History/Origin of Agbor

Agbor is the biggest and the most cosmopolitan city of the lka nation. The historic origin of Agbor kingdom as we stated earlier has different angles. Some writers trace the origin of Agbor to the reign of Oba Ewedo of Benin. According to this perspective - the Oba had twin sons named Edo and Ogugunagbon. Both were subjected to a kind of lucky dip in order to pick a successor to Oba Ewedo. Ogugunagbon was unlucky to choose the wrong box and had to leave Benin with throng of his supporters to a new location leading to his founding of Agbor. However, Prince Adams Gbenoba in his book "The History and Culture of Agbor (Agbon) Kingdom" agrees with the Benin origin but adds another angle:

"Without doubt, beyond myths and legends by way of oral tradition, no accounts can be more authentic than the neutral, historical accounts of colonial travelers, explorers and administrators. Mr. J. Macrae-Simpson on page 5 of his "1935 INTELLIGENCE REPORT ON THE AGBOR CLAN IN THE AGBOR DISTRICT' recorded thus: "Talbet, on page 168 of Volume 1 of Southern Nigeria", quotes an extract from the chronicle of the Dutch historian-traveller Henrik Nyendael, which seems to be a description of the exodus from Benin of the founder of Agbor Clan: "After this barbarity, the King aIso found a third manthat stood on hisway, who, being universally beloved,was timely warned ...and accordingly took his flight, accompanied by three-fourths of the inhabitants of the town. The King caused the fugitives to be pursued.. Then the fugitives, thoroughly incensed and flushed, came directly to the City, which they plundered and pillaged, sparing no place but the King's Court; after which he returned, but incessantly continued to rob the inhabitants of Great Benin, till at last a peace was concluded ... He lives two or three days' journey from Benin, where he keeps at Agbor as great a Court and State as the King...".Talbet goes on to say that of the two families that left Benin at this time (shortly before Nyandael's visit in 1702), one settled at Agbor while the other went to Obior, another Clan in the Agbor District. Of the same Obior family came also the ancestors of Onitsha-Mili (the Onitsha Waterside of today). It is a tradition of the Obior people, and indeed of most of the Clans between them and the Niger, and also of Onitsha itself, that their tribe was founded by Chima a refugee from Benin City...The story is that Chima?, when driven from Benin, traveled eastwards towards the Niger, which he eventually crossed, and settled in Onitsha. There he begat nine children, of which eight died, leaving him with a daughter called Owuwu. Believing that the loss of his children was caused by witchcraft, he left Onitsha and returning to Agbor, long existing country, settled at Osarra (present day Ozanogogo- previously called Ozarra- in Agbor Kingdom), where one of the quarters to this day bears the name of his sole remaining child, Owuwu.

Similarly Onyekpeze F. A, a foremost writer of lka history in his book ·An outline of the Culture & Socio-Economic Interest of the Ika Nation emphasizes this trend of the Benin factor in the formation of Agbor: One factor is that the place names of Agbor and Its outlying settlements are Bini words. Another factor which buttresses Agbor claim to Bini origin is that the villages in Agbor Town viz, lghogbe, Olihe, Ogbeisere, Ohumere, Ehaikpen, Ogbesogban and Ogbeiwaise, etc. are a replica of the villages in Benin City. In addition, even the lhogbes of Agbor like the lghogbes of Benin City, claim lfe origin and their ancestors are believed to have accompanied Prince Oromiyan from lfeto Benin to establish the present monarchy.

The Agbor titleship, Uzaman, lhaime, Odlonwere and Ehaivbo, and its system of government are similar to those of Benin. Furthermore, inAgbor's oral tradition, the king of Agborwas popularly known as Ogle Agbon, meaning the ruler of the whole world. The question which arises is, when did the title of the ruler of Agbor change from Ogle to Obi of Agbor? One can therefore acceptthe Bini oral tradition that the rulers of lka now called Obis were Ogies as other rulers or Chiefs or Oba's representatives in Benin Division. It may be that the rulers of lka, especially the ruler of Agbor regarded Ogle as belittling and wanted a more prestigious title, especially after successfully severing political relationship with Benin following the deportation of Oba Ovoramwen in 1898.

Despite these different views Agbor continues to wax stronger with a rich cultura Iheritage.

1. Ime-Obizone comprising of:
(i) Ogbemudein
(ii) lhaikpen
(iii) lghogbe
(iv) Ohumere
(v) Ogbe-lsere
(vi) Ogbe-lsogban
(vii) Obi-Oiihe
(viii Oruru
(ix) ldumu Agbamise.
(x) Ogbe-Ase (lwase).

2. Ihuiyase zone comprising of:
(i) Ewuru
(ii) Agbor-Nta
(iii) Aliokpu
(iv) Alihami
(v) Alihagu I& II
(vi) Oki
(vii) Alifekede
(viii) Aliagwai
(ix) ldumu-Oza

3.1hu-Ozomor zone
(i) Alizomor
(ii) Omumu
(iii) Alisimie ldumu ltenei
(iv) Oza-Nogogo
(v) Owuwu
(vi) Uvbere
(vii) Alisor
(viii) Alibido
(ix) Aliebi
(x) ldumuenwan
(xi) Alileha
(xii) ldumnleha

4. Orogodo zone comprising of:
(i) GRAI & II
(ii) Orogodo Urban or Boji Boji-Agbor
(iii) Emuhu

5. Ekuku-Agbor zone comprising of:
(iv) Ekuku-Agbor
(v) Alidinma
(vi) Obi lduhon
(vii) ObiAgbor
It is pertinent to point here three of these villages- Alisor, Alilehan and Ozanogogo speak Oza language of the edo people and notthe lka language.

Government of Agbor

The monarchy rules the Agbor kingdom.The Dein is the king of Agbor kingdom. He is the supreme authority for the whole entire kingdom. Dein was the first ruler of Agbor .He reigned from 1270 to 1307 with his headquarters at Agbor-nta. However, the headquarters of the Agbor Kingdom has moved to different locations for a couple of times in order to maintain a modicum of impregnability and invincibility of the kingdom. The Dein was the commander in chief of the Agbor kingdom. Agbor warriors feared no foe. Their exploits are legendary and they maintained their territories with an iron fist. The Agbor kingdom founded outposts towns far away from the kingdom to protect itself from foreign invasions.

