The Story Of Attah Ameh Oboni - the Nigerian King who Chose Suicide Instead of Bowing to the Queen of England.

Attah Ameh Oboni was a revered Igala King.

At a particular meeting held in Kaduna which consisted of all paramount traditional rulers in Nigeria and which had the queen of England in attendance, Attah Ameh was asked to remove his cap to greet the Queen of England as others had done.

Though he refused until they said he should leave the meeting if he would not remove his cap. But Attah was not like others, or was he?

It was a taboo for Attah to remove his cap in the public. The entire hall where they were staying was occupied by swan of bees which emanates from the cap of Attah Ameh Oboni which he removed in order to greet the Queen.

The Queen of England as well as other rulers in the meeting ran helter-skelter except the friendly Oba of Benin who was asked by Attah Ameh to go out before he removed his cap. The hall became empty as some were stung by the bees and the meeting ended.

According to history, Attah Ameh Oboni was asked to be arrested and handcuffed by the security people, which they did, but the handcuffs fell off his hands.

He was later locked up in a room on the instruction of the Northern rulers and guarded by the security personnel but only to find out later by the personnel that he had left the room. Yes, when the security were taking him to be locked up, he told his driver, Amanabo of blessed memory, to take the car and be going to Idah while the security locked him in the room.

He then warned Amanabo not to look back until he felt a cool breeze in the car. Though Amanabo argued a little that he cannot leave the Attah there but later obeyed and started driving back to Idah from Kaduna.

After some time, he felt the cool breeze in the car, and Attah Ameh was sitted inside the car.

The incident in the meeting made many traditional rulers which were mostly northerners to be angry especially making kings run in such a manner because of bees.

This became one important sin, and it was like “one sin too many”.

The queen of Englnad was also not happy and they (the Queen and northern leaders) started looking for a way to remove Attah Ameh from the throne since he was getting tougher and uncontrollable like others, as well as searching for an obedient replacement.

Igala has various cultural festivals, one of which is Ocho. Ocho is celebrated before farming starts, and it is the time that Attah Igala prays to God for sufficient rainfall, bountiful harvest, success in hunting. It is celebrated in the bush and the venue is called Ere-ocho, where the Attah will hunt until he kills a Buffalo or a strong animal. The community in Idah where Ocho takes place is called Ogo-Efa. He performs a little sacrifice to the ancestors using a fowl in the process, and this was to find out if there will blessings or problems in the land after the Ocho.

Before this time, the enemies at home (among the Igala people), especially those having connections with the leaders of the northern region, were working hard to get any evidence either true or false which can be used to remove him from the throne. The blood of the animal used as sacrifice at Ocho ground now became what the enemies would use against him.

Petition was written by these two Igala people to the Queen and some other Northern leaders that Attah Ameh was sacrificing humans during the Ocho festivals. Since they were looking for any means to displace him with, judgment was quickly passed that he must be dethroned, even when investigations were not yet concluded.

In addition, all the Igala cultural festivals including the Ocho were immediately banned and this remained for almost 63 years until Governor Yahaya Bello unbanned them based on the appeal of the present Attah Igala.

Already, before this time, the Oba of Benin who had such friction with the British had already been dethroned and banished from Benin. So, Attah Ameh Oboni knew that at that point, no matter what spiritual approach applied, it can only postpone the evil day as his enemies will never relent until he was removed by them.

The result of the blood sample which was taken from the Ocho venue and taken to University of Ibadan for analysis had arrived and it was proved that it was the blood of an animal and not human. Sadly, the revered King, Attah Ameh had passed on before the result was brought.

But Attah Ameh, being very sure that he was wrongly accused and framed up by his enemies, especially those from Igala who wrote the petition against him marking the beginning of his planned dethronement, made some pronouncements before his death.

He was allegedly quoted to have said that ” the person who wrote the petition against him would have that hand dried up, and that the leader of the gang or petitioners would be buried three times”. And they all came to pass.

While the hand dried as said, the other was buried as stated, first was the leg, second was his hand and the third was himself, all buried at various times at different locations.

In addition, as this information of his dethronement was given to him in a meeting from where he was supposed to go back to Idah and prepare to leave the throne, he stopped on the way in another Igala land called Dekina.

That was where he committed suicide.

Before taking his life, he was allegedly quoted to have said that the town, Dekina will be popular but its development will not be as much as its popularity.

He was also quoted to have said that because Igala was the genesis of his ordeal, there will be disunity among the Igala people until the reign of his own blood (son) as Attah, and all Igalas irrespective of their locations will be reunited again.

