Creeper:
Ilaje (Mahin/Ugbo) Account

Benin & Itsekiri joined forces to checkmate Mahin under Alagwe (Olague) and they barely had their way with the assistance of the Portuguese mercenaries.

One of these clashes led to Benin's foray into Lagos in the 1600s. The wars also claimed the lives of rulers across the kingdoms. It was during the reign of Olu Irame that the Itsekiris were said to be free from Mahin/Alagwe torment while the death of Oba Ehengbuda at the hands of the Mahins brought an end to the hostilities between Benin and Mahin.

𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐀𝐇𝐈𝐍 (𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐉𝐄) 𝐯𝐬. 𝐈𝐓𝐒𝐄𝐊𝐈𝐑𝐈/𝐁𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒

The Mahins and their leader called Alagwe in Ilaje (Olague in Itsekiri and Oague in Benin) were core part of the pre Olu and Itsekiri people. They were the aborigines and Alagwe reigned supreme in father to son succession over the old Itsekiri area.

Now when the first Olu, Prince Ginuwa emerged from Benin and sojourned through many places which include today part of Ijaw land he arrived Ijala where he breathed his last. Ginuwa had no issues with the aborigines of the area including Alagwe who was so wealthy, affluent and very powerful, residing in a well decorated quarter in Ode Itsekiri. But when Ginuwa died his sons who were later settled at Ode Itsekiri after leaving Ijala became unruly and started demanding obeisance from their hosts. The successor of Ginuwa, Ijijen was taxing and demanding tributes from the aborigines which Alagwe and his group took exception to.

It won't be long before war broke out and from some accounts the first fighting claimed the life of Ijijen and when Irame took over the reign he sought help from Benin, Ijaws and later Portuguese. Now, Alagwe was more of mystical figure; endowed with traditional power and war prowess that made him invisible in battles. He was described as juju in some European journals which include 𝑮𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝑩𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏; 𝑰𝒕𝒔 𝑪𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒎𝒔, 𝑨𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓𝒔 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒃𝒚 𝑯𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒚 𝑳𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑹𝒐𝒕𝒉.

However the game changed with the superior firepower of Olu Irame, and Alagwe was forced to retreat with his group, first to settle a place call Aba-Alagwe and later Ukparamo (meaning a hidding place in ancient Yoruboid language). It was during the reign of one the Alagwes at Ukparamo that a strategic land was discovered and relocated to. The place is known as Mahin today. The land is named after a particular wood/tree called Umaghen/Omeghen in Ilaje dialect found in abundance in the area.

The people prospered, flourished and expanded at Mahin. It was said Mahin practically had all the making of an empire under one of their kings named Alagwe Goro. The Mahin ruler was the overlord of the coastal way from Lagos to the boundary with Warri while the hostilities with the Olu and Benin on one hand rages intermittently.

The Olu and Benin ruler were said to be greatly disturbed and tormented by Alagwes. They felt threatened by his kingdom expansion and had to strategise and device a means to checkmate him. The Oba and Olu were also said to have maintained ties with some Ilaje chiefs of the time. Worthy to note some kings of Benin were born/raised in Ilaje in time past and some Ilaje were recorded to have rendered many spiritual, healing and war assistance to Benin. So there were account of espionage within Ilaje which revealed Alagwe cult's war secrets, oro rite to Benin and Itsekiri ahead of a big clash that proved decisive.

The clash was so fierce that it claimed so many lives on all sides but the coalition and their firepower was too much for the Mahin to repel and in the end Alagwe was said to have disappeared into the river around Emina while the Benins and Itsekiri looted Mahin's treasures.

Among what they looted was the finest of salts of the time and artifacts of spiritual and cultural significance.

The Mahin had a thriving salt, fish, mat and clothing industry. They were so organised, civilised, rich and commercialised as recorded even by pro Benin historians. See 𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝑺𝒊𝒓, 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒐𝒃𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒃𝒚 𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝑶𝒃𝒂 𝑬𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒖𝒘𝒂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑳𝒂𝒈𝒐𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 1603, 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒐𝒇 𝑨𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔 𝑱𝒐𝒔𝒉𝒖𝒂 𝑼𝒍𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌.

The Benin took the salt home and savour it and had a special song dedicated to its discovery in Mahin. Oba Orhogbua set foot in Lagos for the first time in the aftermath of the war, arriving with a largely depleted armies. Much was not recorded of the Olu of Warri afterward as it thus appeared they vacated the epicentre of the war and returned back to his capital Ode Itsekiri and had no real interest in spreading of influence up to Lagos like Oba Orhogbua who was taken to Lagos in fleets belonging to itsekiri’s in chase of Alagwe.

Meanwhile, the Mahin quickly picked themselves up from the war and regrouped for a revenge battle. For fear of the Mahins siege Oba Orhogbua had a prolonged stay in Lagos and elected for a longer and tedious inland route back to Benin passing through the Akure country side. Some said he was still attacked and barely escaped with his life.