Dynasty till Date

1. Dein 1270 to 1307
2. Owuwu 1307 to 1333
3. Akina 1333 to 1460
4. Agho 1460 to 1518
5. Oguade 1518 to 1594
6. Ahisama 1598 to 1630
7. Oseh 1630 to 1650
8. Oje-1650 to 1658
9. Adigwe 1698 to 1740
10. Modu 1740 to 1795
11. Obanor 1795 to 1885
12. Odin 1885 to 1890
13. Gbenoba 1890 to 1911
14. Agborbu 1914 to 1929
15. Obika 1935 to 1967
16. lkenchuku 1968 to 1979
17. Kiagboekuzi 1979 till date.

Na say you from agbor make you dey write your mind on igbos

Kai!

Is a piTy..

You know even from the Asaba .. you dey claim hate igbo..

Oya now dey go Benin and leave ofu obi alone to keep jonzing with all other tribes wey no wan be igbo..

BecUse from now till tomorrow... no tribe even sen you wey Be agbor man ... not even the Edo or ur Yoruba you dey try impress .. not even the urhubos or ishekiri..

Till infinite agbor remains a village by the road side begging to be carried along by the ofu obi

And will remain Uzu in southern Nigeri
They’re not up nor down.. just hanging .

Good morning and bye

Wondering how many agbor people will respond to this thread

Finally you will have to involve igbos hatred to sail your thread

Op frankly Sha if you take a look at the names of those zones you would agree with me that they are more Igbo names than Benin ones,Agbor is only as cultural as Benin as Onitsha is to Benin,that's where it ends.
But Agbor is Agbor we Igbos don't want them sef...what do they have,the only thing that Iike about Agbor is that I get to buy anu mgbada their,their mgbada dey sweet Sha .

Frigga13:
Na say you from agbor make you dey write your mind on igbos

Kai!

Is a piTy..

You know even from the Asaba .. you dey claim hate igbo..

Oya now dey go Benin and leave ofu obi alone to keep jonzing with all other tribes wey no wan be igbo..

BecUse from now till tomorrow... no tribe even sen you wey Be agbor man ... not even the Edo or ur Yoruba you dey try impress .. not even the urhubos or ishekiri..

Till infinite agbor remains a village by the road side begging to be carried along by the ofu obi

And will remain Uzu in southern Nigeri
They’re not up nor down.. just hanging .

Good morning and bye

Begging Seriously!
They've the CDS who's peppering you guys, The CBN Gov. who banned Rice Importation (a trade practiced by your People).

This is the real History of the Mighty Kingdom of Agbor.

OP more Grace to your Race.

#Meffy2023

spearman:
History/Origin of Agbor

Agbor is the biggest and the most cosmopolitan city of the lka nation. The historic origin of Agbor kingdom as we stated earlier has different angles. Some writers trace the origin of Agbor to the reign of Oba Ewedo of Benin. According to this perspective - the Oba had twin sons named Edo and Ogugunagbon. Both were subjected to a kind of lucky dip in order to pick a successor to Oba Ewedo. Ogugunagbon was unlucky to choose the wrong box and had to leave Benin with throng of his supporters to a new location leading to his founding of Agbor. However, Prince Adams Gbenoba in his book "The History and Culture of Agbor (Agbon) Kingdom" agrees with the Benin origin but adds another angle:

"Without doubt, beyond myths and legends by way of oral tradition, no accounts can be more authentic than the neutral, historical accounts of colonial travelers, explorers and administrators. Mr. J. Macrae-Simpson on page 5 of his "1935 INTELLIGENCE REPORT ON THE AGBOR CLAN IN THE AGBOR DISTRICT' recorded thus: "Talbet, on page 168 of Volume 1 of Southern Nigeria", quotes an extract from the chronicle of the Dutch historian-traveller Henrik Nyendael, which seems to be a description of the exodus from Benin of the founder of Agbor Clan: "After this barbarity, the King aIso found a third manthat stood on hisway, who, being universally beloved,was timely warned ...and accordingly took his flight, accompanied by three-fourths of the inhabitants of the town. The King caused the fugitives to be pursued.. Then the fugitives, thoroughly incensed and flushed, came directly to the City, which they plundered and pillaged, sparing no place but the King's Court; after which he returned, but incessantly continued to rob the inhabitants of Great Benin, till at last a peace was concluded ... He lives two or three days' journey from Benin, where he keeps at Agbor as great a Court and State as the King...".Talbet goes on to say that of the two families that left Benin at this time (shortly before Nyandael's visit in 1702), one settled at Agbor while the other went to Obior, another Clan in the Agbor District. Of the same Obior family came also the ancestors of Onitsha-Mili (the Onitsha Waterside of today). It is a tradition of the Obior people, and indeed of most of the Clans between them and the Niger, and also of Onitsha itself, that their tribe was founded by Chima a refugee from Benin City...The story is that Chima?, when driven from Benin, traveled eastwards towards the Niger, which he eventually crossed, and settled in Onitsha. There he begat nine children, of which eight died, leaving him with a daughter called Owuwu. Believing that the loss of his children was caused by witchcraft, he left Onitsha and returning to Agbor, long existing country, settled at Osarra (present day Ozanogogo- previously called Ozarra- in Agbor Kingdom), where one of the quarters to this day bears the name of his sole remaining child, Owuwu.

Similarly Onyekpeze F. A, a foremost writer of lka history in his book ·An outline of the Culture & Socio-Economic Interest of the Ika Nation emphasizes this trend of the Benin factor in the formation of Agbor: One factor is that the place names of Agbor and Its outlying settlements are Bini words. Another factor which buttresses Agbor claim to Bini origin is that the villages in Agbor Town viz, lghogbe, Olihe, Ogbeisere, Ohumere, Ehaikpen, Ogbesogban and Ogbeiwaise, etc. are a replica of the villages in Benin City. In addition, even the lhogbes of Agbor like the lghogbes of Benin City, claim lfe origin and their ancestors are believed to have accompanied Prince Oromiyan from lfeto Benin to establish the present monarchy.