I think from the reconnection and reunification of Igala people across Nigeria and beyond which has been going on and still going on under the reign of his son, Agabaidu Idakwo Ameh Oboni II, the present Attah Igala, that pronouncement of reunification of Igala people is also coming through.

Okay na


The original slay King...

A wonderful story.

What we have these day are no longer traditional rulers but political rulers just as we have political-military officers.

What a shame...

Una save all these mumu stories till the woman die abi? Cowards!

EmptyGarden:
Una save all these mumu stories till the woman die abi? Cowards!

The story has been told before now.

Blame the bastards who removed history from our school curricula.

I wonder what OBJ is hiding to have allowed such a travesty under him while he now Bugas and be forming a king-kong elder statesman.

Tureeh

Hmmmn.

Lesson learnt: "Do not allow your king, expecially africa king to lay a curse on you because it will not only affect you but your children and unborn children."

Wisetrue99:
Interesting!

But he couldn't use his charms to destroy his enemies who were after his him/throne he just had to commit suicide

So who won after all

You must be from Yoruba tribe . I heard u know no honour except selfishness.

I know igala isn't yoruba

Na wao.
Suicide has been the only option since time i.mmemorial...

BTW, with the shape of the drum he is coverning on his head as cap, even a python and not only the bees can troop out from there. I sha fear who no fear Edo and Igala man........From the story, he told his Edo counterpart to step out of the hall first before unleashing the dragon to chase the beautiful queen Lizzy and the Northern kings around., Meaning the both of them are best of friends.....Lol

Thanks to UI my almamata for having the forensic equipment to run a blood test even as Old as back then just to clarify the accusation on the king.

Wallahi if na me get that kind disappearing power of tha king, na everyday I go dey visit Central bank Vault room.

gaby:
Okay na


The original slay King...

A wonderful story.

What we have these day are no longer traditional rulers but political rulers just as we have political-military officers.

What a shame...

But you have seen how it all started. Till date, northern Nigeria is still holding the country down. The refused to move and stood in the way for others to move.

Fake story

And I can see one nincompoop blaming Obasanjo for the mythical incident already. Nigeria keeps expecting progress while idiots constitute the overwhelming majority and even actually, exclusively lead

That's why we are here today. The north and south amalgamation was the costliest mistake of this country.

Nearly all empires and kingdoms including igala kingdom are guilty of accusations against Queen of England. Slavery. Colonialism. War.

Wisetrue99:

My dear, Honour is when you are victorious, not the other way round!

I go get that kind power Na to make those people bow at my feet!

Even queen Eliza go become one of my wives

Maybe his power is meant for defence not attack.

This should be moved to the Literature section, myths/fiction in particular.

Thanks from the story if genuine. What I heard was different from this. I was told he sacrificed his daughter to save Igala people but was later ganged up against and so he cursed them.

Sounds more like fiction being passed around.

Leiylau:
You must be from Yoruba tribe . I heard u know no honour except selfishness.

I know igala isn't yoruba

He has to commit suicide if not his lineage will never become Attah again if Disposed

What a story!
Our history is rich in nigeria!

valentineuwakwe:
What a story!
Our history is rich in nigeria!

yes the British monarchy took slavery to a new height

This days am starting to question my spirituality

If they had not given us independence.. This country would have been the best, far more better than Saudi Arabia, Dubai etc.. .. I wish they were still helping us manage this beautiful nation where we can't even manufacture tyres.. so sad.

Chaos14:
This days am starting to question my spirituality

Take it easy bro

Chaos14:
This days am starting to question my spirituality

Nothing bad in that.

Read, research till you find your true path. It might still be Christianity eventually. Just find what works for you

Una avert all these said stories till the woman die abi

How true

An Igala man told me this story last week

Fake and very stupid story. How did the African man fall to this low of believing all kinds of supernatural nonsense?

We have seen many images of people meeting the queen on TV and in pictures, in none of those images did the people take off their caps, crowns or turbans.

Believing such Nonsense as this is the same reason why Africans still stone people believed to be witches, the same reason churches are scamming people, etc. It's the reason for Africa's backwardness.

mytime24:
How true

I know you are educated. Please stop posting this annoying picture. The image tagged as Igbo in that picture is actually Yoruba. Do igbo kings wear agbada? The one tagged as Yoruba is bini. The one tagged as hausa is fulani.

An illiterate peoduced that picture combination. Don't spread it.

So if everyone has committed suicide then, who will be left on the land