Background
Owhe clan is one of the nineteen clans that constitute the Isoko ethnic nationality. Geographically, they inhabit the area enclosed (roughly) between longitudes 6°5 and 6° 25 East and latitude 5°15 and 5°40 North (Ikime 1972), in what is today Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta state of Nigeria. The clan is inhabited by a people who claim a descent through a known line to a common ancestor who is probably the founder of the clan (Nana, 1999, in Okpevra, 2014). Owhe clan is made up of ten communities namely; Owhelogbo (formerly Iluelogbo, Otor-Owhe (formerly Uruovo), Akiewhe (also spelt as Achiowhe), Otibio and Erawha. Others are Aziaro, Eniagbedhi, Canaan, Otie, and Edhomoko-Okpesia. Owhe clan has three basic Quarters called Iru.These are,Uruogbe, which refers to Owhelogbo, Uruovo, which refers to Otor-Owhe, and Uruthatho, which refers to Akiewhe. These Iru (Quarters) are named after the three sons Ogbe, Ovo, and Uthatho respectively, of the founder of the clan. The remaining communities listed above are offshoots of these three. Edhomoko-Okpesia is said be an offshoot of Owhelogbo, Eniagbedhi is from Akiewhe while Otibio, Aziaro, Erawha and Otie are offshoots of OtorOwhe (Otor-Owhe and its offshoots are referred to as Uruovo du eki. Each of the ten communities has its own socio-political organization headed by the Odiokaro who is the oldest man in the community. The communities are allowed to develop at their own pace; only very serious matters are referred to the central.
Owhe clan is bounded in the North by Abbi in present day Ndokwa West Local Government Area, in the North West by Orogun in the now Ughelli North Local Government Area, and in the South by Oleh and Olomoro in Isoko South Local Government Area.It also shares boundary in the West by Emevor, in the South West by Iyede and in the East by Ozoro in the now Isoko North Local Government of Delta State, Nigeria (N.A.I. C.S.O. 26:27989:15). Oil palm trees, raffia palm trees, Mahogany, Obeche, and iron wood tress dominate its vegetation.The outstanding physical feature of the clan is the swamp system- the Owhe Swamp System, roughly NNE and SSW (Hubbard, 1948:63- 64).
A study of the Isoko people is better appreciated when done within the context of the various clans, for the Isoko are organized into clans, hence this study of the Owhe clan. The clan here referred to in some cases may consist of a number of villages.In such a situation, there where often two levels of government; that of the village and that of the corporate group i.e. the clan. In other words the basic principle of socio – political organization among the different clans could be referred to as kinship and descent.Thus, a clan is made up of people of a common descent. As Hubbard (1948) notes, “this clan organization is reminiscentof the Scottish clan, the members all belong to one great family descended in the male line from a common ancestor who lived in the remote past.” However, within the context of the Isoko people, a clan may be defined as: “a socio-political unit made up of persons who claim a descent through a known line to a common ancestor who is the founder of the clan and who sometimes gives his name to it.” Nana (1994). Ifeka and Stride (1977) further highlight this concept of clan as follows:
Several villages were joined together into a group by a mythical charter of common descent from a founding ancestor, whose sons were believed to have established the constituent villages of the group. In other words, territorial divisions were thought of as kinship units, all to have descended from one ancestor … kinship links were sometimes invoked to create special relationships with neighbouring village groups or villages.
Meanwhile, it is not easy to identify which is a sub-clan or not, as the case in some instances could be very sensitive to the clans, it all bothers on which was founded first give rise to the other. While this is easy in some cases, it is inconclusive in some others. The area occupied by Owhe is low- lying and criss-crossed by streams and rivulets. A sizeable part of the territory is subject to floods whenever the rains come down heavily.
Their economy is based on subsistence farming and the production of palm oil and kernels.
The main food crops are yams and cassava, supplemented by corn, beans, pepper and groundnuts. Yet because of the rivulets, and streams, some degree of fishing is also carried out. Fish are important for food and for certain sacrifices, Okpevra (2008). The different Owhe villages hold regularly scheduled markets of every four days intervals in which food, local products, and imported goods are exchanged. More importantly, Owhe clan is one of the key providers of present day Nigerian nation’s wealth-crude oil petroleum as there are present a handful of oil wells. The cultural life of the people in the area viz-a-viz her Ukwuani neighbours are interwoven, probably due to long period of co-existence in terms of history, dressing, religious worship and intermarriage. This is exemplified in their beliefs, food, and other ancestral beliefs. They are mostly Christian, though traditional religion and ancestral worship is also prevalent. The social and cultural life are interwoven with the beliefs and religion and have their historical antecedents linked up with empires such as Benin centuries ago as well as Christian Missionary movement that existed in the nineteenth century.
