HISTORY OF EGBEMA KINGDOM
The ancient Kingdom of Egbema is politically split into the present day Edo and Delta States of Nigeria. Egbema Kingdom is bounded on the north by the Olodiama of Edo State and the Itsekiri of Delta State, west by the Arogbo Kingdom of Ondo State, east by Gbaramatu Kingdom and the Itsekiri of Delta State and South by the Ilaje of Ondo State and the Atlantic Ocean.

The Egbema people are the most likely Ijo sub-group to which the allegation of Ijo piracy on the Benin . The only other sub-group with access to the Benin River are the Gbaramatu.

Egbema traditions, in fact, give indirect evidence of their predatory activities in the region of the Benin River. While they refer to the Oba of Benin as Ugbo Pere (lord of the hinter lands), the priest king of Egbema was Bini Pere (lord of Waters). Apart from cultural and other relations with other Ijo groups, therefore, Egbema history was affected by relations with the Benin Empire to the North, and with the Itsekiri to the south and with white traders in slaves on Benin river and its estuaries.

The dual relationship with the Edo and the Itsekiri is now reflected in the demarcation of the Egbema into the administrative areas of the Benin Division and Warri Division.

Origin and Settlement:
According to Pere G.O.E Tiemo, The AGADAGBA OF EGBEMA KINGDOM BINI PERE III (2006), there are nine traditional towns in Egbema known as Egbema Isenabiri, namely – Ofiniama, Ajakurama, Abere, Gbeuba, Bolou Jamagie/Abadigbene, Opuama/Polobubo, Ogbinbiri, Ogbudugbudu and Tu-Jamagie. In addition there are over Three hundred and fifty villages and hamlets. The people are fishermen, hunters, canoe builders, distillers of local gin and farmers.

Alagoa (1972) states that the earliest settlement of Ofiniama was founded by two traders Alopomini and Opiti from the Mein town of Gbekebo (patrilineal) in the Western Delta. They used to stop at the site to shoot birds (ofini) for food on their way to Ukuroama, Iko, Eko or Lagos.

The founders of Ajakurama, Gbeoba, Abere and Opuama/Polobubo first lived at Ofiniama for some time before they settled in their present site. The fifth settlement, Gbolukangan, was founded by settlers from Gbeoba. A new group of immigrants came from Operemo in the Western Delta and founded the settlement of Jamagie. The founders of Opuama, Ogbudugbudu and Ogbinbiri were also migrants from the Western Delta – apparently from Amatu in Iduwini ibe. The only unifying force in Egbema tradition was the common worship of Egbesu (Alagoa 1972:42-46).

Egbesu was the symbol of the unity of all Egbema and the Pere served as the human embodiment of that unity. But the very importance of Egbesu resulted in disputes over the control of the shrine and over the priesthood. Such disputes were avoided among sub-groups with traditions of common origin, where there was a recognised seniority among the towns, and within the town founded by the common ancestor, the lineage of that ancestor would be accorded right to the priesthood.

In Egbema, Ofiniama acquired de facto primacy as the most ancient settlement. But the founders of Ofiniama (Alopomini and Opiti) were never priests of Egbesu. Even the shrine, said to have been originally sited at Ofiniama is now at Ajakoroama.

According to the Pere Obula, the original location of Egbesu in Egbema was Bolou-Jamagie from where it was removed, first to Ogun-Ode at Ofiniama and finally to Ajakuroma. It was never “stolen” but carried to these places by agreement of all Egbema because of threats by first Olomu of the Itsekiri and later of his son Nana, to steal Egbesu and wage war against the Egbema.

The Egbema people collaborated in the installation of a Pere. Ofiniama put the sacred chalk on the new Pere (tori pu), the chief of Ogboinbiri served the wine (wuru tua) and the closest to the Pere. This need for a wide consensus must have helped to produce long periods without a Pere. It may be noted that the national god of the Mein (from whose territory Ofiniama was founded) is Mein Dirimegbeya, and not Egbesu, and that it is at Ekeremo of the Operemo from where Jamagie migrated that an Egbesu is to be found. These facts suggest that the Egbema may represent a case where political power and ritual authority were separated. That is, that although the temporal rulers of Ofiniama and its related settlements held political power, the source of spiritual authority appears to have come originally from elsewhere; although the ritual centre was eventually moved to Ajakoroama, an offshoot of Ofiniama (Alagoa 1972).

