The Truth About Benin and Ile-Ife Connection: The First Three Ogisos Were Actually Yoruba People

Added: 2026-06-10

[00:00:22][clears throat] [laughter] >> By the way, if you listen to us, I know we're a a bit out of topic, but we've talked about this sessions before here talking about connection between Yoruba and Benin.

[00:00:32]I think so I'm going to go back to the topic in a bit. Let's just, you know, stay here for a bit.

[00:00:37]I think what's happening there is actually inferiority.

[00:00:40]Um And I know what's happening. I know I have a theory.

[00:00:46]But >> [snorts] >> I'm very very so because at the end of the day, you belong to one. That's the truth.

[00:00:53]But I want to I want to respect is mostly because it's a it's um It's a show of shame, number one.

[00:01:04]When you cannot acknowledge other people's story and structure. So, for example, when when a person comes around and says things says things like um um the knee is just a chief.

[00:01:19]I saw a video like that some days ago like Why would you disrespect another person's king because you want to elevate your own?

[00:01:26]It shows that you're actually inferior.

[00:01:29]In other words, if you cannot become big until you put other people down, you are small.

[00:01:35]If you're big, you're big. And here's the thing, Oba of Benin is big.

[00:01:40]You don't have to prop him up. You don't have to add anything to him. You don't have to say he's just he's he's Oba of Benin. He's good on his own. That's it.

[00:01:50]You see, these people don't think.

[00:01:53]When you have to try to attack other people now to make him, you're just the one Oba of Benin is okay.

[00:02:00]But just because he's that he's not the Oba of Edo state.

[00:02:04]Edo state does not have a Oba. It does not does not have an Oba.

[00:02:08]Amashai Bosso.

[00:02:09]Is the Oba neither Benin or say in Yoruba.

[00:02:15]They call the king Kabiyesi. They say everything I mean we've listened to them.

[00:02:20]Interesting there's intelligence report on the Senate as well. They're Yoruba people.

[00:02:23]Why?

[00:02:24]And Benin people are not Yoruba people.

[00:02:27]But their royalty is Yoruba.

[00:02:31]I think the point is I mean we've talked we have we have this conversation before. It's he said it's just it's just Nigerian politics.

[00:02:37]Because none of none of these things happened before 1970.

[00:02:40]Although some people tried to change their story in 1939.

[00:02:49]There's a book that was published you know I know we're off topic but let's talk.

[00:02:53]You know um A short history of Benin was published in 1930 4 >> [snorts] >> Was it 34 or 30 34 in the indigenous language then 36 in English language.

[00:03:10]1939 the history the intelligence report on Benin was published was written by H.F. Marshall was 39.

[00:03:19]And here's where I'm going. If you read the the short history of Benin that man did not have any acts to grind. He just stated everything the way they happened.

[00:03:29]Just told the story.

[00:03:31]And I've told them one day somebody was saying the Oba is king of Yoruba or the king of Benin. I was like listen even the Ogiso you're talking about are Yoruba people.

[00:03:41]And you will find it in short history of Benin by Egharevba. You also find it in Bradbury's work.

[00:03:48]Um Ancient Benin Kings Where They Came From. I think that's the title of the work.

[00:03:53]I just don't have time for Benin yet, but what really matters is history is sacrosanct, and if you're trying to now change history, so let me finish what I was saying earlier. 1939, H.F. Marshall said something in the intelligence report.

[00:04:07]After stating the local opinion that they all believed in their own story, he said everything they said, he now said there are some Benin people who are who are beginning to say that they are from Egypt.

[00:04:20]Because they don't want to be connected with local tradition. However, there's more uh what's the word? Evidence of the connection between them and the Ife people than the entire than the Egypt thing that is just fabrication. However, I also tell people that that Egypt thing is understandable.

[00:04:37]During that period, beginning from the mid to late late 19th century into early 20th century, a lot of people were enamored by the greatness of Egypt because Egyptology was the rave at the time at the time, right? And that's why you see the book by um Samuel Johnson. That was He finished writing that book in 1897. And in that book, he was making allusion to the East to the East, right? Everybody was talking about the grace of the East and Egypt and all of those things. So, it's understandable that somebody will come in 1939 to want to connect themselves to Egypt. But it doesn't change the fact that local story one was the same thing, and it was the same thing until 1970.

