SLAVE TRADING AS RECORDED BY Alan Ryder.

European slave trade in West Africa started with the acquisition of domestic servants in 1522, and warrior kingdoms like Benin had plenty of them captured as war booties, but would not sell them. The slave trade was very unpopular with the Edo people. They thought it was silly to sell fellow human beings. Their Obas and nobles were vehemently opposed to the business of slave trade and to the export of the productive fighting male. The Edo, of course, could not control the day to day happenings of the slave merchants, who apparently largely acted under cover at first in the vast territories under Edo hegemony. However, it was forbidden to sell or take a native Bini into slavery and so elaborate identification marks on faces and chests were eventually contrived. The Bini therefore were hardly ever captured by Arabs or Europeans into slavery. Alan Ryder, writing on this in his book, Benin and the European, narrated the experience of the Portuguese merchant, Machin Fernandes in Benin as early as 1522: That was during the reign of Oba Esigie.

“Of the whole cargo of 83 slaves bought by
Machin Fernandes, only two were males –
and it is quite possible that these were
acquired outside the Oba’s territory –
despite a whole month (at Ughoton) spent
in vain attempts to have a market
opened for male slaves. The 81 females,
mostly between ten and twenty years
of age, were purchased in Benin City
between 25 June and 8 August at the
rate of one, two or three a day.”

None of the 83 slaves was an Edo person, according to Ryder, and no Edo person could have been involved in the sales. It was taboo in Edo culture. Edo Empire was vast, with a great concentration of people from different ethnic backgrounds, Yoruba, Ibo, Itsekiri, Ijaw, Urhobo, Igalla, etc., making a living in the lucrative Ughoton route that was the main centre of commercial activities in the southern area at the time, of what later became Nigeria.

Alan Ryder, recording the experiences of yet another European merchant, the French trader and Captain called Landolphe, in Benin in February 1778, said, “The Ezomo was the richest man in Benin, owning more than 10,000 slaves, none of whom was ever sold.” The author then commented: “His (the Ezomo’s) refusal to sell any of his slaves is also noteworthy for the light it sheds upon the attitude of powerful Edo chiefs towards the slave trade: however numerous they might be, a great man did not sell his slaves.” Says Edo people: “vbo ghi da Oba no na mu ovionren khien?” Meaning, “What need does the Oba want to satisfy by putting out his slave for sale?”

Oba Ohenzae (1641 -1661 CE), was the first of the seven Obas with doubtful legitimacy. His Ezomo was called Ezomo N’Ogun. Ezomo N’Ogun was the first person in the history of Benin to propitiate his own head, (that is to give thanks to the spirit of good fortune) with a live elephant. The incidence helps to demonstrate the demoralizing effect the slave trade had on African communities through deaths, kidnappings, sacking and disappearance of towns and villages, and the truncation of African progress and civilization. Only two other Edo personages have achieved Ezomo N’ Ogun’s feat of using live elephant in rites.

Iyase Ohenmwen achieved it some 170 years ago and Oba Akenzua II pulled it off in February 1936. Servants sent by Ezomo N’Ogun to capture a live elephant, took 14 days to come home with one. While the richly garlanded elephant, restrained with strong ropes to the legs, arms and body, was being led in procession through the streets to the ritual site, an elderly man, watching from the safety of the verandah of his home remarked rather loudly:

“What is the cause of the rejoicing of
these people over the fragment called life?”

Dragged before the Ezomo N’Ogun for his impertinence, he pleaded to be allowed to explain himself and when allowed said:
“My Lord, what I mean is, what is the cause of the
rejoicing of these people over the fragment called
life when it is possible to capture an elephant
within 14 days return journey in the jungle between
Benin City and the bank of River Ovia? A feat
that would have been impossible within such a short
time span, during the time of Ezomo Agban.”

The slave trade had gone on for over a hundred years in the area at the time and had taken its toll on the populations and communities around the city of Benin, turning once lively and sprawling towns and villages during Ezomo Agban’s time, into a long stretch of thick jungle. The jungle was in fact, so close, it was within 14 days return journey from the Ezomo N’Ogun’s backyard in Edo kingdom. Elephants and wild lives were now the close neighbours of the Edo people who were not allowing themselves to be enslaved. Instead of punishing the old man as his persecutors had hoped, Ezomo N’Ogun thanked and rewarded him generously for his wisdom.

Oba Eresoyen (1735 – 1750 CE), had only just ascended to his father’s throne when trouble came calling. Commandant Willem Hogg, the resident Manager of the Dutch Trading Station in Ughoton, had for nearly a year been pleading with Eresoyen’s father, Oba Akenzua I, to prevail on the Benin Chiefs owing the Ughoton Dutch Trading Station, unsupplied goods on which they had received credit lines. Also, Holland wanted to be allowed to participate in the Ivory trade and break the monopoly the monarch had granted the British and Portuguese ships calling at Ughoton. Traders of the two countries were offering better prices for the commodity.

The palace had seemed to Willem Hogg, unwilling to help the Dutch company recapture slaves who had escaped from the Dutch company’s dungeons at Ughoton while awaiting their evacuation ship from Elmina Castle on the Gold Coast, to arrive. Half-hearted promises had been extracted from the palace over the issue of the runaway slaves, against the overriding feeling at the palace that it was the responsibility of the Dutch to secure their purchases after taking delivery. These were the problems weighing on Willem Hogg’s mind when he decided to visit the palace to once more seek the help of Oba Eresoyen. In the presence of the Oba and chiefs, while discussing the issues that brought him to the palace, argument developed, leading to the loss of temper. The Dutchman got up from his seat, pulled out his pistol and shot at the monarch who was quickly shielded by his omada (sword bearer). The omada took the bullet intended for the monarch and died on the spot. Regicide had been attempted and murder committed, and in the confusion that ensured, Willem Hogg sneaked out of the palace.

This incidence explains the reluctance of the Obas of Benin to be exposed to European visitors from that time on, and why the British Capt. Henry L. Gallwey, Vice Consul for the Benin River District of the Niger Coast Protectorate and his delegation, suffered frustration and delays in March 1892, when they requested to meet with Oba Ovonramwen, to conclude a ‘Treaty of Protection’ with Benin kingdom.