Trade and External Relations:
Egbema traditions give prominence to trade and contact with neighbouring groups and even the traditions of origin characterise the founders of Ofiniama as traders to Ukuroama or Iko. Ofiniama, like Arogbo, is situated on the modern route from the Western and Eastern Delta to Lagos. The traditions names two commodities used by the Ofiniama in this trade, namely camwood (Isele) and big canoes. Egbema traditions recorded at Ofiniama speak of early contact with Benin. Inabiri, son of Opiti, one of the founding fathers, was already a rich slave, owner when contact was establish with Benin. It was slaves of Inabiri called Okitia, who met some men from Udo.
According to Chief Pius Ikpi, the people of Ofunama through Inabiri made a live covenant with the people of Udo under a tree along the road at present day Arakhuan near UDO as confirmed by the Iyase of Udo in recent times.
That forms the basis for which Inabiri’s men made friends with the men of Udo, and soon Inabiri himself went by way of Udo to Benin where the reigning Oba gave him medicine that helped him get his first child. The road through Udo was closed, for some unknown reason, but a second route to Benin was opened in the life time of Inabiri. A third road through Ikusanghan in Olodiama became the normal route until the colonial period. This third route is to be identified with the road referred to by the records of European visitors.

The people of Egbema claim to have dealt directly with the White traders on the coast and to have supplied Edo traders with foreign goods (cannons, guns, matchets, coral beads). Egbema traditions refer to sailing ships bringing goods to them on the coast, but refer the crew men as dark white men (Dirimo Bekewei), thus implying mulattoes or people of mixed white and black ancestry, but apparently Sierra Leonians or Liberians.

Egbema claims to pre-eminence on the coast and on the Benin River support Itsekiri (and European) reference to Ijo interference with their trade in this area. Traditions of the Egbema in the Benin River area do, in fact, contain accounts of wars and treaties with Itsekiri settlements such as Jakpa, Itebu and others.

Chronology:
Egbema king lists and genealogies do not take their traditions beyond the early eighteen century, but elements in their traditions refer to earlier times.
The official accounts recorded by Alagoa (1972), for example, gave the name of the Oba who administered medicine to Inabiri as EKaladeran, the son of Ogiso. Benin tradition gives the name of the son of the last Ogiso ruler Benin variously as Ekaladerhan and Kaladerhan. These Benin traditions say Ekeladerhan never became Oba, but was exiled South to found the town of Ughoton or Gwato. In any case, the date of about 1170 at which the Ogiso dynasty gave place to the current dynasty is rather thesame period for the Ijo migrations to this corner of the Niger Delta. Other Egbema privately give the amen of the Oba who made medicine for Inabiri as Eware. If this name is identified as Oba Ewuare the Great, who was also a maker of charms and magic according to Benin tradition, it would give us a date for Egbema migrations in the late fifteenth century. It may be noted in addition, that the route to Benin through Ughoton (Kadaderhan’s town) was the last known of the Egbema, and since the Egbema claim to have supplied European goods to the Edo, this must refer to a period after the European factories at Ughoton were removed to locations in the Delta in the mid-seventeenth century. Accordingly, we may date Egebma settlement of the Western Delta limit between the end of the fifteenth and middle of the seventeenth century (Alagoa 1972).

Accounts of early European (Portuguese) trade with some Egbema villages like Arbo, Uloli and Boededoe (Benidodogha or Beninidodoa) provide a basis for claims to Egbema settlement prior to the seventeenth century. Contemporary historians have noted that there were several pirates attacks on Europeans in the course of their expeditions obviously owing to their relationship with the Itsekiris. One of such cases was exemplified in show of solidarity during the capture of Nana to the Gold coast immediately after the deportation of Oba Ovoranmwen from Benin through Gelegele waterside to Calabar. It is on records that the British colonialists took permission by way of right of passage on the water ways so as to avoid confrontations along the Benin river. The port at Binidodogha corrupted to read Binidodoe was under the command of Toni of Binidodo.

