A force of around 600 rebels, led by Sabukki, a local prince, occupied Bussa. The rebels were armed with bows and arrows and succeeded in capturing and killing half the members of the new Native Administration established just three months previously. The remaining members of the Administration fled the district. Although small, the rebellion caused panic because the British authorities were so short of troops. The local British District Official, Hamilton-Brown, received news of the rebellion on 16 June. The fighting with German forces in the Kamerun Campaign limited the forces which were at his disposal but Hamilton-Brown managed to levy a small force from the West African Frontier Force (WAFF) and the Nigeria police. The government force moved into Bussa and skirmished with the rebels, although no soldiers were killed and only 150 shots were fired. Sabukki fled to nearby French Dahomey but the rebellion did not spread into the French colony.