[1]: 2 Her life's impact is described by Nwando Achebe: "She was a 'slave' married to a deity, a runaway, a pastor, a headman, a warrant chief, and ultimately a female king.
She was a strong leader of her people, yet also a collaborator empowered by and serving the British colonial regime in Nigeria.
[1]: 2 [3] During her forced exile, Ahebi became a commercial sex worker and used this form of work to her advantage by aligning herself with powerful men such as the ruler of Igala, and British colonial officials.
[4] Along her travels, Ahebi learned to speak numerous languages, such as "Igala, Nupe and Pidgin English.
Her success and independence helped to redefine sex work in Igbo culture, from servitude to a voluntary profession.
Chinua Achebe wrote that "Achebe furthermore sets out to introduce 'the concept of 'wife of a deity' and extends the analytical category of 'autonomous sex worker' as models through which to engage with continuities and change in conceptions of female enslavement as well as competing and overlapping definitions of prostitution in an African context".
Due to her efficiency and continued loyalty, she was elevated to the post of warrant chief, a feat that was contrary to the British policy of female political exclusion in colonial Nigeria.
"[1]: 172 Ahebi Ugbabe became king of Enugu-Ezike with the aid of the Attah (ruler) of Igala, whose power spread to Northern Igbo territory, upsetting the gendered politics in her culture.
[5] Although Ahebi commanded the respect of her people, she sewed seeds of resentment by conscripting forced labour and imposing a census and a British tax.
[1]: 189 Regardless of her fears of not being properly commemorated, she is worshipped today as a goddess in her mother's hometown and is mentioned in numerous Enugu-Ezike songs and parables.