The Agbor titleship, Uzaman, lhaime, Odlonwere and Ehaivbo, and its system of government are similar to those of Benin. Furthermore, inAgbor's oral tradition, the king of Agborwas popularly known as Ogle Agbon, meaning the ruler of the whole world. The question which arises is, when did the title of the ruler of Agbor change from Ogle to Obi of Agbor? One can therefore acceptthe Bini oral tradition that the rulers of lka now called Obis were Ogies as other rulers or Chiefs or Oba's representatives in Benin Division. It may be that the rulers of lka, especially the ruler of Agbor regarded Ogle as belittling and wanted a more prestigious title, especially after successfully severing political relationship with Benin following the deportation of Oba Ovoramwen in 1898.

Despite these different views Agbor continues to wax stronger with a rich cultura Iheritage.

1. Ime-Obizone comprising of:
(i) Ogbemudein
(ii) lhaikpen
(iii) lghogbe
(iv) Ohumere
(v) Ogbe-lsere
(vi) Ogbe-lsogban
(vii) Obi-Oiihe
(viii Oruru
(ix) ldumu Agbamise.
(x) Ogbe-Ase (lwase).

2. Ihuiyase zone comprising of:
(i) Ewuru
(ii) Agbor-Nta
(iii) Aliokpu
(iv) Alihami
(v) Alihagu I& II
(vi) Oki
(vii) Alifekede
(viii) Aliagwai
(ix) ldumu-Oza

3.1hu-Ozomor zone
(i) Alizomor
(ii) Omumu
(iii) Alisimie ldumu ltenei
(iv) Oza-Nogogo
(v) Owuwu
(vi) Uvbere
(vii) Alisor
(viii) Alibido
(ix) Aliebi
(x) ldumuenwan
(xi) Alileha
(xii) ldumnleha

4. Orogodo zone comprising of:
(i) GRAI & II
(ii) Orogodo Urban or Boji Boji-Agbor
(iii) Emuhu

5. Ekuku-Agbor zone comprising of:
(iv) Ekuku-Agbor
(v) Alidinma
(vi) Obi lduhon
(vii) ObiAgbor
It is pertinent to point here three of these villages- Alisor, Alilehan and Ozanogogo speak Oza language of the edo people and notthe lka language.

Government of Agbor

The monarchy rules the Agbor kingdom.The Dein is the king of Agbor kingdom. He is the supreme authority for the whole entire kingdom. Dein was the first ruler of Agbor .He reigned from 1270 to 1307 with his headquarters at Agbor-nta. However, the headquarters of the Agbor Kingdom has moved to different locations for a couple of times in order to maintain a modicum of impregnability and invincibility of the kingdom. The Dein was the commander in chief of the Agbor kingdom. Agbor warriors feared no foe. Their exploits are legendary and they maintained their territories with an iron fist. The Agbor kingdom founded outposts towns far away from the kingdom to protect itself from foreign invasions.

Dynasty till Date

1. Dein 1270 to 1307
2. Owuwu 1307 to 1333
3. Akina 1333 to 1460
4. Agho 1460 to 1518
5. Oguade 1518 to 1594
6. Ahisama 1598 to 1630
7. Oseh 1630 to 1650
8. Oje-1650 to 1658
9. Adigwe 1698 to 1740
10. Modu 1740 to 1795
11. Obanor 1795 to 1885
12. Odin 1885 to 1890
13. Gbenoba 1890 to 1911
14. Agborbu 1914 to 1929
15. Obika 1935 to 1967
16. lkenchuku 1968 to 1979
17. Kiagboekuzi 1979 till date.

The above is a concocted crap for gullibly ignoramuses.

Unzerious:


Begging Seriously!
They've the CDS who's peppering you guys, The CBN Gov. who banned Rice Importation (a trade practiced by your People).

This is the real History of the Mighty Kingdom of Agbor.

OP more Grace to your Race.

#Meffy2023

CDS PEPPER IGBOS ..

Sorry are you educated at all? Like you go school .. or just fortunate lout with phone

Na question walahi..

Your gibberish is surprising walahi

Frigga13:


CDS PEPPER IGBOS ..

Sorry are you educated at all? Like you go school .. or just fortunate lout with phone

Na question walahi..

Your gibberish is surprising walahi

Your Academic Prowess has nothing to do with the Truth. Sorry If I sounded Genocidal

If you're looking for Balderdash, re-read your Comment

Unzerious:


Your Academic Prowess has nothing to do with the Truth. Sorry If I sounded Genocidal

If you're looking for Balderdash, re-read your Comment

Yawn..

The difference between igbo and agbor is agbor had their history written down by their ancestor while the same didn't happen with the igbo.

SlyDev:
The difference between igbo and agbor is agbor had their history written down by their ancestor while the same didn't happen with the igbo.

u're very ignorant

Akudaisi:
u're very ignorant

You mean Igbo that don't know their history

SlyDev:


You mean Igbo that don't know their history

Please what's Agbor history, who was the first Agbor man,who was the first Agbor woman and who gave birth to them and which part of Agbor did they occupy?

Please write on Bini next.
Great history

Akudaisi:
Please what's Agbor history, who was the first Agbor man,who was the first Agbor woman and who gave birth to them and which part of Agbor did they occupy?

Who was the first igbo man?

SlyDev:


Who was the first igbo man?

Eri, the father of agu ukwu nri and umueri.

SlyDev:


Who was the first igbo man?

don't be silly.
Did I ever claim Igbo had a documented history,I didn't.
You claim Agbor had one and am giving u a chance to prove it yet you can't .
Oponu

Achilles881:


Eri, the father of agu ukwu nri and umueri.

Who is Eri? Who documented it?

Akudaisi:
don't be silly.
Did I ever claim Igbo had a documented history,I didn't.
You claim Agbor had one and am giving u a chance to prove it yet you can't .
Oponu

Akudaisi wan kill me, one of your beer parlour professor don talk say na umueri

SlyDev:


Who is Eri? Who documented it?

Simple logic is really far from many

You asked.....he gave you

He asked..... you haven't provided (just mention a name and square the peg)


Rash I must say....too rash!!

