and Obiaruku respectively.

Ukwuani land is located between longitude 6061 and 6042 East, latitude 6031 and 5025 North2 and they constitute a political division in Delta State of Nigeria. With a population of about 500,000 inhabitants in 1963.3 Ukwuani land is bordered on the North by the Benin Division, on the south by the Ijaw Division, on the South-West by Urhobo and Isoko Divisions, on the East by the Niger River, on the North-East by Ika and Asaba Divisions, and on the South-East by Ahoada Division of the Rivers State.4

The geographical position of Ukwuani, places the country within two belts and they include the Deltaic Swampy Forest, which covers the southern and south eastern coastal towns as well as the tropical rain forest situated in the Northern part of the territory.5 In the swampy region, numerous creeks and impassable dense forest abound which also experience flood during certain period of the year. The area also has adequate rainfall all year round and the vegetation is a mixture of evergreen forest and the savannah grassland with very fertile soil.6

Ukwuani is a language spoken in parts of Delta and Rivers States in Nigeria, notably: Abbi, Aboh, Afor, Akoku, Amai, Ndoni (Rivers), Isukwe (Rivers), Onuaboh, Ashaka, Ebedei, Emu, Ejeme Aniogo, Ezionum, Eziokpor, Utagba-Ogbe (Kwale), Ndemili, Obiaruku, Obetim Uno, Obikwele, Owa Alidima, Umuaja, Ossissa, Utagba-Uno, Umutu, Onicha-Ukwuani, Obinomba, Iselegu, Umukwata, Owa Abbi, Utchi, Abgragada, Ushie, Ogume, Azagba and Umuolu.7

Garri which is produced from cassava forms one of the major export communities in this region and both palm oil and kernels are extensively produced for internal use and for export. Certain cash crops like cocoa and rubber are also cultivated while the latter forms one of the main export cash crop in the territory.8 In addition, other cash crops like maize, melon, tomatoes, okro, beans and groundnut are also cultivated and produced in abundance both for subsistence and for commerce with the neighbouring towns and villages. It is no wonder that many of the people in the region are traders while a few are weavers.

UKWUANI AND THE URHOBO PEOPLE UP TO 1900 – A STUDY IN INTER-GROUP RELATIONS