Tensions are running high in Benin City, the capital of Edo State, as a group of individuals claiming to be the original inhabitants of the city demand that the Oba of Benin return to his alleged ancestral home of Ile-Ife, or continue paying tax to them as stipulated in a historical treaty.
The controversy, spearheaded by Ogie Dr. Richard Arisco Ogiamien and his followers from Igodomigodo, stems from their belief that Benin City has been governed by Yoruba people who invaded their land in 1170 AD. Ogiamien’s family claims to have resided in the area even before it was forcefully taken over by Yoruba warriors from Ile-Ife.
According to their account, a treaty was reached at Ekioppagha after several years of war, which mandated the Benin people to pay tax to the Ogiamen Royal family. The family now demands a reactivation of this tax, or for the Benin people to vacate the Oba of Benin stool and return to Ile-Ife.
One anonymous message from a supposed Benin aborigine conveys the escalating crisis and the fears of the local community.