It was the responsibility of the Ezomo to take remedial action against the Dutchman because security matters for Ughoton gateway were under his portfolio. Ezomo Odia was not at the meeting. He had sequestered on his farm for a little while because of misunderstanding with the palace over the issue of the runaway slaves who had mostly taken refuge at his farm. Most of the other runaway slaves were with other chiefs. This was why progress was not possible on the matter. Since the chiefs do not sell slaves, they did not feel it was their business rallying runaway slaves for the Dutch? That sumed up the popular refrain on all lips at the time.

To get Ezomo Odia to return to town, the oracle prescribed that all the princesses of the realm should pay a courtesy visit to Ezomo Odia. The princesses, on being told that Ezomo Odia was at his farm, when they arrived at Okhokhugbo village, braced up for the long journey through shrubs and Forests.

TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE AND AROCHUKWU

TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE AND AROCHUKWU OF TODAY'S NIGERIA BY

JOHNPAUL EZEAN.


During the period of the transatlantic slave trade in Nigeria, the people of Arochukwu whose name literally means the Aro of God (as in Aro [people] of Chukwu [God]), took control of the hidden location of the Cave Temple and used it for their economic and political advantage. Over the period of the whole trade, more than 3.5 million slaves were shipped from Nigeria to the Americas. Most of these slaves were Igbo and Yoruba, with significant concentrations of Hausa, Ibibio, and other ethnic groups. In eighteenth century, two polities--Oyo and the Aro confederacy were responsible for most of the slaves exported from Nigeria. The Aro confederacy continued to export slaves through the 1830s, from the 17th through 19th centuries, the Aro extended the religious and judicial influence of Chukwu by establishing oracular shrines of Ibin Ukpabi in many villages and towns in Igbo land. They also established trading posts and slaveholding quarters in many towns and villages in the Aro Diaspora. Hence, there is a direct link between Aro quarters or concentric communities in Igbo land and the busiest slave trading locations in the Igbo hinterland. The subsidiary oracular shrines of Ibin Ukpabi in the Aro Diaspora became a part of the traditional judicial system of Igbo land. The Aro expectedly became principal participants in the settling of disputes. They decided when it was necessary to take cases from the Aro Diaspora to the main Oracle and the Chamber Presence in their ancestral hometown of Arochukwu. Thus the Temple Complex in Arochukwu gradually became something like the Supreme Court of Igbo land. And the Aro people of God had enormous influence in the area of traditional administration and politics in the interior of Igbo land. The other major slave-exporting state was a loose confederation under the leadership of the Aro, an Igbo clan of mixed Igbo and Ibibio origins, whose home was on the escarpment between the central Igbo districts and the Cross River.

Beginning in the late seventeenth century, the Aro built a complex network of alliances and treaties with many of the Igbo clans. They served as arbiters in villages throughout Igbo land, and their famous oracle at Arochukwu, located in a thickly wooded gorge, was widely regarded as a court of appeal for many kinds of disputes. By custom the Aro were sacrosanct, allowing them to travel anywhere with their goods without fear of attack. Alliances with certain Igbo clans who acted as mercenaries for the Aro guaranteed their safety. As oracle priests, they also received slaves in payment of fines or dedicated to the gods by their masters as scapegoats for their own transgressions. These slaves thereby became the property of the Aro priests, who were at liberty to sell them. Besides their religious influence, the Aro established has ascendancy through a combination of commercial acumen and diplomatic skill. Their commercial empire was based on a set of twenty-four-day fairs and periodic markets that dotted the interior. Aro Resident dominated the markets and collected slaves for export. They had a virtual monopoly of the slave trade after the collapse of Oyo in the 1820s. Villages suspected of violating treaties with the Aro were subject to devastating raids that not only produced slaves for export but also maintained Aro influence. The Aro had treaties with the coastal ports from which slaves were exported, especially Calabar, Bonny, and Elem Kalabari. The people of Calabar were Efik, a subsection of Ibibio, while Bonny and Elem Kalabari were Ijaw towns. The Ijaw, who occupied the tidal area in proximity to the Igbo, had wrested a frugal living from the sale of dried fish and sea salt to the inland communities for centuries before the rise of the slave trade. Traditionally, they had lived in federated groups of villages with the head of the ranking village presiding over general assemblies attended by all the males. During the heyday of the slave trade in the eighteenth century, the major Ijaw villages grew into cities of 5,000 to 10,000 inhabitants ruled by local strongmen allied with the Aro. Their economies were based on the facilities they offered to slave traders. They were entrepreneurial communities, receiving slaves from the Aro for resale to European agents. Personal wealth rather than status within a lineage group was the basis for political power and social status. Government typically was conducted by councils composed of leading merchants and headed by anamanyanabo (chief executive), an office that was hereditary time.
Furthermore, it took the British might, at the turn of the 20th century, to stop Aro imperial domination and economic control of the then impenetrable Igbo interior.

The British Colonial Administration carried out a military expedition from 1901 to 1902. They mandated soldiers to go and destroy the Oracular Shrine together with the Oracle of Ibin Ukpabi in Arochukwu, which was decidedly the source of Aro imperial influence. The British claimed that they have destroyed the Temple Complex and people believed that to be truth. And believing that the Temple Complex was indeed destroyed by the British soldiers, Igbo people stopped taking cases to the Chamber Presence. Due to these events, the religious and political influence that the Aro had over the Igbo land was drastically reduced. However, the Temple Complex or the Oracle (the "Long Juju") was not destroyed. The Aro, using their surpassing diplomacy and extraordinary tact, secretly preserved the Okonto, the sacred jungle where the Temple Complex and abode of Chukwu is located. From 1902, the Aro barred even Aro indigenes from entering the Okonto. Since then, the Oracle of Ibin Ukpabi and the Chamber Presence of Chukwu have remained the best-kept secret of the people of Arochukwu.

FACTS TO SHOW YORUBA NEVER HAD AN EMPIRE BUT THEY WERE CIVILIZED BY THE BENIN KINGDOM.

WHY EDO PEOPLE SHOULD STOP ADDING YORUBA TO HER HISTORY, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE AND SHOWS ILL RESEARCH PRESENTATION FOR HER TO DO THAT.

            WHY YORUBA NEVER HAD AN EMPIRE BUT CIVILIZED BY BENIN.

