In the heart of Uromi kingdom, in what is now Edo State, Nigeria, the year 1857 witnessed the extraordinary birth of a child destined to defy empires. Ogbidi Okojie entered the world in his seventh month of gestation, a premature arrival that foreshadowed a life that would never conform to ordinary expectations. Born into the royal Okojie dynasty, he was the 14th in line to the Uromi throne, a position that would eventually place him at the center of one of colonial Africa's most determined resistances against British expansion.
From his earliest days, Ogbidi was immersed in the traditions and responsibilities of monarchical leadership. As an African monarch, he developed an unwavering belief in his divine right to wield absolute power over his subjects, who in turn looked to their king for protection, guidance, and justice. This reciprocal relationship between ruler and ruled would form the foundation of his worldview—a worldview that would inevitably clash with the advancing British colonial system that sought to subjugate independent African kingdoms under the Crown's authority.
By the end of the nineteenth century, the British colonial machine was steadily advancing across Nigeria. After the Royal Niger Company transferred its territories to the British government in 1900, colonial authorities began expanding and strengthening their control, systematically unseating traditional rulers who refused to acknowledge British supremacy. The British had already deployed brutal force to subjugate the Benin Kingdom in 1897, where they spent thirteen days conquering, burning, and looting the ancient city before exiling Oba Ovonramwen to Calabar.
Emboldened by their success in Benin, the British turned their attention to the Esan kingdoms, expecting similar quick victories. What they encountered instead was a resistance that would surprise them with its tenacity and strategic sophistication. The Esan people, particularly those of Uromi kingdom, were prepared to defend their sovereignty with everything at their disposal.
On March 16, 1901, the British invasion of Uromi began in earnest. The colonial forces arrived with overwhelming military superiority—over 200 troops armed with 100 cannons and numerous modern shotguns. Against this formidable force, Prince Okojie (who had not yet been formally crowned king) could only muster fighters equipped with Dane guns, bows, arrows, and spears. Despite this dramatic disadvantage in weaponry, the Uromi resistance would prove unexpectedly formidable.
The British expected a swift victory similar to their Benin campaign, but instead found themselves mired in a protracted guerrilla war that would last six month. Prince Okojie demonstrated remarkable military leadership, leveraging his forces' knowledge of the terrain and employing hit-and-run tactics that frustrated the British expeditionary force. Despite inflicting heavy collateral damage on Uromi villages and farms, the British could not break the spirit of resistance.
The resilience of the Uromi fighters under Okojie's command was so surprising that British forces eventually shifted strategy. Rather than continuing direct engagement with the elusive guerrilla forces, they focused on capturing leadership figures. They first seized King Okolo, Ogbidi's father and the reigning Onojie of Uromi, on March 20, 190. When the king died in captivity eight days later, the British expected the resistance to collapse. Instead, unaware of his father's death, Prince Okojie continued to lead and inspire the resistance with even greater determination.
Frustrated by their inability to quell the resistance through conventional military means, the British employed psychological warfare and deception. They widely publicized the capture of King Okolo (concealing his death), hoping to demoralize the Uromi fighters. When this only partially succeeded, they proposed a truce meeting, promising the release of King Okolo if Prince Okojie would attend personally.
Seeing an opportunity to free his father, Okojie agreed to the meeting. This decision would prove fateful. Upon his arrival at the designated place, he was immediately arrested by British forces. The promised release of his father was revealed to be a ruse—King Okolo had already been dead for weeks. Okojie was tried on charges of inciting his people against British rule and, on April 30, 1901, was exiled to Calabar.
In Calabar, Okojie joined other exiled monarchs who had resisted British expansion, including Oba Ovonramwen of Benin. This gathering of deposed kings created a unique community of resistance leaders who shared experiences and strategies, further solidifying Okojie's antipathy toward colonial rule. Despite the hardship of exile, he maintained his royal dignity and continued to regard himself as the legitimate ruler of Uromi.
Remarkably, Okojie's exile lasted less than a year. The British, recognizing his enduring influence among his people, decided to return him to Uromi in 1901 under their system of indirect rule. After performing the necessary funeral rites for his father, he was officially crowned the 14th Onojie of Uromi in 1900 (though some sources indicate the coronation occurred upon his return in 1901).
