Azaghvana E-Book 2003 - Flipbook - Page 121
The report continues to describe the subsequent events, consisting of a further unsuccessful
night-time attack of 'six to twelve men' from Ghwa’a on the camp of a police escort, which
had arrived via Kwalika with Mr Rees joining them the same evening in Ghwa’a, where they
had established themselves on 14th October at the place of the burnt down rest house.
Between 15th and 18th October, it became clear 'that a state of revolt existed in some villages
in the area there was a considerable danger that the trouble might spread throughout the hills'.
While Mr McClintock requested police reinforcements from the resident in Maiduguri, the
main duty of the force at Ghwa’a 'was to prevent the disturbances from spreading':
…the hamlet heads of all the other villages of the clan [were called] to the rest house where they
would be warned that the very gravest view would be taken of any attempt on their part to render
assistance to Johode. This policy was successful in that representatives of nine of the ten villages
concerned reported to the Rest House… although it was suspected that passive assistance was still
being given to Johode by three villages to the south-east, viz. Kunde, Hembe and Geltaure
[Gathaghure]. 12
Every day various parts of the deserted village of Johode were entered by an Administrative
Officer with his police escort, and as a punitive measure the grass roofs of the compounds of
seven persons, who had been declared by the hamlet heads to be ringleaders of the insurrection,
were burned.
The senior hamlet head of Ghwa’a, 'Bulama Fulata', was ordered to contact 'the villagers,
perched on their hilltops...' and to reassure them 'that no physical hurt would result to any
person who gave himself up…', but their attitude 'remained obdurate and even deviant…':
Indeed, any person venturing to leave the camp without a police escort was liable to be set upon,
as is borne out by the fact that three separate attacks were made on carriers using the path to
Gwoza. Nor did a police escort necessarily ensure immunity, for on one occasion Mr.
Rounthwaite and four constables were the targets of a volley of stones.
On the 17th October the Resident, Mr F. Humphreys, visited Johode in person to review the
situation. He had already telegraphed for police reinforcements… Twenty-five Nigeria Police
reinforcement arrived at Gwoza from Jos on the 17th October… Next day they climbed to Johode
where they arrived in the evening.
From the lack of progress made it had also become apparent that the hamlet heads of Johode no
longer retained the confidence of their villagers. It was therefore decided to make all further
surrender negotiations through the influential hamlet heads of Chikkide [Chikiɗe], the
neighbouring village to the north, and through a Native Administration policeman, himself a
native of Johode. This new approach immediately began to yield dividends and the first individual
surrenders were made by eleven persons on 20th October, but there was an unfortunate setback
later in the day when an attack was made on a carrier [Dan Wanzami by name], who subsequently
[on the 27th October] died of his wounds.
This attack had once again delayed surrender negotiations, but slow progress was still being made
through the determined efforts of Gadi Maiduguri, (the N.A. policemen), who deserves the highest
praise, not only for his courage in venturing unarmed amongst the villagers, but also for his tact
and patience. Parallel negotiations were also proceeding through the District Head at Gwoza, and
the end was in sight when on 24th October two parties totaling close to sixty persons made their
individual surrenders to Mr Rounthwaite at Johode. Next day an official delegation of elders,
representatives of the whole village, met Mr McClintock and the District Head by arrangement at
Guduf, a village lying three miles to the north of Johode, to ask for terms. In the words of Mr.
McClintock: … "They expressed sincere and deep repentance and I then accepted their surrender
on the following terms:
… [1] That everybody was to return to the village at once. [2] That they should immediately repair
the Rest House and the District Head’s house in Johode. [3] That next Sunday, the 1st November,
all the elders would come to Gwoza and express their full repentance in front of the Pagan Court.
[4] That their punishment was a matter for the Courts to decide and that they must obey the orders
of the Court which would be conveyed to them in course.”
12
See Figure 8a to compare with our oral history of traditional war alliances in Chapter 3.2.
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