THE FORMATION OF ETHNIC NATIONALITIES Based on the research we have done we are bold to assert the following. The period between 500 BC & 700 AD was a time of great demographic change and population migration into West Africa. From a central location situated within the Niger/Benue confluence valley, some sections of the KWA people namely the IGBO (UGBO) and EFA started to migrate and settle the now Western and Eastern Nigeria regions. Also around about this period, from the Nile Valley and Lake Chad regions, the ancient ORU people started to settle the middle Niger, Lower Niger and Mid-west regions of present Nigeria. Some, even settling and making their way to the Niger Delta coast. As to what time the ancient ORU people started to settle the Niger Delta is not clear as language studies cannot properly indicate when a people settled a region. What is known is that they have existed as a distinct language and ethnic group for upwards 5000 years. Their settlements in the Benin region, Lower Niger & Niger Delta were aboriginal (i.e. being the first) and by 500 BC they may have started inhabiting the Niger Delta. The traditional Ijo narratives refer to the ancestors (the Oru-Otu) or the ancient people (Tobu?Otu) who descended from the sky (were of divine origin). They are also referred to as the WATER-PEOPLE (Beni-Otu). It is ORU who established the ancient communities of mask-spirits and mermaids (mami-water) dedicated to spiritual initiation culture. We will have much to say about this later. By about 500 AD scattered primordial isolated communities of all the aforementioned autochthones or ancient peoples began to come into being throughout the Southern Nigeria region. This isolated and stateless existence situation was changed with the arrival of fresh immigrants from the Nile Valley due to the Arab onslaught from about 640 AD. In the various traditions these immigrants are referred to as having came from EGYPT, SUDAN, & ARABIA (MECCA). To clear up this point, the use of the term “NEAR MECCA? or “NEAR ARABIA? is just a reference to the ancient Nile Valley, While references to Egypt and Sudan have more factual foundation, as these civilisations were clearly indigenous Black African civilisations up until their colonisation by the Arabs. The migration route of these streams of refugees fleeing the upheavals of North East Africa was through the Lake Chad ? Middle Niger (Borgu/Nupe) then on to the Ife, Benin and Lower Niger regions. The migrating refugee groups were made up of an assortment of indigenous Black Africans natives to the Nile Valley & Arabia, and mixed race Habiru (Hebrews) who resided in the Nile valley. These were all completely absorbed into the aboriginal West African populations. There is not enough evidence traditionally, archaeologically, anthropologically or otherwise, to suggest that the Ijos originated wholly from the city of Ijon in ancient Palestine, or that the Ijos wholly constitute the remnants of the lost Israelite tribe of Dan. Nevertheless there may be a core of historical truth imbedded in this historical theory, based on two premises, which are: Some of the ancestral Ijos may have derived from the Canaanites the original owners of the land of Palestine who were absorbed and intermarried with the Hebrews, who then took over their cities and then modified their religious culture. We can compare the Ijo term for Great Chief or Lord “ALA? with the Canaanite “AL? and the Israelite “EL? meaning GOD or LORD (plural ELOHIM). Some of the ancestral Ijos derived from the resident Hebrew populations of Upper Egypt based at Yoba (Yeb) that fled the land into inner Africa during the Arab invasion, and migrated with other Africans to the West Africa region. In traditional history we have it that a people known as Eburu-Otu (Eburu people) came with other ancient ancestors and settled the area now known as Burutu (hence its name), from whence some moved on to the Kalabari-Ijo and Efik areas of today. If this is the case, of which there may be some validity in it, then these Eburu or Hebrew people were incorporated into the ancient Ijo population that settled the Niger Delta. The fusion of these newly arrived immigrants with the older ancient communities was like a seeding process, causing a condensation of populations to converge in city-state communities. It was this process that gave birth to the first dynastic City State centres, of which Borgu (Bussa, Kiama), Nupe (Gbara), Yoruba (Ife), Benin and Ijo were the most prominent. From the ancestral traditions and contemporary scholarship we can reconstruct the following facts regarding the foundation of Nupe, Borgu, Ife & Benin. By 500 AD a branch of the UGBO referred to as OOYELAGBO started to arrive in the Ile-Ife region, from an ancestral home situated in the Niger/Benue confluence region . They set up dispersed communities within the now Ile-Ife region. Shortly afterwards (650 AD) a branch of the ORU known as the KUMONI, migrated from Upper Egypt and Sudan (Nubia) first to the Lake Chad region, then on to the Bussa region (these were the Namurudu and Kiri-Asara or Kisara migrations told in ancestral history) . In the Bussa and Nupe regions they fused with the local populations and established the BUSSA OR BORGU and NUPE OR NUPA (from NUPATU OR NAPATA of NUBIA) Kingdoms. From the Bussa and Nupe regions a section decided to settle in the Ile-Ife region and establish a City state to be known as YOBA (YEBA) derived from the original name of the Upper Egyptian province that they had hailed from (YEB, YEBA OR YOBA). According to the traditional stories told, Namu or Namurudu (also pronounced Lamururdu) was the provincial ruler of the Upper Egyptian territory of YEB (YOBA)in about 640AD. By this time Ancient Egypt had since decayed and had been colonised several times over. Many of the aboriginal Black founders of this great civlisation had relocated into Nubia (Lower Sudan) and inner Africa (West Africa), but a large remnant remained. Due to the Arab invasion of lower Egypt, the decision was taken to relocate once and for all to inner Africa, hence the immigration to the lands of West Africa. The immigration continued from 