28/12/2025
Ndoki Markets played vital roles in the transatlantic trade between 16th century and the middle of the 19th century.
There were effective demands for slaves, palm oil and palm kernels by the British and Portuguese traders.
The European traders brought in goods from Europe, such as
a) Bowler Hats,
b) Walking sticks
c) Clothes
d) Assorted Brandy, Whiskey and Rums
e) Jewelry
d) Corrugated roofing sheets and so on.
These European Goods were bartered with African Commodities as mentioned above. Slaves, palm oil and palm kernels.
At this point in time, Akwete, Obeaku, Ohambele, Obohia and Azumini were important markets for exchange of goods. In the struggle for the control of Ndoki market, treaties were signed at different times between the Ndokis, Jaja for Opobo, Britain and Portugal.
Jaja had reasonable influence in the markets between Imo and Opobo rivers. Jaja held the Monopoly of the market in these territories before the outbreak of Civil War in Bonny in 1869.
Jaja who was an influential trading Chief was forced to leave Bonny with other Chiefs as a result of the war and relocated in the present site of Opobo town.
As a result of the struggle to control the lucrative Ndokis markets by the various interest groups, this led to signing of treaties among the stakeholders. Thus in 1873, Bonny was given Akwete markets through a treaty signed by the parties.
On December 19, 1873, Consul Hewett signed a treaty of protection with Jaja which allowed Jaja the monopoly of the Opobo River. This treaty, however, ran into conflict with General Act of the Berlin Conference in February 1885, which declared freedom of navigation in the River Niger and its affluents which included Opobo River which Jaja controlled through a Treaty of December 19, 1873.
As the British protectorate was proclaimed on June 5, 1885, Europeans Agents began to trade with the Ndoki markets particularly Ohambele. Jaja vehemently objected the direct trade of European traders and wanted the Ndokis to deal with him (Jaja) exclusively. This situation eventually brought Jaja into conflict with Johnston who at that time was the Consul of the Bight of Benin and Biafra.
On August 5, 1887, about 14 years later after Jaja signed the Treaty of 1873, he Jaja signed another Treaty by which he agreed to allow free trade in Ndoki markets, but when Consul Johnston went Ohambele 10 days later after the Treaty of August 5, 1887, he Consul Johnston met with stiff opposition.
Consul Johnston left and cabled to the foreign office that he was obliged to prohibit Jaja trading. The matter came up before the then Prime Minister of Britain, Lord Salisbury who on August 29, 1887 wrote as follows.
"I gather from these papers that Jaja is a sovereign holding a strip of Coast near Bonny, and a river called Opobo which gives access to further creeks and lands in the interior with respect to this territory of Opobo, there is no complaint, but higher up the River is a place called Ohambele, with which European merchants have never traded yet, but with which they desire to trade. An attempt on their part to open trade with the place was met with a refusal by the king of it who stated that it was in the trade Dominion of Jaja, who had forbidden any in*******se with Europeans. A number of Jaja soldiers, armed with rifles were seen in the place. Some of the apparently subordinate chiefs intimated to the merchants that nothing but jaja's prohibition, prevented them from trading."
The Prime Minister Salisbury further went on to say that from the papers before me that he was unable to see what cause of complaint we have against Jaja. If we were to proceed to any rule of international right, he (Jaja) was evidently sovereign or suzerain of the place called Ohambele, and the prohibition to trade with Europeans was a matter perfectly within his discretion.
It was said that Jaja was contravening the stipulations of a Treaty made in 1873. The Prime Minister went on to say that he could not find provision of that Treaty, which was contravened by the action that Jaja had taken in this instance.
Further, on September 9, 1887, Lord Salisbury wrote, "Nothing in the memorandum of the Department or in the papers sent with it throws any on the most important issue, whether Jaja was in any sense ruler of the territory of Ohambele from which he excluded British trade. If he was a ruler, then assuming we were dealing with him according to a strict law, he was in his rights. If he was not ruler and was merely making use of his power as a Waterside King to stop the highway, then he was in the wrong. I have not the papers here, but I recollect that in the statements of the merchants, it was said that the traders who tried to go to Ohambele were met by the King of that place (Ohambele) who informed them that he had reached trade Treaty with them."
