Long Long time ago Mbieri People Declared War on Aro Slave Traders.
Before the Advent of Christianity. Our people just like other Igbos were Consulting Traditional Shrines In search for solutions to One Particular Issue or the Other.
One of the Most Popular Shrines in Those Days is Ubini Ukpabi, An Oracle in Arochukwu. The Popularity of Ubini Ukpabi and Military Power Of The Aros Made them a Powerful and Influential Kingdom.
When The White Men Came Through Calabar In the 18th Century, They Met With the Aros. And the Aros agreed to Trade Slaves in Exchange of their Foreign Weapons and Other Things they had... Their reason was basically because the Foreign Weapons of the White Men would help them remain a Powerful Kingdom. And this Circumstance gave Birth to what Became Known as The Aro Confederacy.
The Aro Confederacy was the rise of slave trade in the interior Igbo and Ibibio Land. Aro Slave Merchants were Coming into the Interior Markets to Buy Slaves and raid Slaves. Most of the Slaves were People forcefully Taken From their Land. Some were those who went to Consult Ubini Ukpabi but never returned.
The Aro Also Came to Afo Nnudo Mbieri Market to start the Slave Trade. But Custodians of Nneudo Mbieri were Exact Opposite of Custodians Ubini Ukpabi. Nnudo Mbieri Shrine was one of the Earliest that Abolished Slave Trade.
Mbieri People Established other Intelligent and Violent Approaches to Prevent slave Trade In Mbieri Land and Beyond.
One of such Intelligent approaches includes Sending Spies to secretly Follow Mbieri people who went to Consult the Ubini Ukpabi Shrine in Arochukwu, And they Discovered the Secret of the Custodians of Ubini Ukpabi.
The Custodians of Ubini Ukpabi was In Fact Selling some of Those Who Came to Consult the Oracle to the Slave Traders while Claiming Ubini Ukpabi Deity Has taken such Victims. According to Oral Tradition, Those Mbieri People who discovered this Secret entered into an Agreement with the custodians of Ubini Ukpabi to release Mbieri People who were held Hostage in turn they would keep their Secrets.
Back to Mbieri Land.
Mbieri People declared War on The Aro Traders, Who were already settling in Mbieri land. The Aros Couldn't withstand the Outrage they ran away and never returned.
These Happened about 18th and 19th Century. Pass down to us By Elders as Oral Tradition.
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