phyllosilicate:
On the contrary, Benin Influence has been understated, why did you think Benin republic name their country Benin?

Forgive me if I appeared condescending. My paternal grandmother has Benin ancestry, so I am familiar with Benin tales by moonlight. I've also researched the Benin Empire, but I still insist that some parts of Benin's orthodox history just don't sync.

phyllosilicate:
. Why are you not telling the truth? below are Anioma monarchs,

Obi of Ubulu Uku (Aniocha)
Obi Of Agbor.
Pere of Isaba

Mere seeing them you would know that they are Beni Princes. They are all wearing the Red and White of Beni, the Beni Beads and carrying or having a symbol of the Benin Staff of Office.

I hate dignifying Idiots with a reply.. Come to Asaba with this benin crap.

OfoIgbo:

Benin Republic used to be known as Dahomey, but they changed their name to Benin because of the Bight of Benin, and not because of the Benin empire.
Dahomey was an ancient kingdom that belonged to the Fon, the majority ethnic group. The ancient Kingdom of Dahomey did not cover the whole of Dahomey as some other ethnic groups in the country felt left out.
That led to the adoption of Benin as the coast of the country was known as the Bight of Benin

Your posts is either filled with lies or you are just copying and pasting stuff from the internet.
I'll advise you check out a well established historian to tell you exactly what BINI is all about.

At one end Yoruba's say Bini got its name from ILE IBI NU - Land of Anger, now look at you here saying it was from Nri - nri what?
Who are you confusing? Yourself? My grandfather who is a royal blood in Benin tells me the correct history of my people, then why would i listen to an nri person to tell me what we are? Please face another direction!

mcvaeey:
hahahaha. See who's talking. Can you withstand the binis when it comes to fighting? Mind you, you're not from from the binis cos you share a boundary with Oriohimwon and it won't be difficult pouncing on your sorry asses. Ordinary igala youths that are giving you problems in anambra you've not been able to handle and you're thinking of engaging the binis. You'll die in great numbers this time. Try yourself. We are watching and waiting for you.

come to Asaba and say this benin crap.. Calling We Delta- Igbos Benins is an Insult.

babaearly:


Your posts is either filled with lies or you are just copying and pasting stuff from the internet.
I'll advise you check out a well established historian to tell you exactly what BINI is all about.

At one end Yoruba's say Bini got its name from ILE IBI NU - Land of Anger, now look at you here saying it was from Nri - nri what?
Who are you confusing? Yourself? My grandfather who is a royal blood in Benin tells me the correct history of my people, then why would i listen to an nri person to tell me what we are? Please face another direction!

Nwokem, print out what I have written so far and read it to your dad to update his knowledge of his Benin ancestry.
Portuguese explorers saw Nri people in the palace of one of your obas. Thankfully these Portuguese explorers recorded their findings, so it supercedes all these tales by the moonlight that you guys are telling of late
Oba remains an Nri title till today.
Benin uses the Four market days that Nri-Igbo introduced into Benin. The originating shrines of these market days are still owned and controlled by Umu-Nris.

I want you to tell me the Edo meaning of AKALAKA, IWEKA, EZECHIMA.

morbeta:
An English friend of mine told me that an Igboman fron Onitsha in anambra state was a very famous Oba in Benin Kingdom. Pls confirm. I want to know how true that is.

Igbos ruled the whole of Nigeria. They were also the first people to set foot on America. They traded with the Egyptian empire and China and even sent an astronaut to the moon in the old days. What else, let me think ...They were also there when God was creating his universe. You read in the bible..."let us make man in our own image". That was an Ibo man he was talking to.
There, now that we have massaged the tender ego of this tribe that has serious inferiority complex issues let us now hear something more important.

coolitempa:
The truth is that Anioma.....ikwerre...and other parts of ibo land including inside Anambra ......are Benin.....

Some parts of Igbo have Benin influence but Ikwerre has zero Benin influence. Ikwerre society was kingless and lacked the Benin monarchical society.

In the East only Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni/Oguta/Onitsha/Ogbaru areas have Benin influence. Their origin if we must use what I know from my people is from a place known as Ado n'Idu inhabited by Igbos but at the fringe of Benin territory. Most of these tales are illogical but I have been able to deduce that Igbos were actually part of warriors in Benin but later fell out with a wicked Oba which led to an exodus towards the East. On their way back they realised other Igbos had already occupied some areas but many settled along the way while others moved on and crossed the Niger ferried by Ijaw sailors who joined the expedition. These Ijaw people and some Benin loyalists joined the Igbos to form the Igbo speaking peoples inhabiting today's Aboh, Kwale, Ogba, Egbema and Oguta. Onitsha, Ndoni and Ogbaru people were ferried by Igala men who equally became part of them. Igbo language has always been the language of all these Niger River Igbos right from Ado n'Idu era.

