Research on the 1905 Ezza Expedition, Stolen Throne and British Military Records

I am compiling a research record on the 1905 British military expedition against the Ezza Kingdom in present-day Ebonyi State. The work examines oral accounts alongside colonial military, naval and administrative files concerning King Oweze, the Okpoku throne, the Opoke shrine and the Ovu-Eke Imoha lead mines. The research cites records linked to the Southern Nigeria Regiment, African soldiers, Royal Navy vessels and British colonial officers. It alleges that the expedition involved the destruction of cultural sites, the removal of lead ore and the seizure of pieces of the Ezza throne now held under museum catalogue numbers. I am seeking access to relevant military, naval, colonial and treaty records in British and Portuguese archives. The aim is to establish whether Ezza entered any treaty with Britain before 1905 and to support a documented case for the return of cultural property taken during the expedition. I also acknowledge earlier historians, Ezza elders and oral traditions that preserved Igbo history. This project is intended to make Ezza historical records more accessible to descendants and the wider public.

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