1.Their story of kingship began with Edo prince and the Benin recorded History.

2.Ayayi crawder said, little were know about yoruba existence, meaning they were not part of Nigeria of today boarder or were in small settlement close to dahomy. yoruba are half muslims and those with African traditions copied or got them from Benin civilization. I doubt if they not immigrants from dahomy mix with Benins or other fulani-hausa from Niger .

3.They have dublicity of kingship with the process highly politized to being traditional.

4.Most of their Religion are Benin Origin, Olokun, Ogun, Iha oguega(ifa), oronmila, Esago(shango), Ayelala etc. Many Benin traditions and spirituality are stillfully documented by yorubas in high places as YORUBA? Never mind the Edo man's christian mindset quickly dening Edo have niothing to do with African traditional religion, agreeing they are foriegn to Edoland...LIES.

5.Benin Ruled Yoruba.

6.Benin founded lagos and ruled Lagos.

7.Benin first to meet Europeans.

8."Oba" adopted from Benin not the other way round as many made to believe.

9.They never conquered no territory but rather struggle with their neighbors before and after the first encounter with Europeans
10."Edo" have no relative with the word Yoruba.

11.Note history is subject to scientific diagnosis and many historic writings in the past about Benin Yoruba have been proved by archaeologists and scientist as erroneous and false.

12.Many Yoruba being those in the forefront of Nigeria history writers,used in Nigeria institutions had the benefit of making their Yoruba look leading culture and history for Nigerians.

13. Yorubas all along paddling lies in Nigeria, US and British universities. deceiving Africans with grammar and academic titles. They confuse other external scholars about the true realities of African history.. buy their lies into African America book, which Benin in the Palace have no ideal. thank God the world is now a small village.

14. Yoruba had and did the highest slave raiding in their Togo-Oyo region stretched to Lagos during slave trade.

(15) Yoruba never colonized Benin but Benin colonized Yoruba.

(16) Yoruba is not in anyway related to Igbo ancestral history.

(17) Yoruba not in anyway related to itsekiri history. Their could be later migrant during the European exploitation and commerce but not related to the itsekiri ancestral lineage. Never mind all the title of "Olu" in the region, its all inventions.

(18) Thank God for Obafemi Awolowo, Yoruba is known today as an ethnic group in Nigeria.

(19) How can an Empire be inside an Empire? Many so called Yoruba territories of today never existed in the past but invented and skillfully documented into their borrowed history.

(20) Yoruba copied Benin-Edo history, twisted them and publish as Yoruba History. Most of their books and publications are mere opinions of the writers inside their rooms without no single scientific research or a visit to Ancient Benin for true archaeological discovery. Covered up with self hate, jealousy and envy of the Great Benin, bias and leftist in many of their so called Nigerian history.

(21) If Cameroon was inside Nigeria today , Yoruba would have as well say they are their ancestors..

(22)Many Yorubas dominating Lagos today came as migrant workers for British companies and construction project. that why you have a lot of their photos with whites. Britain also use them as colonial officers.
Before Britain or before the punitive expedition of 1897, Yoruba have no were to be found as recognized major ethnic group in lagos but Edos.

(23) Lastly, where is Yoruba ancient flag on or before 1897?

Nigerians wise up! Yoruba have been writing and teaching us Gabage for so long.....

DETAILS LATER...view below map carefully and never mind other maps spread across the internet designed by Photoshop.

YORUBA NOT BENIN BUT CIVILIZED BY BENIN.

A small settlements living close to Togo in precolonial times. Oyo was never an empire, but stylishly presented by early Yoruba scholars as “Empire” to contend the large territory, history and culture, and influence of The Great Benin Kingdom.

See Commentaries from Anonymous Contributors:

There is nothing like big or small brother about the Edos and Yorubas because they were never related until a heir to the throne was sent out wrongfully from the land of Benin but when he got through the bush to ile ife, he was seen there spiritually as king which he was supose to be and because the orumila had told d people of ife before then that a king will be seen in a pit that he shall in turn rule over the land, it then played out to be the prophesy and he was then installed as the Oba there. Just in case you are confused why we the Edos now use the same word "Oba" for a king instead of "Ogiso" as it use to be, it was when the truth finally came out about who was causing the commotion in the land and not the sent away prince, the Edos decided to search for their king who was already an Oba in ife. Because he could not leave his God given throne there, he then sent his pet son who he called "Omo no yan" which the Yoruba referred to Oromiyan because they could not pronounce it the exact way to come and rule over the land for him, it was during that era, the Edos now changed from Ogiso to Oba... (Just a summary anyway)


"The Oba said, inter alia: "Another important traditional ruler whose origin deserves examination is the Oduduwa of Ife whose origin is also shrouded in myths and legend. He is believed to be the father of the principal rulers of Yorubaland, the father of Oranmiyan who was the the father of EWEKA I of Benin and who was the founder and the first Alafin of Oyo Kingdom; Ife traditional history says Oduduwa descended from heaven ( in a like manner to the Edo account). Some modern historians say that the great Oduduwa was a fugitive from the Moslems of the Middle-east and that he came to settle in what is present -day Ile-Ife. We in Benin believe, and there are historical landmarks for such belief, that the person whom the Yoruba call Oduduwa was the fugitive Prince EKALADERHAN, son of the last OGISO OF BENIN by name OGISO OWODO; he found his way to what is now Ile-Ife after gaining freedom from his executioners and wandering for years through the forests. It was after the demise of his father and when, in the interregnum, Evian, and later his son Ogiamien, tried to assume the kingship, that those who knew that Ekaladerhan was still alive organized a search party to fetch him. It was this search party that emerged at Ile-Ife and discovered Ekaladerhan, known then to the people of Ile-Ife as Oduduwa and already enjoying the status of a King. After failing to persuade him to return with them to Benin, they succeeded in getting him to send his son, ORANMIYAN, to rule Benin..