He died shortly after his return to Benin and was succeeded by his son, Ehengbuda who led another war against the Mahins, but this was final, and a real total massacre of Benin armies. Ehengbuda was killed by Alagwe's people at Eluju Ibila alongside his armies with some captured and sold as slaves. The Mahin-Ilaje have a song that they use to recount that feat till today.

Regardless of the past hostilities Mahin/Ilajes and Itsekiris are of the same stock. One people!

https://twitter.com/lord_of_warri/status/1636053230701379588?s=46&t=cDvmaODjfVry7evXWsXd0A

Creeper:
Itsekiri Account

Well it started around the reign of Olu ijijen after the death of first Olu Ginuwa one of his son Ijijen went to Ode itsekiri where he was welcomed in during his walking into the capital he saw faces frowning and he asked what the problem is the people said they can’t be paying taxes to two masters and they can’t have two kings Olu ijijen said “take me to this man whom they call master” when he got to Olagues house he said “I am Olu ijijen ruler of Iwere I have come to let you know the people of this region are now under my rule and so all taxes being paid to you as of this moment has stopped”

Olague didn’t say anything or reply his word he went inside his house in his quarters in ode itsekiri when the Olu was going back Olague warriors shot an arrow against the king which scratched his shoulders Olu ijijen was prepared for something like that he took his few men and took down the Olague warriors but unfortunately Olague escaped the capital and ran away the itsekiri’s were happy and said Olague has been a tyrant forcing them to pay taxes the itsekiri’s being happy gave the Olu the title Ogbowuru

But Olu ijijen injuries from the fight never healed he died years later without an heir because of his condition from the fight his brother Olu Irame took over as Olu of Warri during one of his coronation anniversary he heard of the Olague’s having a kingdom that is expanding and giving troubles to the itsekiri’s in benin river, Olu Irame Wanted Revenge and also that the oba of Benin is tired of them.

the Mahins and Benin kingdom had a disagreement about power balance, that made the mahins to attack the benin kingdom communities close to the river banks. but they also attacked itsekiri communities also close to the river banks. those communities was under the kingdom of warri at the time (if they knew that some of the communities they attacked were itsekiri’s or they didn’t its not known)

the oba of Benin planned a land invasion, the Olu of Warri being angry at the attack on his river communities also his hatred for Olague he sent message to the oba, Olu Irame told the messengers to tell his cousin the oba of benin that he should prepare for war against the mahins that he will gather his forces both their strength will crush Olague…..

the war would have been won by the mahins because the oba could not have been successful as the mahins have naval forces something the benins doesn’t have their navy plans to use the large army out of benin kingdom to attack benin from the back through the river that would force the oba to retreat and would put the oba in the middle of the war getting attacks from front and back but the mahins navy was destroyed by the Warri Fleets “warri kingdom navy’s that was said to be the most powerful with 30,000 men and 70,000 war canoes at the time after Bonny kingdom navy” (Jean-François Landolphe)

The Warriors of Warri took control of the sea and invaded through the shores that gave opportunity to the oba after he heard his cousin is attacking from the river this put the mahin warriors in the middle of the battlefield most of them scattered and their citizens were displaced and ran away

When the Olu pushed more into the battlefield and saw the oba of Benin bathing with the blood of the citizens and warriors of mahins he didn’t like what he saw, so he stretched his left hands to the sky and uses his right hand to point to the boats at the sea shores the warriors of Warri fighting stops immediately seeing the beads of their king pointing to the sky and the sea shores meaning to leave the battlefield immediately the warri kingdom forces pulled away from the war and went back to the itsekiri communities that was attacked and there after left to warri kingdom capital (ode itsekiri)

The Oba of Benin having learned his cousin left like that was angry he lost a lot of man power the Olu of Warri later sent Some loot he got from the war to the Oba of Benin as so he doesn’t misunderstands his retreat from the war.

Olague had already escaped to what is now known as Lagos, the Olu wasn’t interested in chasing him further but he sent the oba of Benin 3000 fleets which paddled the oba to what is known today as Eko they were welcomed by the Aworis who were already aware of their coming the Aworis told them in other to catch Olague they need to station themselves in two entry points of area

The Aworis gave The oba a place where he stationed himself at Eko the itsekiri’s military were given a place where they camped at Epe and also where they found ijebu speaking people the Aworis joined in the search for Olague then came back to tell the itsekiri warriors that Olague was already dead they sent word to warri about what they were told but the Olu of Warri told them even if Olague is dead he wants his head so the soldiers remained in Epe.

The oba of Benin went back without the itsekiri escorts in a rush after he heard there was a coup attempt back in benin to dethrone him but he was attacked by the mahins/ilaje where he was drowned and killed his son Ehengbuda was crowned new Oba who wanted to take revenge against the mahins/ilaje but failed in doing so and also died.

https://twitter.com/lord_of_warri/status/1636080013442273284?s=46&t=cDvmaODjfVry7evXWsXd0A