[00:05:18]And I I did a show I did a session here where we talked about um a paper that was published in 1976 that detailed the different versions of Benin history that began in the 1970s.

[00:05:30]People like Omoruyi Igie, Egharevba, um there are four of them.

[00:05:37]S. B. Omoruyi Igie, Egharevba, um Edun, and then Akenzua.

[00:05:44]I think it's Edun, Akenzua, then was more person. If I remember the name, I'll tell you. Anyway, those four people they were the ones that just started writing all kinds of stories.

[00:05:52]Such that within 1 year, four different versions were published.

[00:05:57]One was like a small book, the one by Amorege. The other ones published their own in the Bendel newspaper at the time.

[00:06:04]I think so you start you start noticing that at the end of the day it's a political thing. It has nothing to do with the history of the people. Which is why I always tell people with this Benin history that I'm not going to, you know, I won't be argue with you as a Benin person about history that you just started changing last year.

[00:06:19]What I'll tell you is this.

[00:06:21]I'll go to your grandfathers and your great-grandfathers. Whatever they say, I believe that one.

[00:06:27]Because when you read that book by Aigbavboa, he stated in that book how he got the information and what he did. For 3 hours, it's in the book.

[00:06:38]For 3 hours, he was discussing the content of the book with the king at the time and his son who became the king after, you know, um um after the the king that was there by the time I was writing. Wait, I know Let me say that There is the In total, how many kings is Oba Eware?

[00:06:59]Abi?

[00:07:00]>> Akenzua was >> No, Akenzua what? Only come Only come before Akenzua.

[00:07:05]There is Akenzua, there is Who is the one that wrote this book? Your humble servant, your obedient servant.

[00:07:15]Ambo, I reckon Ewuare Oba Akenzua was Ewuare. There are three kings. Erediauwa, thank you, Amorege.

[00:07:23]No, Erediauwa was No, Erediauwa became king in 1970s.

[00:07:28]Erediauwa was there before this present Ewuare's second. It was Erediauwa.

[00:07:34]So, Akenzua, Erediauwa.

[00:07:36]Yeah, I I think so. Yeah.

[00:07:40]>> You're talking about There is Ewuare Ewuare Abi, Ewuare the second, Akenzua and Eware.

[00:07:46]>> Yes. Yes.

[00:07:49]Yes. Yes. So, Erediauwa was one that became Oba in the 1970s.

[00:07:55]He was the one that worked with the federal government.

[00:07:57]Um and then before him there was Akenzua. So, these two before that one were there in that room. I want to read something to you. Give me a second. Let me do Let me find that book.

[00:08:11]It says, "The history was collected."

[00:08:12]This is a short history of Benin.

[00:08:15]This was 1934, September. "The history was collected from the following authorities: E. Hogbe the worshipers and recorders of the departed Obas. Let me slow down.

[00:08:27]The history was collected from the following authorities: E. Hogbe, the worshipers and recorders of the departed Obas, Ogbelaka, the royal bards, Eguaeronwa. If I'm not pronouncing his correctly and you're Benin, I apologize, huh?

[00:08:42]We are brothers.

[00:08:44]Actually, we are not brothers. Let me not lie. Myself and your king are brothers.

[00:08:48]We're going to be making these things clear. To be honest, we're not brothers.

[00:08:52]I would be lying if I said we are brothers.

[00:08:54]Considering But I'm a brother to Oba Tokpe. You see? All right, let me read this. So, um Ogbelaka, the royal bards, Eguaeronwa, the royal blacksmith, Ohenusa of Akpakpava.

[00:09:10]One of the descendants of the Benin native fathers of the 15th and 16th centuries, Okaeben, Ogiawe, Efas, Iyasere, Esama, Eroba mwen and so on. To whom I owe undoubted thanks.

[00:09:26]Mhm.

