Henry Edward Clonard Keating, born on December 13, 1871, in Nova Scotia, was a military officer who served in the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF). His brief but intense career unfolded during the British colonial campaign in West Africa, where he met a violent end on October 9, 1898, after leading a raid on a village along the Niger River in present-day Nigeria, where he killed the local king, abducted villagers, and seized canoes.
Keating began his military journey with the Prince of Wales’s Leinster Regiment. His ambition led him to request a transfer to the West African Frontier Force, a military unit tasked with enforcing British colonial interests in West Africa. He joined the 1st Battalion and arrived in Lokoja, in the area now know as Nigeria, on May 2, 1898. His assignment involved travelling 400-mile journey up the Niger River, ultimately reaching the remote post of Lafagu on September 12, 1898. Here, he was given command over a district stretching some 60 miles.
The brutal conditions quickly took their toll on Keating’s colleagues. By October 1898, over 60% of European officers and non-commissioned officers stationed in the region had either died or been sent back to Europe due to the challenging climate and disease.
In early October, Keating undertook his first inspection of his river posts. On October 9, needing more transportation for his men, he and 14 of his troops arrived at the village of Hela near Yelwa in kebbi state, hoping to acquire additional canoes. However, when the village’s inhabitants refused his request, Keating resorted to violence. He killed the king of the village, seized the canoes he needed, and abducted some villagers to serve as rowers.
What followed was a tragic escalation. The villagers retaliated, launching an attack with spears, bows, and arrows. Outnumbered and soon running out of ammunition, Keating and his troops faced close combat as they attempted to retreat. In the ensuing struggle, Keating was wounded five times and eventually killed by a spear to the head. Most of his men died alongside him, with only two surviving soldiers, though severely wounded.
News of Keating’s death reached British authorities quickly and on October 16, a detachment of colonial troops descended on Hela, exacting retribution by attacking and burning the village to the ground. Keating’s body was recovered and buried in a newly constructed British fort at Yelwa.
Despite his horrible actions – raiding Hela village, killing the king, forcibly abducting villagers, and stealing canoes – Keating was honored as a hero after his death. His name and memory were celebrated with memorials, ceremonies, and plaques in Canada, Ireland, and England. Meanwhile, the villagers of Hela, who had suffered from his actions, were left to rebuild their village from the ruins he had caused.
