Thread by @Austin_Rioba

THE NINE ANCIENT GATES OF BENIN KINGDOM
The ancient of Benin, as it still is, the principal city of the Benin people. It had only nine access roads into it across the most.The access roads had gates which were guarded by keepers. They are as follow.@asemota @uwagbale_ #Thread

1). Iya Uzebu: This was situated near the present day Yangan Fish market, and it provided access from Uzebu and Ughoton. All overseas travellers to Old Benin got into the city through this gate.

2). Iya Osuan: This gate would probably have straddled the moat between

The present Igbinedion road near the press centre,and the Nigeria Police Headquarters at the end of Okada Avenue, GRA.

3). Iya Urh'Ogba: This gate straddled the moat between the police Headquarters and Sapele road, near the ministry of works, providing entrance into the city for

the town's and villages of Iyekogba, Ivbioto, Etete, Ohoghobi, Uhie etc. This city gate was probably destroyed by the British Expedition force that came in through Ologbo to gain entrance into the city in February 1897.

4). Iya Ivbiyeneva : This gate was

constructed across the moat where Sokponba road today becomes Upper Sokponba road. It leads to Ugbekun, Oka, Idogbo, Ukhiri, Avbiakagba and the whole of Iyekorhionmwon districts. Tradition has it that the Iya got it's adjunct, Ivbiyeneva, from the fact two brothers,

Ogiamien and Obazee once inhabited each side of the road on the inner side of the moat. A big tree is said to have outlived each of the two brothers, Ivbiyeneva. The two trees were still there until the later end of the 20th century.

5). Iya Uhunmwun Idunmwun: This gate

straddled the moat somewhere between the premises of the immaculate conception College and Edo College, Benin City. It provided entry into the city for the villages of Ihinwinrin, Ulegun, Avbiama, and to the site of the earlier palace of the Ogiso's, the dynasty of the

ancient Benin Monarchy.
6). Iya Akpakpava or Iya Ok'Edo: This gate is where Akpakpava road breached the moat system. It led to the Ikpoba River, and beyond to the Isi district, the Igbo areas of today Eastern Nigeria, and the Northern Nigeria territories.

7). Iya Ewaise: This is where Ewaise road, Idunmwun Ewaise, breached the moat system, near today's Aburime maternity, after the Dawson road junction, into today's large areas of New Benin.

8). Iya Ero: This gate opens access to the Urubi Estate of Chief Ero, one of the

ancient Edion Nisen. The gate led to Uselu and beyond Yoruba land and to Eko (Lagos).
9). Iya Isekhere: The gate which led from Ibiwe to the Oloton, Ihogbe and Oliha districts, which then opened access to Use and Egor along Unuame forest to Udo town.

At each of the nine gates, a filled in Earth road, or a bridge crossed the moat. Each bridge was guarded with a gate, and near the gate was a pill-box or sentry house where the keepers of the gate stayed. They collected presents in cash and kind

from the traffic passing through the gate, ama ze n'uko n'urro, ai la(without giving the gate keeper his dues, there is no passage). At dusk, the keepers shut the gates and traffic across the moats ceased until the following morning. This was

interesting as entry into the city was controlled and monitored. Anything out of the ordinary was reported to the palace of the Oba of Benin.
If the Benins of old could innovate ideas to check three fundamental things:
1). Security
2). Population Count
3). Economic network

And the present Edo people are yet to proffer solutions to these three fundamental things that their ancestor flawlessly did, then we have a long way to go as a people who peaked in organization and greatness and

eventually started declining. We have to either return back to our old system of government, where the Oba of Benin was in charge or stand a chance to forever remain in the shadow of our past greatness.

Oba gha to kpere. Ise.