[00:09:27]I found the names I was looking for.

[00:09:30]I offer my cordial thanks to Messrs.

[00:09:32]E.J. Garrick and Yesufu Eketie for their kind help. Above all, I feel very grateful to His Highness Akenzua the second the Oba of Benin for his unfailing advice and aid by which I was able to complete this work in spite of its many difficulties.

[00:09:46]Listen to this one. And also to the late Oba Akenzua the second who very kindly attended to me for over 3 hours on March 15, 1930 for the necessary revision of this work when the manuscript was read to him by the present Oba, the Edaiken of Usellu.

[00:10:07]So, what he's saying is that Akenzua the second was the king at the time, but the prince, that's the crown prince, was Akenzua.

[00:10:16]And Akenzua was the one that was there before Erediauwa.

[00:10:19]Erediauwa is before Ewuare the second who is there right now.

[00:10:23]So, while Akenzua the second was king, Akenzua read the manuscript.

[00:10:29]So, you're talking about two kings, the one that was going and the one that was incoming. Read the manuscript and he was with them for 3 hours.

[00:10:38]And these people are telling you that they treat Abana.

[00:10:41]Abana.

[00:10:43]That's why all this nonsense they're doing. I've been noticing it since 2007.

[00:10:47]Just be writing all rubbish on blogs, changing story. I know why.

[00:10:52]The one I can say in public is political expediency. The other one is more cultural than anything else. So, I'll just say leave it for now.

[00:10:59]But if you read the book, the book itself tells you that the first Ogisos were Yoruba people. And it's not the only book that says so.

[00:11:05]H.F. Marshall also said it. And H.F.

[00:11:07]Marshall's work is H.F. Marshall's work is 1939. This work is 1934.

[00:11:13]And the first three Ogisos, number one, Oba Ogodo, who is who according to Benin people was the son of Oduduwa.

[00:11:22]Not forget this Owodo nonsense. Sorry, not Owodo. This What's the name of this one that went to Owo town that went that got lost.

[00:11:32]Call out there.

[00:11:38]Their own story and this So, this is the thing. If I want to talk to you about I don't know want to argue with you about whatever it is you're saying. I just say go back to the stuff that your fathers wrote back in the day. Let's put binder and beside H.F. Marshall beside a guy ever and then talk to me about it. Or you can read this book Benin Henry Ling Roth. You can also ring a Put everything together. Like before you guys woke up in 1970, they already told the truth.

[00:12:10]So, leave a guy If I guy ever is And by the way, a guy ever is a very important work.

[00:12:16]Although by the time they now bounced on him with all these kind of things that I changed his mind later on. But, he has already written That's the funny thing.

[00:12:23]Once you write, it's there. It's there.

[00:12:25]It's like it's history. There's no opinion, so you can't really change it.

[00:12:29]And so, the first three Ogisos Obagodo or Owanigodo or Eigodo. Those three names is the same person.

[00:12:37]Um Eidi.

[00:12:40]Eidi as in gain.

[00:12:42]And you thought Ogiso was Odede.

[00:12:45]You know what? Since we are still here, let me read something to you from this book.

[00:12:49]If you want to look at the name The names of the Ogisos, you look at Egharevba's book and look at D.M. D.M.

[00:12:54]Bondarenko's work on the above Benin.

[00:12:58]Why [snorts] are they changing their story?

[00:13:00]I don't get it.

[00:13:02]Somebody's laughing in the comment section. Let me read to you from your own book.

[00:13:06]For a considerable number of years after the death of Ogiso, there was an interregnum and following leaders of the people Eidi Oliha, Akpankpan, Egbegor, Oliha, Emose, Orogbua, Obioye, Arigbo, Evian and his son Oguae.

[00:13:23]And we all know that Evian became How did we get into Benin matter? But I'm staying with it. It's okay. If you became administrator after Oguiso Odu, who gave birth to Ekaladerhan?

[00:13:38]The gap between Oguiso Odu and Ekaladerhan and Obagodo is as wide as River Niger to to Sokoto.