Abagworo:


Some parts of Igbo have Benin influence but Ikwerre has zero Benin influence. Ikwerre society was kingless and lacked the Benin monarchical society.

In the East only Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni/Oguta/Onitsha/Ogbaru areas have Benin influence. Their origin if we must use what I know from my people is from a place known as Ado n'Idu inhabited by Igbos but at the fringe of Benin territory. Most of these tales are illogical but I have been able to deduce that Igbos were actually part of warriors in Benin but later fell out with a wicked Oba which led to an exodus towards the East. On their way back they realised other Igbos had already occupied some areas but many settled along the way while others moved on and crossed the Niger ferried by Ijaw sailors who joined the expedition. These Ijaw people and some Benin loyalists joined the Igbos to form the Igbo speaking peoples inhabiting today's Aboh, Kwale, Ogba, Egbema and Oguta. Onitsha, Ndoni and Ogbaru people were ferried by Igala men who equally became part of them. Igbo language has always been the language of all these Niger River Igbos right from Ado n'Idu era.

Chairman you are good in making up stories. See how you just sat down and cook all this up.

Yoruba propaganda.
Igbo is Igbo. Bini is bini.

Land grabbers and those looking to establish some sort of cultural imperialism, need to read about the Second and First World War.

After dat, everybody in Europe today now know their boundary.


Yorubas be warned.

OfoIgbo:


I want you to tell me the Edo meaning of AKALAKA, IWEKA, EZECHIMA.

There is nothing like Iweka in Bini, i dont know of eshans or others, only EWEKA.
Akalaka and ezechima are your language and not in Bini.

It's like saying since japanese have a word called edo and osa so they must have founded Bini. Funny

Abagworo:


Some parts of Igbo have Benin influence but Ikwerre has zero Benin influence. Ikwerre society was kingless and lacked the Benin monarchical society.

In the East only Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni/Oguta/Onitsha/Ogbaru areas have Benin influence. Their origin if we must use what I know from my people is from a place known as Ado n'Idu inhabited by Igbos but at the fringe of Benin territory. Most of these tales are illogical but I have been able to deduce that Igbos were actually part of warriors in Benin but later fell out with a wicked Oba which led to an exodus towards the East. On their way back they realised other Igbos had already occupied some areas but many settled along the way while others moved on and crossed the Niger ferried by Ijaw sailors who joined the expedition. These Ijaw people and some Benin loyalists joined the Igbos to form the Igbo speaking peoples inhabiting today's Aboh, Kwale, Ogba, Egbema and Oguta. Onitsha, Ndoni and Ogbaru people were ferried by Igala men who equally became part of them. Igbo language has always been the language of all these Niger River Igbos right from Ado n'Idu era.

Yawnnnnnnn.....tales by the okija moonlight....

OfoIgbo:
People I am a direct descendant of Nri and let me shed a little light on these issues

1. The title OBA was/is an Nri title, already in use within the core Nri towns of Enugwu-ukwu, Enugwu-agidi, Nawfia and Agukwu centuries before the first known oba of Benin I.e OBA IWEKA.
2. BINI was coined from the Igbo sentence ILO OBI INU, which means THE ROAD OF BITTER HEARTS.
3. The first Oba of Benin was an Nri titled man and the alias attached to his Obaship denoted the temperament of the Bini people back then. IWEKA goes hand in hand with ILO OBI INU. It means ANGER IS GREAT, obviously still referring to the BINIS
4. In times past, mainly because of the relationship of the Benin obas and Nri, Nri priests crowned Obas of Benin, probably up until Oba Ewuare from whose reign, the Nris started playing diminishing roles in the Benin Kingdom
5. The four market days used by Binis is a corruption of the market days originated by the Nris
6. Portuguese explorers that visited the palace of the Oba about six hundreds of years ago or so, reported the presence of HIGHLY REVERED MEN FROM THE EAST WHO TAUGHT THE PALACE THE MYSTERIES OF THE HEAVINGLY BODIES AND SEASONS e.t.c. Of course that will explain why Bini people still use the Nri-Igbo four market days.
7. Around the time of the Portuguese visit and for hundreds of years before that, the official language of the Obas palace was Igbo.
8. I hope with the above, people can now see why quite a number of Benin princes that migrated to certain areas bore Igbo names e.g Ezechima, Akalaka e.t.c.

