Prince Aigbogun Omeike
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Prince Aigbogun | |
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| Born | Prince Aigbogun Odigie Omeike 1900 Igueben, Esanland, Southern Nigeria Protectorate |
| Died | 1964f Igueben, Mid-Western Region Nigeria |
| Burial place | Igueben, Mid-Western Region Nigeria |
| Title | Osangue of Igueben 111 Odionwere of Idumwun'omon |
| Predecessor | Chief Omeike, Osangue of Igueben 11 |
| Successor | Chief Efoghe Aigbogun, Osangue of Igueben 1V (1964 - 1983) |
| Spouse(s) | Imade (m.1918) Imanlukhor (m.1925) |
| Children | From Imade: Chief Efoghe Aigbogun Osangue of Igueben 1964 – 1983; From concubine: Okedigun Aigbogun, Igbelaja Aigbogun Prince Enoighase Aigbogun, Princess Esemua Aigbogun, Prince Ohonsi Aigbogun From Imanlukhor: Chief Abulimhen Aigbogun Chief Ebenze of Igueben (died 2006), Madam Elizabeth Aisebogun Okunsebor (died 2010), Barrister Patrick Ehizogie Aigbogun (died 2023), Chief Odigie Aigbogun Chief Ogungbengben of Igueben (died 2021), Reverend Uwague Aigbogun (died 2019) |
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| Relatives | Grandfather: Chief Ukhomhensi of Igun Street Benin City and Osangue of Igueben 1 |
Prince Aigbogun , Osangue of Igueben 111 (Aigbogun Omeike 1900 - 1964) was the first born son of Princess Iyomon[1] one of the daughters of Oba Oba Ovonramwen and Chief Omeike Osangue 11 of Igueben. He was the first and last Odumeben N'Oba N’Edo , the Royal Palace of Benin Kingdom Blacksmith, (1935 - 1964) to operate outside of Igun Street Benin City.
Aigbogun was born in Igueben, Southern Nigeria Protectorate. His mother Princess Iyomon was from the Benin Royal family and his father Chief Omeike was of Benin nobility.[2] His parents met in Ekekhien Esanland where his mother had evacuated to as a result of the Benin Expedition of 1897 during which the Kingdom of Benin was sacked and her father exiled to Calabar by the British.
Early Years
Eldest of ten children, Aigbogun was trained on the job from a very early age by his father Omeike at the Igueben Palace.[3][4] where he was a chief. He also learnt blacksmithing skills while operating the fire forge and the Blacksmith Bellows when assisting him in his workshop.
From the age of seven Aigbogun accompanied his father on his duties at the Igueben Royal Palace daily[5][6]. His early years involved learning much from his father who was the Chief Osangue of Igueben. Over the years Aigbogun through his apprentice roles in the palace learned a lot about his future roles in Benin customs and traditions.
Career
Prince Aigbogun owned substantial land and livestock. As his children began to go to school he sold some of his land to pay their school fees. Barrister Ehizogie - Higher Education.
Prince Aigbogun practised herbal healing specialising as a Traditional Doctor. Patients came to him for help from across Igueben for different ailments. He taught his sons about different herbs. Years later in 2009 Uwague his last son practised as a Traditional Doctor with a government patent to run his own chemist in Lagos.
As a blacksmith, Prince Aigbogun produced Dane guns as war weapon for local communities in Esanland. He was an itinerant blacksmith who had a mobile workshop which included the Blacksmith Bellows. He carried these around to neighbouring villages to produce Dane guns and cutlasseses for local hunters. He also produced farming tools for land ploughing for example hoes, axe, and shovels.
For his work in neighbouring villages, the roads were only tracks at the time, so Aigbogun had to travel to his customers on his bicycle. There he set up temporary workshop camps for the duration of his stay. On each journey he travelled with 2 of his sons who worked with him as his assistants. They helped build the workshop and the fire forge taking it in turns to operate the Okwe (the bellows) and run errands.
Bronze Casting
Aigbogun had birth entitlement from both his parents to operate as a Royal Benin Bronze Caster. Therefore, Kings across Esanland commissioned him to smith Ebens and Adas for their Royal Palaces. He was included in a poem What Black Champions do With Their Gifts. The current Ada and Eben in use in Igueben Royal Palace today were smithed by him in the 1900s.
Around 1950 Aigbogun's cousin Akenzua II (1933 -1978) who had ascended the throne from his father Oba Eweka II in 1933, commissioned him to repair some damaged and intricate Ebens from the Benin Royal Palace. On completion of this work, Oba Akenzua 11 awarded him a franchise to practice Eben smithing outside of Igun Street Benin City. With this franchise came the title Odumeben N'Oba N’Edo [Palace of Benin Kingdom Royal Blacksmith]. .
Kingdom Administration
In 1930 when his father died, Aigbogun was installed as the Osangue 111 of Igueben Kingdom. As a palace chief[7], he with other palace chiefs were the traditional rulers - the Odionweres and administrators of Nigeria National Government and the Southern Nigeria Area policies at local level. They handled matters on behalf of the national and southern area governments. This was known as Indirect Rule established by the British during the Colonial Nigeria Indirect Rule Era.
As Chief Osangue of Igueben and Edionwere he settled matters and disputes at his local community and district level. At the palace, he represented the interests of his local community of Iduwum'omon. He co-judged with other Palace Chiefs at state level on matters affecting Igueben Kingdom.
Illness and Death
When Prince Aigbogun was around the age of 58 years he developed a bad cough. Despite treating others, he was unable to find a solution or cure for his own cough. The cough was worse at night. This cough lasted over two years until a traditional medicine healer from another village came to treat him at home. The treatment was effective to cure him completely of the cough.
About a year later, Aigbogun was out riding when he fell off his bicycle and broke his waist spine. Due to lack of appropriate medical attention, he never recovered from this fall which led to other medical complications. He died at his home in Idunwum’Omon Igueben in 1964.
In accordance with Igueben and Edo traditional burial rites of a Royal Prince, a Chief and a Community Elder (Edion) his burial rites lasted 7 days.[8]
Titles
Titles
1900s – 1964 : Prince Aigbogun
1925 – 1964: Traditional Doctor
1930 – 1964: Osangue of Igueben
1935 – 1964 : Odumeben N'Oba N’Edo [The King’s Royal Palace of Benin Blacksmith]
1950 – 1964 - Okan-eben Osangue of Benin Kingdom [Chief Royal Blacksmith of Benin Kingdom]
References
- ↑ Nimmons, Fidelia (2021). Passage of An Edo Princess. UK: Amazon. p. 155. ISBN 979-8744158682.
- ↑ Nimmons 2021, p. 6
- ↑ Nimmons, Fidelia (2013). Inside a Rainforest Royal Court: Growing up in Benin: Volume 2 (Kingdom of Benin history). UK: Amazon. pp. 16–17. ISBN 978-1492249207.
- ↑ Nimmons, Fidelia (2015). Revised Primary History Kingdom of Benin. UK: Amazon. pp. 78–79. ISBN 978-1516972524.
- ↑ Nimmons 2013, pp. 16 -17
- ↑ Nimmons 2015, pp. 78 -79
- ↑ Nimmons 2015, pp. 16 17
- ↑ Nimmons 2015, pp. 27 -35
External links
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