How Britain punished Igbos for 1929 women riot, independence campaign – Women group

The Igbo Women Assembly, IWA, has claimed that the women riot  which took place at Aba and some  other parts  of Igbo land in  1929  and the role of the Igbos in the campaigns for Nigeria’s independence were some of the reasons the Igbo were hated by the British government.

This is as the group said  there would not have been any  outbreak of civil war in the country if the former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon had continued with the reconciliation efforts of General Aguiyi Ironsi.

The President of Igbo Women Assembly, Nneka Chimezie who said this in a press statement she issued in Umuahia, said that the 1929 women riot which was staged against the harsh policies of  colonial authority, sparked the campaign for Nigeria’s independence from the British government.

According to her, the British government was not happy with the way Igbos led the women riot and played a prominent role in Nigeria’s independence, claiming that the 1966 Coup presented an opportunity for the British government to punish the Igbos.

“Remember that it was the Aba women riot that sparked the campaign for the British to leave Nigeria, and Britain was yet to forgive the Igbo for that.

“So, the coup presented them with an opportunity to punish the Igbo and cause disunity in Nigeria so that the 1960 political independence of the country would be a mess”, she said.