USA Africa Dialogue Series - Fwd: Connecting All the Southern Nigeria Ethnic Groups - A History Lesson in 10 Mins

From the Deep Archives...please read

https://m.facebook.com/notes/nembe-ibe-group/the-ijo-genesis-pasted-by-john-edu/185131518202047/

Then carefully read the thread below

Also read

https://archive.org/stream/historyofyorubas00john/historyofyorubas00john_djvu.txt 

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Mobolaji ALUKO <alukome@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Sep 4, 2009, 15:12
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: Connecting All the Southern Nigeria Ethnic Groups - A History Lesson in 10 Mins
To: <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Cc: <attahagbl@yahoo.com>, NaijaPolitics e-Group <NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com>, OmoOdua <OmoOdua@yahoogroups.com>, naijaintellects <naijaintellects@googlegroups.com>

 

Brother Tony Agbali:

 

You wrote:

 

QUOTE

 

Chief Mobolaji Aluko version of endorsed Nigerianification through monocultural linguistic criteria alone must be subjected to a critical review, and its ad hoc assumptions must be thoroughly scrutinized, so that porous delineations, and super-imposed wordings that merely seems similar without a consideration of their tonal and inflective qualities must be processed through sound criteria. 

 

UNQUOTE

 

Although not a Chief, I completely agree with your admonition.

 

My aims always are "to inform, to inspire, to teach, to provoke, to express a point-of-view, to amuse, to inquire and to learn", particularly of and about and within the Nigerian people, and by extension, the African people.  That is a passionate goal.

 

I still find the Ijo Genesis account of the relationships among the Nigerian ethnic groups very compelling.  It does not depend on "monocultural lingustic criteria alone" as you have stated.  It talks about waves of emigrations from both the Nile, Sudan and East African regions - for which there is much historical evidence, even on a world scale -  and more importantly from WITHIN the Nigerian space to various parts of Nigeria by people of the same or similar stock but  at times separated by maybe 500 to 1000 years, and as recently as the 6th and 7th centuries due to Islamic pressure on the Nubia region - with aborigines/autochtonous groups and indigenous groups mixing and evolving new cultures and languages with echoes of words past - without any attempts at having one lord it over another.   We are all related - you Igala, me Yoruba, etc.. It does provide some solutions to some mysteries about names and places - including why so many Yoruba bear the name "Ojo", and how Ekalaredan was not really "Oduduwa", but was a Bini contemporary of Adimu aka Oduduwa! ;-).

 

And so on and so forth....

 

Yes, I endorse the account more than ALL the accounts that I have read hitherto,  whatever my endorsement is worth - until new evidence emerges.

 

There you have it.

 

 

 

Bolaji Aluko

 

On Thu, Sep 3, 2009 at 10:29 PM, Tony Agbali <attahagbl@yahoo.com> wrote:

So now because there is the use of Igbo in the Ife Moremi story, does that also entail that the Igbo might have also migrated from Ile Ife?  Are the Yoruba an offshoot of a preexisting migrant population around Idah, close to the Niger?    Is Bini or Edo, senior to Ile Ife, or is it the opposite (the subject of some not far off hotbed diatribes in Nigerian newspapers)? Are the Igbo from Israel as we can glimpse from some presuppositions including in Niger Ibos and or Among the Ibos (an idea that has taken some life of its own)?   Or, as the late historian Afigbo assume does the Igbo come from the area around the Benue and Niger river confluence? Are the Ijaw the first ethnic group in modern Nigeria?   All these we can pull of assumed positions from the internet. In fact, there is a presupposition that claim the Igala are from Egypt, as we already also know of the Yoruba, Igbo as also emerging out of the Middle East. This Hamitic preferences for credencing ethnic origin, continues to be spinned on the internet. We can all pull the wood out of these internet spins at times.   There also come another attempts at origin fabrication that hinges upon politicking and breds a new kind of folk anthropology. This ethnology may link the Ogoni with the Kanuri, if the political atmosphere is suitable and some interests come to the fore.     This gamesmanship also propels a new kind of scholarship embedding certain threads that is the invention of a post-colonial imagination that seeks political convenience at the wheel of reinvented and subverted traditions, and pseudo-historical narratives.    Anyone can construct somethings for academic convenience, and argue them competently, but superimposing historical aberrations on any culture is similar to perpetuating cultural genocide.    Some people who believe in the superiority of their cultural ethos over others would sure imagine any subtle similarity or even coincidental probability as endorsing their specific cultural narcissistic and dominating worldviews. Academic colossus where at work in many ways in helping to endorse Hitler's Nazist Aryanism, and it was integrated as normative paradigm, and even scientific facts.    How we shape facts should matter, and who attempts to shape such facts must be thoroughly examined for their ethical motivations, that includes their biases and subjective appeals.   Often the conclusions reaches are sometimes not only laughable but they are vehemently  typically ahistorical, and are not contained with the histories of these societies and peoples' narratives regarding their origin and their identities as to who they are.  Often this induce some systematic symbolic violence unleashed upon given ethnic societies and indigenous histories.   Freshly minted, it is refracted and refabricated by some neo-linguist and pseudo-historian stripes, sometimes by the descendants of Brismack or King Leopold, and their ghosts, reincarnating their colonial and imperial spirit, as perpetual onslaughts. Unfortunately, some of the helmed in sons and daughters of the empires, mimic, dilate, and even simulate perpetually the baptismal drama holding onto the helms of the regalia of imperialism, with all its vile assaults and reinventing spookes that turned indigenous traditions upon its head, by simulating what our history should look like and feel like.    These "sons and daughters of the soil" harbor the imperial neurosis so much that even when seemingly ostracized as Ostrishes away from the ancestral lands cannot but mimic traditions, constructing a soiled tradition that venomously poison history- their own and others. Infactuated with home and tradition, yet killers of tradition, harbinger of culturecidal instincts, disintering yet mutilating history. The history of culturecide is merely beginning, and it needs to find itself within the colonized minds lexicon.     Through the lenses of their hour-glass they can divine from Washington, Machester, and it doesn't matter that their Ifa beads is misty in mystified logics, that aim at engineering or abetting  facts with compasses that has 360 degrees limits, and whose ambience cannot deconstructthe reaches of Ifa 256 decrees. The prisms of suppositions have limits, and its onerous presuppositions may just be what it is; tenuous presuppositions of an invalid pseudo-constructivist kinds. We must be leery of such facts.    The archiving of these neo-ahistorical data as history, and as fact maybe self-serving within trying to widen a certain scope of self-interests, and thus their motives at times become questionable, and veritably  must be held suspect.    