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CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION TO NIGER DELTA
The Niger Delta occupies the area enclosed by longitude 50E60 45¢
East of the Greenwich Meridian and latitude 4040¢ and 6010¢ suitable for
the riverine people of the province which the Ijaw, the Itsekiri and
the Aboh inhabiting what can be roughly described as the western Delta
of the Niger. Other people of the province are the Isoko, the Ukwuani
and the Urhobo.1 Although by compression with the Ijaw, Itsekiri and
Aboh this latter group of peoples can be described as up country peoples
the Niger Delta swamps to a large part of the Aboh and Isoko countries
as well as to some parts of the Urhobo country. This area is Triangular
with its Apek between Ndoni and Aboh, descending eastwards to the Qua
Iboe River, at Eket and westwards to the Benin River with the base along
the Atlantic coast between and bights of Benin, and Biafra. This
geographical definition seems to agree with the view of some other
writers who have explained that “East of the Benin Rives lies the delta
of the Nigeria land of myriad channels, Greeks and mangrove swamp”. At
the seaward faing the delta form a sand ridge high enough for villages
of fisherman a salt gatherers. In the upper delta, inland beyond the
salt water and mangrove swamps is a region of fresh water swamp with
some highland suitable for agriculture. As historical evidence alters to
conditions in the delta its self encourage trade between the seaward
settlement and the agricultural area of the upper delta and it’s
hinterland. By 1500 AD, one of the villages at the lower fringe of the
delta was exported to have a population of 2000 people and an active
commence through the system of Greeks and lagoons. Similar conditions
existed further east, where the estuary of the Cross River again,
provided an opportunity to exploit maritime resources and trade these
products with the peoples of the hinterland. By 1500. AD, one of the
villages at the lower fringe of the delta was reported to have a
population of 7000 people and an active commerce through the system of
Greeks and lagoons similar conditions existed further east, where the
estuary of the Cross River again provided an opportunity to exploit
maritime resources and trade these products with the people of the
hinterland. In a study of the pre-colonial history of the area, E.J
Alagon classifies a specific area of the region as the core, the western
and eastern Niger Delta, the geographical basis of the classification
is the grouping of the pre-colonial states that lie within the delta of
the River Niger. This definition seem acceptable to those who make a
distinction between the core the peripheral Niger Delta in the
composition of states in present day, Nigeria, they argue that the core
Niger Delta states are Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and some part of Akwa Ibom
and Imo States and this excludes Edo and Cross River States. On the
other land, some others contend that all the core and peripheral states
belong to the Niger Delta in geopolitical teams as the South-South Zone
of Nigeria comprising six of Nigeria’s thirty-six states, namely,
Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross – River, Delta Edo and Rivers. The region fit
into the major injustice groups, described instance of their Ijaw,
Yoruba,Edo, Igbo and Cross River origin. The Niger Delta province can be
divided into zones namely the lower Delta which is the home of the
Ijaw, the Itsekiri and the Aboh and the upper Delta inhabited by the
Isoko, Urhobo and Ukwuani. The distinguishing features of the former is
the dense mangrove vegetation through which meanders a network of
Greeks. The latter zone falls within the evergreen forest belt dominated
by the oil palm tree. This division of the province into two natural
vegetation types has been an important factor in determining the
relations between the people of the province, in so far as their
occupational pursuits have been determined by their varying natural
habitants. Thus the “lower delta dwellers were and continue to be
fisherman makers of bit and earthenware, Canoe and where the situation
permitted, middlemen traders the dwellers in the hinterland naturally
took to agriculture and the exploitation of the oil palm tree through
some engaged in fishing the exchange of the product of their various
occupations they constituted an early determinant of inter-group
relations. The water people had fish, crayfish and salt to offer the
land people while the latter offered in return yam, plantains, pepper
and the various product of the cassava plant. As from the 16th century
slaves from up country also became an important commodity in the
commercial transaction between the two groups. The people of the Niger
Delta particularly the western Niger Delta have close historical ties.
The link between the various kingdoms of the Niger Delta is strongly
supported by their stories at origin and evolutions with evidence of
conquest or political domination at a point in time in their history.
The kingdom of Itsekiri for example was established by Iguinuwa, the son
and heir apparent of Oba Ohia of Benin in 1473. The kingdom is made up
of the Itsekiri, Ijaw and a number of other ethnic groups with
settlement scattered along the forcados, Escarvous and the Benin Rivers.
The traditional of origin holds that Iginuwa gave an advice which
eventually proved disastrous to his father making the former very
unpopular to the extent that the people vowed never to have him succeed
his father. On realizing this, in order to avoid problems in the
kingdom, the Oba decided to arrange a kingdom outside Benin for Iginuwa
the then sent him with chiefs and servants to an area by the sea to
establish a kingdom of his own. On arrival at the spot, he met with some
Ijaw who took him and his followers by canoe to an Island where they
founded that came to be known as Itsekiri kingdom. The palace of the Olu
of Itsekiri and the title system were modelled after that of the Benin
kingdom and the Olu like the Oba combined in himself with spiritual and
secular powers and he is seen as semi-divine. Some Urhobo groups like
Ughelli, Oghara and Ogro trace their origin to the Ijaw groups, Uwherun,
Abraka, Oogun, Ohomu and some other claimed to have been founded by
Benin immigrants. The Izon city states of Brass, Kalabari, okirika,
Opobo and Brass member developed as a result of the trade with the
European where they occupied a special position of middlemen. They did
not develop any centralised system of administration like the Binis but
spread across the riverine area. Also not a single group of the Isoko
can claim to have developed on it’s own as traditions encapsulate a
great deal of relations in ancient times between the various Isoko
group. It is this fact of close relationship that help to defined the
boundary of the Isoko speaking areas as distinct from the non-Isoko
groups in the area under study. There are traditions that speak of
settlements founded by brother throughout the Niger Delta including the
Benin kingdom. These in the words of Obaro Ikemi may be speaking of
negotiated brotherhood in the inter-groups politics of the period
instead of blood brothers. In other words, each settlement may have
struck out on it’s own and eventually, contacts were made with other
settlement. Conflicts and even war may have ensured. Then negotiation
took place and peace was agreed. In order to prevent future wars a
brotherhood pact was established. The formally compositing groups agreed
to become “brothers” meaning that they enter into blood covenant not to
fight themselves any more so traditions developed which speak about
brothers who founded various settlement or a particular clan or village
groups. In conclusion “Niger Delta people had a unbroken relationship
with most people in the immediate hinterland for very many centuries”.
However, apart from the Binis they related to these other peoples as
independent units. The relationship was invigorated as from the 15th
century with the in ordinance of slave trade of much latter the palm oil
trade.
s
ENDNOTES 1. Jacob Safed et al, The New Encyclopaedia Britannica,
15th ed. Voil. 16 (New York: Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc. 2002). P.
5764. 2. Obaro Ikime “The people and kingdoms of the Delta
Provinces” in Obaro Ikime (ed.) Ground work of Nigerian History,
Ibadan: Heinemann, Educational Books, 1980, p. 89. 3.
Ibid.4. E.J Alogua “The Niger Delta States and their Neighbours to
1800” in J.F.A. Ajayi and Michael Crower (eds.), History of West Africa, Vol. 1, London: Longman, 1976, P. 331. 5. Ibid. 6. Ikime “The people and kingdoms of the Delta Provinces” P.
89.7. Reuben Udo, “Environments and People of Nigeria: A
Geographical Introduction to the History of Nigeria” in Ikemi (eds.). Groundwork of Nigeria History, P. 11. 8. Alogua “The Niger Delta States and their Neighbours to 1800”. P. 331.
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