I have been very busy elsewhere. First let me quickly answer you. The general language of the Yorubas ( like the igbo's) evolved through commerce and has little to do with common roots. You may wish to note that, even their most bias historians admitted that Oduduwa met people living in Yoruba land. That fact is shared with us who believed that Oduduwa is our Prince Ekaladeran. Also note that Oramiyan left Benin to become the first Alafin of Oyo. That again means people were in OYO before him. Oramiyan is the father of Ajaka,Shango and grandfather of Ogun. When OYO later became the most predominant state in Yoruba lands, these sons of Oramiyan were then deified.( it still beats me why our Oba Eweka his first biological son was not accorded divine status by the Yorubas even when they agreed that he is the first don of Oramiyan.
Further note that we have Yorubas in Republic of Benin, Togo and some other African suburbs who are not in anyway related to Oduduwa and his mythical sons. This means that those speaking a variant of the language came from different areas and were only joined together in nigerian via commerce,geography and acculturation by the most powerful tribes amongst them. As for what Donatus said about Esan being independent of Benin. He may be right to say this post Ovonranwen era brought about by the advent of the imperialist programme of the British. But he is however wrong to say that Esan is not a Benin settlement. If he insists, he is insulting the Esans and not only muddling their history to a labyrinth of untruth but he is also condemning them to a people who suddenly emerged in as recent time as the 19th century. That I believe is not correct. Esan ( Esan-fia) left Benin to their current location some hundreds of years ago and have not in anyway shelved their Benin identity. In fact, I am one of those who still hold the strong view that the Benin dialect of Esan is still the least adulterated of all the dialects being spoken by all the Benin people currently constituting the new State Edo. Pardon my typos.
Note, Ado Ekiti, Ondo, Lagos and some communities in Ogun trace their roots to Benin. Out of 19 communities of Edo in Yoruba, only Sobe has been returned. They even returned Sobe by taking away Imheri through the politics of Bode Olajumoke who about 15 years ago was an Edo man. Note also that all the Ilajes in Yoruba land are also Benins.. Concerning Igala, we have it on historical account that Igala in kogi and Nsukka in Anambra were founded by twin brothers from Benin. “ –



OBA IS NOT A YORUBA WORD.

I find it embarrassing when some Edo/Benin historians misunderstand the origin of the name, Oba. I wonder why they have not been able to connect the title to an Edo word and the series of events that took place in then Igodomigodo just as I have done. Sometimes ago, since I have always wondered how the name came about, I ventured into a little research on my own using the stories that took place at that time, and the meaning of Oba in Edo language to arrive at my conclusion.
Firstly, I wold like to let you know the meaning of ‘ba’, ‘O ba’ or ‘Noba ‘in Edo language.
- Baa or ba means ‘to shine’
- O’ baa means ‘it’s shining’ or ‘he/she is shining’
- Noba means the ‘colour ‘red’ or in a phrasal verb N’Oba meaning ‘the one that shines’

The last one N’Oba will be more relevant to the explanation below.
The name, title or word is not an original Yoruba word. After a series of events that led to the death of Ogiso Owodo, the departure of Ekaladerhan(heir apparent) and the emergence of Evian as the temporary head or Ogie of Igodomigodo , the kingdom was going through tough time ranging from the struggle for power amongst different groups . The Kingdom was plagued with famine, sickness and diseases. There was exodus of people from Igodo. The people attributed these to the anger of the gods as regard the injustice done to Ekaladerhan and the activities going on then. This made Oliha to lead a party to bring back Ekaladerhan who was rumoured to be alive in Uhe(Ife). Oliha and is party technically succeeded by bringing back Oranmiyan who was one of the Sons of Ekaladerhan (Oduduwa) to Igodomigodo. Oranmiyan met strong resistance from Ogiamien and his supporters. He relocated back to the land he was used to since he wasn’t able to cope with the ongoing turmoil in his fatherland and left behind a child he had with the daughter of Enogie of Ogida, Eweka.After Eweka became of age to assume the throne of his forefathers, he was still being challenged by Ogiamien and his supporters. Many wars were fought between them to enforce their authority as the sole head of the Igodomigodo Kingdom. After several years of warfare, Ogiemien finally conceded the head of the Kingdom to Eweka. Note that during the reign of Ogiamien as the head of the Kingdom, The name Oba was already being used to refer to Eweka by his supporters as ‘omo no do baa n’Igodo’ or ‘Omo n’obaa n’Igodo’ meaning ‘the child that came to shine for Igodomigo ‘ or ‘the child that shines for Igodomigodo’. Then he has not yet adopted the name Eweka as his Kingship name. Some simply referred to him as ‘Omo’ in a short form. So, after the truce reached between him and Ogiemien , the people still referred to him as the child that have come to shine for the Kingdom and brought peace and prosperity to the Land and felt he should adopt the name as his title. The name was finally adopted as his Title for the King of Igodomigodo considering the events that led to his emergence. (omo n’obaa n’Igodomigodo in Edo language and the short form, Oba).
In view of the above, it is logical to say the word Oba was first used to describe the new king to be by those around him and the people of Igodomigodo. This was later adopted and used to refer to the King of Igodomigodo. The name was later changed from ‘omo n’oba n’Igodomigodo’ to ‘omo n’oba n’Edo’ after Oba Ewuare changed the name of the Kingdom (empire) to Edo.
Finally, I hereby conclude that the true meaning of the word Oba is in the literary meaning and the full pronunciation of the sentence ‘Omo n’oba n’Edo’.

NB.

• Ukpon Noba (Red Cloth) was adopted to emphasize the significance of the new title of the monarchy.
• Also note that during the Ogiso dynasty, there was an Ogiso named Ogiso Obagodo. Obagodo literarily means ‘he’s shining very bright’. This is to buttress the points raised above as regard the true origin of the word Oba.
• I have come to understand that Edo/Benin history can best be explained in the names given to places, persons and traditional titles and idiomatic expressions which still exist up till date.


 Edo people are not igbos and igbos are not Edos. We are not related to those biblical names you are mentioning. A handful of people who now resides in the South Eastern part of Nigeria Migrated from Edoland and others have Camerounian origins. The first ethnic group that arrive in what is now known as Nigeria are Edo people and we're ruled by Great Ogiso, equivalent of what they know as Pharoah in Egypt/Kemet. I will advice you to take a tour of Cameroun and you'll find your igbo genesis. Onitsha was supposed to be included in Bendel due to its cultural and historical affiliations to Benin Kingdom. We understand that most of you from south east and south west are very angry because there is an Oral and a written history about how Edos colonized the inhabitants of parts of southwest and south east, how their monarchy was installed by our Great Obas. Because of British forced union in which WAZOBIAns are beneficiary, you guys are now trying to re-write history by trying to say Benin migrated from igbo or Yoruba. Before you guys can achieve this, you need to build a stronger traditional institution like the one in Benin where kings will not be in duplicity in small villages as you can find in Igboland and yorubaland.


