In recent times a myth has circulated that the Oba of Benin does not leave his palace or travel. Similar myths have spread about other traditional rulers in the past. These stories are not true. I have been watching the news for several decades and I have seen each of these traditional rulers leave their palaces and travel many times.

Ọmọ n'Ọba n'Ẹdo Uku Akpọlọkpọlọ, Akenzua II reigned from 1933 – 1978. In 1950 the British Council invited him to the UK to study their system of local government. In the first picture below you can see him arriving the UK with his wife, Queen Idada (The Ohan of the Harem).

In the second picture below you can see him outside Buckingham Palace, where he met the Queen.

In the third picture you can see Oba Akenzua II at the wheel of a London bus, when he visited the London Transport Drivers' Training School at Chiswick, West London in 1950.

The fourth picture shows the Omo n’Oba boarding a train in the UK.

The first picture below shows Oba Akenzua in the UK.

The second picture shows Oba Akenzua receiving Queen Elizabeth II at Benin Airport. Queen Elizabeth II went on a tour of Nigeria in 1956 and she visited Lagos, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Benin, Port Harcourt, Warri, Enugu, Kano, Kaduna and Jos and she met traditional rulers in each of these cities.

Similarly, I saw Omo n'Oba n'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Erediauwa I, who reigned from 1979 till 2016, leave his palace and travel many times.

Oba Erediauwa travelled to Ife not long after he was crowned in 1979. He went to thank the Ooni of Ife, Sir Adesoji Aderemi, for coming to his coronation (see first picture below). Sir Adesoji Aderemi, as a courtesy to his guest, allowed him to sit on the black leather chair (previously, only the Ooni sat on the chair).

Oba Erediauwa embarked on a thank you tour of Nigeria in 1982. He visited all the other 18 states to thank traditional rulers for coming to his coronation (Nigeria had 19 states back then). I remember watching his visits to the Emir of Kano and the Emir of Zaria on the news.

Didi Museum, the first private museum in Nigeria, was founded in Lagos in May 1983. It was founded by the engineer, explorer and art enthusiast, Dr Newton Jibunoh (in honour of his late sister). The museum was declared open by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero and many traditional rulers, including the Oba of Benin, were present at the event. The second picture below shows Dr. Newton Jibunoh with then Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade Olubuse II and Oba Of Benin, Oba Erediauwa.

The third picture shows the governor of Oyo State, Chief Bola Ige, with Oba Erediauwa and two other traditional rulers. Oba Erediauwa served as the Chancellor of the University of Ibadan and he often attended university activities.

I heard a similar myth about the Sultan of Sokoto in the early 1980s.

Sir Siddiq Abubakar III was Sultan of Sokoto from 1938 till 1988. He was old and ill by the early 1980s. He almost never left his palace. In fact, when people came to visit him, he would whisper what he wanted to say to a man that stood near his throne, then the man would tell the guest what the Sultan said.

Sir Siddiq joined his ancestors in 1988 and President Babangida installed his friend, Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki as Sultan. This annoyed the people of Sokoto, who wanted the late Sultan's son to succeed him. There were very serious riots in Sokoto at the time.

General Abacha removed Dasuki and made Sir Siddiq's son, Alhaji Muhammadu Maccido, the Sultan and this pleased the people of Sokoto.

Alhaji Muhammadu Maccido travelled regularly. In fact, he was coming back from a National Council on Education meeting in Abuja when his plane crashed and he died. His brother, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar became the Sultan.

Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar, like his brother, also leaves the Palace and travels regularly.

I am sure that Sir Siddiq also travelled regularly when he was younger.


The fact is that traditional rulers don't travel often and there are times when some traditional rulers need to be in seclusion, but that does not mean that they do not leave their palace or travel at all.

The reason for the Oba of Benin's recent visits.

1) Germany and the UK decided to return some artefacts that were looted from Benin.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-64038626

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/nov/28/london-museum-returns-looted-benin-city-artefacts-to-nigeria

2) There was a dispute over where it should go. The Oba of Benin wanted them (they were looted from the Palace) and the Edo State Government also wanted them. There was a dispute between the Palace and Government House.

https://punchng.com/dont-allow-obaseki-take-custody-of-1130-stolen-artefacts-oba-of-benin-urges-fg/

3) The Federal Government signed agreements for the return of the artefacts and some people thought that they would be stored at the National Museum.

