TORGBUI ADZANU & THE END OF SLAVE TRADE ON ANLO LAND!

TORGBUI ADZANU & THE END OF SLAVE TRADE ON ANLO LAND! 

Torgbui Adzanu nicknamed Fiayiɖziehɛ was the 6th King of the Anlo State, and the 3rd from the royal Batɛ Clan. 

Ancient history tells us that the Anlos encountered an unpleasant experience with the tyrant King Agorkolie and vowed never again would they accept any atrocities. Therefore any controversial King was either isolated or banished because Anlos do not destool chiefs once installed. Torgbui Adzanu was a victim of such event. 

There are two oral accounts of the story about his banishment. One version stated that he was dealing in Slavery, selling some of the zizishiawo (Royal advisors, maidens and servants) under his care into slavery. Another version was that he was against slavery on Anlo land, and this brought a clash between him and some rich and influential families at the time who were benefiting from the slave trade. 

These families influenced some divisional chiefs and elders of Anlo State to protest against Torgbui Adzanu and he was proclaimed guilty of retarding the economic activities and progress of the State. 

It was arranged by the influential families and the elders to get rid of Torgbui Adzanu nicodemously. He was picked in the night by masked men, tied and put in a sack and dumped into a creek (Blolui) at the outskirt of Anloga towards the sea. But as fate may have it, he was rescued by the zizishiawo at dawn when they were on their usual walk to the beach. Torgbui Adzanu requested that they take him to a hideout, and when he recovered sufficiently he arranged for his exile to Fiaxor accompanied by his close ally Torgbui Agbali. It was believed he took away the Awomefia’s regalia including the Awormezi to Fiaxor. 

Records in the archives seemed to substantiate the second version of Torgbui Adzanu’s banishment. It is on record that around 1798, King Frederick III of Denmark sent a diplomatic envoy to Torgbui Adzanu to help abolish slave trade. In the attempt to help stop the slave trade, in incurred the displeasure of the rich and influential families who organized to get rid of him in order to continue business as usual. He escaped an assassination attempt and went into exile at Fiaxor. 

Torgbui Adzanu attempted to revenge by hiring mercenaries who he camped at Kodzi. The camp area at Kodzi, today is called Adabosu. Torgbui Adzanu was very instrumental in the abolition of slave trade in Anlo land. While in exile at Fiaxor, he organized his faithful and loyal subjects in some Anlo villages to continue the fight to stop slave trade in Anlo State. Those slaves freed in the process were brought to Fiaxor where they were cleansed and escorted safely back to their various homes and villages. 

Torgbui Adzanu finally gave up the adventure, left Anlo land to settle at Keta Korda in Togo with the Awomezia. When it became known in the whole of Anlo that he had settled at Keta Korda, attempts were made to retrieve the Awomezia from him. Sensing inevitable invasion, he moved to establish another settlement in Togo called Adzanu. Till today the people of Adzanu in Togo pays homage to Awomefia during Hogbetsotso. 

A bust of Torgbui Adzanu  was erected at the exact place he lived while in exile at Fiaxor. 

Credit to the following persons

1. Torgbui Zoiku IV, Dufia of Fiaxor 

2. Dumega G.K. Agbleze

3. Napoleon Kotoka

4. Wetsu Agbedonu