The land is generally flat as a result of its formation largely by alluvial basins separated by leaves deposited by creeks. Flooding occurs frequently during the rainy season. In the area, two separate and distinct floods are distinguished both by their course and by period of occurrence. The first is due to the heavy local rainfall, while the other is caused by floodwater coming down the Niger. The people call the rain flood Evo and it is caused as stated earlier by local rains, which are concentrated into few months of the year. Aghalino (1993).
The second annual flood, i.e. the river flood that the Isoko people called Owe, is caused by the arrival in the area of the black flood from the upper reaches of the Niger. Udo (1975). At the local confluence, it is joined by the Benue flood caused by the current year’s rainfall in that River basin. Together, the flood moves down the lower Niger valley, sub-merging sand banks. The implication is that the low-lying area of South of Aboh and the Isoko community are exposed to the full force of this flood. It is therefore this flood that surge down the Niger tributaries, bursting their banks and flooding the lowland and consequently inflicting economic hardships on the people. Udo (1975). Nonetheless, the flood problem in the region is compounded by the nature of the soil which is largely sandy – loam interspersed with hydromophic clay which varies from fair to good quality. Oyaide (1991) suggests that about 25 per cent of the soil is unsuitable for agriculture without some modification. The land has an interesting fora and fauna. The vegetation is generally light forest dominated by palm (oil palm on the drier and higher grounds, and Raphia in the Swamps and a few valuable trees. The fauna consists mainly of monkey, ducker, antelopes, grass-cutters, porcupine, African Rabbits, snails, snakes, squirrels and a host of other small animals. Most common fishes are catfish, tilapia, lungfish, and other freshwater fishes. Oyaide (1991).
Prior to the advent of British administration and the concomitant development of motorable roads, bush paths provided the main means of transportation within both the clan and neighbouringcommunities as well. Otite (1973). The physical features discussed above suggest that there would be little land available for intensive agricultural practices.
Therefore any modification of the land would naturally have untold effect on the people. Consequently, any encroachment either on land or on water may pose a potent source of conflict between and among the Owhe and her neighbours.
Two main climatic seasons exist in this tropical area: the dry season, from the month of November to March, during which most of the stream dry up and the rivers ebb; and the wet season; from the month of April to October when all the rivers and stream are full and parts of the land flooded. A short dry spell in August has the effect of creating too long and too short periods each of rainy and dry season.
Udo (1970).
According to Okpevra (2014), the geographical location of the Owhe people and their neighbours has been one of the most importance determinants of the relationship between and amongst them, which cuts across commercial, cultural, and political contactsthat date to very early times. These intercourses were both hostile and cordial as evidence in pre-colonial intergroup relation. In other words, the Owhe did not exist in isolation. Within their location, they maintained relations with their immediate neighbours: Kwale (Ukwuani), Urhobo, and other distant neighbours such as Western Ijaw, Benin, and Eastern Nigerian Igbos. Owhe relations with these named neighbours varied in form and scope at any given moment since the pre-colonial period. Such relations were borne out of the realization that co-operation with other groups would be of benefit to them. The benefit of such inter-dependence between Owhe and her neighbours were mostly felt in the political, diplomatic, and economic and socio – cultural realms.
The History Of The Area
It is the view of Okpevra, (2014) that Owhe, like their other Isoko kith and kin have a very rich cultural heritage that has defiled the monstrous colonial influence on much of African culture. With a culture that could be classified as highly advanced in terms of its richness in moral values, they are highly religious and are great lovers of strangers and humanity in general. They are a peace loving people and very hospitable too. Honesty and hard work is the important attributes of the Owhe (Isoko) man. They are also an egalitarian people who cherish integrity and human freedom. Yet one common but good fault of the Isoko man is that he does not know how to hide his disgust for injustice and oppression, Okpevra (2005).