[00:13:48]So, if Obagodo was the son of Oduduwa, if Obagodo, according to the story, if Obagodo, you know, let me read that one, too. Me, I'll be telling you from your book. If you like, be crying in the comment section. You know, I don't I've not been talking about it. People just brought it to our like, why not if not?

[00:14:03]Many, many years ago, Oduduwa Oduduwa of Ife in brackets Ile-Ife. You know what they are saying right now that Ife is in Ondo State?

[00:14:11]It's a lie.

[00:14:17]Oh my God. Many, many years ago, Oduduwa Oduduwa of Ife Ile-Ife, the father and progenitor of the Yoruba kings, sent his elder son, Obagodo, who took the title of Oba. If you read the stuff that Obareduwa wrote, it's somewhere here. If I if we really want to go into it, I'll quickly bring the book out. He said that actually the word is Oguiso and he's right because when you look at the list of the Oguiso, he's the first one.

[00:14:47]With a large retinue all the way from Ife in brackets Ile-Ife, to so that he's not one any king of Ife or Malau or Ife Malau or Ife Obatala or Otomakakere, to found the kingdom in this part of the world. At that moment of his of his departure, his father gave him a charm in the form of a snail shell containing some earth to invest him with absolute power and right over the and right over the lands that should come under his sway.

[00:15:13]Hence, the power and right ever since to the present day of every reigning Oba of Benin as the lord and owner of the land.

[00:15:21]The snail shell of earth was afterwards modeled in brass and preserved in the royal palace as a memorial and an evidence of the fact to posterity.

[00:15:31]The reign of Ogiso was a long course of misrule, failure, anxiety, and so on and so forth.

[00:15:37]Excuse me.

[00:15:39]No, the Oro is R H O R H O.

[00:15:42]So, you have That's the story of the Ogiso.

[00:15:46]Since we are here, let's have some fun, shall we?

[00:15:51]On board.

[00:15:53]This is from H.F. Marshall's work. This is what he said. I I've told you every anyway, I just want to read that, you know.

[00:16:01]So, this is what they said. According to Bini tradition, this is not according to Yoruba tradition, no.

[00:16:07]I'm reading intelligence report on Benin City by H.F. Marshall, published in 1939.

[00:16:13]According to Bini tradition, locally known as Sorry, according to Bini tradition, Ife, locally known as Uhe.

[00:16:22]Just like that man Aigbavbua was saying, Uhe in bracket Ile Ife.

[00:16:28]According to Bini tradition, Ife, locally known as Uhe, was the cradle of the human race and was the only land in the world.

[00:16:36]Odedua, the first king of Ife, possessed a snail shell which had the magical power of creating earth.

[00:16:43]Shortly before his death, Odedua called his seven sons and giving to each one of them a portion. By the way, when you hear the word seven, it's not literal.

[00:16:52]We'll talk about it. The same numbers you hear in our myths and our stories, you also hear some of it in Benin as well. 3 7 216 Let me say it. 3 7 16 um 200 400 Some of those things are not literal. They're actually figurative or What's the word I'm looking for?

[00:17:14]They're actually supposed to be representing a concept, not necessarily the real numbers. It's not like he had seven sons.

[00:17:21]We'll continue We'll talk about that some other time. Let me just quickly read what what they wrote here. This is the Bini tradition.

[00:17:26]Again, Bini tradition.

[00:17:28]According to Bini tradition, Ife, locally known as where, was the cradle of the human race and was the only land in the world. Oduduwa, the first king of Ife, possessed a snail shell which had the magical power of creating earth.

[00:17:40]Shortly before his death Shortly before his death, Oduduwa called his seven sons and giving to each of them a portion of the medicine from the magical snail shell, sent them out to form the inhabited world.

[00:17:52]One of Oduduwa's sons was called Obanigodo. He's the same person that a guy ever called Obagodo. In some books you see Egodor. They're the same person.

[00:18:01]One of Oduduwa's sons was called Obanigodo and on receiving his share from the magical snail shell, he set out with his followers to the southeast, not Igboland, though, southeast of Ife.

[00:18:11]Not There was no southeast region at the time.

