06/12/2021
HOW IMAGUERO'S OBSESSION WITH EXPENSIVE CORAL BEADS LED TO THE FAMOUS IDAH WAR OF BENIN
During the reign of Oba Ẹsigie around 1504, there was a prominent Chief called Oliha.
Chief Oliha had an addiction...
It was the woman at the centre of his world.
Many understood why he loved and adored his wife to a dangerous level; she was easy on the eyes.
Her name was Imaguero. She was very famous for her beauty and Chief Oliha felt very lucky to own such a breathtaking female.
Whenever he showed up at the palace, he would brag to anyone who cared to listen about the faithfulness of his precious Imaguero. According to Chief Oliha, this rare beauty was the kindest, most faithful woman in Benin.
His fellow elites were more impressed than amused. Some secretly envied him and wished they had a woman that could compete with Oliha's jewel of inestimable value.
As time went by, Oba Ẹsigie had some scores to settle with Chief Oliha. The king decided to hit his Chief where it mattered most.
Conniving with palace staff and some mischievous members of his cabinet, Oba Esigie set out to investigate Imaguero’s major weakness.
In no time, he discovered that she was just as vain as the next pretty woman. She loved "things". Imaguero particularly loved expensive coral beads. She couldn't get enough of them.Those close to her knew it was her worst distraction.
Oba Esigie didn't waste much time. He summoned one of his porters, an elderly lowlife commoner, a cripple for that matter, called Uke, for the errand.
The king gave him a few coral beads and agate, with strict orders to tempt Imaguero.
The porter set about his task.
The servant was able to seduce and win Imaguero, the perceived faithful wife of the proud Chief Oliha. She fell quickly, after accepting expensive, royal coral beads and agate.
The handicapped servant ravished her beautiful body to maximum satisfaction.
Having successfully carried out the mission, he returned to the king, who appreciated Uke's effort.
In the meantime, Ọba Ẹsigie patiently waited for a dramatic moment to finish with the plot.
One day when all the chiefs were assembled and conversing, as usual, Chief Oliha began to boast about his wife again.
Fascinated by Oliha's ignorance, the king summoned his disabled porter.
In front of the entire assembly of Chiefs, he instructed the porter to tell the tale of Imaguero’s successful seduction for the sake of a few coral beads and agate stones.
Everyone was shocked! Of course, they mocked Oliha for trusting a beautiful woman too much.
Humiliated that Imaguero slept with a cripple, Chief Oliha returned home in pain, shame and anger.
When he entered his matrimonial home, his emotions got the better of him. In that mood, he presented to her a symbolic pot of death. The pot of sword and poison. Consequently, he slew the love of his life.
Imaguero died a brutal death by strangulation.
Embittered by the shame, Chief Oliha decided to get even with Oba Esigie. His plan was to dethrone the king.
He knew he wouldn't get support from the king's subjects and so he instigated the Attah of Idah against the Oba, by turning both leaders against each other through disinformation
Chief Oliha informed the Attah that the Oba was preparing to wage war on Idah. In the same vein, Oba Esigie was told that the Attah was gearing up for an offensive on Edo kingdom.
The Idah war was fierce...
The war ended in the defeat of the Idahs.
The use of guns purchased from the Portuguese may have aided the crushing defeat inflicted on the Idahs. It was during the reign of Esigie that guns were introduced for the first time into the kingdom. It was to avoid a future incursion into Edo land, that
led to the establishment of garrison towns.
I know what you are thinking.
Why is history kind to Imaguero if she was an unfaithful wife?
Why was a Teacher Training College named after her?
Well, her end may as well be a reminder to us not to trust anyone totally. A reminder that there's always a price tag. A reminder of the need to stay humble and not brag about what you have just to torture others emotionally. A reminder that there are consequences for unfaithfulness.
That the Igala Kingdom has never been defeated in any war in all of its history.
This statement is not true, as there are three or so recorded wars in which the Igalaa army was roundly defeated and had to beat a hasty retreat in each case. These are as follows:
The Benin Empires conquest and occupation of Igalaland in 1507 AD when the Igala army was no match for the more numerous soldiers of the Benin army
The Igala-Benin War of 1515-1516 AD; and
The Bassa Komo Rebellion in 1856 AD.
The first was the war led by a Benin Prince, Aji Attah (Ata) against Ata Ọgálá Eri in 1507. Robert Arthur Sargent, in his 1984 PhD Thesis, titled, Politics and Economics in the Benue Basin, reports that the Benin army had attacked, conquered and occupied the Igalaland to establish a Bini (or Aji Ata) Dynasty.
The second war in which the Igala troops were defeated was the Aji-Attah-Oba Esigie face-off – a war of two brothers having the same father – which early historians erroneously referred to-as the “gala-Benin War” of 1515-1516. Eight years after Aji Ata had conquered and seized the Ata’s throne and land, he mobilized the Kingdom’s army to fight and remove his brother, Oba Esigie who was installed in 1509 and take over the throne; but the Igala army was roundly defeated. While some settled at the present-day Ebu, near Asaba, others settled at Ibaji and Ilushi (Òjìgónó) area of Edo State.