4) The Oba of Benin visited President Buhari to lobby for the artefacts.


5) President Muhammadu Buhari ordered that they should be given to the Oba.

https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2023/04/14/fg-cedes-exclusive-custody-of-returned-bini-artefacts-to-oba-of-benin

6) The Oba of Benin visited President Buhari at the Aso Rock Villa to thank him.
https://www.nairaland.com/7102975/president-buhari-receives-benin-traditional

7) The Oba also visited Buhari in Daura (after he left office) to thank him again.
https://www.nairaland.com/7821945/oba-benin-visits-former-president

8 ) The Oba visited President Tinubu at the Villa to ensure that the arrangement was still in place.
https://www.nairaland.com/7764497/oba-benin-visits-president-tinubu

9) The Oba plans to build a royal museum to house the artefacts, so he came to Lagos with some of the people that will be involved in the museum (eg Nduka Obaigbena) to see how the J Randle Centre is run.
https://www.nairaland.com/7923022/oba-benin-visits-governor-sanwo-olu

Well

The Alaafins seldom leave the palace

Infact, no outsider sees their mien

Precolonial Alaafins

But then culture is not stagnant, things change

There might be cogent reasons why monarchs don't leave their kingdoms at those particular times but it needn't be permanent

Kingship used to be a bondage

I don't just know why, whenever I see that picture of Oba bowing to that woman I get angry.

The Oba of Bini should watch his utterance next time he is invited into the territory of the Yorubas.

Iamgrey5:
The Oba of Bini should watch his utterance next time he is invited into the territory of the Yorubas.

Since the election I no longer consider binis. A lot of them no get sense

nice work op

Naija2023:
nice work op

Thank you.

Mscheew.

Iamgrey5:
The Oba of Bini should watch his utterance next time he is invited into the territory of the Yorubas.

Imagine this nobody giving a warning to a deity(greater than everything from his tribe) to watch his utterance.

Are you folks this daft, who do Yorubas like this? He will say whatever he feels like in your enclaved territory and nothing you rodents, puppets, pigs and ass-lickers would do about it. You 🤡's will only rant and wail all over NL, SM's and nothing else.

Hereditary cowards!

FiraO9:

Imagine this nobody giving a warning to a deity(greater than everything from his tribe) to watch his utterance.

Are you folks this daft, who do Yorubas like this? He will say whatever he feels like in your enclaved territory and nothing you rodents, puppets, pigs and ass-lickers would do about it. You 🤡's will only rant and wail all over NL, SM's and nothing else.

Hereditary cowards!

My Ancestors were the greatest amongst the Yoruba people and raided slaves in Benin kingdom in late 18 centuries.

Incase you don't know this history, you can ask your Bini people.

Oba should limit his talks to Edo state where is overall imperial power is constantly questioned by ijaws.

aljharem:


Since the election I no longer consider binis. A lot of them no get sense

There is a dude quoting you on this thread that doesn't know you are actually a Bini decedant in Lagos island yourself.

FiraO9:

You Yorubas are just chronic fools, most of you on NL.

so because the Binis voted for PO; they don't have sense? Then you glorified cowards from the tribe of a fallen demon that voted Pbat who has messed up the economy is what? Fools? Idiots? Cacafuegos? Brainless? Which?

Bunch of deluded people, awon renowned clowns.

The dude Aljram is part of the cousins your Oba is claiming.

Aljram has more knowledge of Lagos island than you will ever know.


You are a boy from the 4 Local government that makes Bini kingdom is telling your supposed cousin to shut up.

Iamgrey5:
The dude Aljram is part of the cousins your Oba is claiming.

Aljram has more knowledge of Lagos island than you will ever know.


You are a boy from the 4 Local government that makes Bini kingdom is telling your supposed cousin to shut up.

Conscientious stupidity at its peak.

