From Adamu Opportunity, Lokoja


Oworo people of Lokoja local government area have rejected the judgment of a Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, ceding Lokoja, Kogi and Ajaokuta council areas to the Attah Igala. The people insisted that they, not the Nupe/Bassa-Nge, were the first settlers in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi state.

Reacting to the court decision in a statement which was signed by eight other traditional rulers in
Lokoja, the Olu of Oworo, Mallam Mohammed Baiyerohi said that the Federal High Court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the suit as land matters are territorial in nature and reserved for the State High Court where the land is situated.

“The Attah’s Igala claims to the ownership of Lokoja on the basis of the sale of the model farm site to the British has no authentic basis because to the explorers, what did not belong to Etsu -Masaba of Bida must belong to the Attah of Igala since they were the two popular kingdoms they knew on their arrival along the course of Niger between Idah and Bida.

He maiontained that the explorers were either ignorant or were misled about the existence of smaller tribes like Oworo, Kakanda, Egbiraland Koto, Ebira Okene and Bunu not until they finally came to settle in Lokoja.

“The ‘sale’ can therefore not be considered as a trade transaction but an inducement to enable them carry out a peaceful and hitch-free activities as you cannot sell what you do not have. The Attah of Igala claims of ownership/Lordship or proprietary rights of the stretch of land along the bank of River Niger without a definite description and identity of the land is therefore,obnoxious, ambiguous, uncertain, speculative and misleading.The proof of ownership based on the agreement in the Deed of Cession between him and the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland in 16 September, 1841 before independence of Nigeria cannot be binding on sovereign nation, because the colonial contract agreement did not consider the interest of the first settlers of the land, and hence unforceable in the sovereign nation of Nigeria.

The traditional also said that a known fact that the Aboriginal inhabitants of Lokoja (Oworo) and latter settlers like Kakanda, Nupe/Bassa-Nge, Ebira Koto and Hausas have never paid taxes, dues, rents, royalties and even loyalties to the Attah of Igala in pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial era.
According to the statement,the original inhabitants of Lokoja were neither consulted nor joined in the suit, and to that extent denied the right to fair hearing as enshrined in Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) as amended,”

On the position of the Lokoja Traditional council stating the Nupe as first settlers in Lokoja, the
statement reads further,

“The Oworo people are opposed to the claims of Lokoja Traditional council release of 9th June, 2020 of the first settlers in Lokoja. It is a distortion of historical facts for the Lokoja Traditional council to have ascribed the first settlers/original inhabitants of Lokoja to Nupe/Bassa-Nge without recourse to the Oworo ethnic group or even the Hausa that came later to the town on trade expedition from the northern Nigeria.

“The Oworo are the first settlers in and around Lokoja, with their first settlement called ‘OKENGA’ On top of the Plateau now known as Mount Patti. All these development came before the colonial incursions into the town. Other tribes like Nupe, Bassa-Nge arrived after the Oworo and during the Nupe/Bida raids, while the Hausas came up as traders or in retinue of banished Emirs.

Source: https://irukkanews.com/index.php/2020/06/24/kogi-land-dispute-igala-are-mere-joiners-in-lokoja-oworo-peoples-insist/

What's your thoufht

Make dem use jazz sov d matter before e turn another matter

Straight 'A'.

One thing certain is that the Attah once INFLUENCED trade along the banks of those areas (AJAOKUTA and LOKOJA). This is documented among the most prominent precolonial writers on the Niger Area.i.e Lander brothers, Mac Laird etc. The Kakanda tribe occupying most of the place at the time paid tribute to him.

However, something NO ONE has mentioned so far is the reason WHY the Attahs influence came to a halt in the first place. This occured when Bida jihadists raided the place around 1830s. The Attahs subjects Kakanda/Budon groups, BASSANGE fled fulani jihads from Nupeland to Lokoja, from Lokoja into Ajaokuta. They were routed from Ajaokuta finally crossing River Niger to their present location in BASSA. They abandoned their ancestral land and vowed never to come back until the raids ceased. They, joined with another fleeing group from the North Benue banks, BASSAKOMO, will later fight the Igala and gain Independence in this new abode.

Decades later, the Royal Niger/Britain planned slave trade abolishment and went about persuading slave raiding chiefs like the Attah against the practice. They proposed to setup the model Farm settlement in Igalaland to dissuade them from slavery but the Attah rather gave them the land his subjects had earlier abandoned. (Lokoja and Ajaokuta area).

As a result of constant warfare at the time, other displaced groups from above the Niger had already begun occupying these areas. The British (Royal Niger) got there but met other displaced people who had no obligation to the Attah! The Farm settlement project could not take off either. Then, the Royal Niger along with Crowther would forcefully intercept slave laden ships and free them at Lokoja. Much later, the Colonial administration would banish exiled northern chiefs there.

Hence, LOKOJA became a colonial-made town. It is very large truly and various tribes occupy different areas. AJAOKUTA was handed over to those on ground so, ASKING for the land back is akin to UNDOING the entire Colonial structure plus, Jihad disruptions. KOTONKARFE is another level of foolishness entirely.

lalasticlala

liliandrew:

What's your thoufht

Im going to give you an input youve never heard before. You see women are wonderful. I read this thread, then I saw your question. Its almost like dejavu. Ive read this thread somewhere before, and saw a similar question. On that occassion I gave phone to my wife to read, she passed to my second wife to read. They murmured between them and then gave me their mind. Im going to share what they said. Anytime there is conflict on land dont go to what was written or practiced by colonialists for answer, it will only worsen situation. They came to plant confusion, their written work continues to increase our confusion till date. Matters and disputes of land should be taken back to the ancestors. Simply ask all parties to bring out their ancestral cult practices, that will settle the matter.

Anyone with masquerade or shrine worship or any deity of that land bring it out. No talk about islam or christianity, they are not indigeneous and will not qualify.

Once this is done the owner of Lokoja will emerge without court or lawsuit.

Where is the Atta of Igala today? Vanity.