[00:18:15]Cuz some people Creating land as he went, he finally reached the present site of Benin and there he and his followers settled down and gave the place the name of Ugodo ni Godo.

[00:18:25]Ugodo ni Godo is also Egodomi Godo.

[00:18:28]Certain of the present inhabitants of Benin claim to trace their descent from this first migration.

[00:18:33]It should be noted that certain of the intelligentsia are no longer prepared to accept this traditional story, but claim that the original inhabitants came straight from Egypt.

[00:18:43]There is no tradition and even less evidence on which they can base this claim.

[00:18:50]All right? So, just to mention that then he goes on to talk about the descendants of Obanigodo, the tradition of Ogiso, and so on and so forth. And when you look at the tradition of Ogiso itself, the calendar that they were shouting was given birth to by the last Ogiso.

[00:19:04]Meanwhile, the first Ogiso is the son of Oduduwa. How is the father of the first Ogiso now the son of the last Ogiso.

[00:19:14]It doesn't make sense.

[00:19:18]So, if you look at your own story and your story says Oduduwa I gave birth to Igodo who became the first Ogiso and after there were many Ogisos.

[00:19:29]Many.

[00:19:31]At least we know that the first three were Yoruba.

[00:19:34]Uh Igodo himself Erie Odirie and that's from Like I mentioned the book earlier, have we?

[00:19:43]So, we already know that one. Then you have others like the Obikun, Oduro and so on and so forth. There are many like Benin names and some of them even have similar something similar to Yoruba names. So, anyway you have many of them like that.

[00:19:55]You then had Owodo who had one son that was banished.

[00:20:00]And somehow in the imagination of these interesting characters, that last one, that son the son of the last one is the father of the first Ogiso. Very ridiculous.

[00:20:11]Anyway, that's the much I want to give to Benin today. But sincerely there are some things I could say but I don't like saying it because I am I'm a Yoruba man and I am related to the Oba of Benin.

[00:20:23]And the people of Benin are not related to him.

[00:20:28]You know, we can call him I mean you know family. You can't really call Benin people I mean we used to call Benin people family to be clear because you know you get.

[00:20:41]Connection you want there.

[00:20:42]You know, but and by the way yes, there are also there are some there are also Benin families that are Yoruba. Let me not say they are Yoruba. I don't also want to start wahala.

[00:20:50]They are Benins but they have Yoruba heritage.

[00:20:55]There are people like that. They are the ones who call themselves Lawuaye and Lamogun.

[00:21:00]They are Yoruba they are Benin people today.

[00:21:02]Even the Oba of Benin is Benin.

[00:21:04]It's just that you cannot It's like talking about the the monarch of England.

[00:21:12]Okay?

[00:21:13]They're German.

[00:21:15]Okay?

[00:21:16]You And that's what you find in England. In fact, I'm glad I mentioned that example.

[00:21:20]That's what you find in England. They are not They're not ashamed of their past. You get what I'm saying? They're not ashamed of their past.

[00:21:29]They know that I mean now we call the family Windsor.

[00:21:33]That's a very English name.

[00:21:34]But until early 20th century, it was Saxe-Coburg Saxe-Gotha. Coburg. Hm, I hope I pronounced the name correctly. It was a German name.

[00:21:46]And they didn't have any problem with that. They only changed the name to Windsor to be to sound more English.

[00:21:51]But they're not changing their past either. I mean, they're okay with the fact that they talk about it.

[00:21:58]It's a sign of inferiority if you're always trying to change your past.

[00:22:02]That's Trisha.

[00:22:03]People be all right. All right, let's go to this.

[00:22:06]Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Thank you.

[00:22:10]German words are blessed. Saxe No, not Saxon. Saxon is the is the is the is a tribe, so to speak.

[00:22:20]So, you say Anglo-Saxons. No, but the name is Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.

[00:22:26]That's their name until around the First World War.

[00:22:30]When Germany was giving everybody wahala, so they began to Ah, we have to change this name.

[00:22:34]So, they they made it Windsor, but they didn't change their story.

