Rev Dr. Gabriel Ojiemekele Oyakhilome (1910-1997) was the assistant to the 1st General Superintendent (GS) of Assemblies of God Church in Nigeria (1964-1969), the 2nd General Superintendent (1969 - 1982) & the 1st Retred General Superintendent of the church in Nigeria. G. O. Oyakhilome converted to Christianity btw 1941-43 when he was a civil servant with the Governor’s office in Enugu. He went on to pioneer the church in the Midwest region from his home town, Iduwele Ewu, where he founded the Midwestern Bible Institute now known as...

Many people don't know this. Oba Eweka II (r:1914 – 1933) of Benin was the 1st to conceptualize the consolidation of what later became the Midwest region of Nigeria in 1963, when in 1926, he requested the British to bring all the Edoid & Anioma areas together in one region. This was a period when the British demanded that pupils in Benin be taught in Yoruba language instead of their local language & the Benin province was represented in the national legislative council by a Yoruba trader called Mr. I. T. Palmer who was living in Sapele.

Islam reached Afemai & Esan North thru Nupe/Hausa/Fulanii traders known as Egbalukpon about 1600s, it spead following Nupe (Azanama) invasion for tributes & slaves beginning 1860. T'was Akhigbe (Momodu) of Agbede who championed its spread beyond as a Jihad thru brutal slave raids Akhigbe (who changed his name to Momodu) became ruler of Agbede after his father Emoikpere who resisted & fought the invaders before he was defeated. On ascension in 1891 Momodu went to Bida returned with Islamic scholars & Nupe mercenary & launched a brutal Jihad & slave raid.

Esan culture before colonisation:
A man's mistress is called Osho, their child Omosho. If a man has no male child, his daughter, usually the 1st (called his Ehale "Forehead") wouldn't marry but remains at home & have kids with any man of her choice. She becomes known as Arebhoa. The children from this sexual relationship are deemed to be the legit children of her father. A son can be betroth as a baby to a wife (usually a baby too). before the boy matures, the girl, which matures faster can have sexual affairs & children with other men of her choice.

#Thread :
After the 1884 Berlin Conference in which the European nations divided sovereign African countries and nations among themselves, the kingdom of Benin and neighbouring kingdoms were designated as British territory.

1/ In the same year, the British made rulers in the Oil rivers (Niger delta) agree to a “protection” treaty. Rulers in the area such as Jaja of Opobo (a trading town by the sea) & Nana Olomu of Itsekiri (an inland kingdom in the delta) were persuaded to agree to the treaty.

2/

A small Benin bronze vessel with feet (18-19thC) at @rjmkoeln museum. The feet on the vessel suggests a link with Ofoe, the messenger of Ogiuwu (ruler of death) & ohan (aggressive) medicine. Ofe is depicted in Benin objects as a disembodied bead with feet & sometimes with hands. Benin Mask pendants are military insigna worn by military chiefs on the left side of the hips. The Oba wore Mask of Queen Idia, the Iyase, Ezomo & other military chiefs wore a masks with a leopard's face. A Benin bronze mask pendant with leopard head (18thC) at @rjmkoeln museum.

Smoking pipes were invented in sub-Saharan Africa as early as 600 BCE. Africans invented water pipes, historically associated primarily with cannabis, & dry pipes, primarily with tobacco.. Though Native Americans independently invented dry pipes, water pipes come only from Africa Most of the pre-Columbian pipes discovered by archeologist in Africa postdate 1000 CE & come from eastern Africa, suggesting the period cannabis was introduced to Africa from southern Asia. Pre-Columbian pipes were found in sites from Chad to Ethiopia & south Africa to Botswana.

A #thread of tweets about the origin, development & history of Edo foods. Cassava was 1st introduced the region

https://twitter.com/uwagbale_/status/1491490385092395021?t=slJZRYBgCCvgUM_DaFQ8mw&s=19

How the ijaws in Nigeria discovered & developed the distillation of alcohol. Ogogoro is a spirit distilled from palm wine collected from raffia palm trees indigenous to the fresh water swamps of the Niger delta which is the home of the Ijaw people. Palm wine in Ijawland is collected from Raphia Vinifera (bamboo palm) & Raphia Hookeri (koro). Whereas upland of the Niger delta where there are no raffia palms depends on oil palm for wine, as well as oil. Sap collected from palm immediately begins to ferment to become alcoholic

The relationship btw Portugal & Benin established by João Afonso de Aveiro only lasted from 1486 –1553. It waa abandoned by the Portuguese. Aveiro visited Benin from where he introduced to Europe the 1st Guinee pepper. The pepper was soon popular selling for a high price . So new commercial agents of King João of Portugal come with the Aveiro to reside in Ughoton, a Benin port & buy pepper & other things of interest to the King’s business. But the Portuguese wanted the king of Benin, Oba Ozolua to become a baptized Catholic with a Christian name.

Dowry is the money or property a woman brings to her husband or his family in marriage. A bride in many parts of Northern Nigeria are traditionally responsible for furnishing her home. The husband only needs to build/rent the house. This is a strange culture in southern Nigeria. While people in northern Nigeria have the dowry culture like Europeans & Asians, the people of southern Nigeria have an opposite culture which can be reffered to as the “Bride Price” culture. In this culture it is the husband who bring money/properties to his wife or her family.