Outta here!!!

Sergio104:


Simple logic is really far from many

You asked.....he gave you

He asked..... you haven't provided (just mention a name and square the peg)


Rash I must say....too rash!!

Outta here!!!

Eri can't be the first igbo man, Eri is a recent concept among igbos

SlyDev:


Eri can't be the first igbo man, Eri is a recent concept among igbos

Let's not throw the stone far

You guys discussion was "give me, I give you"

Eri may not be the first (which I believe myself)

But at least he gave you, now mention your own

Or quietly move out of this thread bro

The Dein Of Agbor was at the Ooni Sijuwades Coronation In 1980

He was about 2 years old and had to be Carried by one of his High Chiefs

Everyone was astonished that the Young Child was also an Oba

So the Moment some People narrated Agbor History completely leaving Benin and Ife out of it

It was obvious they had missed road big time

Dein Of Agbor is descended from Oduduwa and Oba of Benin

SlyDev:


Eri can't be the first igbo man, Eri is a recent concept among igbos

You really don't know anything about Igbo


The Divine Kings (Eze nri) of Agukwu-nri: Short Profiles

(The first seven Eze Nris used the regnal title ‘nri namoke’ and came from the section of nri Town known as Diodo. Most traditions have however telescoped them into one Eze nri, simply known as Nrinamoke.)

1. Ogbuodudu Akakọmme (nri namoke I) – Ogbuodudu Akakọmme, the first nri namoke, was also known as Okporo Odudu. He was an isiobi or what you call the first son of eri's first son and migrated from Agụleri to Amanuke, tthe successor of okporo odudu, Eze nri left Amanuke and migrated to the present site of nri Town (after a brief stay at Achalla-Isuana) where he founded the Diodo section of that town. It was from the Diodo section of nri Town that the Eze nri originally came until the kingship passed to Nribụife from the Agụkwu section some generations later.

2. Edu Anyịm (nri namoke II) – Son of Ogbuodudu/Okporo Odudu. He appears to have been an Eze nri of far-reaching prestige, because his name is still recalled in the traditions and the rituals of the people of far-away Akụ, near Nsụka. For instance, the Akụ people claim that the Odo cult was introduced to their town by ritual agents from nri; and on the day that the Odo spirits are to depart to the spirit world after the Odo festival period, this proclamation is made in Akụ: “Nshi namoke Nwa Okporo Odudu, Ezitere Odo na ọnọghalụ n'Igbo.” (Translation: nri namoke, son of Okporo Odudu [the first king of nri], Has sent a message that Odo has overstayed outside.)

3. nri Egbobe (nri namoke III) – According to traditions, nri Egbobe was not qualified by blood to ascend the throne, i.e., he was a usurper. But because no eligible successor to Edu Anyịm could be found from the line of Okporo Odudu, he was crowned. His reign was brief and characterised by disorder, for he was a tyrant. The Diodo people hated him, and finally decided to be rid of him. It was an abomination to shed kingly blood, so the people settled on carrying him away to the Evil Forest, tying him to a tree, and leaving him there to die. For seven days the deposed king rained curses on the people from the tree in the forest. He declared that they would be struck by misfortunes and disasters, depopulated and would remain a small community (Ana Nta). Then he died. The curse seemed to have worked. Many young men from Diodo were killed in a tree-felling accident. This was perceived as a bad omen and led to a mass exodus of people from the Diodo section. Diodo was left under-populated. The underpopulation may have affected the balance of power in nri Town and may have been a remote contributing factor to the eventual shifting of power from Diodo to Agukwu.

Nothing is remembered about the careers of the next three Eze Nris, whose reigns probably belonged to the 15th century:
4. Anwụ Obele (nri namoke IV)
5. Odunukwe (nri namoke V)
6. Agufugo Egbeli (nri namoke VI)

7. Ezeagụ Akubilo (nri namoke VII) – By the time of nri namoke VII, the Agụkwu section of nri Town had been established by nri Ifikuanim who appears to have instituted a parallel kingship at Agụkwu. nri Ifikuanim and his people had migrated directly from the town of Ugbene, but were also ultimately of Ụmụeri descent. A daughter of nri namoke VII was given in marriage to nri Ifikuanim (or a descendant of his). This daughter had a son who became Nribụife.

In his old age, nri namoke VII was utterly neglected by his people, the Diodo section. It was during this time that one of his sons named Avọ emigrated and established the 'rival' nri centre at Ọraeri. Nribụife, his (nri namoke VII's) daughter’s son, was the one who took care of him and brought him food. When he was nearing the end of his life, nri namoke VII cursed his family and declared that the eze-ship would depart from Diodo and never return to it, and that if any Diodo man attempted to take up the title of Eze nri he would perish. He then handed the paraphernalia of royal office to his grandson, Nribụife from the Nrifikwuanim line. Nrifikwuanim kings from Agụkwu have being reigning in nri Town since then. (Although recently the Diodo people have tried to resurrect their claim to the kingship by having one of their sons Chikadibia Ọgụnmọ crowned as nri namoke VIII, as a counterpoise to the more recognised king of the Nrifikwuanim line, nri Enweleana II.)

8. Nribụịfe –Nribụịfe unified the two moieties of Agụkwu and Diodo-Akamkpịsị into one kingship and ruled as the first Eze nri of both communities. He established the “Council of State” known as Nzemabụa made up of twelve high-ranking ozo titleholders.

9. nri Ọmalọ – Nothing is remembered about him, except his name.

10. Nrijimọfọ I – Remembered as a great king during whose time nri itinerant ritual agents spread the cult of ikenga all over the northern and western Igbo areas. According to Ọnwụejeọgwụ, nri influence, during this time, reached Nsụka in the north, the vicinity of Ọlụ in the south, and as far west as the vicinity of Agbọ. But, as we have seen, Akụ traditions suggest that nri influence had reached the Nsụka area earlier in the time of the nri namoke kings. What happened in the time of Nrijimọfọ I was probably consolidation of an already far-flung area of influence, and expansion into some new areas, especially to the west.

11. nri Ọmalonyeso – Nothing is remembered about him, except his name.