Chief Mobolaji Aluko version of endorsed Nigerianification through monocultural linguistic criteria alone must be subjected to a critical review, and its ad hoc assumptions must be thoroughly scrutinized, so that porous delineations, and super-imposed wordings that merely seems similar without a consideration of their tonal and inflective qualities must be processed through sound criteria.    What in Igala or Yoruba does- Oko stand for? Innocuously, in Igala this Oko without inflection and tones can mean money, boat, injury, parrot (carnary bird), millipede, farm, and even many more!   Simplistic modeling and linguistic simulations based on alphabetic similarities alone need to be, and must be done with absolute care before reaching some far reaching conclusions. --- On Thu, 9/3/09, maluko55 <alukome@gmail.com> wrote: From: maluko55 <alukome@gmail.com> Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Connecting All the Southern Nigeria Ethnic Groups - A History Lesson in 10 Mins To: naijapolitics@yahoogroups.com, nidoa@yahoogroups.com, naijaintellects@googlegroups.com, omoodua@yahoogroups.com, ekitipanupo@yahoogroups.com, alukome@gmail.com, usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com Date: Thursday, September 3, 2009, 7:00 PM   QUOTE In the Ile-Ife region - KUMONI + OOYELAGBO + (UGBO) + OTHERS = YORUBA In the Benin region - KUMONI + EFA + UGBO + OTHERS = EDO (Bini, etc). In the Niger Delta - KUMONI + ORU = IJO (some intermarriage with EFA women and Bantu) In the north-west delta region - KUMONI + ORU + EFA + IGBO = URHOBO & ISOKO East of the Niger - ORU + EFA + UGBO + BANTU + OTHERS = IBO (IGBO) The common thread of KUMONI accounts for the prevalence of Nile Valley (Upper Egypt & Sudan) traditions of origin from the Ijo, Urhobo, Benin, Yoruba. The common thread of UGBO accounts for the similarity of language and culture between the Yoruba, Benin (Edo),  Urhobo and Igbo. The minority of the Ugbo in the Ijo ancestral lineage accounts for the wide language and cultural divergence of the Ijos (hence the emphasis on aboriginal descent of the Ijos). The historical presence of the ancient Kumoni-Orus in the aforementioned regions which are now termed Yoruba, and Bini or Edo can be discerned by the underlying names of several towns and villages such as Idumagbede (Idumu-Agbedi) "the ward of smiths" in Ondo land, Idomowo (Idumu-Owu) "the ward of masks" in Sagamu area, Idumagbo (Idumu-Agbo) and Iga-Idugaran or Idumu-Igaran "the ward of peppers" both in Lagos, plus host of ancient quarters prefixed Idumu in Benin City such as Idumu-Igun or "the ward of metals" and Idumu-Owina "the ward of carpenters", Idumu-Ebo and Ujo-ama or Uzo-ama (Uzama) to name a few. (The Kumoni and Oru were the first people to penetrate the coastal swamp forests stretching from Lagos (i.e. Kurama) to Calabar). UNQUOTE   Dear All: Victor Manfred is a linguist and scholar of Nigeria and Africa that I have met before, at an Association of Nigerians Abroad Conference (either in Washington DC or Cleveland Ohio) as far back as 1995 or 1996.  I am happy to be re-acquainted with him through his recent intervention through Pius Adesanmi in our affairs here,  In particular,  the reference     http://people. bu.edu/manfredi/ IfaAfaNri. pdf on Yoruba/Igbo Ifa/Afa polarity is quite refreshing, and cannot be dismissed out of hand.  It is the equivalent of Sherlock Holmes in linguistics - trying to use patterns to come to conclusions, however tentative. His various tables grouping various languages other (Gbe, Yoruba, Igala etc. Igbo, Edo, etc.)  and trying to use a vowel addition here, a dropping there, etc. to arrive at conclusions as to which came first or not, or whether there were any relations at all suddenly brought to my mind a short and little-known but compelling write-up that I had read sometime back  on The Genesis of the Ijo (Ijaw) offered up by a London-based Ijaw Association. I retrieved it - and offer a large excerpt of it below to us all.  I urge us all to read it with an open mind.  It shatters a few statements - and possibly myths - that have been made boisterously by some of us in these forums, but builds a good case for the connection of all our ethnic groups first to the Sudan and East Africa, and then among ourselves in a fairly  orderly and tidy manner. To my mind, it gives the most INTERNALLY CONSISTENT story of the genesis of the Igala, Yoruba, Edo, Igbo, and Ijo - among others - and provides some explanation of the Oduduwa-Ekalaredan mystery! And there you have it. Enjoy.   