In reply to a question in the! House of Commons this afternoon, the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, Dr. Drummond Shiels, dealing with' the recent disturbances! ju Southern Nigeria, stated that al mob of women, armed with sticks, arrived at Opodo on December 16 snd cut off the district officer and Awelve police from the rest of the town, leaving all Europeans defence-Tess. A platoon of troops, under Lieutenant R, Bf, Hill later arrived, But, the mob pushed back the troops. "After giving over ten warnings, and as attempts were being made to anarch rifles from the troops and the district officer was being attack ed, Lieutenant Hill ordered is men} to open fire, Nineteen women and one man were killed, ten women died of wounds, and nto the river by the rush of the snob, were drowned, The Colonial Under-Secretary added that the officers on the spot were satisfied that the opening of fire was the only possible course to eave life and property.
Shiels informed' the House that tribal Chief Jaja stated that} a plan was drawn up on the assumption that women would not be fired] on, The Women were to rush the officials and the men were then to Joot the factories, The only other casualties, the Colonial Under-Secretary added] were at Abako, where the pol were compelled fo fire on a frenzied mob. Six women were killed.
He said that European ladies were assaulted in the riots at Aba and the Imo River, but declared that the general situation was now well in hand—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.