12. nri Anyamata – (mid 17th century.) The only notable event associated with this king was a long drought (probably in the 1640s), which was followed by severe famine all over the area within nri’s sphere of influence. Ọnwụejeọgwụ puts his reign to between c. 1465 and 1511, and Douglas Chambers to between c. 1500 and 1530. The chronology of the Little Ice Age droughts in West Africa suggests his reign could have been in the middle of the 17th century.

13. nri Fenenu – (later part of the 17th century.) Fenenu was renowned for his mystical powers. It was said that he lived to be over one hundred years. Because he lived to be so old, people began to believe he was immortal. His reign is associated with one of the earliest remembered appearances of a large host of locusts (igwulube) in the area. The Eze nri are believed to have the ability to control the appearance and disappearance of locusts; it can then be understood how the Coming of Locusts during the reign of Fenenu added to his renown as a powerful mystic.
In the last years of his reign (according to traditions), nri Fenenu mastered the art of levitation, from which he got his ‘reign name’ – Fenenu. One evening, so goes the story, the old king came out into his courtyard to ‘bask in the evening sun’. There he floated away into the sky, and came to rest atop a tall iroko tree. This display of supernatural powers deeply troubled the townspeople. He remained there atop the tree until the elders of Agụkwu with their ọfọ sticks assembled and petitioned him to come down and die like an ordinary eze. Everyone was relieved when the king descended from his lofty perch some hours later. The head of the Adama people went and touched him on the forehead with the ọfọ and he died at once and was buried. Jeffreys suggests that this ‘touching on the forehead with the ọfọ’ is probably a euphemism for ‘ritually killing the king’. In African history, divine kings who had reigned for too long or who were perceived to be dangerously too powerful were asked to die or were killed by their officials; and this might have been the fate of nri Fenenu. His descendants and the people of his lineage (the Ụmụnnechi lineage) were thereafter debarred from ever producing an Eze nri again. This debarment still holds true today.

14. nri Agụ – The beginning of nri Agụ’s reign portended great promise. There was an increase in trade, resulting in an increasing accumulation of wealth by a section of the people. Dr TN Nwaezeigwe suggests that a number of nri settlements sprang up in western Igboland during his reign, pre-eminently in the Anịọcha-Oshimili axis, including Ọgwashị-Ukwu and Ogboli-Igboụzọ. Ogboli Igboụzọ is still called Ogboli Nshi-Agụ and Ọgwashi-Ukwu called Adaigbo Nshi-Agụ, apparently after him; and a secondary school in Ọgwashi-Uku still bears his name. However, it must be stated that the 'rival' centre of Ọraeri also had an Eze-nri who was known as nri Agụ, and it might have been this Eze-nri, rather than the one who reigned in Agụkwu, who was connected with the founding of Ọgwashi-Ukwu and Ogboli Igboụzọ. The traditions closely link nri Agụ of Ọraeri with the River Niger.

nri Agụ of Agụkwu soon found his life as an Eze nri with all its restrictions and rigid observances unbearable. He therefore abdicated and, with a few faithful followers, secretly left the town and went to settle in Ọraukwu. It is said that a chiefly lineage in the latter town (Ọraukwu) still traces its origin to nri Agụ.

15. nri Alike and nri Apịa – After nri Agụ, two very wealthy men vied for the nri throne – Alike and Apịa. Being men of means and power, no one could stop them and they both succeeded in getting themselves crowned as Eze nri – the first time the town had seen two crowned kings since the unification under Nribụịfe . Apparently, the trade boom that began in the reign of nri Agu had affected the politics of nri: a class of noveau riche had risen who could force or manoeuvre their way into power. They both died ominously. According to some traditions, they both died on the same day; according to other traditions, they died within one market week (four days) of each other.
The reign of Alike and Apịa witnessed a massive expansion of the trans-Atlantic trade in slaves. This trade appears to have only penetrated the nri-influenced areas significantly from the middle of the 18th century, when we got the first reference to an Igbo slave in the New World with ichi marks, in 1752. Thus, it is likely the reign of Alike and Apịa embraced the mid-18th century. And while these two Eze nri authorised the inhumane trade in slaves (perhaps because they were traders themselves who might have also dealt in slaves), they declared it an abomination to kill or bleed a slave. This is the origin of the claim by the nri people that they did not practise human sacrifice. (There are, however, indications that human sacrifice persisted in nri.)

16. nri Ezimilo – Before his selection as the next Eze nri, nri Ezimilo had been a ritual agent based in Asaba. He was recalled to nri Town and consecrated. One night, however, shortly after he became Eze nri, he was murdered by thieves from Enugwu Ukwu. The thieves were raiders who had come to the king’s compound to steal the cattle paid to the Eze nri as tribute. nri Ezimilo had gone out into his yard to see what was going on when the men, not knowing his identity, murdered him. The death of nri Ezimilo was followed by a severe drought which was said to have affected all of Igboland. This was probably in the late 18th century (sometime between the 1770s and the 1790s) when, according to records, several parts of the West African forest regions were affected by drought.

17. nri Enwenetem – Because of nri Ezimilo’s untimely death and because of the drought, which was attributed to the wrath of the murdered king, his son was allowed to step into his father’s position immediately (without the necessary interregnum), and he became Eze nri Enwenetem. This was the first and only time a son was succeeding his father as Eze nri, at least since the time of the nri Namokes. It was also the first and only time an interregnum was not observed after the passing of the preceding king. The drought that followed his father’s death is said to have only ended when Enugwu Ukwu made amends for the murder by giving up an Enugwu Ukwu son and an Enugwu Ukwu daughter to die in nri in compensation.

18. nri Añụa – Around the turn of the 19th century, Añụa was consecrated as Eze nri. He was an aged man, and soon agreed to abdicate in favour of a younger candidate. He has officially been forgotten, and his name does not appear in the official kinglist. His descendants, however, (the Añụa minimal lineage within ỤmụNri major lineage of Obeagụ) have kept his memory alive by maintaining an Eze-nri Añụa Royal Band.

