The Concept and Nature of Warfare in the ‘Pagan Societies’ of North Central Nigeria from the Earliest Times to 1920
Keywords:
Conflict, Convention, Ethics, Morality, Primitive Warfare, Rules of Engagement.Abstract
In a time and day, when man is unleashing unusual animalistic tendencies with unbelievable manifestation of raw brutality and barbarism, it has become necessary to once again look back at the past and learn from the forebears how emotions, conflicts and disagreements were resolved. Recent evidence suggests that war is not an innate part of human nature, but rather behaviour adopted more recently. Violence in early human communities was driven by personal conflicts rather than large scale battles. This paper argues that warfare among the societies of North Central Nigeria was governed by many conventions that did not permit wanton destruction of lives and property. It contends that warfare was non imperialist in nature neither did it support conquests. This paper concludes that the absence of centralised state structures in most of the societies of Central Nigeria supports this fact. The lesson we glean from the past is the importance of ethics, humanity and respect for human life. Lessons and values, this paper argues, that have been thrown to the dogs.
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