Iamgrey5:
My Ancestors were the greatest amongst the Yoruba people and raided slaves in Benin kingdom in late 18 centuries.

Incase you don't know this history, you can ask your Bini people.

Oba should limit his talks to Edo state where is overall imperial power is constantly questioned by ijaws.

What an insane false jargon from the tribe of propaganda and twisting histories.

I need a proof to the thrash you mentioned, Binis were more civilized and renowned than your cowardice ancestors in the past centuries.

FYI: @emboldened, reverse was the case.

FiraO9:

What an insane false margins from the tribe of propaganda and twisting history.

I need a proof to the thrash you mentioned, Binis were more civilized and renowned than your cowardice ancestors in the past centuries.

FYI: @emboldened, reverse was the case.

You can ask your family members who the Ibadan people are to Bini and why the British considered Ibadan the capital of western region when your so called Benin was included in the western region.

It was only after conniving and skimming that your Fathers broke out under the bondage of Ibadan.

This one na lie na!
Oba Alake of Ẹgba do travel wella. I served back then in Abeokuta south LG and our CDS was in the palace garden.

And he wasn't around then.

Iamgrey5:
My Ancestors were the greatest amongst the Yoruba people and raided slaves in Benin kingdom in late 18 centuries.

Incase you don't know this history, you can ask your Bini people.

Oba should limit his talks to Edo state where is overall imperial power is constantly questioned by ijaws.

The Ijaws are higher in population than the Benin. A bigger tribe.

FiraO9:

What an insane false margins from the tribe of propaganda and twisting history.

I need a proof to the thrash you mentioned, Binis were more civilized and renowned than your cowardice ancestors in the past centuries.

FYI: @emboldened, reverse was the case.

The cowardice were Bini fathers and grandfathers that hid under the bed while Biafria Soldiers took over the Midwest including Bini (capital of Midwest region) in less than 12 hours.

Thank your stars that the likes of Olusegun Obasanjo and Benjamin Adekunle liberated Bini, else the official language at the Obas palace would have been Ibo.

Tell one lie and you will need many other lies to cover it.

At no point in time did anyone, including the Oba of Benin, deny it until now that they have been proven and exposed to be lying. Smh. Other lies will be exposed in due course.

The wise words of Oonirisa has come to pass.
Oonirosa said that they will come back to Yorubaland one day to beg to hear their own history and receive tutorials on Yoruba history. It came to pass in Lagos on Sunday.

The lesson: Pride will goeth before a fall.

They came late. As it stands now, majority Yoruba don't care and have moved on. Edo no be Lagos o.

Below screenshots are just for the record before their historical significance are inaccurately revised by the minority Bini and rest of them someday.

1st Pix: Proof that the Oba of Lagos never said Lagos belong to Bini yet Oba of Benin said he said so.

2nd Pix: The Orun Oba Ado square in Ile Ife where heads of Obas of Benin are returned and buried after their demise. The Bini are denying such fact.

3rd Pix : The current Oba of Benin, in red attire, sitting way behind the Oonirisa(in white) according to official protocol in order of Seniority.

God bless Nigeria for ever. Check my signature for free stuffs!

Time to drag the oba abi

Each king has their own myths, which may not peculiar to their town or throne. Some may be as a source of it’s power, fear of overthrown, or level of exposure and connection

Oba of Benin dey travel but not as anyhow as Ooni of Ife wey no de use eyes see anything in skirt

It has to be naptu2 🤗. Good morning chief.

Thanks for this 🙌💪👌🤛

Why he no go travel when money dey? See me oo...

How was this helpful?

The OP is not a typical Bini man. Legend and myth has it that the Oba of Benin doesn't go on transfer but he can travel. I am not a Bini man but I spent over a decade in the city of Benin and I happened to work a royal prince of the Bini Kingdom

adamusuleiman1:

The cowerdice were Bini fathers and grandfathers that hid under the bed while Biafria Soldiers took over Bini in less than 12 hours.

The Bini kingdom that Biafra captured within 24hours and raided the central bank.

We might have had Eze of Benin today if not for Benjamin Adekunle in Ore and some brave ijaw soldiers who fought Biafra from within