LEARN FROM THIS WRITE UP.

My Edo people say A TA ERINMWIN, A I KHIN ERINMWIN meaning you can imitate the spirit, but you cannot become the spirit. It is like the saying in that popular Nigerian advert that IF E NOR BE PANADOL, E NOR FIT BE LIKE PANADOL. So no matter how much we try, we can never be yoruba’s. Any way for your information we have no cause for wanting to be yorubas. It is the yorubas who rather want the Edo to be yorubas and they go all the way to try to force us into an Oduduwa family , try to ram down our throats an oduduwa ideology and include us without our permission into an oduduwa republic-see www.geocities.com/yorubacountry. If we want to be Yoruba or imitate Yoruba, we wouldn’t have fought our way out of western region, we would not have been correcting the distortions of our history as Omo n’ Oba Erediauwa has rightly done with his autobiography.
Your argument that if Oduduwa was actually a Benin Prince, why did he not impose Edo language on the Ife people turns logic on its head. I say this because I do not see how it is possible for one person to impose his language on a multitude. Rather it is the other way round. It is the language of the multitude that one person or the few adopts. Let us even use your example of such recent historical happening - the Fulani who organized a jihad that gave them the leadership of the Hausa and some parts of yorubaland, but have almost lost their fulfulde language. Other examples are the cases of Obis of Onitsha, Olus of Warri and Obas of Lagos who are all proud of their Edo ancestry without speaking or imposing the Edo language. One characteristic of Edo imperialism was a refusal to impose Edo language on the subject people.

About the titles Oba and Olu, which you claim that the Edo and Itsekiri borrowed from the Yoruba ,you need to prove that these words are exclusive to the yoruba language and do not exist or did not mean other things in other languages. The title Olu of Warri used by the Itsekiri King is derived from the name of the Olua(Omo n’Oba) of Benin whose son Iginua founded the Itsekiri monarchy. Rather it is in Yoruba land that you find the wholesale adoption of Benin titles and royal paraphernalia. In Owo the titles Sasere is derived Iyasere(Edo),Ologbosere is derived from Ologbose(Edo),Ojomo is derived from Ezomo(Edo) and so on.There are more examples in Akure and Ekiti. Even some of the monarchies in these places are of Edo origin(consult Prof Isola Olomola’s “Eastern Yorubaland before Oduduwa”).Edo derived names starting with OSA are legion in the same Owo, Akure and Ekiti area even as far as the Ookun yoruba areas of Kogi state.

We Edo people do not grudge Yoruba achievement and are not competing with them. We neither desire to imitate them as we know that EDE OKPA O YE ERIMWIN YO VBIE meaning that It is one day that one who frequents the spirit land , goes and sleep there never to return. If we imitate you, we will lose our Edoness, which we cherish more than your achievements.But one thing we plead is that we be left alone and out of your ODUDUWA REPUBLIC. I thank you for the decorous language you have used in your write up and stay well.

Do you know this Man? A great Man indeed.

One of the greatest Benin men that ever lived has taken the bow. CHIEF H. OMO - OSAGIE (B2) IYASE OF BENIN. The dogged fighter who risked his job and family to ask for the creation of MIDWEST REGION.

Upon the creation of Midwest Region, he refused the all attractive office of the Premier so that Benin city will be made the region capital instead of Asaba because Chief Dennis Osadebey was also interested in the struggle.

Chief H Omo - Osagie (B2). is a  father of the modern Edo Today as in every other day, we remember you, not just because you are our hero but because you were a man who swam against the tide to become one of the greatest Nigerians that ever traversed this earth.

"Omorogbe norie Iyase, ovbie utigbeni, egiesan ovbiekpen, ovbie okakuo nen esagien iyokuo ye rhoe inian. B2 eni nomue ete ohan. Gha rho vbe orokhorho oghi te se ede nagha mien egbe vbe akhara enoyaen mwan."

CONTINUE TO
REST IN PEACE OUR HERO

FATHER, OUR FRIEND AND OUR MENTOR.

Inhabitants of ASABA-AGBOR ARE EDOS.

LESSON FOR MANY STILL DOUBTING ASABA-AGBOR ARE EDOS, PART OF BENIN EMPIRE AND A MEMBER OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF EDO.

The Obi of Owa kingdom is shown in this picture with his chiefs who are carrying an insignia called eben or eberen in benin and Ika language, this is for chiefs or kings that share lineage or affiliation with the benin monarchy and benin people. but no one is denying igbo migration or igbo influence in ika ,but we want to be respected as a people who are of a seperate ethnic group called ika , we dont want igbo appendage or Benin appendage we are just Ika nation . We love our culture and tradition and we would defend it to the last.

I am from Owa kingdom and my family is one of the original founders of Owa kingdom and we are fierce warrior, these people tried and failed my ancestors names are Igbedigin, Oviagbon, Ugbebor,Omoroje,Ibiuzugbe,Imade,Osahon ,Aimonagbare,Okpeaye,Ogbe,Ogbudu,Omigie, i guess you silly igbo liar will tell me it is an igbo name,our Obis name is Ifeizomor ,his father was Oboh Efeizomor, his grandfather was Ikokoh Obaigbena,whose father was called Okundaiye,whose father was Aigbodin Igbeoba,whose father was called Ose,and as far back as 13th century when my ancestor was the Obi of Owa his name was Igbedigin, and after him the next obi was Ewodo, and after that the next obi was ewuare and the next was Orhogbua and the Ozolua. 1906 the british invaded owa kingdom with their cannons, guns and muskets and soldiers owa warriors confronted them and killed captain crewe reade in owanta ,he was the assistant district officer for benin area , and he was beheaded by an owa warrior called tete Okunbor Osagie,that war lasted for 55 days and the British suffered casualties and they had to call for reinforcement with the soldiers and battallion of west african frontier forces and they defeated and captured our obi , aigbodi Igbeoba -Ogbihaga( the king with dreadlocks) and exiled him in Warri ,where he died and his son Obi Okundaiye became king of owa .after that the british respected owa and ika people that was why the colonial governor said he was afraid to go to Agbor area where the people are war like and hostile.