640 up to 10,000 AD. Namurudu and his people made their way from Upper Egypt first to the Lake Chad region and then to the Bussa and Nupe regions on the middle Niger. It was here that they made a temporary home. Other key actors who have been remembered as ancestors include ADUMU (ADIMU) eldest son to NAMURUDU and his close companion ASARA. While Namurudu died at Bussa and Asara settled permanently Bussa, Adumu led a group of immigrants to explore the southern forest lands and eventually choose the Ife region as a place to establish a permanent community. But already established in the land, in scattered communities were the Ugbo (Ooyelagbo) who had arrived earlier from the area between the Niger/Benue confluence. While some of the Ugbo welcomed the newly arrived settlers and supported the foundation of a city-state, others opposed it. Thus the City-state of Otu-Ife, later to be known as Ile-Ife was founded through the warfare of two opposing factions. The establishment of this new city was opposed by certain sections of the OOYELAGBO communities led by the chief Obatala priest ORELUERE, who argued that since it was they who arrived first, the king of the city must be from amongst them. This led to a war told in the ancestral traditions as the “war between ODUDUWA & OBATALA? In reality it was a conflict between two theocratic systems of government. On the one hand we had the new form of centralised Government based on a theocratic monarchy focused on the SUPREME MOTHER GODDESS (Woyingi in Kumoni language & Oduduwa in Ugbo language) . The OOYELAGBO form of traditional chief?s council opposed this with the head chief being focused on the GODHEAD (Obatala). With the help of dissatisfied sections of the OOYELAGBO communities, led by Oba-Meri, and also ORU people living in the Nupe region; the leaders of the KUMONI people headed by Prince ADUMU went to war and defeated the opposing factions of Ooyelagbo. He then established his centralised city-state government. Prince Adumu was also a priest of the SUPREME MOTHER GODDESS LODGE (known in Kumoni language as Woyingi, and in Ooyelagbo language as Oduduwa) and at the same time, a high initiate of the ancient ADUMU (ADUM) spiritual Initiation lodge of ancient Egypt. Before the final setting up of the new government, Prince Adumu invited the leaders of the hostile Ooyelagbo communities and his own allies (the Oru-Kumoni and Ooyelagbo supporters) to a constitutional conference. It was agreed to form a confederacy where all the communities living in the area would swear allegiance to Prince Adumu, but have control over their own internal affairs. At that conference Prince Adumu was declared the ?ALA ? AFIN? i.e. LORD OF THE FORTRESS (ALA-lord or chief, AFIN-fortress), ?ADUMU ? ALA? i.e. ADUMU THE LORD, and King of Otu-Ife, henceforth to be addressed as “ALA-AFIN ADUMU-ALA? modified to OLOFIN in present Yoruba language. He was also addressed as the alias ?ODUDUWA?, as it was the term in the Ooyelagbo language for the Mother Goddess of which he was a priest, even though his actual name and title was ADUMU-ALA “…Our conclusion is that the name Oduduwa belonged originally to a divinity and not to the personage to whom the name was later given. It was this divinity who came into conflict with Orisa-nla…..In Ado, Oduduwa is indisputably a goddess. She is said to be the first of seven divinity-children…The male conception of Oduduwa has very likely arisen in this way then. Oduduwa was the priest of the goddess as well as the head of his dynasty. At the time of his death he won the respect of people far and wide, so that it was an easy matter for him to become an Ancestor deserving a cult. Before very long, however, he became identified with his own divinity and entered the pantheon on her attributes….” “?.Now these dear old pagans are said to given the name of their Creator ?Odudua? to the leader of the Bornu immigrants whose real name has been forgotten? “?Odudua, however was not the real name of the leader of the Bornu immigrants. His name, togother with those of his wives and children and companions are entirely lost, and his descendants many ages after his death designated him Odudua i.e. ODU-TI-O-DA-WA, which means a “self existing personage?. He is also called ADUMILA ?? “? The place where the palm sprung up from the water afterwards became Ife, and some time after three brothers set out from there in different directions to make fresh discoveries. When they went away they left Adimu to rule Ife during their absence?? “?Oodua tried war efforts which won him victory over the Ooyelagbo communities, but failed to subdue them. Oodua being a wiseman applied other tactics. Instead of sacking them, he invited the Ooyelagbos to build a single community at a point known as Ita-Ajamo where each of the communities was empowered to rule over his domain but with allegiance to Oodua who was then proclaimed the OLOFIN ADIMULA - the supreme Oba of Ile-Ife. It was after this that the ?Oduduwa? empire started to expand?..? Even though through superior warfare tactics King Adumu had established his city-state, he could not subdue all the opposing sections of the Ooyelagbo communities who continued to trouble the new city from the surrounding forests. At this early stage, even while unification was yet complete, some sections of the KUMONI-ORU left Ife to establish themselves elsewhere, after accomplishing their task of setting up the City state with King Adumu (alias Oduduwa) as the first dynastic king. These included groups led by the following leaders who were said to have been princes of King Adumu; Prince Ujo (alias Idekoseroake) who led a migration to the present Benin region and finally central Niger Delta: Prince Nana who led a migration to the present Ghana region: Prince Igodo who led a second group to the present Benin region, and established a centralised government to become the first ruler or OGISO: Prince Ogbogbodiri (alias Ala-fun or Lufon I) who first established at Old Oyo (Oyokoro) and was called back to become 3rd King at Ile-Ife:
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 11:11:02 +0000
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