Ibenu was a twentieth century West African warrior from the Idoma tribe of Benue-Plateau Nigeria who lived. According to oral history, Ibenu was told to be a warrior who lived in the twentieth century. Ibenu is the son of Ikwu of the Ohimini-Idoma tribes. Ikwu has a genealogy of five generations as recalled, chiefly, Ibenu, Nnaji, Okopi, Ajama and Agbo the king of the Ochobo Kingdom which fall under the nine local government in Idoma land of the twenty-three local government in Benue State, Nigeria. Ikwu beget Ibenu, Ibenu beget Nnaji, Nnaji beget Okopi, Okopi beget Ajama, Ajama beget Agbo. Agbo has many children few which oral history recalls was Ocheinehi and Itikpo. Ocheinehi beget Ocheibi Nicholas Ibenu. Ibenu, a young Benue-Plateau Army officer who beget offspring's amongst which are N. Al-Ibenu, R. Al-Ibenu, E. Al-Ibenu. While some are dead and few which are now professionals.

Before the invasion of the Fulani’s, the Idoma race generally was said to have migrated from Egypt and settled in the present-day Plateau and Taraba. They were mainly hunters, farmers and warriors. Before the second World War, Ibenu was said to have settled in Plateau and further on moved to Taraba, as pressure continued, they were pushed to their current location in lower western area of Benue, Nigeria. The Idoma kingdom influenced and has been influenced by the Hausa, and the Jukuns and is likely made up of descendants of these groups who settled and mixed with the native Igala tribes. The Idoma tribes originally was said to have migrated from Egypt while it was told that the Tiv tribes of Benue migrated from Katanga region of Congo-Zaire seven hills in the west Cameroon when all the communities in the Apa region of the Kwororofa were in a state of turmoil, While the Igala tribes of Kogi state migrated from Sudan.

During the war, the Fulani’s were known to be horse soldiers and arrow peddlers while the Idomas fought primarily with the tactics of hole digging to secure their territories. It was told that majority of the invaders primarily died at the verge of the battle line which were usually Dugged hole surrounded with grasses from eye-seen to prevent enemies crossing their territories.

The motive while the Idomas generally does not eat the crocodile and python which is literally called “Ikwu and Idili” in the Idoma dialect was because of its heroic role it played during the invasion. The crocodile acted as a protector for the Idomas by swallowing up the invaders while it stretches from the river, and the python was described more of an Iroko stretching across the great Okpokwu river that crossed the tribes while it sank back to the river after crossing them, and the enemies will watch them across the river bank. Up to recent times, the crocodile is known to take children not of the land and so, during heavy rainfall, people are usually advised generally not to visit the Okpoku river as the crocodile often comes out this period.

Fulani invasion in the 20th century? Didn't the caliphate fall in the 1903?