[00:22:39]This is about changing their story for whatever reason, and it's unnecessary.

[00:22:44]But the story is the history is the Everybody Everybody wants to discuss it.

[00:22:55]So, so that's So, so so that's the problem.

[00:22:58]They cannot touch their story without touching other people's stories.

[00:23:03]If they want to talk about Benin story, you cannot talk Benin story without touching Yoruba because you will get to Aweka, you get to Awedo.

[00:23:16]What's his name?

[00:23:17]That's the That's the fourth Oba of Benin, the ones that actually went into Benin because Aweka was not even living in Benin.

[00:23:22]Was the fourth Oba that, you know, had that, you know, whatever that eventually led to the egg Ekiopaga treaty.

[00:23:32]You know, so the the point is And which is why the Oba of Benin said what he said at his coronation, which was brilliant.

[00:23:41]He said that they should keep that story within their borders because they have no right to change another person's mind about history.

[00:23:47]So, if you want to form something for yourself, form it, but don't ever go on social media or tell people that And the great the greatest insult, you know, I I'm I've calmed down about Benin history. I don't talk about it like before.

[00:24:00]The greatest insult I find in their stupidity is calling Oduwa what they're calling him. They'll say Oromiyan is Oromiyan, Oduwa is Oduwa, and no, he's Oduwa, and then somehow, to even You know, people talk about this people as though they are abstract ideas.

[00:24:17]And here's what people should not should mention today.

[00:24:20]They are liv- They are living descendants of Oduwa today. Oh.

[00:24:26]They are living descendants of Oromiyan who are still on earth today.

[00:24:33]They are not just ideas. They were human beings. They lived. They gave birth to children. Their children gave birth to children. The lineage is still alive.

[00:24:41]Oh.

[00:24:43]So, when you see people come around and say things like, "Oduwa is this." I'm like, "Do you know how it makes the person that comes from that line? Do you know how it makes them feel?" It's as if you are insult- I'm I'm talking about your grandfather like he did not exist.

[00:24:57]People The lineage is alive. Oduduwa's lineage is alive. Orunmi's lineage is alive. I mean, the people are alive.

[00:25:05]So, people it hurts me. I I I'm beginning to get angry thinking about it cuz it's something that they just do.

[00:25:15]Oduduwa is this Talk about him like he's one one conjured character. Like he's just in one animation and just want to talk about it. No, it's it's a He was a human being who lived, who had children, whose children are still alive in different parts of the world today.

[00:25:34]Is that talking about Genghis Khan? You know that Genghis Khan had children and his children are still alive. That's how Oduduwa too is.

[00:25:41]>> Bro, all that were documented.

[00:25:51]>> [laughter] >> Cultural dance I understand If that is our source, then we won't allow it to be tainted.

[00:26:42]>> Sorry, where did you hear that that um that um It is a historical Victor. did I have a victor.

[00:27:04]What they been see this 30 history?

[00:27:09]I can mute a mute.

[00:27:11]>> Oh, sorry.

[00:27:37]Me personally, you know, I almost doubted. And this is actually quite serious for me.

[00:27:47]I just stopped talking about it because number one, I thought [snorts] I'd say what I wanted to say, and I think people got the message, especially the Yoruba people.

[00:27:55]And from time to time, I will say it again, just like I did earlier today.

[00:27:58]Like now, it was very brief, but another time I'll go deep into it.

[00:28:02]The reason I The reason I speak on Benin is actually very personal.

[00:28:07]When I was Oh, I think it was must have been 2000 and maybe eight, seven, eight, nine, there about, where there blogs, you know, where they're putting information out. I was doing this research about my family.

[00:28:23]And here's the truth.

[00:28:24]In my family If you do my family research, you are going to connect with Benin and with Oyo.

[00:28:32]You will. There is no way you won't. So, in researching that, you then get into these clowns who put out At that time, blog were you know, blogs were popping at the time.

[00:28:45]I was like, How is Oyo to draw from Benin? Like I got to go to T because when I was growing up I was privileged to have some my grandmother used to live with us and then when she passed my aunt lived with us. So, my aunt, she's late now, very old before she passed on. May her soul rest in peace.