So basically, the first oba of Benin and his descendants have Nri ancestry

Men see lies!

babaearly:


There is nothing like Iweka in Bini, i dont know of eshans or others, only EWEKA.
Akalaka and ezechima are your language and not in Bini.

It's like saying since japanese have a word called edo and osa so they must have founded Bini. Funny

That is my point... Remember that I had already written that the Oba title originated in Nri, and it is still born today. People in Enugwu-ukwu must have heard of the late Oba Nwandu. In fact, a cousin of the current Eze Nri is known as Oba Agbalanze (Prince Emeka Onyesoh). The title has been in Igboland (Umu-Nri clan to be exact) 100s of years before the first Oba of Nri ancestry was installed in Benin, and the current nomenclature's OBA IWEKA.
Put simply, it was the Nris that introduced the oba title to Benin, by installing an Nri titled man as the first Oba. Now Iweka means ANGER IS GREAT presumably in the land that he was installed as the don.

Akalaka is reputed to be a Benin prince that established Ikwerre, Ekpeye. Akalaka means DESTINY in Igbo.

Ezechima is reputed to be a Benin prince that established Onitsha. So how come these Benin princes all seem to have Igbo names? Because the first oba was an Nri man and his early descendants were Igbo, and Igbo was the language spoken at the Oba's palace to start with.

Add all these to the findings of early Portuguese explorers, most probably led by Prince Henry the navigator, in which they saw Nri people in the Oba's palace, and a picture begins to develop

OfoIgbo:


That is my point... Remember that I had already written that the Oba title originated in Nri, and it is still born today. People in Enugwu-ukwu must have heard of the late Oba Nwandu. In fact, a cousin of the current Eze Nri is known as Oba Agbalanze (Prince Emeka Onyesoh). The title has been in Igboland (Umu-Nri clan to be exact) 100s of years before the first Oba of Nri ancestry was installed in Benin, and the current nomenclature's OBA IWEKA.
Put simply, it was the Nris that introduced the oba title to Benin, by installing an Nri titled man as the first Oba. Now Iweka means ANGER IS GREAT presumably in the land that he was installed as the don.

Akalaka is reputed to be a Benin prince that established Ikwerre, Ekpeye. Akalaka means DESTINY in Igbo.

Ezechima is reputed to be a Benin prince that established Onitsha. So how come these Benin princes all seem to have Igbo names? Because the first oba was an Nri man and his early descendants were Igbo, and Igbo was the language spoken at the Oba's palace to start with.

Add all these to the findings of early Portuguese explorers, most probably led by Prince Henry the navigator, in which they saw Nri people in the Oba's palace, and a picture begins to develop

IF YOU HAD THE NOISE OF PINOKIO, BEFORE YOU FINISHED TYPING THIS, YOU NOISE WOULD HAVE TOUCHED THE SKY.

I also heard that an igbo man was once Alafin of Oyo! #sarcasim

ejirede:
I also heard that an igbo man was once Alafin of Oyo!
#sarcasim

No. An Igboman was never an Alafin of Oyo. Some OYO ORU OBA must be feeding you with lies. #sarcasim

phyllosilicate:
IF YOU HAD THE NOISE OF PINOKIO, BEFORE YOU FINISHED TYPING THIS, YOU NOISE WOULD HAVE TOUCHED THE SKY.

You guys like to tell some Igbos how they are descended from you, but you detest being told that your royal house is of Nri ancestry. I wonder why.

The title "Oba" has meaning only in Yoruba language.

otr1:
The title "Oba" has meaning only in Yoruba language.

An example being that in Anambra state, there is a community known as UmuEZE Anam. Another community is known as UmuOBA Anam and both communities have absolutely nothing tondonwith either Yoruba or Edo.

The Anam collective is said to be descended from Nteje, Igala and NRI

OfoIgbo:


An example being that in Anambra state, there is a community known as UmuEZE Anam. Another community is known as UmuOBA Anam and both communities have absolutely nothing tondonwith either Yoruba or Edo.

The Anam collective is said to be descended from Nteje, Igala and NRI

You may as well tell me the meaning of "oba" in Ibo language and I'll tell you the real Yoruba meaning which literally means "king".
The word "Oba" itself has no meaning to the Binis who use it as the title for their kings

otr1:

You may as well tell me the meaning of "oba" in Ibo language and I'll tell you the real Yoruba meaning which literally means "king".
The word "Oba" itself has no meaning to the Binis who use it as the title for their kings

In Nri-Igboland, Oba is not as high as an Eze or Igwe.

