The Aba Women's Riots of October 1929 effectively arose out of:
- A fear that the British would tax women separately from men.
- Dissatisfaction with the low prices being offered for local produce e.g palm kernels and edible oil, while imported goods were kept at artificially high prices.
- Hatred of the Warrant Chiefs and the Native Courts because of the corruption and unfair sentences imposed.
Ten thousand women rioted and the demonstrations swept through the Owerri-Calabar districts.
A warrant chief, Chief Okugo, had been required to count the population and livestock for taxation purposes. The women sang "Ma O ghara ibu nwa beke mma anyiu egbuole Okugo rie" (If it were not for the white man we would have killed Chief Okugo and eaten him up.").
The women attacked three specific targets:
- The Native Courts
- Any European-owned factories and
- Warrant chiefs from Native Courts where sessions were in progress.
One warrant chief was pushed of his bicycle, his gun was taken away and the women chased him into the bush.
The British then decided to use force to restore law and order and many women died. This effectively ended the Warrant Chief system.
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