The Aʋadada(warlords) of Aŋlɔ

The throne of the warlords of Aŋlɔ is the Kaklaku throne. According to historical narrative this throne has been with the Ɛʋɛ people before their arrival in Tado. I call it a throne because in the days the occupant was sovereign and was the one responsible for declaring wars on enemy forces.

The origin of this throne is said to be mysterious and among the oldest and arguably the most powerful throne in Anlo. I earlier mentioned in a previous writeup that he was the Commander in Chief and also referred to as the Dome Fiaga or the Centre ruler of Aŋlɔ. Meaning he is the one around whom everything evolves.

There is a sword originally attached to their throne known as "Adzoyi baɖa be yenɔ akume si akutɔ" translated to English as "Treacherous sword cuts the owner even whilst in its leather sheath"

I will write about a few Aʋadadas for you all to judge their character for yourselves.

The first Aʋadada in recorded history of the Aŋlɔ people was Aʋadada Agbesi, known to be one of the founders of the Agave clan of Aŋlɔ. There is no much account on him but he was noted to also be a hunter who could kill a leopard single handedly with crude tools.

Aʋadada Anagba will be my second. He was said to be the Aʋadada circa 1557. during the expansion of the Oyo empire. He fought bravely against armies of the empire and soon caught the attention of the empire as a resistant force. As a result the empire unleashed its full military force, and to resist being annexed he led his people away towards the Mono river. Whilst he and a few warriors returned to fight the Oyo warriors, they fought to the last man and never surrendered.

Aʋadada Abiwu was instrumental in establishing Aŋlɔ in its current settlement. He drove out those who used to inhabit the place and secured its borders for a peaceful Aŋlɔ

Aʋadada Afetormasi was fierce and known to had repelled an attempt by Dahomey to annex Aŋlɔ. He was recorded to have over powered the Dahomey forces, chopped the noses and toes of the few hostages he captured alive and sent them back to deliver a message to their King.

When he died his son Abuadzi took over the throne. He was documented to be ill prepared when the Danes began their campaign to annex Aŋlɔ. The Danes used a combined force of Gas, Krobos, Adangbe, Akims, Akwapim forces to enable them land a heavy defeat upon the Aŋlɔs. The allies managed to cross the Volta and started burning down anything they could find. The Aʋadada Abuadzi met them boot for boot.

The other generals of the Aŋlɔ army equally met the invaders at other fronts and managed to annihilate them, however whilst they were matching on to help their commander. The commander thought it was a reinforcement from his enemies. He felt outnumbered and to avoid being captured alive and made to agree to any terms, he drowned himself and commissioned his son to return home. However, in a future war his son would also commit suicide to avoid being captured in a badly fought war.

Aʋadada Axɔlu's reign Circa. 1841 to 1874. I would wish that we read the story of this particular Commander in Chief with our thinking caps on. Because it was during his reign that the last group of historians claim Aŋlɔ became a colony of the Goldcoast.

During his reign, Circa 1965 there was a misunderstanding between the Adas and the Aŋlɔs. Some historians say the fight was about who owns fishing right over the estuary of the Volta.

The Adas quickly descended on Aŋlɔ and burnt some Aŋlɔ towns and run back. This got Aʋadada Axɔlu so angry that he decided to wage war on Ada.

One morning, the Adas woke to notice the presence of Aŋlɔ soldiers on the bank of the Volta about to March on Ada. Ada quickly sent notice to the English in Accra for support. And why did Ada do this? The answer in simple. The Adas had by then subscribed to the BOND to be a British colony while Aŋlɔ hasn't so the British were responsible for protecting Ada.

The British quickly sent a war ship with men to warn the Aŋlɔs to stay off their territory but instead on the command of Aʋadada Axɔlu,

the Aŋlɔ soldiers and fishermen got into their fishing canoes and daringly paddled toward the warship. It was a very bloody battle and both sides had casualties. The British retreated and Aʋadada Axɔlu also re organized his troupes to fight again using another route.

They started a new campaign burning towns allied to Ada and the Goldcoast from the Adidome side of of the Volta River, and were about to march on Ada just for them to hear that the British had also used the sea route into their territory. They quickly went back and faced the professional bandits in another fierce encounter.

This war, called the Datsutagba war would eventually end up victorious for the Aŋlɔs, Some historians believed Vodoo/ Yɛʋɛ/or the thunder God played significant role in the battle of Datsutagba as there seem to be more guns firing at the enemy than the actual strength of the Aŋlɔ army which got the British allies running helter skelter leaving behind their guns and valuables.

Aʋadada Axɔlu is said to have told his warriors during the Datsutagba war that "here we stand and fight to the last man, and any man who runs and reaches home alive must be ready to wear a woman's pant for the rest of his life"

By now we should already know the character of the Aʋadadas of Aŋlɔ and how they would prefer to die than surrender to another authority. From Oyo to the their current location. The spirit of the Kaklaku throne does not seem to allow a surrender.