19. nri Enweleana I – nri Añụa was to be succeeded by a man whose name is remembered as Nwankpọ, but the position was forcibly wrestled from Nwankpọ in what was essentially a coup by a young firebrand who assumed the position of Eze nri as nri Enweleana I. The reign of nri Enweleana I coincided with the career of the notorious Arọ slave dealer Okoli Ijọma of Ndịkeliọnwụ, who was raiding the nri-Ọka axis in the mid-19th century. Enweleana I sent his ritual agents to dissuade Ijọma from slave-raiding and from instigating towns to fight one another with arms and the Ada [Edda] warriors which he (Ijọma) supplied. But when Ijọma rebuffed the Eze nri’s diplomatic overtures, Enweleana I placed an anathema on him and formed a military alliance called Amakọm to resist the activities of the Arọ slavers. It was probably around this time that nri, Ọka, Enugwu-Ukwu and some other towns within nri’s sphere of ritual control stopped holding slaves and a settlement was set up for refugees from slave raids and ex-slaves, known as Amọbịa. The member-towns of the Amakọm military alliance set up to resist the Arọ were: Ọka, Nibo, Nise, Amọbịa, Ugwuọba, Enugwu-Agịdị, Ebenebe, Ukpo, and Amansi. The military alliance is said to have achieved some success in checking the Edda raids in the nri-Ọka axis, notably defeating the hired warriors at Nọfia and Enugwu-Ukwu. nri Enweleana I died around 1869 and was succeeded after a long interregnum of about 20 years by nri Ọbalike.

20. nri Ọbalike – nri Obalike became Eze nri around 1889, and was the Eze nri when British colonialism arrived in the heart of Igboland. Against the tradition that an Eze nri must not leave his town, the British forced him to attend the Native Court at Ọka. It was a reflection of the awe and terror in which the people of the nri-Ọka axis held the Eze nri that when nri Ọbalike entered the Native Court for the first time while a sitting was going on, the whole assembly rose and prepared to flee.There, in Ọka, he was forced (at gunpoint, my sources say) to renounce the powers of his sacred office. In August 1911, the British colonial administrators struck the biggest blow on the power of Eze nri Ọbalike when they compelled the Eze nri to publicly abolish nsọ and alụ (the very props of the Eze nri’s authority) in a gathering of the Eze Anị (chief priests of the Anị deity) at Nkwọ Marketplace in Enugwu-Ukwu. By this act, the Eze nri was repudiating his ritual control of Igbo communities: the nri hegemony had come to an end, in theory at least. Eze nri Ọbalike passed on in 1926.

21. Nrijimọfọ II – The first Eze nri of a ‘modern’ nri Town. He was enthroned in 1936 after an interregnum of 10 years.

22. nri Enweleana II – Eze nri Enweleana II Obidiegwu Onyeso became Eze nri in 1988. He died around 2018 (the death and burial of Eze nri are not usually publicised, as they were supposed to be immortal), and his son Prince Ikenna Onyeso was confirmed as Regent of nri in 2019 till date.

Achilles881:



You really don't know anything about Igbo


The Divine Kings (Eze nri) of Agukwu-nri: Short Profiles

(The first seven Eze Nris used the regnal title ‘nri namoke’ and came from the section of nri Town known as Diodo. Most traditions have however telescoped them into one Eze nri, simply known as Nrinamoke.)

1. Ogbuodudu Akakọmme (nri namoke I) – Ogbuodudu Akakọmme, the first nri namoke, was also known as Okporo Odudu. He was an isiobi or what you call the first son of eri's first son and migrated from Agụleri to Amanuke, tthe successor of okporo odudu, Eze nri left Amanuke and migrated to the present site of nri Town (after a brief stay at Achalla-Isuana) where he founded the Diodo section of that town. It was from the Diodo section of nri Town that the Eze nri originally came until the kingship passed to Nribụife from the Agụkwu section some generations later.

2. Edu Anyịm (nri namoke II) – Son of Ogbuodudu/Okporo Odudu. He appears to have been an Eze nri of far-reaching prestige, because his name is still recalled in the traditions and the rituals of the people of far-away Akụ, near Nsụka. For instance, the Akụ people claim that the Odo cult was introduced to their town by ritual agents from nri; and on the day that the Odo spirits are to depart to the spirit world after the Odo festival period, this proclamation is made in Akụ: “Nshi namoke Nwa Okporo Odudu, Ezitere Odo na ọnọghalụ n'Igbo.” (Translation: nri namoke, son of Okporo Odudu [the first king of nri], Has sent a message that Odo has overstayed outside.)

3. nri Egbobe (nri namoke III) – According to traditions, nri Egbobe was not qualified by blood to ascend the throne, i.e., he was a usurper. But because no eligible successor to Edu Anyịm could be found from the line of Okporo Odudu, he was crowned. His reign was brief and characterised by disorder, for he was a tyrant. The Diodo people hated him, and finally decided to be rid of him. It was an abomination to shed kingly blood, so the people settled on carrying him away to the Evil Forest, tying him to a tree, and leaving him there to die. For seven days the deposed king rained curses on the people from the tree in the forest. He declared that they would be struck by misfortunes and disasters, depopulated and would remain a small community (Ana Nta). Then he died. The curse seemed to have worked. Many young men from Diodo were killed in a tree-felling accident. This was perceived as a bad omen and led to a mass exodus of people from the Diodo section. Diodo was left under-populated. The underpopulation may have affected the balance of power in nri Town and may have been a remote contributing factor to the eventual shifting of power from Diodo to Agukwu.

Nothing is remembered about the careers of the next three Eze Nris, whose reigns probably belonged to the 15th century:
4. Anwụ Obele (nri namoke IV)
5. Odunukwe (nri namoke V)
6. Agufugo Egbeli (nri namoke VI)

7. Ezeagụ Akubilo (nri namoke VII) – By the time of nri namoke VII, the Agụkwu section of nri Town had been established by nri Ifikuanim who appears to have instituted a parallel kingship at Agụkwu. nri Ifikuanim and his people had migrated directly from the town of Ugbene, but were also ultimately of Ụmụeri descent. A daughter of nri namoke VII was given in marriage to nri Ifikuanim (or a descendant of his). This daughter had a son who became Nribụife.