Prince Okoliko, who later became the Ata-Igalaa between 1870 and 1876, had teamed up with a man named Ódomà Abáláká of the Òhiémi Ọ̀bọgọ Lineage to rustle the Bassa Komo camp at the present-day Ògwùmà on the bank of the River Benue when they were pouring into Igalaland in large numbers, fleeing from slave raiders, and were given refuge by Ata Aame Ocheje (1835 – 1856). Okoliko and Odoma had formed the habit of sneaking into the Bassa camp, stealing them and selling them into slavery. The victims sent word across to their kith and kin who mobilized a formidable force against their transgressors. In the war that ensued, the Igala army was driven into a mire and were killed in large numbers. Odoma and Okoliko narrowly escaped death, as their troops were mowed down by the aggrieved Bassa warriors.
A comprehensive account of the the Bassa Komo Rebellion, see the Postscript section of my book, titled, An Igala-English Lexicon, under the heading Odoma Abalaka (p. 619-620).
Igala history is a priceless legacy that Igalas of the present generation are compelled to preserve for effective transfer to the next generation in undiluted form. A people’s history fraught with controversies and distortions cannot stand the test of time. It is to avoid such a calamity that this blog post is being placed in the public domain. There is no doubt the effectiveness of the social media as an outlet for write-ups on the language, history and culture of the Igalas. However, it has been painfully observed that the version of Igala kingship history that is being churned out on the social media is, sometimes, misleading, as some of the narratives are supported only by oral tradition, which could lend itself to distortions, misrepresentations or even outright fallacies. Some of the distortions recently observed on Facebook and Whatsapp are examined below. The true versions of such distortions, which are based on research findings, are provided in each case.
The first distortion is that Àbùtù Ẹ̀jẹ̀ was the first Ata-Igalaa in history
This statement that Àbùtù Ẹ̀jẹ̀ was the first Ata-Igalaa ever is misleading, as Àbùtù Ẹ̀jẹ̀ (or his daughter, Ébúlẹẹ́jonú), belong to the Third Dynasty; that is, the ruling Jukun (or Apa) Dynasty, which, according to R. A. Sargent, commenced in 1687 AD, the same year the reign of the Bini Dynasty came to an end. The influx of the Jukuns, who had broken away from the Kwararafa Confederacy, occurred between 1597 AD and 1627 AD. At this time, the Aji Ata (or Bini) Dynasty, under which a total of six Bini-speaking Atas ruled, had forced itself on the Igala Kingdom in 1507 AD, forcing Ata Ọgáláà Eri to proceed on a sudden self-exile. It should also be noted that the Bini Dynasty was itself preceded by an earlier dynasty, the Ata Eri (or Igala) Dynasty. The findings of a 21-year research undertaken by the Catherine Acholonu International Research Centre, Abuja revealed that “Ata Eri was the ancestor and father of the Igalas and the founder of the still-surviving, ancient lineage of Atta Kings of the Igala nation.” Ata Ọgáláà Eri had succeeded Àtá Àtá-Ógwū, after whom the Àtá-Ógwū Hill (Ójúwó Átōgwu) on the outskirts of Ida town was named.
(ii) THE AJI-ATTAH (ATA) (OR BINI) DYNASTY
In the year, 1507, Ọba Ọ̀kpámẹ̀ Ọ̀zọ́luà of Benin ordered his son, Aji-Attah (Ata), to lead a segment of the Bini army against Ata Ọgáláà Erí at Ida, which prompted a sudden journey of the incumbent into self-exile, first, to the southern part of the Benue Basin, then later, to Nri in the present-day Anambra State. The Aji-Attah (or Benin) Dynasty, after one hundred and eighty years at Ida, was finally brought to an end by the influence of the Kwararafa traders-cum-warriors who were pouring into what, today, is referred to as the Igala Kingdom, which, according to Sargent and Miles Clifford, had been occupied by the “Okpoto tribesmen.”
DISTORTION NO. 2.
That Àtá Ayẹ̀gbà Ọma Ìdoko sacrificed his beloved daughter, Princess Íníkpi, as demanded by the spirits of the land, in the wake of the Igala-Benin War; while her sister, Ọ́modòkó, was sacrificed in respect of the Igala – Jukun War.
Íníkpi was buried alive at Ọ́gbẹ́gà as the Igala-Jukun War was looming. The war was eventually fought about the year, 1690 AD, at the twilight of 17th Century. By this time, the Igala-Benin War had been fought and lost about 174 years earlier, when Idoko, Ayegba’s father had not even been born. After the Apa War ended in Ayegba’s favour, he celebrated his victory by sacrificing three more of his daughters, namely: Ọ́modòkó (who was buried on the western bank of River Ínáchaló) as well as Ónojò Alíkáà and Ónojò Alẹ́gbẹ̄ who were both buried at two separate spots in Ídá town.
Distortion No. 3
That a Muslim occultist from Bebeji on the outskirts of Kano was the Mallam hired by Ayegba to perform some rites on the western bank of River Inachalo at Ida while the Jukun (Apa) invaders were camping at the opposite bank of the river.
