Background

The Arogbo Ijo are located between longitudes 40 and 50E and between latitudes 60 and 70N, in southeastern part of Ondo state in Ese-Odo Local Government Area. They are bounded in the east by the Egbema Ijo, in the north west by the Ikale, north east by the Apoi, and in the west and south by the Ilaje.

The Arogbo Ijo occupy a riverine environment like all other Ijo in the Niger Delta region. They form a minority in Ondo State where the major ethnic group is Yoruba, made up of the Ilaje, Ikale, Ondo, Akure, Owo, the Akoko and Ekiti; and some Edo sub-groups (Magi 2003).

Arogbo lies in the middle of trade routes traversing this part of the Niger Delta. Accordingly, it is the only Ijo sub-group for which direct references can be found or inferred in the European records. It also had contacts with the Ijebu traders to the west, and with Itsekiri on the Benin River to the east. This history of varied contacts is shown now in the bilingualism of the Arogbo (in Ijo and Yoruba). They have retained their Ijo dialect and culture intact because of their Delta location south of the Apoi, and because of their Egbema Ijo neighbours to the southeast. In addition, Arogbo traditions are in the mainstream of Ijo traditions of origin and migration from the Central to the Western Delta (Alagoa 1972: 32).

 

Migration

Opinion is unanimous on the migration history of the Arogbo Ijo.All available Arogbo traditions derive their ancestors from Gbaraun in Apoi in the Central Niger Delta. Traditions among the Gbaramatu of Oporoza point to the same Gbaraun as the ancestral home of that group and of the sub-groups that broke away from it including the Arogbo, Kabowe, and Effurun (Alagoa 1972: 32-31).

The nine lineages of Agwobiri, Egbesubiri, Erubiri, Akpoghobiri, Ekanabiri, Kakabiri, Laghabiri, Angalabiri, and Ekeinbiri first settled at Oporoza in the Western Delta. According to oral tradition, when the Arogbo Ijo migrated from Oporoza, they left with the founder of the Effurun. The Effurun decided to settle at the present Effurun in Delta state, near Warri. Some oral traditions state that the Arogbo people settled at Siluko, Akotogbo, Ijosun, Gbaraungbini before they finally settled at Ekpetorun the present Ukparama area of Arogbo. Other traditions suggest that they migrated right from Oporoza to Ekpetorun, the centre of dispersion.

During the period of migration the national god, Egbesu, was carried along with them. Other deities including Diapele, Binikuru, Kpokpotin were taken along right from Gbaraun. Perebiyenmo, the son of Ogbonu was chosen as the chief priest of Egbesu, from Erubiri quarters, while other priests were selected from the other quarters. Perebiyenmo, who was the first chief priest, became the first Pere, king of Arogbo–ibe.

While at Ekpetorun there were internal crises on fishing grounds (Dino) that led to internal migrations of people to settle at Ajapa, Opuba, Akpata, Ukpe Biagbin, Adoloseimo and to Bilebu–Aru–Ugbo. It was at Bilebu–Arogbo that Pa Okpo pioneered the move to settle in the island of Arogbo. Prominent among the people that followed Okpo were Eduwei and Puu from Egbesubiri.

The other group that moved to Arogbo island were the people of Erubiri led by Ikeli the father of Odigbala, who settled at Tebubeleu. Another group from Erubiri led by Benitei, Umiyen Sikoli also settled at the Arogb island at the western part of Egbesubiri people. The last group of people to settle at Arogbo island were the people of Agwobiri assisted by Benitei, Umiyen, Sikoli and others.

Economic Activities

The Arogbo Ijo of the Niger Delta subsist on fishing, lumbering, tapping of raffia palm, canoe carving and marine transportation.

Women are mainly noted for both creek and forest fishing, distillation of the local gin and trading; while the men-folk engage in tapping the raffia palms, lumbering, fishing and carving. The women brew the local gin. The Arogbo man is talented in carving just like the Egbema Ijo, their neighbours. The Arogbo Ijo carve big and small canoes, design paddles of different sizes, walking sticks, and create works of art representing different animals like the eagle, parrots, and horses.

Trade And External Contacts

Arogbo traditions claim a trading market covering the areas from Lagos and Port-Novo westwards, to the Itsekiri kingdom eastwards in the past.

The articles of trade included slaves, carvings, ivory, birds such as parrots, fishes of high value (eba, iyoro), and meat such as deer, bush pigs, alligator, crocodile and more.

Alagoa (1972: 34-36) confirms Arogbo Ijo participation in the slave trade. According to Alagoa, Arogbo participation in the trade of this region was supported by early nineteenth century accounts; such as the account of Osifekunde, an Ijebu slave captured by some Ijo who could have been Arogbo.

One of Koelle’s slave informants at Freetown on African languages was Okoro who supplied a word list of Edso (clearly Ijo). This Ijo dialect has been identified as Arogbo, and Okoro belonged to the Egbesubiri ward of Arogbo. He had known Ijebu and had been sold into slavery at the Itsekiri port of Bobou on the Benin River.

There are still in Arogbo several relics of the trans-Atlantic trade, including old cannons, and collections of porcelain and china-ornaments. When in 1885, the British came to erect a post of sanctuary for slaves in this part of the Delta; Arogbo was one of the places chosen. The Arogbo date the planting of this Okpo or freedom post in the reign of Aaga.