The untold stories of izobo (usobo now urhobo) and igue festival ubini (benin)

References;
SLAVERY AND EMANCIPATION IN BENIN, 1897-1945

The Sobo of the Niger Delta. By John Waddington Hubbard.

Before we dive in there’s a question..

Who are the urhobo’s

The Urhobo’s well let me rephrase that the real urhobo’s were called izobo meaning sacrifice or human sacrifice by the Edo people namely Ishan and bini they were part of the igodomigodo kingdom that consists of ijaw,bini,esan,igala, izobo and others.

The urhobo were skillful farmers that deal on palm oil they lived in their ancestral homelands of ughoton in benin it was the home of the urhobo people though they are scattered in that place as different clans Now what they were called before the infamous name izobo is not known they live in ughoton
(now agaton in edo state) and their neighbors the ijaws who lived in gele gele were partners in trading for centuries with the urhobo’s.

To talk about human sacrifice in Benin from 1440 to 1896 we need to talk about the igue festival

The Igue festival is a time where all the indigenes in Benin Kingdom offer sacrifice to the Gods and the ancestors for being able to reach the end of the year and begin another in good health. The festival is an aged-long tradition that had transcended several Obas.

an oba called Ewuare was said to be the first to start the Igue festival a blood bath festival they raided captured men of the ughoton and gele gele people the oba will tell his guards who have cut off the most heads will be given beads as a reward thous the hunt began they enslaved the people put their women to work and the men used for sacrifice when their crops go bad it’s the head of the izobo if they don’t have enough water it’s the head of the izobo in a market then known as oba market they sell the izobo there the oyo empire also bought the izobo slaves from the benin kingdom and the Yoruba called them izubo some Yoruba also called them (eda eniyan ebo) that was what they were named.

it got too strong and too much there was a revolt during the reign of oba ozolua but it backfired they were only few men and many women left as many were used as sacrifice and others were sold into slavery urhobo’s were sold to slavery by the oba but only the urhobo formally known as izobo were used as sacrifice.. back then there was a saying you’ll have more izobo slaves as oba have more slaves

Oba Oluwa (olua) The Weak (according to his chief’s)

He didn’t do the igue festival he was calm and generous under his rule many of the slaves flee to their not distant relatives near the benin river In oba oluwa’s rule the chiefs do things on their own so they set out to hunt down the slaves but was unsuccessful this was many of the atrocities Ginuwa hated and wanted to stop before the chiefs went against him. In those days Sex or marriage to the izobo is punishable by death by beheading as it was forbidden by the oba even till today some benin families don’t support a marriage to an urhobo.

Izobo (urhobo) on the run 1482-1596 oba ozolua rule

(rumor has it that the izobo women slept with gorillas in the jungle to have their male children and to expand in their numbers which is evident as the urhobo people serve guerrilla gods) but that was just rumor another theory is they were married of to the okpe people which allowed the okpe men to impregnate as much of the izobo women as they can so they won’t go extinct.

But that soon back fired in the next 100years after they left benin there was a war between them the people who the okpe had to hide now claim lands given to them as theirs thus started the endless conflict of the ethiope west for many years they migrated from 1720 to 1788 after the rumor of a more calm and civilized kingdom called iwere (Warri) settlements increased because of the conflict between the clans. But it didn’t stop the benins from kidnapping them for igue festival rumors has it that it still happens till today.

Their name was a stigma given to them by the Benin’s izobo meaning sacrifice the itsekiri’s called them usobo and the British called them sobo and they themselves changed their name to uhobo then to urhobo….. But today the Benin’s lie that they called the urhobo’s “uhobo “ which has no meaning in edo language the benins lied to cover what they did to the urhobo people and the gullible urhobo’s believed it…

British prison reports (reference SLAVERY AND EMANCIPATION IN BENIN, 1897-1945
Oba was his surrender, deposition and changed circumstances, that from his jail he asked for permission to send people to Benin water-side to catch some Urhobo slaves for sacrifice as the rains were falling too incessantly for the good of the people and their crops. A woman was usually sacrificed on these occasions with a message for the Rain or Sun god put into her mouth and, after death, she was hoisted on a crucifixion tree
"for the rain and sun to see'.


This is the real forgotten story about urhobo people and how their name urhobo came to be

Hmmn

Wow... Urhobo have really come along way...
The oba of Benin needs to tender an unreserved apology to the people of urhobo kingdom.

hahahahahahaha..

