The Female King of Colonial Nigeria: Ahebi Ugbabe

Appendix: Select Criminal and Civil Cases in Nsukka Division, in which Ahebi Participated 1918–1930

APPENDIX Select Criminal and Civil Cases in nsukka Division in which ahebi Participated, 1918–1930 Oge Ahebi, there were five native court areas in Nsukka Division. These were Adani Native Court, Eha Amufu Native Court, Obollo Native Court, Opi Native Court, and Ahebi’s own Enugu-Ezike Native Court. The earliest cases to go before the native courts in Nsukka Division occurred in 1911. All cases brought before the native courts in Nsukka Division are documented in civil and criminal judgment books, civil judgment books, criminal judgment books, Native Cause books, and Native Court general note books, which are housed at the National Archives of Nigeria, Enugu, NAE. Each civil and criminal judgment book contains transcripts of about 300 cases. These judgment books cover the period starting 1911–1922. Each civil judgment book also contains transcripts of about 300 individual cases. These judgment books cover the period starting 1912–1946. Like the other judgment books, the criminal judgment books contain the transcripts of about 300 individual cases. These judgment books cover the period starting 1913–1954. The Native Court cause books are divided into civil and criminal books. Each cause book contains compilations, in index form, of all cases heard in Nsukka Division from 1934 to 1946. The Native Court general note books contain short notes of specific cases heard from 1923 to 1933. During my fieldwork, I first consulted all civil and criminal judgment books, civil judgment books, criminal judgment books, Native Court cause books, and Native Court general note books covering the period starting 1918–1930 that were available (during the Nigerian/Biafran Civil War, numerous documents at the Nigerian National Archives, Enugu were destroyed). The period represented the time when Chief Ahebi was active either as president or member of the Native Court. I collected and photocopied all cases in which Chief Ahebi was active as president or member. I also collected and photocopied all cases in which Chief Ahebi was called in as a plaintiff or witness. Since the warrant chief institution was abolished on paper in 1929, my 1930 cut-off point represented the “official” end of the warrant chief institution. However, cases were still 210 APPENDIX brought before the Nsukka Division Native Courts until 1954. These post-1930 cases were presided over by European colonialists. The case that had initially propelled my search (Ahebi taking her community to court over the confiscation of her Ekpe masquerade) would have, in my estimation taken place after 1939, and before King Ahebi’s ikwa onwe nya na ndu ceremony. I thus conducted an additional review of all cases that appeared before the Nsukka Division native courts up to 1946. In total I consulted the only time-relevant civil and criminal judgment book at the archive,1 seventy-two criminal judgment books,2 twenty-seven civil judgment books,3 four Native Court criminal cause books,4 five Native Court civil cause books,5 and one Native Court general note book.6 1. Civil and Criminal Cases in nsukka Division native Courts in Which ahebi Participated, 1918–1930 CiViL CaSeS Member President Plaintiff Witness 50 43 0 2 CriMinaL CaSeS Member President Plaintiff Witness 27 7 2 1 ToTaL CaSeS 132 APPENDIX 211 2. Categories of Civil Cases in nsukka Division native Courts in Which ahebi Participated, 1918–1930 DeBT DaMaGeS DiSTurBinG The PeaCe DiVorCe anD aDuLTery DoWry PaWnaGe LanD DiSPuTe ToTaL CaSeS M1 P2 M P M P M P M P M P 24 14 3 4 13 7 2 15 2 1 8 4 97 Notes 1. Member 2. President 3. Categories of Criminal Cases in nsukka Division native Courts in Which ahebi Participated, 1918–1930 ConTeMPT/ CiViL DiSoBeDienCe DeBT TheFT/ FaLSe rePreSenTa Tion aSSauLT LanD DiSPuTe PoiSon WronGFuL arreST ToTaL CaSeS M1 P2 M P M P M P M P M P M P 1/7 0/1 1 0 5/1 1/1 8 2 3 0 0 1 1 0 33 Notes 1. Member 2. President From these two tables, we can see that from 1918 to 1930, Chief Ahebi oversaw an almost equal number of debt and damages (38 cases) cases as divorce, adultery, and dowry cases (37 cases). The tables also tell us that Ahebi participated in many more civil cases (97) than criminal cases (33) during the same time period. 212 APPENDIX 4. Criminal Cases in Which ahebi Participated as a Member of the nsukka Division native...