Extract from the book: “The Izon of the Niger Delta” Chapter 18 – by E.J Alagoa, E.A Kowei, B.J Owei, J.B Dunu and Chief Pius Ikpi.

Yo!

ol0d0od0:
Yo!

Yes.

666Advocate:
HISTORY OF EGBEMA KINGDOM
The ancient Kingdom of Egbema is politically split into the present day Edo and Delta States of Nigeria. Egbema Kingdom is bounded on the north by the Olodiama of Edo State and the Itsekiri of Delta State, west by the Arogbo Kingdom of Ondo State, east by Gbaramatu Kingdom and the Itsekiri of Delta State and South by the Ilaje of Ondo State and the Atlantic Ocean.

The Egbema people are the most likely Ijo sub-group to which the allegation of Ijo piracy on the Benin . The only other sub-group with access to the Benin River are the Gbaramatu.

Egbema traditions, in fact, give indirect evidence of their predatory activities in the region of the Benin River. While they refer to the Oba of Benin as Ugbo Pere (lord of the hinter lands), the priest king of Egbema was Bini Pere (lord of Waters). Apart from cultural and other relations with other Ijo groups, therefore, Egbema history was affected by relations with the Benin Empire to the North, and with the Itsekiri to the south and with white traders in slaves on Benin river and its estuaries.

The dual relationship with the Edo and the Itsekiri is now reflected in the demarcation of the Egbema into the administrative areas of the Benin Division and Warri Division.

Origin and Settlement:
According to Pere G.O.E Tiemo, The AGADAGBA OF EGBEMA KINGDOM BINI PERE III (2006), there are nine traditional towns in Egbema known as Egbema Isenabiri, namely – Ofiniama, Ajakurama, Abere, Gbeuba, Bolou Jamagie/Abadigbene, Opuama/Polobubo, Ogbinbiri, Ogbudugbudu and Tu-Jamagie. In addition there are over Three hundred and fifty villages and hamlets. The people are fishermen, hunters, canoe builders, distillers of local gin and farmers.

Alagoa (1972) states that the earliest settlement of Ofiniama was founded by two traders Alopomini and Opiti from the Mein town of Gbekebo (patrilineal) in the Western Delta. They used to stop at the site to shoot birds (ofini) for food on their way to Ukuroama, Iko, Eko or Lagos.

The founders of Ajakurama, Gbeoba, Abere and Opuama/Polobubo first lived at Ofiniama for some time before they settled in their present site. The fifth settlement, Gbolukangan, was founded by settlers from Gbeoba. A new group of immigrants came from Operemo in the Western Delta and founded the settlement of Jamagie. The founders of Opuama, Ogbudugbudu and Ogbinbiri were also migrants from the Western Delta – apparently from Amatu in Iduwini ibe. The only unifying force in Egbema tradition was the common worship of Egbesu (Alagoa 1972:42-46).

Egbesu was the symbol of the unity of all Egbema and the Pere served as the human embodiment of that unity. But the very importance of Egbesu resulted in disputes over the control of the shrine and over the priesthood. Such disputes were avoided among sub-groups with traditions of common origin, where there was a recognised seniority among the towns, and within the town founded by the common ancestor, the lineage of that ancestor would be accorded right to the priesthood.

In Egbema, Ofiniama acquired de facto primacy as the most ancient settlement. But the founders of Ofiniama (Alopomini and Opiti) were never priests of Egbesu. Even the shrine, said to have been originally sited at Ofiniama is now at Ajakoroama.

According to the Pere Obula, the original location of Egbesu in Egbema was Bolou-Jamagie from where it was removed, first to Ogun-Ode at Ofiniama and finally to Ajakuroma. It was never “stolen” but carried to these places by agreement of all Egbema because of threats by first Olomu of the Itsekiri and later of his son Nana, to steal Egbesu and wage war against the Egbema.