Trash..the IGBOS are the oldest tribe.

If that story is not from us..It's trash and propaganda

Damnnn
What's this one saying?
Can't comprehend what this dude just drop here.

These are all lies.

Use your punctuations, sir. This was very difficult to read and understand.

Born2Breed:
These are all lies.

lol bloody hell I put references there go and read them no one is a lie it’s the truth the bini’s have been hiding for many years

GhostOfNigeria:
lol bloody hell I put references there go and read them no one is a lie it’s the truth the bini’s have been hiding for many years

Lies

The op is either a benin man or ishekiri, all in a bid to feel as a superior tribe you conjure all these lie . Have you forgetten how ur oba died in exile despite his imaginary most powerful ancient king

GhostOfNigeria:
lol bloody hell I put references there go and read them no one is a lie it’s the truth the bini’s have been hiding for many years

The benins were known to use all tribe for human sacrifice depends what the gods needed tge bini used d ijebus, oyos, urhobo, igbos and so many othee southern tribe they could lay siege on

Donpenny:
The op is either a benin man or ishekiri, all in a bid to feel as a superior tribe you conjure all these lie . Have you forgetten how ur oba died in exile despite his imaginary most powerful ancient king

Its not a lie and no one is feeling superior a bini man wont post such i think the op is from another tribe trying to spite the urhobos

Thebadpolitican:


Its not a lie and no one is feeling superior a bini man wont post such i think the op is from another tribe trying to spite the urhobos

My gay partner

AndroidAI:


My gay partner

Your father who bleeped your mom and ejaculated a contaminated sperm into her womb

Thebadpolitican:


Its not a lie and no one is feeling superior a bini man wont post such i think the op is from another tribe trying to spite the urhobos

I can assure nothing of that such is my intention the truth remains it’s what happened my research is to reveal the truth about the past when I see urhobo’s praising the benins they have no idea what has happened to them or the reason they were named izobo

You can read more in the references I shared

Donpenny:
The op is either a benin man or ishekiri, all in a bid to feel as a superior tribe you conjure all these lie . Have you forgetten how ur oba died in exile despite his imaginary most powerful ancient king

I am neither of those tribes I am a researcher you can confirm from the references I shared get the books and read through it all.

GhostOfNigeria:


I can assure nothing of that such is my intention the truth remains it’s what happened my research is to reveal the truth about the past when I see urhobo’s praising the benins they have no idea what has happened to them or the reason they were named izobo

You can read more in the references I shared

That was in the past bro the benins killed every other tribe that wasn't edo

Do you know why the call the people of ijebu jebu people, because the benin used them as sacrifice to the river when the bins threw tge ijebus into the river they make the sound of tubu and the benins nickname them tubu which the Europeans coined to be ijebu

But the ijebus will never tell you such history

Finally the there was never oduduwa in the benin history it was a political coinage during the Colonial era to strengthen the edo and yoruba politically


The benins were know for human sacrifice same as other tribe and even the Europeans were not excluded

But then again i think the slaughter of the urhobs stopped after the benins installed their king to rule the urhobo people

The izobo was before the benin made proper contact with the urhobos tho the name remain but the practice stopped a longtime ago saying the urhobos migrated from benins is a lie maybe only the royal house did not the bulk of the people

History is a complicated thing so don't bring past imjuries to light

Thebadpolitican:



That was in the past bro the benins killed every other tribe that wasn't edo

Do you know why the call the people of ijebu jebu people, because the benin used them as sacrifice to the river when the bins threw tge ijebus into the river they make the sound of tubu and the benins nickname them tubu which the Europeans coined to be ijebu

But the ijebus will never tell you such history

Finally the there was never oduduwa in the benin history it was a political coinage during the Colonial era to strengthen the edo and yoruba politically


The benins were know for human sacrifice same as other tribe and even the Europeans were not excluded

But then again i think the slaughter of the urhobs stopped after the benins installed their king to rule the urhobo people

The izobo was before the benin made proper contact with the urhobos tho the name remain but the practice stopped a longtime ago saying the urhobos migrated from benins is a lie maybe only the royal house did not the bulk of the people

History is a complicated thing so don't bring past imjuries to light

You again

This write is probably done by a sei kiri otu people the Itsekiris also known as sei kiri otu meaning people who live in evil forest. We're captured and sold for slavery by the Ijaws... Most s.laves who we recognized as Yorubas are not Yorubas but itsekiri people who are quick to align themselves to Yoruba...