And I suspect Yorubas adopted the title from Binis, perhaps Edo people will help to shed more light on this. Who came first? The Oba of Benin or the first Oba in Yorubaland.
I know Yorubas have Ooni of Ife and Alafin of Oyo. But I know that a lot of Yoruba rulers have the Oba titles, so I will like to know whether the Oba of Benin is the oldest Obaship institution in those parts or whether there is a Yoruba kingdom which had an Oba before Benin.

If Benin turns out to be the first Obaship institution in that part, then I will boldly tell you that Yorubas adopted Obaship s transitively from Nri

OfoIgbo:


In Nri-Igboland, Oba is not as high as an Eze or Igwe.

And I suspect Yorubas adopted the title from Binis, perhaps Edo people will help to shed more light on this. Who came first? The Oba of Benin or the first Oba in Yorubaland.
I know Yorubas have Ooni of Ife and Alafin of Oyo. But I know that a lot of Yoruba rulers have the Oba titles, so I will like to know whether the Oba of Benin is the oldest Obaship institution in those parts or whether there is a Yoruba kingdom which had an Oba before Benin.

If Benin turns out to be the first Obaship institution in that part, then I will boldly tell you that Yorubas adopted Obaship s transitively from Nri

We have Ooni, Alafin, Awujale, Osamawe and the rest because the word "oba" is not a title, but a proper noun. All traditional rulers in Yorubaland are Obas because they "ba" on everything in their domain and that's why they have their specific names.
The word "Oba" has two syllables, O/ba. In Yoruba, the "O" means "the one", while the "ba" means "rules". That's why we say "Oba "ba" l'ori oun gbogbo which means, a King "rules" over everything.
The Binis most certainly adopted the name "Oba" as the title of their ruler from the Yorubas.
How can it be the other way round when we have people bearing Yoruba names inside Bini palace and some of their incantations being said in Yoruba words?
They don't know the meaning of Oba beyond being the title of their King.

morbeta:
An English friend of mine told me that an Igboman fron Onitsha in anambra state was a very famous Oba in Benin Kingdom. Pls confirm. I want to know how true that is.

yes he was from Oba town in anambra who changed his name from Emeka to Eweka.

otr1:

We have Ooni, Alafin, Awujale, Osamawe and the rest because the word "oba" is not a title, but a proper noun. All traditional rulers in Yorubaland are Obas because they "ba" on everything in their domain and that's why they have their specific names.
The word "Oba" has two syllables, O/ba. In Yoruba, the "O" means "the one", while the "ba" means "rules". That's why we say "Oba "ba" l'ori oun gbogbo which means, a King "rules" over everything.
The Binis most certainly adopted the name "Oba" as the title of their ruler from the Yorubas.
How can it be the other way round when we have people bearing Yoruba names inside Bini palace and some of their incantations being said in Yoruba words?
They don't know the meaning of Oba beyond being the title of their King.

In Igboland OBA means two things
1. Barn, as in yam barn
2. He/she becomes rich

IBA means TO BE RICH
ABA M means I BECOME RICH
OBA means HE BEFOMES RICH
HABA means THEY BECOME RICH

As I wrote initially that an OBA is below an Eze Nri and does not denote a RULER in Nri. I am not surprised that it does not mean RULER in Benin also, and still points to the fact that the Benin Obas are of Nri origin, afterall OBA does not mean RULER in both Umu-Nri clans and Benin.

I will get more information over the next few days from and Nri Oba that I know, and I am almost certain that what he will tell me about OBASHIP in Nri will mirror what it means in Benin.

Obas in Benin became dejure and defacto rulers of Benin , and I am guessing that the Yorubas would have associated Obaship with Rulership and over the centuries, Oba became the same as Rulers in Yorubaland, much the same way as a blind man that touches the tail of an elephant will swear that an elephant is just like a snake. The above sentence is just an intelligent guess.

So basically, in the oldest surviving kingdom in Nigeria ( ie Nri) Oba does not mean a king. It has more to do with affluence mingled with pious cum priestly flavouring and highly respected and titled in the community. I will get more info on this. Watch the space

OfoIgbo:


In Igboland OBA means two things
1. Barn, as in yam barn
2. He/she becomes rich

IBA means TO BE RICH
ABA M means I BECOME RICH
OBA means HE BEFOMES RICH
HABA means THEY BECOME RICH

As I wrote initially that an OBA is below an Eze Nri and does not denote a RULER in Nri. I am not surprised that it does not mean RULER in Benin also, and still points to the fact that the Benin Obas are of Nri origin, afterall OBA does not mean RULER in both Umu-Nri clans and Benin.