In his old age, nri namoke VII was utterly neglected by his people, the Diodo section. It was during this time that one of his sons named Avọ emigrated and established the 'rival' nri centre at Ọraeri. Nribụife, his (nri namoke VII's) daughter’s son, was the one who took care of him and brought him food. When he was nearing the end of his life, nri namoke VII cursed his family and declared that the eze-ship would depart from Diodo and never return to it, and that if any Diodo man attempted to take up the title of Eze nri he would perish. He then handed the paraphernalia of royal office to his grandson, Nribụife from the Nrifikwuanim line. Nrifikwuanim kings from Agụkwu have being reigning in nri Town since then. (Although recently the Diodo people have tried to resurrect their claim to the kingship by having one of their sons Chikadibia Ọgụnmọ crowned as nri namoke VIII, as a counterpoise to the more recognised king of the Nrifikwuanim line, nri Enweleana II.)

8. Nribụịfe –Nribụịfe unified the two moieties of Agụkwu and Diodo-Akamkpịsị into one kingship and ruled as the first Eze nri of both communities. He established the “Council of State” known as Nzemabụa made up of twelve high-ranking ozo titleholders.

9. nri Ọmalọ – Nothing is remembered about him, except his name.

10. Nrijimọfọ I – Remembered as a great king during whose time nri itinerant ritual agents spread the cult of ikenga all over the northern and western Igbo areas. According to Ọnwụejeọgwụ, nri influence, during this time, reached Nsụka in the north, the vicinity of Ọlụ in the south, and as far west as the vicinity of Agbọ. But, as we have seen, Akụ traditions suggest that nri influence had reached the Nsụka area earlier in the time of the nri namoke kings. What happened in the time of Nrijimọfọ I was probably consolidation of an already far-flung area of influence, and expansion into some new areas, especially to the west.

11. nri Ọmalonyeso – Nothing is remembered about him, except his name.

12. nri Anyamata – (mid 17th century.) The only notable event associated with this king was a long drought (probably in the 1640s), which was followed by severe famine all over the area within nri’s sphere of influence. Ọnwụejeọgwụ puts his reign to between c. 1465 and 1511, and Douglas Chambers to between c. 1500 and 1530. The chronology of the Little Ice Age droughts in West Africa suggests his reign could have been in the middle of the 17th century.

13. nri Fenenu – (later part of the 17th century.) Fenenu was renowned for his mystical powers. It was said that he lived to be over one hundred years. Because he lived to be so old, people began to believe he was immortal. His reign is associated with one of the earliest remembered appearances of a large host of locusts (igwulube) in the area. The Eze nri are believed to have the ability to control the appearance and disappearance of locusts; it can then be understood how the Coming of Locusts during the reign of Fenenu added to his renown as a powerful mystic.
In the last years of his reign (according to traditions), nri Fenenu mastered the art of levitation, from which he got his ‘reign name’ – Fenenu. One evening, so goes the story, the old king came out into his courtyard to ‘bask in the evening sun’. There he floated away into the sky, and came to rest atop a tall iroko tree. This display of supernatural powers deeply troubled the townspeople. He remained there atop the tree until the elders of Agụkwu with their ọfọ sticks assembled and petitioned him to come down and die like an ordinary eze. Everyone was relieved when the king descended from his lofty perch some hours later. The head of the Adama people went and touched him on the forehead with the ọfọ and he died at once and was buried. Jeffreys suggests that this ‘touching on the forehead with the ọfọ’ is probably a euphemism for ‘ritually killing the king’. In African history, divine kings who had reigned for too long or who were perceived to be dangerously too powerful were asked to die or were killed by their officials; and this might have been the fate of nri Fenenu. His descendants and the people of his lineage (the Ụmụnnechi lineage) were thereafter debarred from ever producing an Eze nri again. This debarment still holds true today.

14. nri Agụ – The beginning of nri Agụ’s reign portended great promise. There was an increase in trade, resulting in an increasing accumulation of wealth by a section of the people. Dr TN Nwaezeigwe suggests that a number of nri settlements sprang up in western Igboland during his reign, pre-eminently in the Anịọcha-Oshimili axis, including Ọgwashị-Ukwu and Ogboli-Igboụzọ. Ogboli Igboụzọ is still called Ogboli Nshi-Agụ and Ọgwashi-Ukwu called Adaigbo Nshi-Agụ, apparently after him; and a secondary school in Ọgwashi-Uku still bears his name. However, it must be stated that the 'rival' centre of Ọraeri also had an Eze-nri who was known as nri Agụ, and it might have been this Eze-nri, rather than the one who reigned in Agụkwu, who was connected with the founding of Ọgwashi-Ukwu and Ogboli Igboụzọ. The traditions closely link nri Agụ of Ọraeri with the River Niger.

nri Agụ of Agụkwu soon found his life as an Eze nri with all its restrictions and rigid observances unbearable. He therefore abdicated and, with a few faithful followers, secretly left the town and went to settle in Ọraukwu. It is said that a chiefly lineage in the latter town (Ọraukwu) still traces its origin to nri Agụ.

15. nri Alike and nri Apịa – After nri Agụ, two very wealthy men vied for the nri throne – Alike and Apịa. Being men of means and power, no one could stop them and they both succeeded in getting themselves crowned as Eze nri – the first time the town had seen two crowned kings since the unification under Nribụịfe . Apparently, the trade boom that began in the reign of nri Agu had affected the politics of nri: a class of noveau riche had risen who could force or manoeuvre their way into power. They both died ominously. According to some traditions, they both died on the same day; according to other traditions, they died within one market week (four days) of each other.
The reign of Alike and Apịa witnessed a massive expansion of the trans-Atlantic trade in slaves. This trade appears to have only penetrated the nri-influenced areas significantly from the middle of the 18th century, when we got the first reference to an Igbo slave in the New World with ichi marks, in 1752. Thus, it is likely the reign of Alike and Apịa embraced the mid-18th century. And while these two Eze nri authorised the inhumane trade in slaves (perhaps because they were traders themselves who might have also dealt in slaves), they declared it an abomination to kill or bleed a slave. This is the origin of the claim by the nri people that they did not practise human sacrifice. (There are, however, indications that human sacrifice persisted in nri.)

