Oko Jumbo
Encyclopedia
Oko Jumbo was an important chief in the Kingdom of Bonny
, a state in the Niger Delta
, now part of Rivers State
, Nigeria
. For many years in the 19th century he was the effective ruler of Bonny.
The Kingdom of Bonny, originally called Okolo-Ama, is a traditional state based on the town of Bonny
in Rivers State
, Nigeria
.
The kingdom was inhabited by the Ibani people, from whom it gets its name, an eastern sub-group of the Ijaw.
Bonny rose to power beginning in the 15th century with the coming of the Portuguese
and the Atlantic slave trade
, acting as a depot for slaves brought from the interior.
In the 19th century, the kingdom was forced by the British
to end the slave trade. Trade in palm oil replaced trade in slaves.
He became one of the leaders of a group of chiefs who dominated the ruling Manilla Pepple house. On the death of King Dapho of Bonny on 13 August 1855, the acting British Consul in the Bight of Biafra, J.W.B. Lynslager, signed a document on 11 September 1855 appointing the chiefs Anne Pepple, Ada Allison, Captain Hart and Manilla Pepple as a regency, required to consult with Bannego and Oko Jumbo, "two gentlemen of the river".
The arrangement, which gave the Manilla Pepple house control of the regency, caused immediate disputes with the rival Anna (or Annie) Pepple house.
When Lynslager's replacement arrived, he reported that "the four regents never lived in unity of unanimity ... consequently civil was was ever ripe around and about them .. leading to immense loss of British property".
When the official leader of the Manilla house died in 1863, Banego and Oko Jumbo could not agree who was to succeed, and so appointed a figurehead named Warribo while continuing to control the house.
In an attempt to restore calm, the British restored William Dappa Pepple I (whom they had exiled in 1854) as king on 18 August 1861, and on his death on 30 September 1866 installed his son George Oruigbiji Pepple
as king.
However, Oko Jumbo remained a leading power in the kingdom.
On 6 March 1866, Bishop Crowther
described Oko Jumbo as the "most sensible and wealthy" man in Bonny, and noted that he had learned to read the first chapter of St. Matthew. The next year he had learned to write, and enrolled thirteen of his children in school. He gave his support to the Christian missionaries, and on Easter Day 1867 joined King George in declaring that the Iguana, the traditional deity of Bonny, was no longer "Bonny Juju".
A truce was agreed in 1865, banning the use of firearms, but on 2 March 1867 a brawl between Manilla Pepple and Anna Pepple supporters engulfed the town, with all the men fighting on one side or other using "matchets and gin bottles, there being no stone in the town". The young King George intervened, armed with a pistol, and managed to calm things down.
In 1869, after Jaja had decided to relocate outside the city, the dispute flared up into civil warfare, in which the Manilla Pepple's gained the advantage through acquisition of some old 32 lb carronades. Many of the Annie Pepple supporters were killed during and in the aftermath of the main battle, and the town was devastated.
Jaja left Bonny and established a rival settlement at Opobo
, which controlled the river that supplied three quarters of the palm oil of the district. The British trading firm of Stuart & Douglas supported Jaja, as did others, who relocated to Opobo.
Oko Jumbo soured against Christianity when he realized that King George was using the influence of the missionaries to undermine the power of the chiefs and increase his own influence.
He imposed various bans on the practice of the religion.
In 1879 King George visited England, where he was well received, given great attention in the press and presented with a steam launch.
These reports alarmed Oko Jumbo and Jaja, who became concerned that the British were planning to annex both Bonny and Opobo, although on George's return the British consul managed to calm the situation down.
However, on 14 Dec 1883 the chiefs deposed King George Pepple.
The friendship between Jumbo and Jaja broke down, and both began arming. An 1883 book said that "Oko Jumbo has under his command some 7,000 or 8,000 men, all armed with breech-loading rifles and well supplied with ammunition; and Ja-Ja can put about the same number, similarly armed, into the field".
In 1884, Oko Jumbo fell out with other chiefs in Bonny. There were rumors that he wanted to place one of his sons on the throne, although a planned coup attempt in January 1885 came to nothing. Another son, Herbert Jumbo, who had been educated in England, quarreled with his father and placed himself under the protection of the British consul.
Later in 1885, Oko Jumbo made a trip to England, arriving in Liverpool
in May accompanied by two of his sons, Herbert and James. The Times described him as "King of Bonny" when reporting the visit.