The former Obi of Agbor around 1900, Obi Osaigbobu challenged Oba Eweka the second of Benin then a prince to a wrestling match and he refused to put down his eben and ada when Eweka came to Agbor and it was a tradition for allI Ika or anioma kings to put down their ada when they see the Oba as a sign of the obas seniority, before that time the British made Aiguosinvba the son of Oba Ovoramwen to become the district head of Agbor and he sat at a higher pedestral than the Obi of Agbor ,the agbor people revolted and attack him, they nearly killed him and he was injured and later removed.In 1966 during the civil war the Igbos too lay such claims but trust Ika people they quickly helped the federal troops to expel them. So if all this things have happened i wonder why some people will be pushing an ageda that is already dead before delivery to ika people .finally i will like to say we are Ika people and we belong to ika nation and nothing will make us any other tribe except Ika , we cannever be Igbo but Benin. If you look at the core culture of the main Ika people , and if you go back in time say 500 years or more what you will find are Bini names that our people bore, you will see in the naming of our villages and most towns bini names and if you come to what we worshipped traditionally , you will find they are mostly Edo deities like Olokun, Ovia, Ake, Ohunweeden, Ohointe, Ogun(idigun),Ojuwu,Ikpai,and others with the exception of Ikenga and Ifejiokun that are Igbo deities.

As for festivals our ancient festivals are mainly Bini related like Ikaba,Ugbose, Osiezi, Inneh,Ogbanigbe,Uje and Igue -which still remains the most famous in Ika and Bini land. Our kingship style was not taken from nri or any other igbo land , but from Bini using the Uselu and Edaiken system and chieftancy with a Dein/Obi and three levels of chieftancy called ohaimen - the palace ,town and hereditory chiefs which mostly go by Bini names like Obazuaye, Obaseki, Ozomor, Ologboshere, Uwangue, Esama,Isekure, Ihama, Ihaza, Ihondon, and others these Bini titles are the important ones , vested with traditional authority ,but right now we have Igbo titles occuring in the last hundred years like Ogifurueze,Ezenweanali and others but very few and less significant. The dressing of the chiefs and kings in ikaland attest to the fact that they look exactly like a replica of the Oba of Benin and Bini chiefs.Due to our culture of property rights , marriages and other things which relate us to the Bini ,if there is any cultural problem in Ika and average Ika chief will look towards Bini and that is a fact ,because we share same cultural space.

MORE ON AGBOR AND BENIN . The History of Agbor Kingdom like those of other African ancient kingdoms, empires and peoples is based on oral tradition. Various oral accounts on the origin of Agbor and Ika people exist but the most credible being that “Ogunagbon” and his followers who founded Agbor came from Benin and first settled in “Ominije” presently located in today’s Agbor-Nta. Following what can best be described as personal crisis between two princes in Benin and subsequent settlement of this dispute as agreed to by the chiefs and elders of Benin determined by casting of lot, one of the princes settled in what became known as “Agbon”. Agbon like other Anioma towns and communities was later anglicized by the Bjritish who found it difficult to pronounce as “Agbor” the present name of the town. For certain reasons, I have decided to ignore all other events that transpired leading to the foundation of the town called Agbor in acknowledgement of the fact that what concerns us here is the progenitor of the kingdom and his origin. Agbon (Agbor) in Benin means “Earth or “Land”.

Anglicization of names of Anioma communities found difficult to pronounce was not new by the British was not uncommon to these peoples. Igbuzo in circumstances beyond the understanding of the indigenes was anglicized as “Ibusa,” Ahaba (Asaba,) Ogwanshi-Ukwu (Ogwashi-Uku) Isei-Ukwu (Issele-Uku) Isei-Mkpitime (Issele-Mkpitime) Okpam (Okpanam) Umuede (Umunede) Notice also that in some cases the name remains the same but the spelling may change as in the case of Onicha (Onitsha) of Anambra state another of Anioma city.
As noted earlier Cheime, a refugee from Benin is historically credited with the foundation of majority of Anioma communities. Historical accounts records Cheime who was driven away from Benin fled from the kingdom traveling eastwards towards the Niger River and founded Onitsha where he finally settled, his followers having been exhausted founded certain of these Anioma towns. Many of which includes the present day Onicha-Uku, Onicha-Ugbo, Onicha-Olona, Onicha-Ukwu, Issele-Uku, Idumuje-Unoh, Idumuje-Ugboko and a lot more.
At the present day Onitsha in Anambra state, his final place of settlement, Cheime had had a daughter called Owuwu, Owuwu was believed in oral history to have abandoned Onitsha fearing she might lose her life after her father lost nine of his sons in this very town owing to witchcraft. Owuwu was soon to return to Agbor settling at Osarra in Agbor. The name “Owuwu” which now is a Quarter in Agbor is a historical testimony of this.

The argument in certain Quarters that Agbor people bear Igbo names and to some extent assimilates Igbo language and vocabularies is well a defeated one, it is asking why the language of Onitsha people is Igbo having been founded by Cheime from Benin.
Available records show that the British colonial government encouraged Christian missionaries from Igbo land who taught the Ika people using Igbo Bible, hymns and songs. Again the British disregarded homogeneity in their creation of provinces and regions in Nigeria as in else where. Onitsha emerged as a commercial nerve of Anioma but after the Anioma people lost in the Ekwumekwu wars, the town was put in separate province where it now finds itself.

The following names similarly exists between Ika and Bini
1. Agbnifo
2. Ehima
3. Edeje
4. Imade
5. Izegbe
6. Isibor
7. Iredia
8. Iyama
9. Osifo
10. Ozegbe

Common festivals celebrated with Benin
1. Igue
2. Ugbose

The following places with same names exist in Agbor and Benin
1. Ogan
2. Owuwu
3. Ihaikpen
4. Alisor

Commomn vocabularies
1. Ishegwari
2. Ikeke
3. Ulakpa
4. Agara
5. Ise
6. Ikobo
7. Ezuzu


The Benin-Ife Connection
By Omo N'Oba Erediauwa

A Diverse Edo People.