Ohambele and Obeaku are close neighbours, as Ndoki villages. On September 2, 1887, Johnston made free trade Treaty with the village of Obeaku. It was said that Consul Johnston wrote a letter to Jaja in which he held Jaja responsible for Ohambele, Obeaku and Akwete for refusing to receive the whiteman. Jaja's reply to this letter infuriated Johnston and ten days later Johnson sent a cable to the foreign office and sought permission to remove Jaja temporarily to the Gold Coast, since Jaja posed a serious threat to free trade in Ndoki villages with the British merchants.
On the 18th of September, 1887, Jaja was summoned to Opobo, where he was forced to surrender and taken to Accra on exile. This with the removal of Jaja, trade within the Ndoki Markets was made open to European Traders though there were negotiations with different villages.
In 1892, a Treaty was made with the Kings and chief of villages by Vic- Consul Cairns-Armstrong. Again in 1894, Roger Casement, acting Vice Consul held a meeting with the village of Obohia in which the people of Obohia agreed that there would be complete freedom of traffic between them and their neighbours. In 1896, the official treaty was signed between Obohia and the European Merchants Representatives.
After Jaja was dealt with, the Arochukwu people posed another threat to free trade in Ndoki markets. From the end of 1901 to halfway through 1902, the colonial government had to deal with the people of Arochukwu who came through Obegu to near Ndoki Village of Ohuru. Obegu was burnt down on the 21st of November 1901 and about 500 persons of Obegu were believed to have been massacred by the Aros.
On November 24, 1902 the Aros sent an ultimatum to Akwete to reply whether they were for the colonial government or for the Aros. Many people of Ndoki due to the ultimatum crossed the Imo River to the Ndoki villages on the southern side of Imo River.
On November 29, 1902, colonel Gallaway held a meeting with Ndoki Villages who agreed to cooperate with the punitive expedition against the Aros. Within a period of 5 months, military operations were carried out against the Aros by the European Soldiers with stronger Fire power. The Aros were driven away from carrying out any punitive measures against the Ndokis. By the middle of June 1902, there was general, peace and on July 4, 1902, the Obohia Native Court sat for the first time.
It was rare for a slave to be bought directly from the captor in the hinterland and sold to the Europeans at the coast by a single Nigeria merchant. Slaves passed from one middleman to the next until they eventually reached the final buyers, the European merchants.
The Aros intention was to selfishly interfere, control and dominate Ndoki markets that the coastal towns of Bonny and Kalabari obtained slaves through Okrika and Andoni. These slaves were exchanged for European goods. Other products that were exchanged for European goods were palm oil and kernel which the factories in Europe needed as raw materials. Therefore there was a struggle for the control of Ndoki markets.
King Jaja was a victim of European imperialism and gunboat diplomacy. He was an Igbo born in Amaigbo in the present Imo State. He became a victim of slavery who ended up in Bonny. He was a member of Anna Pepple House and through determination and hard work, he became a wealthy and dynamic merchant who dictated and controlled the coastal trade to the envy and annoyance of the European merchants who plotted and executed his exile.
Jaja later became the head of Anna Pepple House and as a visionary leader and merchant, the House prospered to the envy of others. With the Vantage positions in Opobo, he was able to control and dominate the coastal trade and therefore became the richest and the most powerful ruler in the Niger Delta in that era. Jaja had a well equipped army at that time, which confronted the British army militarily before they were subdued due to better organization and stronger Firepower.
It was said that Jaja's army was so strong that he lent his soldiers to the British force for the 1873 -74 against the Asante in the then Gold Coast for which Jaja received a sword from Queen Victoria. Jaja later ran into conflict with the British as he was forcefully moved to Accra, Ghana where he was tried and sent on exile to the West Indies, where he eventually died in 1891.
Culled from the Book "The Comprehensive History of Ndoki People"
Posted by Obinna Of Ndoki