The Egbema people collaborated in the installation of a Pere. Ofiniama put the sacred chalk on the new Pere (tori pu), the chief of Ogboinbiri served the wine (wuru tua) and the closest to the Pere. This need for a wide consensus must have helped to produce long periods without a Pere. It may be noted that the national god of the Mein (from whose territory Ofiniama was founded) is Mein Dirimegbeya, and not Egbesu, and that it is at Ekeremo of the Operemo from where Jamagie migrated that an Egbesu is to be found. These facts suggest that the Egbema may represent a case where political power and ritual authority were separated. That is, that although the temporal rulers of Ofiniama and its related settlements held political power, the source of spiritual authority appears to have come originally from elsewhere; although the ritual centre was eventually moved to Ajakoroama, an offshoot of Ofiniama (Alagoa 1972).

Trade and External Relations:
Egbema traditions give prominence to trade and contact with neighbouring groups and even the traditions of origin characterise the founders of Ofiniama as traders to Ukuroama or Iko. Ofiniama, like Arogbo, is situated on the modern route from the Western and Eastern Delta to Lagos. The traditions names two commodities used by the Ofiniama in this trade, namely camwood (Isele) and big canoes. Egbema traditions recorded at Ofiniama speak of early contact with Benin. Inabiri, son of Opiti, one of the founding fathers, was already a rich slave, owner when contact was establish with Benin. It was slaves of Inabiri called Okitia, who met some men from Udo.
According to Chief Pius Ikpi, the people of Ofunama through Inabiri made a live covenant with the people of Udo under a tree along the road at present day Arakhuan near UDO as confirmed by the Iyase of Udo in recent times.
That forms the basis for which Inabiri’s men made friends with the men of Udo, and soon Inabiri himself went by way of Udo to Benin where the reigning Oba gave him medicine that helped him get his first child. The road through Udo was closed, for some unknown reason, but a second route to Benin was opened in the life time of Inabiri. A third road through Ikusanghan in Olodiama became the normal route until the colonial period. This third route is to be identified with the road referred to by the records of European visitors.

The people of Egbema claim to have dealt directly with the White traders on the coast and to have supplied Edo traders with foreign goods (cannons, guns, matchets, coral beads). Egbema traditions refer to sailing ships bringing goods to them on the coast, but refer the crew men as dark white men (Dirimo Bekewei), thus implying mulattoes or people of mixed white and black ancestry, but apparently Sierra Leonians or Liberians.

Egbema claims to pre-eminence on the coast and on the Benin River support Itsekiri (and European) reference to Ijo interference with their trade in this area. Traditions of the Egbema in the Benin River area do, in fact, contain accounts of wars and treaties with Itsekiri settlements such as Jakpa, Itebu and others.

Chronology:
Egbema king lists and genealogies do not take their traditions beyond the early eighteen century, but elements in their traditions refer to earlier times.
The official accounts recorded by Alagoa (1972), for example, gave the name of the Oba who administered medicine to Inabiri as EKaladeran, the son of Ogiso. Benin tradition gives the name of the son of the last Ogiso ruler Benin variously as Ekaladerhan and Kaladerhan. These Benin traditions say Ekeladerhan never became Oba, but was exiled South to found the town of Ughoton or Gwato. In any case, the date of about 1170 at which the Ogiso dynasty gave place to the current dynasty is rather thesame period for the Ijo migrations to this corner of the Niger Delta. Other Egbema privately give the amen of the Oba who made medicine for Inabiri as Eware. If this name is identified as Oba Ewuare the Great, who was also a maker of charms and magic according to Benin tradition, it would give us a date for Egbema migrations in the late fifteenth century. It may be noted in addition, that the route to Benin through Ughoton (Kadaderhan’s town) was the last known of the Egbema, and since the Egbema claim to have supplied European goods to the Edo, this must refer to a period after the European factories at Ughoton were removed to locations in the Delta in the mid-seventeenth century. Accordingly, we may date Egebma settlement of the Western Delta limit between the end of the fifteenth and middle of the seventeenth century (Alagoa 1972).

