THE NATIVE DOCTOR THAT RULED BENIN (A chapter from the Benin history book)
There is a legend of a Benin Oba, centuries ago, who lived for about 600 years. And towards the end of his reign, he tried to walk into heaven!
He was the greatest native doctor that ever lived or reigned the ancient Benin Empire.
His name was Ehengbuda. He was not born in the usual way. He jumped out of his mother's thigh, with Ukokogho (a medicine gourd) in his left hand.
Before he was made the Edaiken of Uselu, i.e the crown prince, his fame as a powerful mystic had already spread throughout and outside the Benin Empire.
When Ehengbuda became Oba, he prepared many charms to protect the Binis from invasion and any other misfortune. He also prepared a charm that the heir apparent to the throne would stay alive until he was crowned. This charm has never failed the Binis to this day. According to the legend, when Oba Ehengbuda had reigned for too long a time. Messages began to come to him from heaven that he had overstayed his time on earth. And he would reply "if i refuse to go to heaven, what will the spirits do to me?"
His son, the heir also complained that he the prince was getting very old and tired of waiting. There is a case of where the son removed grey hairs from his head and sent to his father (Oba) to make him believe that he was really very old. In return the father sent him coral beads and chalk mixed with salt with a message, " Life is very sweet"
For a long time, the oba turned a deaf ear to all these complaints. When in the end he decided to go, he declared that instead of dying like everybody else, he would walk right into heaven! With his mind made up, he went to his shrine and asked his spirits to prepare him for the journey. After this preparation, he assembled his household, and asked for volunteers to accompany him.
A section called the Ibiwes, opted to go with him, while the Iweguaes were to remain and tate care of the palace and the affairs of the Oba, until his son would be crowned king.
Oba Ehengbuda reversed this arrangement at the last moment and asked the Iweguaes to accompany him. The journey began from Benin with great fanfare. The procession went on until it came to the River Agan on the Benin/Lagos Road. The Oba made some incantations and the river began to recede in front of them, as the procession waded in after him.
Almost at the centre of the river, they were stopped by some short men with pots on their heads. There men asked the Oba and his procession to turn back. " it is not usual for human beings to trek into heaven", they declared. Obeying, the Oba and his procession turned back and on the river bank they untied their medicines and charms and there "the Oba's sun fell into the sea" and they all following died. Some new Bouldia trees sprang up where they died, and these trees still stand to this day.
If any Bini man comes to the river and he is told that "this is the river agan", he must first drink from it before crossing. If he doesn't, he will have acute diarrhoea, until he makes some sacrifice or something of that nature.
[Excerpts from the history of the ancient Benin kingdom]

Reminds me of my Junior secondary school days. I had this elderly man, our Edo language teacher who taught us Edo history, and this type of stories...