Invariably the belief that most of the Isoko groups are of Benin origin were views held and expressed in the 1960s and 1970s. These views were “decidedly simplistic and were based on British Intelligence Reports of the 1930s” and Ikime’s fieldwork of 1961- 1963. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isoko_people.Retrieved 14/09/2011. It is therefore the contention of Okpevra (2014) that at lesser instances the factor of amnesia has overwhelmed the people’s abilities to account for their origins thus claiming autochthony or a greater antiquity. On these issues of migration and traditions of origin, a lot of thought provoking questions have been left unanswered. It is against this background that Ikime states, “If there is any aspect of the history of the various peoples of Nigeria about which no one can speak with any exactitude, it is that which deals with the origins of our peoples”. http://www.waado.org/Organizations/UHS/AnnualConferences/sixth/ikime/Ikime_urhobo. htm. Retrieved 10/0/2011.
The dominant theme of the traditions of origin today passed on within the Isoko clans pertaining to the reasons why a particular individual or group came to the Niger Delta would agree with what Cornevin (1956) termed “Refugee theory”. Alagoa (1964) also avers that the Delta served as a refuge for people who sought to escape the power of Benin. In other words in virtually every case where the claim to Benin is made, the reason given for migration is either the oppression of a reigning Oba of Benin or escape from punishment after committing some offences against the norms of Benin society. The reasons are obviously stereotypical and need not represent the real reasons for the initial migrations.
It is against the above that Okpevra, (2014) states that historically speaking; migration and socio-political ideas are usually not unidirectional. The significance of this claim to the origins and formation of state cannot be overemphasized. In that light one can dare contend that the area, these later immigrants, who are now being considered as the progenitors of the Owhe people moved into, was never a Tabula Rasa.
The tradition of origin of the Owhe people is told in various versions. Few literature exist on the traditions of origin of this people consequently, the bulk of the information on their origin is derived from oral sources. Hubbard, one the early researchers on the Owhe people wrote:
‘Owhe originally came from Aka (Benin) with his family owing to trouble of human sacrifice when the Oba, king of Aka who was ready to serve his dead father’ (Hubbard, 1948:111). Owhe first settled at Owhe- Otor (near Iyede), probably with his four sons namely – Uruogbe, Uruovo, Achewhe (Akiewhe) and Ellu and that Akiewhe and Ellu were children of the same mother. The whole family probably deserted Owhe- otor after the death of their father (Owhe) to found a new settlement where Uruovo (Otor- Owhe) stands today in circa 1615 AD (Hubbard,1948:161). Ellu did not settle in this new abode but rather moved hinterland to found a separate settlement named after him (Ellu).
This account also claims that Achewhe (Akiewhe) stayed at Uruovo briefly before he was compelled to found a new place named Achewhe (Akiewhe) owing to a case of murder and partly because he was helpless as his brother; Ellu had left him to found a separate abode. Uruogbe also left his brother; Uruovo to found another settlement known as Iluelogbo (now Owhelogbo) because of the troublesome nature of a warrior called Oneroha. Uruovo on his part remained in the first settlement having strongly resisted Oneroha (Hubbard, 1948:111-112).
Hubbard in another study on the Isoko People contends that:
The Isokos like the Ibos, Ijaws and the Edos are a Sudanese (not Bantu) people. Their original home was much farther north in the Sudan. Presumably at the time of Arab expansion some centuries ago these Sudanese tribes were driven by the Arabs from their homes. They therefore moved southward into the equatorial forest region. When they arrived there, the strongest tribes seized the best country and the weaker was left to occupy the country where conditions of life and the struggle for existence would be of the hardest (Hubbard, 1930:116).
The above view has been laid to rest by Okpevra (2014) who contends that it rudely emphasises the infamous Hamitic hypothesis, which has become trite in explaining the origins and migrations of Africa peoples south of the Sahara. However, viewed from another clime, Okpevra (2014) also posits that it is probable that the Hubbard’s contention could be one of the reasons why the Isoko clans (including Owhe) are tucked up in the inclement region of the Niger Delta where they will be far away and free from further aggression by the so called strongest tribes. In another vein, Ikime who may have copiously relied on Hubbard’s work has this to say that:
Owhe, the founder of the clan was driven from Benin by an Oba who was jealous of his wealth and power. Owhe first settle at Owhe- Otor (land of Owhe), near Iyede where they settled for a long time and became close to Iyede people and apparently used land in common. The need for more farmland ultimately made Owhe and his four sons to move out of Owhe-otor to found Uruovo (Otor- Owhe), from where Ellu left to found his separate settlement named after him. Due to family dispute, Uruogbe and Akiewhe later founded Iluelogbo (now Owhelogbo) and Achewhe (Akiewhe) respectively – Ikime, 1972:10).