[00:29:02]My aunt used to tell me stories, right, of, you know, our connections, and the cities that went out of effect, the people, the kings of Benin, you know, Igbo, Urobo, that we call Urobo, not not our Arabio. All those stories, you know, I grew up listening to those things. She I don't know she just took a liking to me. So, he used to tell me all those things.

[00:29:21]So, you know, as you grow up you now want to we don't go to school now. Let us authenticate, not authenticate, not just not authenticate, to be honest, just to like check other sources to be able to verify some of the things, not to say that she was lying, but just wanted to have the academic back background or back up for your claims.

[00:29:40]I should have read books.

[00:29:42]Mhm, I was reading blogs.

[00:29:44]Oko, could I have that again? Oduwa, that was that was like, ah, but this is not what I was told now. I we had done a lot of work, you know, family family tree and so on and so forth.

[00:29:55]I was almost confused.

[00:29:57]And so, I speak up, not to be honest, the reason I don't I don't do kini kini with Benin people is that I speak up for Yoruba people to understand exactly how Benin features in our story or how every other group, you know, comes together. When it comes to fighting them, I think that they've already decided to be that way.

[00:30:18]Okay? And considering that they are called Ovia.

[00:30:23]And Ovia is not a very good title. Okay?

[00:30:28]I cannot expect better than, you know.

[00:30:32]I'm trying to be respectful, you get the point? So, they are who they are. They decided what they want to be. That's okay, but your weapon needs to know the truth about what it is. When it comes to fighting them, it's unnecessary I think it's necessary.

[00:30:44]It is necessary, but maybe not for me.

[00:30:47]So that I can also do other things. But the people who are fighting them, they need to. And there's nothing wrong with that. You know, it's important that some people actually, you know, but my own goal in that thing is just to make sure that the right history is told and that um that any anybody like me who probably happens on social media, they don't get carried away by the nonsense they were putting out. But thank God, things are changing. By the way, there was a video that somebody made People are People sent me that video like last month. A lot of people.

[00:31:11]I actually I said "Why didn't I see it?"

[00:31:13]One clown has to has to be a proper clown.

[00:31:18]Proper proper clown. I don't want to mention the person I don't want to make fools popular. Went on social media just talking absolute nonsense about Yoruba people about Ife people changing the story to make Benin look good. I was like, "So how do I respond to this one?"

[00:31:47]I'm not going to respond to this one.

[00:31:53]I want to We need to be able to, you know, have that conversation because it's important to actually know what the story is. But let me make it very clear.

[00:32:00]There's a connection between Benin and Yoruba people, but it's not with you Benin people.

[00:32:05]It's with primarily Benin Palace and some chiefs and some parts of Benin, some people in in Benin.

[00:32:16]But they're also Yoruba kingdoms in Edo State. And the Yoruba of Benin is not the Yoruba of Edo State.

[00:32:22]And those kings are not answerable to him.

[00:32:27]And even if they're answerable to him, it would be the same way you know, you have paramountcy.

[00:32:37]Okay?

[00:32:38]And I'll give you a very quick example.

[00:32:43]When you hear Ijebu land, there's no state called Ijebu, right?

[00:32:48]There's no state called but there's Ijebu land. And interestingly, Ijebu land exists both in Ogun State and in Lagos State.

[00:32:57]The capital of Ijebu land is in Ogun State. That's Ijebu Ode.

[00:33:01]The Awujale is a paramount king of all Ijebu.

[00:33:05]So, but his paramouncy does not change the fact that the kings of those other Ijebu towns are kings.

[00:33:13]Whether it's Ijebu Igbo, uh Odogbolu, Epe, which that's in Lagos State, Ibeju-Lekki. Ibeju-Lekki is Ijebu land, by the way.

[00:33:23]Oh, because you know we talk All these places are Ijebu land.

[00:33:28]But all these towns also have their own kings.

[00:33:33]But the paramount king of Ijebu of Ijebu land is in the capital, and the capital is Ijebu Ode.

