All groups are entitled to their own narrative. The Yoruba narrative is that the first Ife was the point where land rose above the waters and started to Fe or expand, established by Obatala, some say he was the first to speak (Iba o!) From whom humanity spread over all the Earth. For some reasons, Obatala is seen as Oba of Iranje, a place where no town is named after in Yoruba land, this is remarkable because even Ogotun the city of Olodumare has doubles in Ekiti and Edo.

We have had thousands if not hundreds of thousands of years of history. Our ancestors started off as star trekkers, so our history is not based on Oduduwa who came probably in the 7th century and was made King in Ife, any human being can be made King if the oracle so directs. 90 kings had ruled in Ile Ife before he arrived, obviously at the beginning of the 10059th year calendar of the present Yoruba. I will not accept he was an Edo man because he told Ife people he was a Meccan, a descendant of Nimrod, another man that may describe himself as a descendant of Nimrod was a man like Nebuchadnezar in the Bible, it was common practice for Pre Mohammed and pre Christian middle east monarchs to claim descent from Nimrod or Osiris. The man was made King in Ife and all kingdoms who saw Ife as their origin received princes from Ife, some people did not agree and they withdrew to the hills, I believe my ancestors did not agree and they withdrew to a new Ijero named after the ancient empire but any duly recognised Ife remains the Ife even if there are disgruntled elements. We are now Ijesha.

The Benin agreed and received a new prince who left in anger and his infant son was made Oba in Benin with the title Omo ni Oba ni Edo, the child is the King in Benin. Benin was named so by Ife people, old name was Igodomigodo. Oranmiyan the Prince went back to Ife to raise an army to invade Mecca, he was prevailed upon by elders to let bygones be bygones but he refused, he amassed a huge army and set out for Mecca but stopped at the River Niger because the Ibariba were massed against him, he was reinforced by his elder brother Orangun, then by the Nupe who married off a daughter of the Etsu to him to seal an alliance against the Bariba, they settled there and built a city since returning empty handed to Ife may have been shameful. Thus Oyo was founded which later became the dominant empire in West Africa up till the 18th century before the bulk of the people relocated down south to regroup and confront the Jihadists that dislodged them. This is why I don't believe the Benin account of the origin of Oduduwa as a Benin prince named Ekalerdehan. The Yoruba have not said Oduduwa was a Yoruba man, No, he was not. It is the Edo saying he was an Edo prince, but we do not accept this because Yoruba history, passed down verbatim for over a thousand years totally negates it. Nimrod was not an Edo man, neither is Benin in the direction of the upper Niger from Ife. To us, Oduduwa was a Meccan.

The Benin are entitled to their narrative though but they should never forget that early Benin Kings were Eastern Yoruba people who spoke only Yoruba in their courts and to their children and no one ever dared address a Benin royalty in Edo language, whether the Obi Onitsha, Oba of Ogba land, Obi Ussele Ukwu or the Oba of Benin himself. The most popular Oba of Benin was an Ogun incarnate, Ogun Ewuare but Benin or Edo history predates by far the Benin empire just like the history of all groups in Nigeria.

Any group that has had organisation from the beginning of time or for a very long time should have oral history which is more valid than written history that contradicts each other. All should cherish and preserve theirs. The Benin account may not be acceptable to Yoruba or the Yoruba account to the Benin but people should preserve what was passed down to them by their ancestors.

Hmm..very educating

Wrong