Bolaji Aluko   ____________________________________________________________ http://www.ijawdictionary.com/menu/TheIjoGenesis.pdf  THE IJO GENESIS (A Short Discourse) (Provided by the London-based Ijaw People's Association of UK and Ireland) ANCIENT AUTOCHTHONOUS MIGRATIONS THE PEOPLING OF SOUTHERN NIGERIA -- materials deleted --- Taking the combined evidence of language studies, ancestral tradition, anthropology and archaeology, it is certain that by at least 2000 BCE the West Africa region was being peopled. As to who arrived first is of no consequence as the land-mass is too vast for any one group of people to lay claim to ownership. By 1000 BCE we have the emergence of the Lake Chad civilisation of Daima and the Nok Culture of the Niger/Benue Confluence. We can also discern a number of ancient peoples who entered the area of the Niger & Benue roughly about the same time. They include the following: The Ancient ORU People. From language and cultural studies they seem to have been related to the Dogon and the founders of the Great Nile Valley civilisation complex (and possibly the lake Chad complex). The Ancient KWA People who seem to have been the founders of the Nok civilisation complex. The ORU and the KWA people belonged to the branch of African people often referred to as Sudanese or Nilotic Negroes. Lastly the Ancient Bantu, who migrated from East/Central Africa. The ORU people are the proto-ancestors of the Ijos, while the KWA people branched out further to produce the UGBO people (proto-ancestors of the Yoruba, Igbo and Igala) and the EFA people (proto-ancestors of the Edos). The Bantu and Semi-Batu people were the proto-ancestors of other Nigeria peoples that live side by side with the Major Ethnic nationalities of Southern Nigeria. There were, of course other ancient peoples who were migrating into the West Africa region, but the aforementioned ones serve the purpose of tracing the origins of the Ijos, Yoruba, Edo and Igbo. THE FORMATION OF NATION STATES IN SOUTHERN NIGERIA The facts that we have gained through the understanding of the related traditional narratives of the Ijos, Urhobos, Binis, Yoruba and Igbo has enabled us to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the emergence of the City State complexes of Ife and Benin and of the Niger Delta. Our outline throws light on the seemingly confusion of the ancestral traditions of the aforementioned peoples and demonstrates that instead of looking at the traditions as isolated events, or at worst invented fables, we should view them as the individual perspectives of the whole story that has until now, not been fully told. So let the full story unfold. Based on the research we have done we are bold to assert the following. Reconstructed History of the birth of Major Ethnic Nationalities in Southern Nigeria Starting from about 500 BC (although the peopling of West Africa goes back to at least 2000 BC) various ancient African peoples indigenous to the continent started to settle the Lower Niger, Savannah fringe and forest regions of present day Southern Nigeria. These ancient peoples had come from different parts of Africa namely the old Sahara grasslands, North Africa, North east Africa (Nile-Valley) and the East African Great lakes region: which were the homes of more ancient civilisations going back at least 10,000 years. For our research topic we have singled out four distinct ancient peoples who combined and came together in various ways to give birth to the kingdoms of Southern Nigeria. These ancient people have been identified thus: 1. The ORU PEOPLE they were mainly an aquatic based culture, settling the banks of rivers and watersides. They were indigenous to the Nile Valley and Lake Chad regions before migrating to the Niger/Benue region in antquity. 2. The UGBO (also known as OOYELAGBO), they were land based. They were originally indigenous to East Africa, before migrating to the Niger/Benue region in antiquity. 3. The EFA, they were also land based. The EFA & UGBO descended from a people once known as the KWA or KWARA people, who inhabited the Middle Niger region (hence its original name of Kwara river). 4. The BANTU & SEMI BANTU of unknown names, also from east and central Africa. 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 clearly 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 they 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 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 stream 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 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 like communities. It was this process that gave birth to the first dynastic City State centres, of which Borgu, Nupe, Ife, Benin and Ijo City states became the most prominent. The Foundation of Nation States in Southern Nigeria From the ancestral traditions and contemporary scholarship we can reconstruct the following facts regarding the foundation of Nupe, Borgu, Ife & Benin. From about 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 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 (Napata) 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. 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 a prince original named as ADIMU (ADUMU) went to war and defeated the opposing factions of Ooyelagbo tried to established his centralised government. Prince Adimu 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 Adimu 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 LORD OF THE FORTRESS `ALA – AFIN' (ALA- lord or chief, AFIN-fortress) and henceforth addressed as "ALA-AFIN ADUMU-ALA" modified to OLOFIN in present Yoruba language. He also took on the alias `ODUDUWA', as it was the term in the Ooyelagbo language for the Mother Goddess of which he was a priest. In order to unite the opposing factions intermarriage was decreed. This is told in the tradition as the marriage between Obatala & Oduduwa with the birth of the sixteen gods and goddesses. Indeed Prince Adumu took several wives from the local Ooyelagbo women as well as his own Kumoni/Oru women. This policy was adhered to by his successors. King Adumu (alias Oduduwa) administered the new City state (military & theocratic confederacy) so skilfully that he was remembered in ancestral tradition as the ancestor of the YOBA NATION, meaning the ORIGINATOR OF THE YOBA NATION. This was how the first Yoba nation came into being and how Ife became the centre of the 1st dynastic city-state in Southern Nigeria. This was also the Ife of the 1st dynastic period ruled by the Ala-Afin. Later on YOBA was corrupted to YORRIBA (YORUBA) by the Hausa neighbours and the term applied to all the people who spoke related dialects/languages, who had centuries later integrated to become one people. Meanwhile at this early stage, even while the 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 with 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: The 1st migration was led by Prince Ujo (alias Idekoseroake) mentioned in the ancestral tradition as being the first son of King Adumu. Prince Ujo along with the warlord Ogu (Ogun) were war commanders in the military alliance, who took part in the battles that were fought to subdue the hostile Ooyelagbo communities and establish the Yoba Kingdom. Between 650 –700 AD Prince Ujo led his migration out of Ife to the Benin region, where he encamped and established a settlement (Uzama) that later was to become the basis of Benin City. At this time ORU people, as well as the EFA people were settling the Benin region. These two people combined to form the genesis of the Benin Kingdom, later to be joined by other settlers. Prince Ujo's instructions were to go to the Niger Delta, and establish a strategic base from which to defend the coastal region. Clearly his father King Adumu, regarded the whole southern region as a virgin territory which he would bring under his direct control. Prince Ujo proceeded to the central Niger Delta with his followers and came across isolated ancient communities of ORU in remote settlements of the central delta. Together with these people they formed viable communities in the central delta originally based on the City-state formation. This was the birth or genesis of the Ijo people. Some of the Kumoni/Oru remained behind at Benin region, indeed a section of the Oru known as the Beni, who had come from the Sudan (NupaTU or Napata) through Nupe, gave the name Beni to some of the newly emerging settlements. These were the Oru or Ijos of Benin City who later on between the 12th –15th centuries AD fled into the delta to escape the upheavals of Benin City. Along with the EFA people they were quite prominent at Benin. Prince Igodo (Godo) led a 2nd migration from Ile-Ife to the Benin region. At the death of King Adumu, Igodo was sidelined in the scheme of things. It seems that what happened at this point in time was that King Adumu's chief warlord Ogu (Ogun) temporarily took over the reigns of government until a successor could be chosen. It was decided that a son whose mother was an Ooyelagbo should occupy the throne, and so Prince Ogbogbodiri (alias Ala-Fun or Lufon I) was recalled from Oyokoro (Old Oyo) assumed the kingship thus becoming the 3rd King. After King Ogbogbodiri (Lufon I) those who ruled Ile-Ife have to time and the kinglist becomes hazy until the time of Lufon 12 century AD 500 years afterwards). Thus there is a 500 year the records of Ife that corresponds to the time of the Ogisos and the Nupe ruling dynasty at Gbarra. Coming back to Prince Igodo. Prince Igodo and a few companions decided to leave Ile-Ife for good, acquiring the mystic source of powers which aided his father in the defeat of the hostile Ooyelagbo, Prince Igodo migrated to the Benin region and met up with the followers of Prince Ujo who remained behind In the Benin region and had established settlements at Benin (Uzama, Ogiama, etc). Later on like his father before him, Prince Igodo centralised the existing ORU and EFA communities and was proclaimed the 1st PRINCE OF THE REALM or OGI-SUO (OGISO). Also like his father he allowed the existing communities internal autonomy, thus the leader of the EFA communities was proclaimed OGI-EFA. These communities later on came together to give birth to the 1st dynastic state of Benin Kingdom (IGODOMIGODO). The 1st Ogiso dynasty lasted 500 years. The ancient quarters of Benin City prefixed (Idumu, Idunmu) such as Idumu-Igun (metal workers quarters) were the original settlements of the ancient Oru that formed the old Benin City of the Ogiso period. Others include, Uzama (Ujo's town). IJOS IN THE NIGER DELTA The Kumoni-Oru who settled the Niger Delta with the most ancient inhabitants also known as ORU (TOBU OTU) gave birth to the Ijos. The original settlements were in the western & central delta, from where they spread out to people the whole Niger Delta. This period has been estimated to have occurred between 500 BC to 1000 AD. These original ancestors were spiritual initiates of the ancient African spiritual initiation system of the CREATOR TEM (TEMUNO). They made heavy symbolic ritualistic use of the water, and hence have been referred to as the `water people' `beni-otu'. Later on between 1200 – 1600 AD the Ijos of the Niger Delta received immigrants from their relatives living at Benin and the lower Niger regions, who were fleeing the various upheavals and power struggles of Benin city during the time of the 2nd dynasty. They collectively gave birth to the Ijo nation with its City- states and collective Clan communities. THE URHOBOS: Some of the Orus that remained behind at Benin, intermarried with Efa women. The offsprings of these intermarriage referred to themselves as "ORU-BO" meaning "AN ORU PERSON". It was from the term ORU-BO, that URHOBO was derived. As a people they slowly lost the use of the original language through taking on their mother tongue. This language was common to them and the Ijos (Orus) who were established in the main central delta. These people left Benin for the western delta uplands during the second period of Benin Kingdom. Furthermore Ijo men who has fled the upheavals of communities in the central delta and elsewhere during the epoch of the slave trade, also intermarried with Efa women. The offspring of these intermarriage referred to themselves as "UJO-BO" or "UZO-BO" meaning "AN UJO PERSON". It was from the term UZO-BO, that UZOBO OR SOBO was derived. Hence the term SOBO also refers to the Urhobo people. In their isolation from the main body of Ijo people, they intermarried more and more with Efa people. In so doing they lost their Ijo culture and adopted the culture of the Efas. Traditional history maintains that at a point in time a common language existed between, not only the Ijos and Urhobos, but also the Benis (Benin Kingdom of the 1st Ogiso period). This language was a proto-Ijo language, which is now only spoken by the Ijos. The second period of Ife, Benin & Niger Delta: The 1st Adumu dynastic state of Ife and the Ogiso dynastic state of Benin existed for upwards 500 years starting from about 650 AD. Later on new conquering forces that came from the Niger/Benue heartlands of Igala of the ancient UGBO overthrew them. We now know that at about 1150 AD a conqueror remembered as ORANJAN (ORANMIYAN) from Takpa-land of Igala (situated in the Niger/Benue region) took over the Old Oyo kingdom which was closely connected to Ife. Ife was attacked next, but the old Adumu dynastic rulers were not deposed, but made to pay tribute to ORANJAN at his base in Oko of the ancient Ugbo (hence them being describes as slaves to Obatala). It was from this Ugbo base that ORANJAN made war on Benin, which had by this time fallen into decay with the fleeing into exile of the Ogiso Prince Kaladiran (Ekaladerhan in the Benin narratives). It took several attempts for the Oranjan forces to gain control of Benin. When they did gain control, they changed the title of the Ogiso kings to OBA. Eweka was the first Oba of the 2nd Benin dynasty (1170 AD). These immigrants from Ugbo, Igala and elsewhere, eventually fused with the Efa and Oru people of Benin to give birth to the present Edo nation of today. Meanwhile at Ife the Adumu dynasty was finally overthrown, with the exiling of the Lufon II descendants, and the instalment of Lajamisan who claimed to be a direct grandson of Oranjan. This last immigrants fused with the older populations and together they constitute the Yoruba nation of today. In order to gain real legitimacy at Ife, Oyo and Benin, the new dynastic fraternity of Ife, Oyo and Benin was mythologised (distorting history in the process) as the last sons of King Adumu (alias Oduduwa), the founder of the first Yoba kingdom of Ile-Ife, even though at least 500 years separate the period of the establishment of the city state of Ife by King Adumu (alias Oduduwa) around 650 AD, and the emergence of Oranjan (Oranmiyan) in about 1150 AD. Oranjan originated from the Igala region,and did not come from Ile-Ife as is commonly supposed. When the Ogiso Prince Kaladiran and his people fled into exile, he founded the town of Igodo (now Ughoton) south of Benin. It seems that it was from this place that many people who were part of the Ogiso dynasty migrated first to Oproaza to settle with their Ijo relatives, and then finally into the Eastern Niger Delta to form the Kalabari Clan of Ijos (The Igodo-ame and Ogiso-ame or Ogi-ame). And furthermore, about late 15th to 16th centuries, a large section of the Ijos who also once lived at Benin, migrated into the Niger Delta. Together they constitute the Ijo (Ijaw) nation of today. We will come back to the battles between the new ruling Oba-Eweka dynasty and the Uzama/Ogiame indigenous ruling element of Beni descendants of the ORU/kumoni and EFA aborigines of Benin kingdom, that led some of them leaving Benin for the Niger Delta. By the time of the Oba kings of Benin, the Ijo speaking element of Benin had become a minority in the Benin region, due to intermarriage with the EFA and migration to the Niger Delta. This intermarriage gave birth to the Urhobo (& Isoko) nation of today. Some members of the Eweka dynasty, along with other immigrants from Igala and elsewhere (from Yoruba land) made their way to the Niger delta coast. Initially they were settled by the Ijos of Warri region. These people gave birth to the Itsekiri people of today. And lastly the ancient Igbo (Ugbo) people east of the Niger river, fused with Bantu speaking people and some ancient Oru communities living along riverfronts to give birth to the present Ibo (Igbo) nation of today. Conclusion: As we go further and further back in time, we cannot talk of the Ijos, Yorubas Binis, Edos, Urhobos, Igbos etc as we now understand them as ethnic groups in this present time. We have established that certain ancient African people's settled in the Southern Nigeria region and gave birth to new ethnic groups. These ancient peoples were known as The ORU, The KUMONI (a part of the ancient ORU) The OOYELAGBO and UGBO (a part of the KWA OR KWARA) The IGBO (a part of the KWA) The EFA (A part of the KWA) The BANTU and SEMI BANTU Of the above the ORU and KUMONI were aquatic previously living in the Nile-Valley Upper Niger and Lake Chad regions. While the KWA and BANTU formally lived in the East Africa and Nok regions. Scientifically speaking, in the Southern Nigeria region these people fused in the following manner to produce the following major ethnic groupings. In the Niger Delta - KUMONI + ORU = IJO (some intermarriage with EFA women and Bantu). The historical birth of the Ijo People is in the following manner. Their ORU ancestors originated from the Sudan and settled the Lake Chad region then, Nupe region, then Benin region, Lower Niger and Central Niger Delta in antiquity. They were joined by other ancestors (KUMONI) from Upper Egypt via Borgu, Ife and Benin region in about 650 AD. In about the 12th and 16th centuries AD the remaining ORU and KUMONI ancestors who lived at Benin settled with their relatives in the Niger Delta. (Ruled by the Pere's and Ala's) They collectively gave birth to the Ijo People as we know them today. In the Ile-Ife region - KUMONI + OOYELAGBO + (UGBO) + OTHERS = YORUBA (some of the sub groups are less mixed than others). The historical birth of the Yoruba Peoples is in the following manner. Their UGBO ancestors originated from East Africa and settled the Niger/Benue (North) region in antiquity. Then finally they settled the Ile-Ife region. They were joined by other ancestors (KUMONI) from Upper Egypt, via Borgu region in about 650 AD. This was the 1st kingdom of Yoba with capital at Ile-Ife (the Ala-Afins ruled). In about the 12th century AD they were joined by other ancestral UGBO from the Niger/Benue and Igala regions. This was the 2nd kingdom of Yoba with capital at Oyo (the Ala- Afins ruled at Oyo, while at Ile-Ife title changed to Ooni). Plus other immigrants they collectively gave birth to the Yoruba People as we know them today. In the Benin region - KUMONI + EFA + UGBO + OTHERS = EDO (Bini, etc). The historical birth of the Edo People is in the following manner. Their Efa ancestors originated from the Niger/Benue (North) region in antiquity after splitting from the UGBO. They settled the Benin region about the same time as the ORU. They were joined by other ancestors (KUMONI) from Upper Egypt, via Borgu and Ile-Ife in about 650 AD. This was the 1st kingdom of Beni (ruled by the Ogisos). In about the 12th century AD they were joined by other ancestral UGBO from the Niger/Benue and Igala region who had established themselves the new rulers of the Yoba (Yoruba) kingdom of Ife. This was the 2nd kingdom of Beni (ruled by the Obas). Plus other immigrants they collectively gave birth to the Edo People as we know them today. In the north-west delta region - KUMONI + ORU + EFA + IGBO = URHOBO & ISOKO (Oru men marrying Efa women and children speaking mother tongue!). The historical birth of the Urhobo People is in the following manner. Their ORU ancestors originated from the Sudan and settled the Lake Chad region then, Nupe region, then Benin region in antiquity. They intermarried with the Efa. Their Efa ancestors originated from the Niger/Benue (North) region in antiquity after splitting from the UGBO. They settled the Benin region about the same time as the ORU. They were joined by other ancestors (KUMONI) from Upper Egypt, via Borgu and Ife in about 650 AD. During the 12-16th centuries many of these people left Benin and settled the southern forest region, to be joined by Ijos from the Niger Delta, and Igbos from east of the Niger. They collectively gave birth to the URHOBO (ORUBO) and ISOKO Peoples as we know them today. East of the Niger - ORU + EFA + UGBO + BANTU + OTHERS = IBO (IGBO). Their UGBO ancestors originated from East Africa and settled the Niger/Benue (North) region in antiquity. Before settling in the eastern region. . Their ORU ancestors originated from the Sudan and settled the Lake Chad region then, Nupe region, then Benin region, Lower Niger. Their Efa ancestors originated from the Niger/Benue (North) region in antiquity after splitting from the UGBO. Their Bantu ancestors originated from east and central Africa in antiquity. While others originated from ancient Palestine. They collectively gave birth to the Igbo People as we know them today. The above relationship between the various peoples that became known as the IJO, EDO, AND YORUBA, can be summarised in mythological ancestral history as follows. "THE DIRECT SONS OF ODUDUWA (KUMONI) WERE UJO (IJO) THE ANCESTOR OF THE IJOS OR ORUS, LUFON THE ANCESTOR OF THE YORUBA, AND IGODO THE ANCESTOR OF THE BENIS (EDOS)". Which is to say it was the same people who derived from Upper-Egypt in about 650 AD who settled amongst the ancient aborigines of Nigeria the ORUS, UGBOS AND EFAS and OUT OF THAT INTERACTION THEY CONDENSED AND CREATED city state formations that eventually give rise to the present ethnic realities of today. Here the term ANCESTOR means THE FOUNDER OF A NATION STATE, THE INITIATOR OF ETHNIC SOVEREINTY, BRINGING TOGETHER DIVERSE GROUPS OF PEOPLE UNDER ONE ETHNIC IDENTITY. This must be understood, as those who mythologised understood it as such. The ANCESTOR serves the function of unifying groups of people through time by transcending blood relationships. This was how communities were formed and how they remained dynamic and unified. The common thread of KUMONI accounts for the prevalence of Nile Valley (Upper Egypt & Sudan) traditions of origin from the Ijo, Urhobo, Benin, Yoruba. The common thread of UGBO accounts for the similarity of language and culture between the Yoruba, Benin (Edo) Urhobo and Igbo. The minority of the Ugbo in the Ijo ancestral lineage accounts for the wide language and cultural divergence of the Ijos (hence the emphasis on aboriginal descent of the Ijos). The historical presence of the ancient Kumoni-Orus in the aforementioned regions which are now termed Yoruba, and Bini or Edo can be discerned by the underlying names of several towns and villages such as Idumagbede (Idumu-Agbedi) "the ward of smiths" in Ondo land, Idomowo (Idumu-Owu)"the ward of masks" in Sagamu area, Idumagbo (Idumu-Agbo) and Iga-Idugaran or Idumu-Igaran "the ward of peppers" both in Lagos, plus host of ancient quarters prefixed Idumu in Benin City such as Idumu-Igun or "the ward of metals" and Idumu-Owina "the ward of carpenters", Idumu-Ebo and Ujo-ama or Uzo-ama (Uzama) to name a few. (The Kumoni and Oru were the first people to penetrate the coastal swamp forests stretching from Lagos (i.e. Kurama) to Calabar). 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