Bradbury on his account also supports the above when he states that Owhe was founded from Benin by people who settled first at Igbide then on Iyede land before moving to the present site of Uruovo (now Otor- Owhe) (Bradbury, 1964:131).
However, there exist a tradition of origin that is most accepted by the Owhe people as being handed down by their progenitors. This version claims that Azagba the founder of Owhe once lived in Benin but later left Benin under the leadership of his father; Igide Iyewo after fighting a fierce battle with the Benin army who tried to stop them from leaving the kingdom. This migration was said to be occasioned by the cruelty of an Oba of Benin; Oba Ewuare, the Great, in circa 1440 AD, who lost two of his sons in one day and therefore, decreed against sex and the bearing of children in the kingdom until he had other two new sons. Egharevba (1968:14-15), attests that calamity befell Oba Ewuare the Great in C1440 AD, with the death of his two sons; Kuoboyuwa and Ezuwarha. He therefore promulgated a draconian decree, which forbade his subjects from bearing children, and this led to mass migration of people from the kingdom.
Having migrated from Benin, Igide Iyewo and his group first settled at or near Evro-Oto (Effrun-Otor).The rumour that the Oba had sent his army to force all who have migrated from the kingdom back to Benin made them to migrate farther into the hinterland. This was with the realisation that‘Afiemo Aka isiava ha”meaning”it is dangerous to fight a second battle with the Binis”.(Interview with Peter Odukpolo at OtorOwhe, 2006, Godwin Etor, Michael Awere at Akiewhe, 2013, Columbus Abada, Oghole Ovie at Owhelogbo, 2013). They therefore decided to migrate farther southward. Their migration into the hinterland landed them near Iyede. Before now, Igide Iyewo had died in the course of migration and the leadership of the group had fallen on Azagba. It was from here they left for Emede where Azagba took for a wife an Emede daughter called Owhe; an ardent worshipers of the Oniowise deity. The Oni – owise sent one of its children (OwiseOwhe) to go with Owhe to protect and guide her in her new settlement with her husband. The Owhe people still worship the Owise- Owhe deity as the principal deity of the clan. The marriage was blessed with three children namely Ogbe, Ọvo, and Uthatho.
After a period of time at Emede, Azagba decided to move back to his former settlement; near Iyede with his new family perhaps because of the need for more farmland. The settlement was named Owhe-Otor after Owhe. While at Owhe-Otor, there arose a leadership tussle between Azagba and Atua the founder of Iyede but the latter emerged as the ruler. He ruled so cruelly and his cruelty coupled with Azagba’s unwillingness to accept Atua’s over lordship made the former to found a new abode (Interview with Samson Oletu at Akiewhe, 2013, John Emaziye at Otor-Iyede, 2013, Benson Ogbaifo at Otibio (Otor-Igho) (2013), which he also named after Owhe his wife.
The present day Otor- Iyede has expanded to occupy Owhe-Otor hence there are “Uruowhe which means Owhe quarters and Uruthatho which means Uthatho quarters” in present day Iyede. Azagba’s sons had their different quarters (Uruogbe, Uruovo and Uruthatho) in the new settlement. The family lived happily together here until the rise of a worrior known as Oneroha, the grandson of Ovo. Oneroha’s troublesome attitude made Ogbe and Uthatho to migrate and founded Iluelogbo (now Owhelogbo) and Akiewhe respectively. Some members of Akiewhe left on a later date to found Ellu (Agatemor, 2004:1 also oral interview with Fred Ikpawona, Ellu,) while Ogbodu one of Uthatho’s children refused to relocate to Akiewhe with his father but rather fought and defeated Oneroha hence there still exist Ogbodu quarters of Akiewhe in present day Otor-Owhe (Interview with Freeborn Oletu, Akiewhe,2013). After the relocation of Ogbe and Uthatho, Ovo and his offsprings occupied the whole area except where Ogbodu was. The place was referred to as Uruovo meaning Ovo quarters. It was later changed to Otor-Owhe in 1975, to reflect that it was the headquarters of Owhe clan (Oral interview with Julius Efenudu at Otor-Owhe, Apollus Ogbaudu at Otor-Owhe and Omodavwe Efi at Akiewhe, 2013). Some other members also left Akiewhe to found Eniagbedhi (Hubbard, 1948:111-112 also oral interview with Moses Okoh at Eniagbedhi, 2013, Michael Awere at Akiewhe, 2013.
