Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has erected statues at the Azikiwe–Asa Road area of Aba in honour of the brave women who stood up against British colonial rule during the historic Aba Women’s War of 1929. The statues serve as a reminder of a powerful chapter in Igbo history, when thousands of ordinary women came together to challenge injustice and defend their rights. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝟭𝟵𝟮𝟵? In November 1929, women across old eastern Nigeria rose in protest against the British colonial administration. Although British records referred to the uprising as the Aba Women’s Riots, it was much more than a riot. It was an organised resistance by women who had grown tired of oppression, economic hardship and the abuse of power by colonial-appointed warrant chiefs. The immediate trigger was a colonial census that sparked fears that women would be taxed directly. At the time, many women were already struggling to support their families through farming and trading, while falling palm produce prices and rising costs made life increasingly difficult. The women mobilised through traditional communication methods, including town criers and palm fronds, gathering in large numbers to demand justice and accountability. They confronted warrant chiefs, protested at administrative centres and used traditional methods of public shaming to challenge officials they believed were abusing their positions. Sadly, the British colonial authorities responded with violence. Women were shot and killed, while many others sustained injuries. The exact death toll remains a subject of historical discussion. Despite the suffering, the protests forced the colonial administration to reconsider its plans for women's taxation and review the warrant chief system. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 These women were not wealthy politicians or people with positions of authority. Many were market women, farmers, mothers and ordinary members of their communities. Yet, when they felt their livelihoods and dignity were threatened, they found the courage to stand together and challenge a powerful colonial government. Their story reminds us that the history of Igbo resistance was not written by men alone. Igbo women also played a major role in defending their communities and fighting injustice. The statues in Aba are therefore more than monuments. They represent the courage, unity and sacrifice of women whose actions helped shape the history of southeastern Nigeria. Their names may not all be remembered today, but their struggle deserves to be remembered by generations to come. - @ofezunri_igboniile