COLONIAL VIOLENCE AND INDIGENOUS TRAUMA: A PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE 1912 WULKO MASSACRE

This study examines the psychological impact of colonial violence through a focused analysis of the 1912 Wulko Massacre in Central Nigeria, committed by British colonial forces during their military expansion and consolidation of power in the region. While historical scholarship on colonialism in Nigeria has predominantly emphasized political and economic transformations, this paper shifts attention to the often-overlooked psychological distress experienced by indigenous communities subjected to violent colonial encounters. Drawing upon oral histories, archival materials, and interdisciplinary literature from trauma studies and postcolonial theory, the research explores the immediate and longterm mental health effects of the massacre on survivors and their descendants. It interrogates manifestations of historical trauma, including generational grief, cultural disorientation, and disrupted identity, within the Wulko community. The study also considers how collective memory, silence, and cultural resilience shape contemporary understandings of the event. The findings reveal that the psychological scars of the massacre continue to influence community behavior, intergenerational narratives, and perceptions of authority and justice. This paper contributes to global conversations on colonial trauma, historical violence, and indigenous memory-making by centering African experiences within frameworks of psychological and cultural recovery. Ultimately, it underscores the need for integrating psychosocial dimensions into the historiography of colonialism in Africa.