The British appointed Okojie as President of the colonial-created Native Court, tasking him with administratively assisting the District Officer in overseeing Uromi territory. Superficially, he appeared to cooperate with colonial authorities between 1901 and 1917. During this period, Uromi showed increased primary school enrollment, higher revenue generation from court fines and taxes, and greater participation in colonial activities.
However, this outward compliance masked a sophisticated strategy of passive resistance. Okojie continued to exert his traditional authority alongside his colonial duties, governing his subjects as his ancestors had done and maintaining royal privileges. He established his court at Ubiaja as the Divisional Supreme Judge, hearing criminal cases from across the region. This dual governance allowed him to preserve Uromi's traditional structures while ostensibly cooperating with colonial authorities.
Okojie's subtle resistance eventually provoked British authorities again. In 1918 he was exiled for the second time this time to Benin City. His presence there unsettled Oba Eweka II, the reigning Benin monarch who operated under British supervision. The cultural precedent of having two monarchs in one city—one reigning under colonial authority and another maintaining traditional legitimacy—created tension that undermined British authority.
During his second exile, Okojie wrote repeated petitions to British authorities, insisting he was needed back in Uromi to provide leadership for his people. In 1922, he even wrote to the Lieutenant-Governor of the Southern Provinces, offering to return as a private citizen if necessary. This request was denied, with the British instead suggesting that more of his wives be sent to join him in exile—a attempt to normalize his permanent removal from Uromi.
Refusing to accept his exile, Okojie made a dramatic escape in 1926, traveling back to Uromi himself. His return was celebrated by his subjects, but British authorities quickly recaptured and transferred him to Ibadan, further from his homeland. Throughout these years of exile, the people of Uromi continued to regard Okojie as their legitimate ruler, adhering to the Esan cultural principle that a properly crowned king remains king regardless of location.
Okojie was finally released in 1931 and returned to Uromi to resume his kingship. Despite his years in exile, he returned with undiminished authority and immediately began consolidating his power and developing his kingdom. He built schools to support higher learning and constructed roads connecting Uromi to Ilushi, Agbor, and Ehor, facilitating trade and mobility. He served as the supreme judge for criminal cases across the region, hearing murder trials at Agbede, Esan, Kukuruku (now Auchi), and Ologhodo (now Agbor).
Okojie's aspiration for African independence manifested not only in his own resistance but also through his descendants. His grandson, Chief Anthony Enahoro, would initiate the self-government motion in the Western House of Assembly in 1953—a crucial step toward Nigerian independence, which was achieved on October 1, 1960. Other distinguished grandchildren include Peter Enahoro, the renowned pan-African journalist; Cardinal Anthony Okogie, the first Esan Cardinal; and Dr. Robert Okojie, a NASA scientist.
When Ogbidi Okojie died on February 3, 1944, he left behind an extraordinary legacy. He was survived by over sixty wives, forty concubines, and innumerable children and grandchildren. His people remembered him as "Ogbidi the Uromi umbrella" and "the white son of Olokun"—titles that reflected their reverence for his protective leadership and mystical attributes. Folk traditions attributed to him the ability to transform into a girl, lion, or leopard at will, and to command the rain to fall and the air to stand still.
Ogbidi Okojie's resistance against British colonial rule represents a significant chapter in the history of anti-colonial movements in Africa. His story is particularly remarkable for its demonstration of how traditional rulers could employ both military and non-military strategies to oppose foreign domination. Where direct confrontation proved impossible, Okojie adapted with passive resistance and cultural preservation, always maintaining his people's sense of autonomy and self-determination.
The duration and sophistication of Uromi's resistance against the British—lasting up to six months against overwhelming military superiority—distinguishes it from many other colonial conflicts in the region. This resistance was made possible by Okojie's strategic leadership, his fighters' knowledge of the terrain, and the widespread support from the Uromi people who refused to surrender their sovereignty without extraordinary effort.
Today, Ogbidi Okojie remains a powerful symbol of dignity and resistance in Esanland and beyond. His descendants continue to honor his legacy across various fields—from politics to science to journalism—demonstrating how the spirit of resistance can transform into nation-building and cultural advancement. The story of his life serves as a testament to the fact that even when military victory is impossible, the preservation of cultural identity and dignity through strategic resistance constitutes a form of victory in itself.
"He is still remembered by his people as Ogbidi the Uromi umbrella, the white son of Olokun, Okun the greatest native doctor that ever lived and ruled the native people of Uromi..."
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