ans ▁inv aded ▁Mar ou a ▁and ▁set ▁up ▁another ▁administrative ▁unit ▁there . ▁The ▁area ▁was ▁otherwise ▁largely ▁ignored , ▁as ▁the ▁cro ps ▁available ▁were ▁not ▁as ▁luc r ative ▁as ▁the ▁rub ber ▁and ▁iv ory ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁j ung les ▁to ▁the ▁south . ▁The ▁only ▁real ▁way ▁to ▁get ▁in ▁or ▁out ▁was ▁along ▁the ▁Ben ue ▁River , ▁which ▁travel led ▁through ▁British - control led ▁Niger ia . ▁ ▁In ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁the ▁French ▁under ▁General ▁A ym er ich ▁attacked ▁the ▁German ▁out post ▁at ▁K ouss éri . ▁On ▁ 2 5 ▁August ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁Colonel ▁C . ▁H . ▁P . ▁Carter ▁attacked ▁Germ ans ▁at ▁M ora , ▁but ▁was ▁rep uls ed ▁after ▁a ▁two - day ▁fight . ▁Captain ▁Von ▁Re uben ▁continued ▁the ▁resistance , ▁but ▁he ▁succ um bed ▁to ▁the ▁Ang lo - F rench ▁al lies ▁eventually . ▁ ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁France ▁became ▁the ▁colonial ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁area . ▁The ▁territory ▁was ▁placed ▁in ▁the ▁M ora - G ar ou a ▁administrative ▁unit , ▁head ed ▁at ▁Gar ou a . ▁France ▁allowed ▁the ▁l am idos ▁to ▁keep ▁their ▁power , ▁but ▁it ▁also ▁over th rew ▁any ▁who ▁refused ▁to ▁comp ly ▁with ▁French ▁mand ates . ▁They ▁set ▁up ▁independent ▁K ird i ▁chief dom s ▁to ▁disc ou rage ▁anim os ity ▁between ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁and