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 were under the kingdom of warri at the time (if they knew that some of the communities they attacked were itsekiri’s but they didn’t not know).
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-Franรงois 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 the 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.
By Lord Of Warri
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