The full speech of the OBA
I therefore stand before you as the 40th Oba of Benin, a direct descendant of Oranmiyan, the son of Oduduwa, whom the Benin people of that era knew as Ekaladeran, their self-exiled prince who later became ruler in Ile-Ife. The Benin people recognise Oduduwa and his origin but it is not our place to force this recognition on others outside our boundaries.
The presence of the Benin oval sword of state (Eben) in Eko, Owo, Ikere, Akure, and the North-Eastern Yoruba region reflects the extensive political reach of the Benin Empire across these territories. Similarly, kingdoms west of the Niger also adopted the Benin oval sword, underscoring the empire’s far-reaching cultural and administrative influence. As an emblem of sovereign authority, the sword served as a principal instrument of political legitimacy within the pre-colonial Benin Empire. The Ada, however, was exclusive to the Oba of Benin and select high-ranking chiefs.
An Abèrèn🎖️
A ceremonial Yoruba Sword of State,Used by and Conferred on Chieftains and Dignitaries by the King.
The second frame is a Statue of Efunroye Tinubu-an Egba Chieftain in Abeokuta wielding one. The Sword is usually paired with an Ada(another ceremonial sword)
@nzemmili The edited Wikipedia page that some ethnic supremacists are using to rewrite the Ada vbe Eben narrative was debunked on Reddit, but the bastardized Ada and Abere Wikipedia page is still up. Benins are casual with their history https://t.co/ozMKtRWlam
African hilt weapons were not just tools of war — they were symbols of power, rank, craftsmanship, and spiritual meaning.
From Benin’s ada and opia swords to Hausa, Tuareg, Maasai, and Central African blades, these weapons show how African societies developed highly distinctive military and ceremonial traditions.
The persistent appropriation of Edo culture, built on distortion and historical misrepresentation, remains a serious issue, and even members of our elite are complicit in it. Kemi herself was publicly criticized by a white conservative for attempting to claim Edo heritage.
It seems that some of us are beginning to suffer from an identity crisis. May God help us.
Fun fact: both are of Yoruba origin. What we know as Edo bridal attire today is classic Ife empire women attire. It is now Edo bridal attire cos Ife influenced Benin heavily and till today, Benin runs on Ife civilization.
I have finished generating all the necessary images for my short film about Ewuare the Great and Olokun, the god of the sea. Here are some official preview images for the short film. I’ll be sharing the short film on May 15.I’ll be using Seedance 2.0 and Kling 3.0.