I will get more information over the next few days from and Nri Oba that I know, and I am almost certain that what he will tell me about OBASHIP in Nri will mirror what it means in Benin.

Obas in Benin became dejure and defacto rulers of Benin , and I am guessing that the Yorubas would have associated Obaship with Rulership and over the centuries, Oba became the same as Rulers in Yorubaland, much the same way as a blind man that touches the tail of an elephant will swear that an elephant is just like a snake. The above sentence is just an intelligent guess.

So basically, in the oldest surviving kingdom in Nigeria ( ie Nri) Oba does not mean a king. It has more to do with affluence mingled with pious cum priestly flavouring and highly respected and titled in the community. I will get more info on this. Watch the space

I don't think Yorubas derive the name "oba" from any source as the word itself is a compound word as I have pointed out. The "o" and the "ba" have their meanings in Yoruba, which I think the Binis can not boast of. It's totally out of place for anyone to think the Binis influenced the Yorubas in any way. It's the other way round

Volksfuhrer:
@ KINGOSIRO99.

There's too much salt in your story. The Ilajes know their history, they are not from Benin. Many other groups you mentioned might have been vassals to Benin, it doesn't necessarily mean their people came from Benin. That Rome ruled over England does not necessarily mean the English came from Rome.

I believe Benin influence over the Niger delta has been grossly exaggerated. I find it curious that the Ogisos did not build an empire, yet we are being led to believe that the Benin empire has been ubiquitous for thousands of years! That story just doesn't add up.

The history of the empires that emanated from Nigeria is well known by now. Any from the south-east?

otr1:

I don't think Yorubas derive the name "oba" from any source as the word itself is a compound word as I have pointed out. The "o" and the "ba" have their meanings in Yoruba, which I think the Binis can not boast of. It's totally out of place for anyone to think the Binis influenced the Yorubas in any way. It's the other way round

Haba. So what does Eko mean in lagos? We have all influenced each other and this vanity is foolishness at work. Even lagos State government acknowledges the influence of the bini on lagos. Check out the official website.

Abagworo:


Some parts of Igbo have Benin influence but Ikwerre has zero Benin influence. Ikwerre society was kingless and lacked the Benin monarchical society.

In the East only Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni/Oguta/Onitsha/Ogbaru areas have Benin influence. Their origin if we must use what I know from my people is from a place known as Ado n'Idu inhabited by Igbos but at the fringe of Benin territory. Most of these tales are illogical but I have been able to deduce that Igbos were actually part of warriors in Benin but later fell out with a wicked Oba which led to an exodus towards the East. On their way back they realised other Igbos had already occupied some areas but many settled along the way while others moved on and crossed the Niger ferried by Ijaw sailors who joined the expedition. These Ijaw people and some Benin loyalists joined the Igbos to form the Igbo speaking peoples inhabiting today's Aboh, Kwale, Ogba, Egbema and Oguta. Onitsha, Ndoni and Ogbaru people were ferried by Igala men who equally became part of them. Igbo language has always been the language of all these Niger River Igbos right from Ado n'Idu era.

I called my friend from OGUTA, and he confirmed your story as fact

Change2015:


Haba. So what does Eko mean in lagos? We have all influenced each other and this vanity is foolishness at work. Even lagos State government acknowledges the influence of the bini on lagos. Check out the official website.

We are talking the word "oba" here, not Eko. I just pointed out why Oba is a proper yoruba word. Nothing else.

Fianze93:


I called my friend from OGUTA, and he confirmed your story as fact

The truth and made up stories cannot be compared. In Oguta you find some Bini names and Bini styled kingship with most of the ruling classifications. You will however notice the Igboness being the driving force while the riverine culture announces the Ijaw aspect. If I come out to say we are from ancient Benin kingdom I will score 80% in my defence.

The big difference between us and these liars is that you cannot find anyone of us come out to refute Igboness even though inhouse we classify in our own way. We are proud Igbos and equally proud of our heritage.

otr1:

We are talking the word "oba" here, not Eko. I just pointed out why Oba is a proper yoruba word. Nothing else.

The place and the word are both permanent reminders of the impact of Benin on lagos, quite apart from Lagos once being a part of the bini empire as was Onitsha.