02/10/2026
Confusing an Urhobo individual with a Benin person who relocated to present-day Delta Territory to join other Urhobo communities represents a significant challenge for many of our historians.
𝐔𝐫𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐨 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 | Obruke Orodje
Between Urhobo and Benin, which identity emerged first...?
1. Urhobo
The Urhobo ethnic group constituted the original identity of Erhinwin, Idu, Oké, Esiri, Aka, Efa, Emerhi, Udo, and others before conflicts emerged. The individuals mentioned above were distinguished priests of the same heritage whose teachings profoundly influenced their descendants and those whose ancestors followed Idu as their chief priest. Both Idu and Aka established the doctrine of Oghene, which spread throughout Africa. In Nigeria, the influence of these traditionalists persists from North Eastern Nigeria to the Atlantic coast. Numerous ethnic groups today, whose ancestors witnessed the prominence of Idu from North Eastern Nigeria, North Central, through Southern Nigeria, continue to honor their current monarch as Idu.
Until an average Urhobo person comprehends his proper identity as a direct organic descendant of Idu, he will persist in viewing himself as a former Benin man. The ancestors of the indigenous Benin people were priests. The Efa and Emerhi descendants resisted this identity, as they sought power to govern the descendants of their elder brother, Áka. The Igodomigodo kingdom was established by Áka's descendant, Igodo from Udo, until his dynasty was terminated by the same Efa/Emerhi descendant, thereby establishing rotational rule between Ákà/Epha ruling houses.
2. Benin :
The Benin identity was established when Oranmiyan designated the land as people of vexation around 1170 AD due to disagreement from the indigenous Igodomigodo people. However, he was initially summoned by the kingmakers under Oliha's leadership in small village outside the city. Before Oranmiyan departed, he impregnated the daughter of the Ogie/Ovie of Egor, known as Princess Erhimwinde, who bore Oba Eweka. The descendant of Eweka, originally called Efabo, was born and raised outside Igodomigodo due to complications surrounding his pregnancy, when his father Oba Ehemihen lay with his chief wife.
Upon his arrival, Prince Efábo, who subsequently became Oba Éwédo, engaged in conflict with Ogiamien Odé, the then-leader of the Igodomigodo kingdom. This confrontation resulted in the Eki-Okpagha treaty, which established an agreement to partition the kingdom into two territories under specific conditions. According to the treaty's provisions, every newly crowned Oba within the territory assigned to him was required to pay homage to the Ogiamien family. All parties duly consented to these terms. The Igodomigodo kingdom was subsequently divided, with the Ogiamien palace remaining in Utantan while Oba Éwédo relocated his residence from the modest Usama palace to this new location. This marked the beginning of the period when a section of Igodomigodo, formerly governed by previous ogisos, became known as Ubini around 1255 AD. Indigenous Urhobo people inhabiting that territory and other Igodomigodo populations came under Oba Éwédo's rule, thereby obscuring their original Urhobo identity. Nevertheless, substantial numbers of Urhobos originally from the Ughere and Erhowa territories of present-day Delta predate Oranmiyan's arrival in Igodomigodo.
Oba Ewuare:
The Igodomigodo kingdom became widely recognized as Ubini when Oba Ewuare established the Benin empire from the 1440s onward. He implemented policies that proved unfavorable to indigenous populations, including the Urhobos of Áka, motivated by the deaths of his two sons.
This situation prompted widespread migration to various regions, including indigenous Urhobo people from Ikpe in present-day Edo South relocating to Edo North territory, with the majority subsequently becoming known as Kukuruku, now commonly referred to as Etsakó.
A distinguished chief named Ojanomare, recorded as Oza, inspired those courageous enough to flee Oba Ewuare's oppression. Oza established Oloma in Edo North near Okpe as a new settlement. However, this Oloma was subsequently conquered by Oba Ewuare's descendants and brought under Oba authority.
A Portuguese Lord was summoned from São Tomé and Príncipe by Oba Ewuare's emissaries, Okhuae from Ubini and Ogan from Irrhua-Esan, to provide assistance in recapturing those who had fled to the new settlement.
The Portuguese, seeking to locate a legendary Christian Emperor, capitalized on regional dynamics and strengthened the authority of the Obas of Benin, which ultimately facilitated the expansion of the great Benin empire.
Consequently, numerous Urhobos in Áka (Igodomigodo) came under Oba rule, thereby relinquishing their original Urhobo identity as Ubini. Under normal circumstances, they would not have identified as Ubini people. Even upon their migration to the present Delta region, they deliberately rejected the Ubini designation to preserve the authentic name of their earliest settlement, originally discovered by Ákà himself and designated as Ogber'Aka, meaning Ákà's quarter. From Ogber'Aka, the town of Udo, among numerous others, was subsequently established. To this day, the Urhobo people collectively refer to this location as Ákà, though some contemporary storytellers attribute its origins to Oranmiyan's identity as Ile Ibinu(Benin) , tracing lineage to Ile Ife.
The earliest documented Urhobo founders of present-day Urhobo territory who migrated from the place now Benin city originated from Ugbekun, Uhunwuduwun, Udo, and Ogbe—ancient Benin city settlements dating back over 1,500 years. The most popular city of Ákà in ancient time was Udo which was formerly Urhobo civilisation, now parts of Edo ethnic group. The Edo ethnic group was established by Oba Éwuare around ca1440-1473AD . Many Urhobos who accepted the Oba's authority became parts of the Edo ethnic group.
Notice:
The pertinent question remains: which of these communities—Ugbekun, Uhunwuduwun, Udo, Ogbe, and others—served as the ancestral headquarters, town, or city that is of rise to the Ijaw heritage ? Non!
The Urhobo and Isoko peoples share identical premier ancestors and formerly spoke a common language with the Esan, Edo, Etsako, and Owan peoples. Our primary concern stems from what the majority of historians (approximately 90 percent) have documented: that Oranmiyan was an outsider to our idu heritage. This account was not written by Obruke Orodje, nor was I present to witness these events, and therefore I bear no responsibility for these historical records.
Urhobo storytellers should refrain from designating their own kinsmen who migrated to join the earliest Urhobos in the Delta as Benin men. I earnestly implore you: if you possessed my understanding, you would comprehend this distinction more clearly.
© Urhobo People | Obruke Orodje