On his return trip, the ship was wrecked off the west coast of Africa but he managed to escape.
In February 1886 a protectorate treaty was concluded between Bonny and Britain.
A ruling council was established, and King George Pepple was reestablished on his throne.
Oko Jumbo was publicly degraded, his bans on Christianity were repealed and afterwards he was a spent force in Bonny politics.
In June 1886, refuting rumors that Oko Jumbo had drowned in the shipwreck, a reporter said he had retired 40 miles into the interior, leaving all his affairs in the hands of his son Herbert.
In 1887 Ja-Ja was arrested and exiled to Teneriffe
, dying there in 1891, and Oko Jumbo died around the same time.
An account published after his fall in 1886 described him as "a grand old pagan of the bygone school, tall and strong, with a fine handsome face and powerful head, with very little attempt at European dress, or indeed dress of any sort". It noted that his two sons, who resided mostly in England, were civilized gentlemen.
Kingdom of Bonny
The Kingdom of Bonny is a traditional state based on the town of Bonny in Rivers State, Nigeria. Founded in the 14th century AD, it became an important slave trading port, later trading palm oil products. During the 19th century the British became increasingly involved in the internal affairs of...
, a state in the Niger Delta
Niger Delta
The Niger Delta, the delta of the Niger River in Nigeria, is a densely populated region sometimes called the Oil Rivers because it was once a major producer of palm oil...
, now part of Rivers State
Rivers State
Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Port Harcourt. It is bounded on the South by the Atlantic Ocean, to the North by Imo, Abia and Anambra States, to the East by Akwa Ibom State and to the West by Bayelsa and Delta states...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. For many years in the 19th century he was the effective ruler of Bonny.
Background
The Kingdom of Bonny, originally called Okolo-Ama, is a traditional state based on the town of Bonny
Bonny
Bonny is a town and a Local Government Area in Rivers State in southeast Nigeria, on the Bight of Biafra. It was also the capital of the Kingdom of Bonny. Traditionally it was a major trading post of the eastern delta....
in Rivers State
Rivers State
Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Port Harcourt. It is bounded on the South by the Atlantic Ocean, to the North by Imo, Abia and Anambra States, to the East by Akwa Ibom State and to the West by Bayelsa and Delta states...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
.
The kingdom was inhabited by the Ibani people, from whom it gets its name, an eastern sub-group of the Ijaw.
Bonny rose to power beginning in the 15th century with the coming of the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and the Atlantic slave trade
Atlantic slave trade
The Atlantic slave trade, also known as the trans-atlantic slave trade, refers to the trade in slaves that took place across the Atlantic ocean from the sixteenth through to the nineteenth centuries...
, acting as a depot for slaves brought from the interior.
In the 19th century, the kingdom was forced by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to end the slave trade. Trade in palm oil replaced trade in slaves.
Early career
Oko Jumbo was the son of a slave who became a lesser chief in Bonny, but managed to amass considerable wealth and thus power through astute trading.He became one of the leaders of a group of chiefs who dominated the ruling Manilla Pepple house. On the death of King Dapho of Bonny on 13 August 1855, the acting British Consul in the Bight of Biafra, J.W.B. Lynslager, signed a document on 11 September 1855 appointing the chiefs Anne Pepple, Ada Allison, Captain Hart and Manilla Pepple as a regency, required to consult with Bannego and Oko Jumbo, "two gentlemen of the river".
The arrangement, which gave the Manilla Pepple house control of the regency, caused immediate disputes with the rival Anna (or Annie) Pepple house.
When Lynslager's replacement arrived, he reported that "the four regents never lived in unity of unanimity ... consequently civil was was ever ripe around and about them .. leading to immense loss of British property".
When the official leader of the Manilla house died in 1863, Banego and Oko Jumbo could not agree who was to succeed, and so appointed a figurehead named Warribo while continuing to control the house.
In an attempt to restore calm, the British restored William Dappa Pepple I (whom they had exiled in 1854) as king on 18 August 1861, and on his death on 30 September 1866 installed his son George Oruigbiji Pepple
George Oruigbiji Pepple
George Oruigbiji Pepple ruled the Kingdom of Bonny, an independent trading state in the Niger Delta between 30 September 1866 and 14 December 1883, when he was deposed...
as king.
However, Oko Jumbo remained a leading power in the kingdom.