One thing that amazed Europeans about Edo people was that unlike most civilizations proximity of water was not a factor in chosing a place to settle. Edo people especially the Esans actually avoided building their settlements close to a river, stream or in valleys.

1. Patrick Darling observed this when a did an archeological study of Benin-Esan earthwork (called Iya in bini & Iyala in Esan) system covering over 500 settlements.
The Binis avoided building settlements close to rivers. Example is Ikpoba rivers.

2/

It is believed that the true history about Udo is not being told. Udo is believed to have once being the capital of the Benin royal dynasty for many reasons. Here I list only 5 reasons.

https://twitter.com/uwagbale_/status/1495139698464985088

1. Udo & its moat is older than Benin & its moat. Talbot wrote that Ogisos once lived in Udo & that Udo is, “from all accounts, a far older town” than Benin City. Darling concluded that the imposing wall and ditch system (iya) of Udo is older than that of Benin City.

The path-breaking archaeological survey of the Benin-Esan earthwork done by Patrick Darling didn't only show that the Benin-Esan earthwork is the largest in the world, it also showed that the bini, urhobo, isoko migrated from Esan plateau & all originally migrating from Edo North Tradition, historical record, linguistic & archaeological studies shows a strong north-south movement of Edo culture over the last 6,000 yrs & points to the hills of Akoko-Edo as the location of the proto-edo people & language. The Edo North language is closer to the proto-edo.

Island of Principe consists mainly of Forros (Portuguese for “free man”), descendants of immigrant Europeans & enslaved Africans. Study shows the people of Principe are 59% genetically Esan (Forros = 54%). Edo-derived words makesup 76% of the African component of their creole

1/ Until 1545, Sao tome & Príncipe settlements were made up of Europeans, mainly Portuguese & enslaved Africans solely from trade relations with the Oba of Benin. This was during the time of Oba Ozolua who fought most of his wars in Esan & was killed there in a battle at Uzea.

2/

These crops were introduced to West Africa from American: Tobacco, Cocoa, Chili pepper, Cherry tomato, Capsicum, Tomato, Pawpaw, Guava, Avocado, Pineapple, Cassava, Groundnut, Lima bean, Sweet potato, Irish potato, new Cocoyam, cashew. A #thread of when they were introduced.

1/ Cassava was introduced by Portuguese. 1st reference to it in Nigeria was by Dapper who saw it at forcados in 1668. Barbot mentioned its cultivation in Warri in 1680s. In the North cultivation was recorded in 1850s in Yola. 1 of its Hausa name translates to "yam of the South"

2/

Before European got to West Africa in 1400s & named it the Guinea (dark skin), they had read & heard old stories of a place of dark skin people called Aethiops (sunburned/black) & the place Aethiopia. In 1300s, It was beleived to be the Christian kingdom of Prester John.

1/ Prester John (Presbyter Johannes), was a legend which according to stories popular in Europe since 12th century was a Nestorian patriarch and king who was said to rule over a Christian nation in the mist of pagans & Muslims in the Orient but no one knew the location.

2/

An interesting event happened in Benin in 1918 when the Spanish flu struck. 1,000s of Edo people died as a result of the pandemic & the Edos blamed it on the non-observance of Igue festival. The people went rioting so British had to send troops down to Benin to restore order.

1/ The Igue which has been celebrated since the reign of Oba Ewuare (1400s) & was reported by the Spanish Capuchin Missionaries who were in Benin City, on August 10, 1651. It festival which is reffered to as the "Benin Thanksgiving" is celebrated btw Christmas & new year anually

2/

Gun (osisi) & cannons (etuu) were 1st used by Edo people in the 1500s, who by late 1700s were making them locally with brass/bronze. By early 1900s, Benin was supplying firearms & gunpowder to its neighbours.

Here is a bronze gun looted from Benin in 1897 (made c 1540)

1/ Guns was introduced to Benin by the Portuguese during the reign of Oba Ozolua (1481-1504). Guns & cannons were used by Oba Esigie (1504-1550) in battles.Esigie spoke Portuguese & was close to them Some Portuguese fought for him in battles & worked for him in the city.

2/

The making of Benin kingdom

Ogisos & Obas fought 100s of wars to unify Edo people for over a millennium b4 venturing to conquer non-edo towns. From the Ogiso era to Oba era Edo towns in the Iyekovia (led by Udo town) & Iyekorhionmwon territories rejected the kings in Benin.

1/n Initially the Edo people were led by the Iko-Edionwere (council of the elders of all the villages). The unification of the people started with Igodo, a member of Iko- Edionwere who imposed himself as king with the title Ogiso but many villages didn't accept this kingship.

2/n

Ezomo of Benin (1914-60)

Ezomo, the 3rd highest ranking chief in Benin kingdom stands apart from all other Benin chiefs. The hereditary title is next to the Oba in prestige & status. The Ezomo lived in a semi-independent state in his own town of Uzebu & kept his own court.

1/n The Ezomo, like the Oba of Benin is referred to as "Omo" , his wives are called Illoi (Queens) & children called Okoro (prince) & Uvbi (princess). Apart from the Oba, Iyoba (Oba’s Mother) & the Edaiken (Oba’s heir) the Ezomo alone is permitted to wear a coronet of beads.

2/n