ABOH KINGDOM AND ITS SUPREMACY FROM 1570AD TO 1841AD

Aboh Kingdom which was in ancient times known as Eboe ruled the entire lands around the River Niger and upto the hinterland of Ukwuani at some point from it founding in about 1570AD.

It was not untill about 1750AD that the people of the Ukwuani hinterland revolted against the Obi of Aboh and waged the famous "Agha- Ashaka" war to prevent Aboh from coming to the Ukwuani hinterland to collect tributes or in the absence of that to remove the Frontal Teeth of any Ukwuani clan that had no Tribute to give to the Obi of Aboh. The "Agha-Ashaka was prosecuted by the people from Utagba-Uno, who thereafter settled as a "buffer zone" at the present Utagba-Ogbe, which was then the land of the Ogbe-Ani, Afor and Ashaka people, just before the Ase Creek.

The powers of the Obi of Aboh was further curtailed with the coming of the British. Between 1831 and 1950 the Ukwuani areas confronted the Abohs on the Aboh Division and the area was split into two and a Kwale Native Authority was created alongside Aboh Native Authority ruled by the Obi of Aboh. Prior to this time, the Obi of Aboh was the supreme king and that is why Ukwuani is called 'Ani Eze' (Land of the King) till today while Aboh is known as 'Obodo Eze' (City of the King). Anybody that says that Aboh did not rule the entire area from Aboh to Ukwuani to Abraka areas doesn't know what he's saying. No exceptions!

On Slave trade, Aboh NEVER sold its people into slavery. Aboh guarded the realms of the Obi where slavery was banned. It mostly got slaves from the Igbo, across the River Niger and Jukun/Nupe country up the River Niger. While being interviewed by the British in 1831-1841, Obi Ossai is recordrd to have said and I quote "I do not make war for slaves but if a Chief makes war with me, I take as many slaves as I want". So yes, if people do pass their boundary, their communities are destroyed and they are taken as slaves.

Aboh people directly traded with Europeans at Bonny and didn't have any middlemen and Slave cargos sold at Bonny were tagged as "Eboe Slaves". Aboh in dealing directly with Europeans had to sign the 1841 Treaty with the British to stop Slave Trade and Human Sacrifice, afterwards Aboh went into Palm Oil Trade and Large Canoe building.

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