Description
Ashanti Star 1896, unnamed as issued, Africa General Service Medal, bar Aro 1901-1902, 404 Pte Awudu Lasisi, Lagos Bn WAFF, a Gunner with the Lagos Hausas in 1896, in 1898, at Aro and ultimately N Nigera 1903 where he died.
AGS officially impressed: “404 Pte Awudu Lasisi Lagos Bn: W.A.F.F.”
Confirmed on the medal roll.
During his impressive career he earned the following:
Ashanti Star, awarded as a Gunner with the Lagos Hausa Force in the 1896 Ashanti Campaign.
East & West Africa Medal, bar 1898, as a Gunner with the Lagos Hausa Force taking part in the South Borgu Expedition.
Africa General Service Medal, bar Aro 1901-1902, as Private in the Lagos Battalion of the West African Frontier Force.
The additional clasp, N. Nigeria 1903, also as Private in the Lagos Battalion of the West African Frontier Force.
During his final campaign in Northern Nigeria being the invasion of Kano-Sokoto led by Colonel Morland where Wright won his Victoria Cross, Pte Lasisi died during the campaign, as indicated on the medal roll for this clasp.
As he died he never had the chance to attach the clasp to his medal, it was likely never issued.
Earning of this medal, the Anglo-Aro War of 1901-1902:
During 1901, the Aro Confederacy in present day Eastern Nigeria was powerful in the region, their rule extended across Eastern Nigeria and beyond, being continually challenged over the last decades of the 19th century by the British Empire’s Colonial penetration into Nigeria.
The Aro People fought however they could to resist the British including sending various raids on towns which allied with the British. Before in 1901, Sir Ralph Moor, the British High Commissioner of the Nigerian Coast Protectorate put forward that the region was rife with Slave Trading, and that a new proclamation would “Abolish the Juju Hierachy of the Aro Tribes, which by superstition and fraud causes much unjustice among the coast tribes generally and is opposed to the establishment of Government.”
This allowed the British Empire to deploy an Army to take control of their empire.
Sir Ralph Moor and the Royal Niger Company had planned the attack on the Aros and the Ibini Ukpabi oracle since September 1899 but due to lack of necessary manpower, it was delayed until November 1901.
On November 28th 1901, Lt. Col. Arthur Forbes Montanaro led 87 officers, 1,550 soldiers and 2,100 carriers in four axes of advance to Arochukwu from Oguta, Akwete, Unwana and Itu on a counter-insurgency campaign.
As expected, Aro forces resisted all axes strongly, although they lacked modern weapons. However, Arochukwu was captured on December 28 after four days of fierce battles in and around the city. As a result, the Ibini Ukpabi shrine was allegedly blown up.
Battles between British and Aro forces continued throughout the region until spring 1902 when Aro forces were defeated in the last major battle at Bende. The Aro Expedition ended three weeks later.
The end of the war led to a rapid decline of the Aro Confederacy leading to the King of Arochukwu, Eze Kanu Okoro, to go into hiding, as well as his allies to be arrested, tried by tribunals and hanged.
Some Aros carried on for a few years afterwards leading Guerrilla Campaigns against the British.