An overview of the traditions of origin of the owhe people.
The dominant theme of the various traditions of origin of the Owhe people is that of “refugee” (a people who fled from the dominance and the cruelty of an oba of Benin). Peek in his “refugee area thesis” opines that the people who settled in the Niger Delta could not have done so freely but must have been in search of refuge from others (Peek, 2002:167). He attempts to use kaolin (native chalk) and coral beads to establish the close relationship between the Binis and the Isokos. He reports that kaolin was used for the worship of Olokun deity in Benin and kaolin and coral beads were prestige items used by the Oba of Benin and it remains a ubiquitous element in ritual life. Its link to the Oba of Benin and the Binis in general was unique. For example, the initial public announcement of the demise of an Oba was the statements -“Otọ rio orhue” which means the earth ate native chalk, or “the chalk is broken” (Interview with Eguase Edosomwan, Nohinoke Osula, Catherine Airhuleyefe, Benin-City, 2013). The smashing of a huge piece of kaolin followed this. He contends that though the Isokos do not worship olokun they use kaolin elaborately in their rituals and worship. The Isoko also value coral beads as a key feature of royal regalia as well as cowry shells, which were also lavishly used in the Obas court (Peek, 2002:172).
Etymology gives some support to the claim of Benin origin. For example; Azagba the name of the founder of Owhe means a “public place or square” in Edo language. In addition, the names of his sons; Ogbe and Ovo mean “a quarter and envy or jealousy” respectively (oral interview with Eguase Edosomwan and Nohinoke Osula, Benin- City, 2013). “Language is said to be a determinant factor in considering ethnic group identity because it is the means of communication…” (Atanda,1980:65). There are many similar words in the Edo (Benin) and the Isoko languages. Using the linguistic evidence in interpreting the traditions of origin of the Owhe people therefore, a comparison of some Benin (Edo) and Isoko words are illustrated below: Table I: A Comparative Language Chart of English, Benin (Edo) and Isoko.
S/N English Benin (Edo) Isoko
- Hand Obo Obo
- Water Ame Ame
- Town Evbo Ewho
- Pandemonium Olighi Ozighi
- Two Eva Ive
- Market Eki Eki
- Kaolin (chalk) Orhue Orhe
- Palm oil Ofigbon Ofigbo
- World Agbon Akpo
- Fowl Okhokho Oyoho
- Death Uwu Uwu
- Ground/Land Oto Oto
- Happiness Oghogho Oghogho
- Goat Ewe Ewe
Another important issue to be raised is the “refuge theory” which explains the founders of the Isoko as those seeking to escape trouble from Benin, Foster (1969). In reaction to Foster’s postulation Okpevra (2014) querried:”if the progenitors or founders of the Isoko clans were refugees or fugitives as it were from Benin, at what point did they reconcile with Benin that they have to go back to Benin to obtain title to Ovieship and title to the land without reprisals from Benin? This again brings us to the popular Benin mirage, Afigbo (1981). However, the answer to the above question should be left for further research.
Having laid claim to Benin origin, one would had expected that the Owhe people and the other Isoko clans that equally claim Benin origin would have been speaking the Benin (Edo) language but this is not the case. To this Welch (1931:160), argues that: the Isoko language originated as a result of the contact of the Isokos with their Urhobo neighbours. That contact and eventual isolation led to the loss of their original language. Language is dynamic and not static and the continuity of any language depends on the social and cultural factors that have overlapped with the changes in the activities of man over time and space. This implies that the migration of the Owhe people from one geographical area to the other (as told by the various versions of the traditions of origin) added to or deducted from its language. It is a truism that when two or more languages meet either they interwove or the most dominant over shadows the other.
It would be illogical to submit to Benin (Edo) origin of the Owhe people on the basis of the above postulations without first considering and analyzing some other arguments put forward by scholars. Afigbo (1981:18,19) who relied on the archaeological findings of Shaw avers that humans occupied the Niger Delta area (which Owhe belongs) as far back as circa 770 AD, as such the land was not terra ingonita and devoid of human occupation until the supposed migration from Benin. This brings us to Okpevra (2014) postulation that “migration and social political ideas are not usually unidirectional” as such the Owhe/Isoko area was never tabular Rasa before the arrival of the Benin emigrants.