Accounts of early European (Portuguese) trade with some Egbema villages like Arbo, Uloli and Boededoe (Benidodogha or Beninidodoa) provide a basis for claims to Egbema settlement prior to the seventeenth century. Contemporary historians have noted that there were several pirates attacks on Europeans in the course of their expeditions obviously owing to their relationship with the Itsekiris. One of such cases was exemplified in show of solidarity during the capture of Nana to the Gold coast immediately after the deportation of Oba Ovoranmwen from Benin through Gelegele waterside to Calabar. It is on records that the British colonialists took permission by way of right of passage on the water ways so as to avoid confrontations along the Benin river. The port at Binidodogha corrupted to read Binidodoe was under the command of Toni of Binidodo.

Extract from the book: “The Izon of the Niger Delta” Chapter 18 – by E.J Alagoa, E.A Kowei, B.J Owei, J.B Dunu and Chief Pius Ikpi.

This is a beautiful piece of research. What happens to the Egbema of Imo and Rivers States. Is there any ancestral relationship between them and the Egbema of Delta and Edo State?

You mentioned a village 'Opite'. There is a village with that name in Rivers and Imo State.

octaflav:


This is a beautiful piece of research. What happens to the Egbema of Imo and Rivers States. Is there any ancestral relationship between them and the Egbema of Delta and Edo State?

You mentioned a village 'Opite'. There is a village with that name in Rivers and Imo State.

Egbema of Imo and Rivers are from this Egbema.

Rivers and Imo also have other villages that are similar with this Egbema.
Rivers have 3 villages, Imo have 10. All of Egbema. They came from this Edo and Delta own but have lost their language to Igbo.

Ijaws are tenants on that land
We do expect them to pack their things into a canoe and go back to where they came from
Edos have no more love to give Ungrateful ijaws .

limeta:
Ijaws are tenants on that land
We do expect them to pack their things into a canoe and go back to where they came from
Edos have no more love to give Ungrateful ijaws .

You mumu well well.

666Advocate:


Egbema of Imo and Rivers are from this Egbema.

Lier, can you prove this, can you prove it's not the other way round

lkamandoncome:


Lier, can you prove this, can you prove it's not the other way round

13 villages to 350 villages. Which one suppose come from where.

666Advocate:
Rivers and Imo also have other villages that are similar with this Egbema.
Rivers have 3 villages, Imo have 10. All of Egbema. They came from this Edo and Delta own but have lost their language to Igbo.

Egbema of Edo and Delta are tenants that migrated there, they can be kicked out by the Edo people.

There is no link between Egbema of Delta and Rivers, they share nothing in common.

666Advocate:
Rivers and Imo also have other villages that are similar with this Egbema.
Rivers have 3 villages, Imo have 10. All of Egbema. They came from this Edo and Delta own but have lost their language to Igbo.

.

Know this and know peace , Igbo people is not rival to ijaw ,you ijaw are the worst of everything you accuse ndi Igbo of , your small ethnic ijaw can only find relevance with fighting all your neighbors.

Anthonyoz:
.

Know this and know peace , Igbo people is not rival to ijaw ,you ijaw are the worst of everything you accuse ndi Igbo of , your small ethnic ijaw can only find relevance with fighting all your neighbors.

Igbos are smaller than Ijaw in population.

lkamandoncome:


Egbema of Edo and Delta are tenants that migrated there, they can be kicked out by the Edo people.

There is no link between Egbema of Delta and Rivers, they share nothing in common.

Continue to lie to yourself.

I’m actually from Egbema, Ajakuroma to be precise. I was expecting to see the year we migrated to our present location. There are different stories I have heard to this history.

Eagle07:
I’m actually from Egbema, Ajakuroma to be precise. I was expecting to see the year we migrated to our present location. There are different stories I have heard to this history.

Nua.

Eagle07:
I’m actually from Egbema, Ajakuroma to be precise. I was expecting to see the year we migrated to our present location. There are different stories I have heard to this history.

This is your history. Any other one is cooked up by Ijaw haters.

666Advocate:

This is your history. Any other one is cooked up by Ijaw haters.

Did we ever migrate to our present location or we have been there from time immemorial?

Eagle07:


Did we ever migrate to our present location or we have been there from time immemorial?

Egbema have been there immemorial.

666Advocate:
Egbema have been there immemorial.

Ok

666Advocate:


Igbos are smaller than Ijaw in population.

Anything to massage your euphoria,you can do ,no qualms