The Edo like their other Nigerian counterparts exist in various groups, but are conscious of their common identity as one people bound by a common history, culture and language. The groups, which are today referred to as EDO, in today Nigeria geo-political zone are the Benin, Esan, Afenmai, Ora, Akoko Edo and Owan in Edo state. But there are other groups in Ondo, Delta and Rivers states, who for political reasons shy away from being identified as Edo, but accept the nomenclature of “Edoid” language speakers. As a result the Edo people lack the necessary group cohesion and demography to critically affect their own development in Nigerian politics.

What has made it difficult for us to achieve our much desired unity is the misfortune we suffered under colonial rule which employed and emphasized divide and rule more against the Edo people. Due to our valiant resistance to British incursion, the Benin Kingdom and its traditional institution were viewed as ideological obstacles to achievement of British objectives. Since the Oba was a rallying point of Edo people, the British deported Oba Ovonramwen and argued “that the power of his juju is such that it would be dangerous to allow him return”. With this development, they had a freer hand in dividing further the Edo people and privileging some groups over others, which further drove a wedge between them.

Other Nigerian groups like the Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo had their languages developed into standard lingua franca by both the colonial administration and Christian missionaries and were thus enabled to use their languages to promote their own unity. The Edo people were not so lucky. Our language was not only discriminated against, there was even an attempt to impose Yoruba language on Edo people. In 1914 Bishop Tugwell of CMS recommended the introduction and use of Yoruba as the lingua franca in Benin and Delta Provinces and was adopted by the CMS and supported by James Watt, District Commissioner of Benin Province. In fact the chief of Igarra in Akoko Edo was fined fifteen shillings in 1917 by the District Commissioner for his failure to speak Yoruba in court. But our people resisted the imposition of Yoruba, embraced English and still struggled to promote Edo language by developing its orthography and grammar on their own. They formed Institute for Home-Benin Improvement comprising Benin, Esan, Afenmai, Ora, Agbor, Igbanke and Sobe people in 1932 to promote Edo unity and development. This institute metamorphosed into the Edo National Union in the 1940s and had Chiefs Anthony Enahoro (Esan), T.J Akagbosu (Afenmai), Gaius Obaseki (Benin), and M.N. Banmah (Ora) amongst others in the executive council. These prepared the grounds for the latter agitation for the creation of Midwest region for the unimpeded development of Edo people and their culture.

But these groups to develop the language because of more pressing political problems of the time did not much. Though some individuals and missionary agents continued to produce books in the local dialects, they were insufficient to promote the language and develop large body of literature. Due to lack of support and promotion by the colonial government, not one of the dialects of Edo language was standardized and promoted as a lingua franca. The various dialects developed marginally and various groups with the assistance of some later missionary agencies (interested only in evangelization) competed amongst themselves to include them in school curriculum in the areas where they are spoken. As a result of this politicization, the dialects could not develop further and have become instruments of disunity.

The struggle for creation of Midwest and later squabbles over resources and amenities in the new region in the early independence era further detracted our people from addressing the language problem. Benin and Urhobo languages, which the federal government employed for national radio broadcast from Ibadan, were never seriously promoted locally. Rather competition to promote various dialects have continued to prevail and suspicion continue to trail any attempt at adopting and promoting any one as the standard language and lingua franca. Whereas the major and indispensable ingredient of nationhood is the existence of a literary language which more than any other factor cement people together. So long as we are unable to adopt a lingua franca and standardize it for literary and other communicative uses, so long will unity and development within and without Nigeria continue to elude us. It is time to put parochialism aside. The Jews are what they are today, because they were able to resurrect a dead language-Hebrew- and promote it to forge nationhood.

- By Uyilawa Usuanlele (Prof. Institute of Benin Studies )

Contesting Igbo vs. Edo Kingdom -African History

The complexity of Benin tradition and spirituality still lives more for researchers and archaeologies. Despite the enormous record and information surrounding African Americans story which began with transatlantic slave trade from West Africa, many are of the delusion that they are from Egypt, Nubian ancestry to escape their inferiority complex, low self esteem and paranoia. Why are they not associating and tracing to the West rather than to the Egyptian, Nubian? Because Ancient Egypt known for world civilization right. How many have taken time to visit Benin and study how Benin came with the pyramid structure and kingship tradition which have a lot in common with ancient Egyptian history an arts? How many African American say " Yosef Ben Jochannon, Cress Welsing, Edward Blyton, WEB Du Bois, J A Rodgers, Ivan Van Sertima, John Henrik Clarke, Herodotus, Leo Frobenius"writing African history have visited Benin for their research and archaeology? If I may ask, how many Igbo scholars writing about Eri or Ehi and Nri Igbo historical brotherhood have also visited Benin to carry out their scientific study? Many now claim it is on record that Igbo preceded the Benin kingdom. If anything, Akwa Blacksmiths helped to make Benin what it became in Brass casting “according to Igbo oral tradition”:.The father of Eri was called GAD, who was the son of JACOB. Jacob was the son of Isaac and Isaac was the son of ABRAHAM. Eri begat Nri. Others say Eri and Nri were brothers. Why would this people be teaching what they don’t know? Bring biblical names and history to distort authentic information about the Great Benin West African civilization?
How come many Ibos and Yoruba claimed they are from Edo, in fact admitted of taken Benin culture, tradition and spirituality with them. Nnamdi Azikiwe: My Odyssey, Chapter I (Spectrum Books, 1970) “My Genealogy and Nativity” p 11 – 12, expressed a clear link of the Igbo from Benin.
See extract:
Excerpts from Nnamdi Azikiwe: My Odyssey.