16. nri Ezimilo – Before his selection as the next Eze nri, nri Ezimilo had been a ritual agent based in Asaba. He was recalled to nri Town and consecrated. One night, however, shortly after he became Eze nri, he was murdered by thieves from Enugwu Ukwu. The thieves were raiders who had come to the king’s compound to steal the cattle paid to the Eze nri as tribute. nri Ezimilo had gone out into his yard to see what was going on when the men, not knowing his identity, murdered him. The death of nri Ezimilo was followed by a severe drought which was said to have affected all of Igboland. This was probably in the late 18th century (sometime between the 1770s and the 1790s) when, according to records, several parts of the West African forest regions were affected by drought.

17. nri Enwenetem – Because of nri Ezimilo’s untimely death and because of the drought, which was attributed to the wrath of the murdered king, his son was allowed to step into his father’s position immediately (without the necessary interregnum), and he became Eze nri Enwenetem. This was the first and only time a son was succeeding his father as Eze nri, at least since the time of the nri Namokes. It was also the first and only time an interregnum was not observed after the passing of the preceding king. The drought that followed his father’s death is said to have only ended when Enugwu Ukwu made amends for the murder by giving up an Enugwu Ukwu son and an Enugwu Ukwu daughter to die in nri in compensation.

18. nri Añụa – Around the turn of the 19th century, Añụa was consecrated as Eze nri. He was an aged man, and soon agreed to abdicate in favour of a younger candidate. He has officially been forgotten, and his name does not appear in the official kinglist. His descendants, however, (the Añụa minimal lineage within ỤmụNri major lineage of Obeagụ) have kept his memory alive by maintaining an Eze-nri Añụa Royal Band.

19. nri Enweleana I – nri Añụa was to be succeeded by a man whose name is remembered as Nwankpọ, but the position was forcibly wrestled from Nwankpọ in what was essentially a coup by a young firebrand who assumed the position of Eze nri as nri Enweleana I. The reign of nri Enweleana I coincided with the career of the notorious Arọ slave dealer Okoli Ijọma of Ndịkeliọnwụ, who was raiding the nri-Ọka axis in the mid-19th century. Enweleana I sent his ritual agents to dissuade Ijọma from slave-raiding and from instigating towns to fight one another with arms and the Ada [Edda] warriors which he (Ijọma) supplied. But when Ijọma rebuffed the Eze nri’s diplomatic overtures, Enweleana I placed an anathema on him and formed a military alliance called Amakọm to resist the activities of the Arọ slavers. It was probably around this time that nri, Ọka, Enugwu-Ukwu and some other towns within nri’s sphere of ritual control stopped holding slaves and a settlement was set up for refugees from slave raids and ex-slaves, known as Amọbịa. The member-towns of the Amakọm military alliance set up to resist the Arọ were: Ọka, Nibo, Nise, Amọbịa, Ugwuọba, Enugwu-Agịdị, Ebenebe, Ukpo, and Amansi. The military alliance is said to have achieved some success in checking the Edda raids in the nri-Ọka axis, notably defeating the hired warriors at Nọfia and Enugwu-Ukwu. nri Enweleana I died around 1869 and was succeeded after a long interregnum of about 20 years by nri Ọbalike.

20. nri Ọbalike – nri Obalike became Eze nri around 1889, and was the Eze nri when British colonialism arrived in the heart of Igboland. Against the tradition that an Eze nri must not leave his town, the British forced him to attend the Native Court at Ọka. It was a reflection of the awe and terror in which the people of the nri-Ọka axis held the Eze nri that when nri Ọbalike entered the Native Court for the first time while a sitting was going on, the whole assembly rose and prepared to flee.There, in Ọka, he was forced (at gunpoint, my sources say) to renounce the powers of his sacred office. In August 1911, the British colonial administrators struck the biggest blow on the power of Eze nri Ọbalike when they compelled the Eze nri to publicly abolish nsọ and alụ (the very props of the Eze nri’s authority) in a gathering of the Eze Anị (chief priests of the Anị deity) at Nkwọ Marketplace in Enugwu-Ukwu. By this act, the Eze nri was repudiating his ritual control of Igbo communities: the nri hegemony had come to an end, in theory at least. Eze nri Ọbalike passed on in 1926.

21. Nrijimọfọ II – The first Eze nri of a ‘modern’ nri Town. He was enthroned in 1936 after an interregnum of 10 years.

22. nri Enweleana II – Eze nri Enweleana II Obidiegwu Onyeso became Eze nri in 1988. He died around 2018 (the death and burial of Eze nri are not usually publicised, as they were supposed to be immortal), and his son Prince Ikenna Onyeso was confirmed as Regent of nri in 2019 till date.

This is one clan history, not all igbo accept this

SlyDev:


Akudaisi wan kill me, one of your beer parlour professor don talk say na umueri

thank God u said Umueri
Wetin concern an isu person like me with Umueri history

SlyDev:


This is one clan history, not all igbo accept this

They don't dispute it, their problem is to determine who came directly from okporo odudu and those who came from indirectly from othe Sona of eri, but to say the truth, nando, nanka, neni and mendi who owerri people descended from are his direct descendants. Bende people descended from Western Igbo.

Achilles881:



They don't dispute it, their problem is to determine who came directly from okporo odudu and those who came from indirectly from othe Sona of eri, but to say the truth, nando, nanka, neni and mendi who owerri people descended from are his direct descendants. Bende people descended from Western Igbo.

I love the idea that you were calm with me even when you know I was going extra, I will pick it up and read thanks

SlyDev:


This is one clan history, not all igbo accept this

Same way oduduwa is one clan history and also recent. Forget about the acceptance or otherwise

basilo101:

Same way oduduwa is one clan history and also recent. Forget about the acceptance or otherwise

Oduduwa is not a one clan history.

All Yorubas believe and accept they are descendants of Oduduwa.

forgiveness:


Oduduwa is not a one clan history.

All Yorubas believe and accept they are descendants of Oduduwa.

Forget stories, even those who object only end up coming up with an eri descendant, when my people in orlu part of imo disputed with uga in anambra who is senior, we ended with achina, a junior to uga, who descended from igboukwu, a scion of eri's descendant, puffing shoulder, because of population growth will not cut it.