On 6 March 1866, Bishop Crowther
Samuel Ajayi Crowther
Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther was a linguist and the first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria. Born in Osogun , Rev. Dr...
described Oko Jumbo as the "most sensible and wealthy" man in Bonny, and noted that he had learned to read the first chapter of St. Matthew. The next year he had learned to write, and enrolled thirteen of his children in school. He gave his support to the Christian missionaries, and on Easter Day 1867 joined King George in declaring that the Iguana, the traditional deity of Bonny, was no longer "Bonny Juju".
Civil war
Tension continued between the Manilla Pepple houses and the Annie Pepple house, which was led by a chief named Jubo Jubogha, known as Ja-Ja to the British.A truce was agreed in 1865, banning the use of firearms, but on 2 March 1867 a brawl between Manilla Pepple and Anna Pepple supporters engulfed the town, with all the men fighting on one side or other using "matchets and gin bottles, there being no stone in the town". The young King George intervened, armed with a pistol, and managed to calm things down.
In 1869, after Jaja had decided to relocate outside the city, the dispute flared up into civil warfare, in which the Manilla Pepple's gained the advantage through acquisition of some old 32 lb carronades. Many of the Annie Pepple supporters were killed during and in the aftermath of the main battle, and the town was devastated.
Jaja left Bonny and established a rival settlement at Opobo
Opobo
Opobo is a traditional state in southern Nigeria. The state was founded in 1870.A part of the traditional state is now Ikot-Abasi in Akwa Ibom State.-History:...
, which controlled the river that supplied three quarters of the palm oil of the district. The British trading firm of Stuart & Douglas supported Jaja, as did others, who relocated to Opobo.
Later years
A peace treaty was concluded between Bonny and Opobo in 1873, and Oko Jumbo visited Ja-Ja and assured him of his friendship.Oko Jumbo soured against Christianity when he realized that King George was using the influence of the missionaries to undermine the power of the chiefs and increase his own influence.
He imposed various bans on the practice of the religion.
In 1879 King George visited England, where he was well received, given great attention in the press and presented with a steam launch.
These reports alarmed Oko Jumbo and Jaja, who became concerned that the British were planning to annex both Bonny and Opobo, although on George's return the British consul managed to calm the situation down.
However, on 14 Dec 1883 the chiefs deposed King George Pepple.
The friendship between Jumbo and Jaja broke down, and both began arming. An 1883 book said that "Oko Jumbo has under his command some 7,000 or 8,000 men, all armed with breech-loading rifles and well supplied with ammunition; and Ja-Ja can put about the same number, similarly armed, into the field".
In 1884, Oko Jumbo fell out with other chiefs in Bonny. There were rumors that he wanted to place one of his sons on the throne, although a planned coup attempt in January 1885 came to nothing. Another son, Herbert Jumbo, who had been educated in England, quarreled with his father and placed himself under the protection of the British consul.
Later in 1885, Oko Jumbo made a trip to England, arriving in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
in May accompanied by two of his sons, Herbert and James. The Times described him as "King of Bonny" when reporting the visit.
On his return trip, the ship was wrecked off the west coast of Africa but he managed to escape.
In February 1886 a protectorate treaty was concluded between Bonny and Britain.
A ruling council was established, and King George Pepple was reestablished on his throne.
Oko Jumbo was publicly degraded, his bans on Christianity were repealed and afterwards he was a spent force in Bonny politics.
In June 1886, refuting rumors that Oko Jumbo had drowned in the shipwreck, a reporter said he had retired 40 miles into the interior, leaving all his affairs in the hands of his son Herbert.
In 1887 Ja-Ja was arrested and exiled to Teneriffe
Teneriffe
Teneriffe can refer to:* Tenerife, Spanish island in the Atlantic Ocean* Teneriffe, Queensland, suburb of Brisbane* Teneriffe lace, type of lace made in Tenerife...
, dying there in 1891, and Oko Jumbo died around the same time.
Appearance
In John Whitford's book on the region published in 1877, Oko Jumbo was described as "about forty-five years of age, slightly above the middle stature, well built, inclined to portliness; and has bright sparkling eyes and an intelligent face." He was described as an elegant dresser, although preferring bare feet. He travelled in a long, fast canoe paddled by twenty four to thirty boys. He was hospitable, and often invited white men to share his excellent cookery.An account published after his fall in 1886 described him as "a grand old pagan of the bygone school, tall and strong, with a fine handsome face and powerful head, with very little attempt at European dress, or indeed dress of any sort". It noted that his two sons, who resided mostly in England, were civilized gentlemen.