Miles Clifford, a colonial officer who had carried out a research into the Apa War, states that a Nupe Mallam called Edegi was employed to perform the rite mentioned above and was responsible for Ayegba’s victory in the war. Overjoyed by that historic victory, Ata Ayegba betrothed one of his daughters named Ódó, to Mallam Edegi in addition to the huge financial reward the king had gratefully given him earlier. Mallam Edegi had thanked the king most profoundly and, together with his own followers, he rowed upstream of the Niger towards Rabba (in Nupeland). He finally settled down at a place he named Àbó-Idá (Ídá people), which, over time, changed to ‘Bídā,’ as it is still called to date.
Distortion No. 4
That the Igala Kingdom has never been defeated in any war in all of its history.
This statement is not true, as there are three or so recorded wars in which the Igalaa army was roundly defeated and had to beat a hasty retreat in each case. These are as follows:
The Benin Empires conquest and occupation of Igalaland in 1507 AD when the Igala army was no match for the more numerous soldiers of the Benin army
The Igala-Benin War of 1515-1516 AD; and
The Bassa Komo Rebellion in 1856 AD.
The first was the war led by a Benin Prince, Aji Attah (Ata) against Ata Ọgálá Eri in 1507. Robert Arthur Sargent, in his 1984 PhD Thesis, titled, Politics and Economics in the Benue Basin, reports that the Benin army had attacked, conquered and occupied the Igalaland to establish a Bini (or Aji Ata) Dynasty.
The second war in which the Igala troops were defeated was the Aji-Attah-Oba Esigie face-off – a war of two brothers having the same father – which early historians erroneously referred to-as the “gala-Benin War” of 1515-1516. Eight years after Aji Ata had conquered and seized the Ata’s throne and land, he mobilized the Kingdom’s army to fight and remove his brother, Oba Esigie who was installed in 1509 and take over the throne; but the Igala army was roundly defeated. While some settled at the present-day Ebu, near Asaba, others settled at Ibaji and Ilushi (Òjìgónó) area of Edo State.
Prince Okoliko, who later became the Ata-Igalaa between 1870 and 1876, had teamed up with a man named Ódomà Abáláká of the Òhiémi Ọ̀bọgọ Lineage to rustle the Bassa Komo camp at the present-day Ògwùmà on the bank of the River Benue when they were pouring into Igalaland in large numbers, fleeing from slave raiders, and were given refuge by Ata Aame Ocheje (1835 – 1856). Okoliko and Odoma had formed the habit of sneaking into the Bassa camp, stealing them and selling them into slavery. The victims sent word across to their kith and kin who mobilized a formidable force against their transgressors. In the war that ensued, the Igala army was driven into a mire and were killed in large numbers. Odoma and Okoliko narrowly escaped death, as their troops were mowed down by the aggrieved Bassa warriors.
A comprehensive account of the the Bassa Komo Rebellion, see the Postscript section of my book, titled, An Igala-English Lexicon, under the heading Odoma Abalaka (p. 619-620).
Distortion No. 4
That Ákwùmábì was the first son of Àtá Ayẹ̀gbà Ọma Ìdoko; while Ákogwu was his second son.
According to the Igala native law of primogeniture, it is the first-born son that succeeds his father upon the latter’s demise. However, in the case of Ákwùmábì and his brother, Ákogwu, that law did not apply. In fact, Àtá Onákpa Akwùmábì was NOT the first son of Ayẹ̀gbà but the second; while Akogwu was his eldest son. When Ayegba passed on, Akogwu was preoccupied with their father’s burial arrangements; and his younger brother, Ákwùmábì (or ‘Akwu’ for short) … was busy lobbying the king-makers to install him as their father’s successor. He had killed the sentry at the rear gate of the palace to let himself into the palace, from where he sent for the king-makers to come and perform coronation rites on him. When all that was happening, Akogwu’s sympathisers had blocked the front gate to prevent Akwu from entering. The name, Akwumabi, is the short form of the name he took upon his investiture: “Ákpa adàkwù m’ákwù bì” (The killer of the sentry at the gate (ádàkwù) opened the gate) for himself. Details of the story of Akwu’s usurpation of the throne are contained in the Postscript section of An Igala-English Lexicon by John Idakwoji, p. 576-577.
Distortion No. 6
That Àtá Àámẹ́ẹ̀ Òchéje, following the assassination of his immediate predecessor, Àtá Ẹkẹ̀lẹ̀-Àgà in 1834, replaced all the Kingmakers with Royal Councillors.
When Àtá Ẹkẹ̀lẹ̀-Àgà was murdered in his sleep in 1834, Àtá Àámẹ́ẹ̀ Òchéje, his successor dissolved the entire membership of the Ígálámẹla Council of King-makers, which was later reconstituted to include two members from the Ata’s family, the Ánanyà-Àtá and the Áchanyà-Àtá to be the eyes and ears of the king on the Council. The Royal Councillors, as Officers of State, played advisory roles as the closest persons to the king. Originally, they were sons of Ayegba who first appointed them into office.