Thebadpolitican:



That was in the past bro the benins killed every other tribe that wasn't edo

Do you know why the call the people of ijebu jebu people, because the benin used them as sacrifice to the river when the bins threw tge ijebus into the river they make the sound of tubu and the benins nickname them tubu which the Europeans coined to be ijebu

But the ijebus will never tell you such history

Finally the there was never oduduwa in the benin history it was a political coinage during the Colonial era to strengthen the edo and yoruba politically


The benins were know for human sacrifice same as other tribe and even the Europeans were not excluded

But then again i think the slaughter of the urhobs stopped after the benins installed their king to rule the urhobo people

The izobo was before the benin made proper contact with the urhobos tho the name remain but the practice stopped a longtime ago saying the urhobos migrated from benins is a lie maybe only the royal house did not the bulk of the people

History is a complicated thing so don't bring past imjuries to light

No king was installed to rule the Urhobo people... It is the Itsekiris the Oba of Benin installed the Olu.. till this day the Benin still rule over the Itsekiris. The Itsekiris who were wandering In the forest. The Itsekiri were regarded as sei kiri otu meaning people who live in evil forest .. the Ijaws were the ones who called them that.. infact the Ijaws caught Alot of Itsekiri people and sold them as s.laves all over Europe and American

geemd434:


No king was installed to rule the Urhobo people... It is the Itsekiris the Oba of Benin installed the Olu.. till this day the Benin still rule over the Itsekiris. The Itsekiris who were wandering In the forest. The Itsekiri were regarded as sei kiri otu meaning people who live in evil forest .. the Ijaws were the ones who called them that.. infact the Ijaws caught Alot of Itsekiri people and sold them as s.laves all over Europe and American

A king were definitely installed to rule urhobos maybe overtime clans broke out from the urhobo and establish their own kingship weakening the power of the official urhobo benin installed king

Thebadpolitican:


A king were definitely installed to rule urhobos maybe overtime clans broke out from the urhobo and establish their own kingship weakening the power of the official urhobo benin installed king

You are a big F.o.ol .... I dey tell you say no king was installed... Name the king then...ewe... Na so jekri dey behave o... slowpoke people. Na insignificance dey worry una. Odeeeeeeeee ( mumu) Itsekiri

geemd434:


You are a big F.o.ol .... I dey tell you say no king was installed... Name the king then...ewe... Na so jekri dey behave o... slowpoke people. Na insignificance dey worry una. Odeeeeeeeee ( mumu) Itsekiri

Why are you so bitter you dey there to know

This entire story is false, it seems that everyday, someone in Nigeria makes up a story about Benin, I guess everybody wants to gossip about Benin.

1) the person who posted this story seems to be on a mission to make sure Edoid people hate each other
2) the person who posted the story is not a "researcher" contrary to his claim, his education is not above that of secondary school.
3) igodomigodo is not a historical fact, it is a made up story which the poster is not aware of because he is completely ignorant about history.
4) Urhobo are part of Benin empire, the only people recorded as being sacrificed were slaves, and Urhobos were free citizens of Benin empire !
5) by the way, the paper which the poster claims to quote was published in 2009, it is a work of fiction at best.
6) the poster is not rational, he talks about Benin people lying about their past, but that is stupid to say, because that past was not witnessed by anyone alive today ! How can you lie about something which (if it happened) happened before your grandfather was born ? How does that make sense ?
7) over the years, I keep seeing illogical people creating stories about Benin, these guys just go on Wikipedia, they take some stories written by drunk idiots on Wikipedia, they take some works of fiction claiming to tell "history" and they add their own sauce and call themselves "researcher".
8 ) a researcher quotes documents written in the period of the events ! Not documents written in 2009 which claim to describe things which took place hundreds of years ago !
9) I'm tired of this nairaland which seems to thrive on cyber bullying Edo people.
10) to the poster, Urhobo are Benin people, that is how they were seen before colonization, but since you know nothing about history and you want to create a hit peace, it shouldn't matter to you. You ijaw miscreants will have to repent one day!
11) what's next, soon a guy will make up a story of how the Ezamas used to be sacrificed by the Benin ?
Basically this whole post was done by an ignoramus who doesn't know the first thing about Benin and claims Benin people are sacrificing themselves. He doesn't realise that that is what he is saying, he believes he is talking about different tribes and he inserts his tribe (ijaw) in the mix, but except for his tribe which recently migrated to our lands, all the people he talks about are Benin people.