Nnamdi Azikiwe: My Genealogy and Nativity
“Thus, in tracing my paternal lineage, I could say that both parents of my father are direct descendants of Eze Chima. As for me, I can trace my paternal ancestry in this wise: I am the first son of Chukwuemeka, who was the third child and first son of Azikiwe, who was the second son of Molokwu, who was the third son of Ozomaocha, who was the second son of Inosi Onira, who was the fourth son of Dei, the second son of Eze Chima, the founder of Onitsha.”
SOURCE – Nnamdi A zikiwe: My Odyssey, Chapter I (Spectrum Books, 1970) “My Genealogy and Nativity” p4
“I can trace my maternal ancestry thus: I am the first son of Nwanonaku Rachel Chinwe Ogbenyeanu (Aghadiuno)Azikiwe, who was third daughter of Aghadiuno Ajie, the fifth son of Onowu Agbani, first daughter of Obi Udokwu, the son who descended from five Kings of Onitsha. Five of these rulers of Onitsha were direct lineal descendants of Eze Chima, who led his warrior adventurers when they left Benin to establish the Onitsha city state in about 1748 AD.
” SOURCE – Nnamdi Azikiwe: My Odyssey, Chapter I (Spectrum Books, 1970) “My Genealogy and Nativity” p5

“One day I asked her (grandmother) the meaning of the word ‘Onitsha’. She explained that it had historical significance. The terminology meant one who despised another. It is a contraction of two words, Onini to despise, and Ncha meaning others. So that the two words when joined together mean one who despises others. Then I asked her why we despised others. She patted me on the back and told me that it was due to our aristocratic background and tradition. I insisted that she should explain to me the basis of this supercilious social attitude. She told me that we despised others because we descended from the Royal House of Benin and so regarded ourselves as the superiors of other tribes who had no royal blood in their veins, “

“I continued to belabor my grandmother to tell me more of the history and origins of the Onitsha people. She narrated that many years ago, there lived at Idu (Benin) a great Oba who had many children. Due to a power struggle regarding the right of precedence among princes of the blood and other altercations, there was a civil war in Benin. One day, the supporters of one of the princes insulted and assaulted Queen Asije, the mother of the Oba of Benin, who was accused of having trespassed on their farmland. Enraged at this evidence of indiscipline and lawlessness, the Oba ordered his war chief and brother, Gbunwala Asije to apprehend and punish the insurgents. In the attempt to penalize them, Chima, the ultimate founder of the Onitsha city-state, a prince of the blood in his own right, led the recalcitrant against his Uncle, Gbunwala. This intensified the civil war which rent the kingdom of Benin in two and led to the founding of Onitsha Ado N’Idu, , ” “As the great trek from Benin progressed, some did not have the stout heart of the pioneer-warrior, and decided to settle at different places, known today as Onitsha -Igbo, Onitsha-Olona, Onitsha-Mili, Obior, Issele Ukwu, Ossomari, Aboh, etc,

” SOURCE – Nnamdi Azikiwe: My Odyssey, Chapter I (Spectrum Books, 1970) “My Genealogy and Nativity” p 11 – 12

Benin Culture, tradition and spirituality spread far and wide to Togo and in the north with kogi. One of the greatest Empire on the West African axis. Philip Emeagwali also came up with the argument of trying to edúcate the Igbos of their Benin ancestral lineage, many igbo denounce.
See extract :
“
I am a Yoruba by birth (born in Akure, western region) and Igbo by heritage. As a native Onitsha Igbo, I trace my ancestry to Eze Chima, a prince who rebelled against the Benin royal dynasty and emigrated from the kingdom. Other Igbos that trace their lineage to Eze Chima include Onicha-Ukwu, Onicha-Olona, Onicha-Ugbo, Obior, Issele-Ukwu, Issele-Mkpima, Issele-Azagba, Ezi, Abeh and Obamkpa.Native Onitshans speak a dialect of the Igbo language with several Benin/Yoruba words such as "Obi" (of Onitsha) and "Oba" (of Benin). In fact, the word Onitsha (Onicha) is a corruption of the god "Orisha." The bini name for River Niger is Ohinmwin. The Onicha Igbo call it "Orinmili." In a few years, we will have DNA tests that proves (or disproves) the Onitsha-Benin-Yoruba connection. In fact, a lost dialect of the Yoruba language, called Olukwumu, is spoken in Brazil and in a few Igbo communities named Anioma, Idumu-Ogu, Ubulubu, Ugboba, Ugbodu, and Ukwunzu (M. A. Onwuejeogwu, 1987 Ahiajoku Lecture). The absence Olukwumu in core Yoruba land proves that these communities are the Lost Yoruba Tribe that were fleeing from slave raiders.
” – Source – from his official web 2011
Edo, Benin are the people not writing to overlord other ethnic group but still remain point of reference by scholars and researchers to both Africans and non Africans.
Benin has a documented history up to about 900 AD. Many of these ancient writings and art works and paints were destroyed by Britain 1897. The sophistication of their traditional administration with their leadership hierarchy when compared has the best route to restore Africa back to the true africanization and afrocentrism. So many yet to be studied and publish by scholars. How can you teach what you don’t know and give what you don’t have. The present days WAZOBIA Nigeria have failed the Edo people and Nation. Many bias and leftish scholars writing imaginative story of the Great Benin Ancient civilization. Edos know who they are and welcome anybody who wants to learn. So keep it clean because Edos are not confused about their anthropological trace and history. Edo orisiagbon.

Chief Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe, P.C. (November 16, 1904 – May 11, 1996),[2] usually referred to as Nnamdi Azikiwe, was one of the leading figures of modern Nigerian nationalism. He was head of state of Nigeria from 1963 to 1966. He served as the second and last Governor-General from 1960 to 1963 and the first President of Nigeria from 1963 to 1966, holding the presidency throughout the Nigerian First Republic.

Philip Emeagwali (born in 1954) is a Nigerian-born engineer, mathematician and computer scientist/geologist who was one of two winners of the 1989 Gordon Bell Prize, a prize from the IEEE, for his use of a Connection Machine supercomputer to help analyze petroleum fields. Emeagwali was born in Akure, Nigeria on 23 August 1954.[1] His early schooling was suspended in 1967 as a result of the Nigerian Civil War. At 14 years, he served in the Biafran army. After the war he completed high-school equivalency through self-study. He travelled to the United States to study under a scholarship following completion of a correspondence course at the University of London.[citation needed] He received a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Oregon State University in 1977. During this time, he worked as a civil engineer at the Bureau of Land Reclamation in Wyoming. He later moved to Washington DC, receiving in 1986 a master's degree from George Washington University in ocean and marine engineering, and a second master's in applied mathematics from the University of Maryland.

Here is a Caucasian American scholar came to Benin to research in recent times, African Americans and Nigerians refuse and ignored .. See video: http://ihuanedo.ning.com/video/nigerias-benin-kingdom



Another British scholar also a Rev years researching on Benin : http://www.cgore.dircon.co.uk/