C N Collins Nweke
■ ??? ??? ?????, ???? ?? ??? ??????????? ?? ????? ?? ??????????? ?? ??? ??????? ???????? ??????? ??? ????? ????? ??????? ?? 1898. ??? ????? ????? ??????? ??? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ????? ????? ???????????? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ???????? ??? ???????? ??????? ????????????? ?? 1900.
[The] Royal Niger Company attacked [Igbuzo] the head and heart of the Anioma communities because it was the strongest and most feared of the Anioma communities. It was also the center of the most indomitable resistance to the penetration of the missionary enterprise. Fr. Zappa, the leader of the SMA mission and the brain behind the invasion of the town, reasoned that the subjugation of the most feared and the strongest of the Ika communities would also easily and quickly bring the others to their knees. According to the missionary, the overbearing chiefs of [Igbuzo] needed to be humiliated and a military conquest of the evil people was inevitable The Company’s bombardment of all the towns within reach of gunfire brought considerable confusion and uncertainty among the people. The cultural resisters were dispersed local chiefs were taken as captives to Asaba the Company’s headquarters where they were put in jail.
[Igbuzo] was coerced to accept the presence of the missionaries in the town and the chiefs were forced to accept to protect the missionaries.
– Augustine S. O. Okwu (2010). Igbo Culture and the Christian Missions, 1857-1957. pp. 120–121.#igbohistory3000bc #upkuru