The Isokos, Binis (Edo), Ijaws and the Ibos are said to have migrated from thesame root. It is therefore a possibility that the Isokos (which include Owhe) arrived and settled in the Benin area from the Sudan earlier than the Binis. Egherevba (1968:1), attests to earlier settlers from the Sudan. The Binis on arrival may have settled near the Isoko people and referred to them as “Isoko-Edo,” which means those living in the neighbourhood or outskirt of Edo (Hans Melzian, 1937:101, also oral interview with Eguase Edosomwan, Nohinoke Osula, Benin-City, 2013).
The Benin Kingdom at its apogee in the 15th century attempted to bring the Isokos under their domain. The Isokos detested this plan and were not prepared to surrender their sovereignty as such they migrated farther into the hinterland. This group came with their culture and language and they referred to themselves as “Isoko”; a name their Benin neighbour referred to them. With the passage of time, the whole area became known as Isoko (Ugboma, 1984:36-42). The new language interwove with the language of the early settlers and it was also referred to as “Isoko”.
Owhe claim to Benin origin is better explained in the words of Alagoa that “where a group no longer remembers its place of origin it is likely to choose one that was powerful enough to confer on it a kind of prestige or legitimacy while not posing an immediate threat to its political independence” (Alagoa,1970:119-29 and 1971:268-78). More so, Isoko was said to be a source of slaves to the Ijaws. Considering the spate of raids lunched on them, to associate or identify with the then more powerful Benin kingdom for protection was the wisest thing to do. It is a common human habit to seek to identify with the great and successful as a result of which people generally like to trace their pedigree to great families and empires (Afigbo, 1981:18). The Isoko may have identified with the more powerful Benin kingdom so as to ward off the attack and the raid for slaves that was incessantly lunched on them. Appositely, the relationship between Benin and Isoko/Owhe was more of social than of origin.
Oral interviews carried out by this researcher on the foundation of Owhe reveal that the founder of Owhe was Azagba and not Owhe as claimed by the early researchers (Michael Awere, Godwin Etor, Ovuewhoyen Ukpovo, and ThomasEmezana). Owhe was a woman and wife to Azagba and not a man and the founder of “Owhe” as being represented by early works. It was also revealed that Azagba and Owhe had three children namely Ogbe, Ovo, and Uthatho. Some children of Uthatho left Akiewhe to found Ellu (Agatemo, 1994:1 also oral interview with Fred Ikpawona at Ellu 2013, Thomas Emezana, Michael Awere at Akiewhe, 2013). Therefore, the names Uruogbe, Uruovo and Uruthatho and Ellu suggested as Owhe children cannot be accepted as “Uru” in Isoko language means quarters. The founder of Owhe partitioned his settlement into three “Iru (plural for Uru) among his three children. He would have partitioned the settlement into four to include “Ellu” if he was one of his children.
The above fallacies may have occurred from the source(s) of Hubbard’s information, which other early researchers also relied on. Hubbard graphically states that his relationship with the natives became strained with the introduction of adult taxation into the Delta province in 1927, by the colonial government. The Isoko people accused himfor advising the colonial government to impose taxation on them, because of the success of the “class fees” he had imposed on his church congregation. As a result of this, the natives became weary of him. He therefore, commissioned some of his church headmen to collect information about the Isoko clans for him (Hubbard, 1948:73-76). Some of these headmen collected information from clans outside theirs and may not have met the custodians of the clan traditions who were mostly Igbu (warriors), who regarded Christianity as alien and bad omen.
On the foundation of the clan, the circa 1615 AD, date of foundation of Owhe clan and circa 1677 AD, foundation date of Iyede clan suggested by Hubbard cannot be accepted as true. Iyede is said to be one of the earliest Isoko settlers who together with some other clans constituted the Sobo people who had long settled before the coming of Ginuwa (the founder of Itsekiri) from Benin in circa 1480 AD (Foster, 1969:292). Going by Hubbard’s suggestion, Owhe was founded sixty- two years before Iyede was founded. If this be the case, there would not had been any time the Owhe people lived near Iyede and used land in common.
Although it is axiomatic among the Owhe people that they originated from Benin, the contestation that those Isoko clans that claim Benin origin may have migrated from the neighbourhood of Benin- City rather than Benin- City itself cannot be wished away. More so, using the name Isoko (which means those who live near Benin) to establish the origin of Isoko/Owhe is a priori.