There has been many account of the origin of Oduduwa by many writers. One account says he came from the east (Saudi Arabia), others say he came from the sky and another says he came from Benin. From all these accounts, I am writing some things that points that he came from Benin.


His Origin from the East:

According to an account, he came from the east which people understood as Saudi Arabia. But the possibility is slim because there were other major kingdoms along the path way that he would have settle in and Ile-Ife wasn’t a major trading centre which would have attracted him to travel all the way from Saudi. That’s why the account that he came from Benin is more acceptable because Benin (Igodomigodo or Ado) was the nearest major kingdom east of Ife.


Came from the Sky:

According to a Yoruba account Oduduwa came from the sky. While the Benin claims that he was the son of the last Ogiso (which in Benin means king of the sky). We may not know the differences and similarity between the languages as at then, but it is very possible he told the Ife people he met there that his father is the king of the sky (Ogiso). Which the people understood as his father was the king of the sky, and then he came from the sky.


Demand by the Benin to Come and Rule:

According to the Binis, when there was Leadership issue with the Kingdom, an entourage was sent to ask their last Ogiso (king) son who left the kingdom to come and rule on the throne of his father. This pointer shows that no kingdom would ask another king to leave where he is ruling to rule over them. This is with the exception of conquest or protection from another kingdom (which is not stated in any historical record of both places). No king would send his son to a strange land and leave his grandson (Eweka 1) in the strange land except he has ties with that land.