[00:33:41]The same thing you're going to find when you go to Ijesha land.

[00:33:44]The paramount king of Ijesha land is in Ilesha.

[00:33:46]But Ijesha land is not just Ilesha, right? Um Ibokun is part of uh Ijesha land.

[00:33:57]Sorry, Ibokun I meant to say. Ibokun is part of Ijesha land.

[00:34:00]Um Oshogbo is part of Ijesha Ilesha itself Ijesha Atakumosa is Ijesha All those places are Ijesha. They're Ijesha land, but Ilesha is the capital of Ijesha land, and the Owa is the king of that town. But the other towns also have their own kings.

[00:34:15]So, even even if you say that the Oba of Benin is the paramount king among the people there, it doesn't change the fact that those towns also have kings. So, it it You have to be inferior to think that because Awujale is Awujale, therefore there should be no other king. Or you go to Remo land and say, "Oh, Akarigbo is in Shagamu." But you have a Quaro, you have a Shara, you have a Kenne. They're all Remotowns, and they all have they're all kings.

[00:34:41]So, when people say things like, "If you are from Usen, you can't you is not a king, he's a chief." It's disrespectful to the king of Usen, but beyond that, it shows inferiority complex on your part.

[00:34:52]Your paramountcy is not even threatened by the existence of another king in that territory, because it's a kingdom that's even from your own kingdom, but they still look up to you for maybe for sovereignty or whatever, but once you begin to say that they cannot be kings, like they'll be like, "Who are you?"

[00:35:08]So, someone was right saying something here. Agunloye, yes.

[00:35:14]The beautiful thing about Yorubaland is that when you look at our subgroups, the subgroups have towns within the subgroups, but the subgroups also have a capital, and that capital has the paramount king of the subgroup.

[00:35:29]The example I always like to I I talk about it a lot, because it's fascinating.

[00:35:33]It's fascinating because the Berlin Conference could not do anything about it, right? The arbitrary drawing of whatever lines they were drawing between the I mean, then of course, you had the politicking between the English and the French.

[00:35:47]The whole thing about, you know, Benin Republic and Nigeria.

[00:35:52]There's a particular story I I mean, there's a particular case in that in that space that I find very intriguing.

[00:35:59]And it's of Ketu.

[00:36:02]When we say Ketu, people think of Ketu.

[00:36:05]Ketu equals Ketu noni onakosu n'Olowa.

[00:36:12]Oshawa I need be seven up. Ketu Ketu Kose na number 12. Ketu Kose Ketu Kose Ketu Alakure. People think of Ketu.

[00:36:20]That's Ketu Adigun.

[00:36:22]But there's Ketu a subgroup of Yoruba people. The way you have Ijebu and you have Oyo, and you have Okun, and you have Ekiti, you also have uh Ketu.

[00:36:37]Ketu people Ketu now has towns.

[00:36:40]Some of the towns today are in Nigeria.

[00:36:46]Particularly in Ogun State. Some other towns are in Benin Republic.

[00:36:50]The craziest part of the whole story is that the capital of Ketu as a sub group is in Benin Republic.

[00:36:59]And the Oba is Alaketu. Ketu is in Benin Republic, but Yeah, I'm a big Ketu Yes.

[00:37:18]So, but in Imeko, for instance, there are Ketu people.

[00:37:22]Imeko have fun, Ilu It becomes Oshofa, Oshofa.

[00:37:28]Oshofa, eheh. That it's it's the the Ketu land. But their king, you know, knows that the paramountcy is actually in Benin Republic.

[00:37:38]Cuz that's where the Alaketu seat is.

[00:37:41]Even with the di- di- dividing of Nigeria, Africa, whatever, did not stop that from being real. That's how how powerful ethnic identity is. All of that to say that if the king, right, looks up to you and say, "Okay, Leyeyo, this is the paramount king here." That's enough. You can't tell them that they are chiefs because you have a king. Who is your king?

[00:38:04]That's when this disrespect you're looking for will now begin to come for you. O de ma se.

[00:38:10]All right, let us go to the topic that Consedam brought up.