In 1230AD when Issele-uku was created by Oba Eweka 1 of Benin as a new Benin outpost,its original name was
Edo’No’Ri’IsI-Ile-Uku which translates to “Edo People in a far away Big land”
The big land in that statement validates the vast nature of the great Isseleuku kingdom which shared boundaries with the Agbor people of delta state today. (This is evident in our igbu-Agbor Annual ritual ceremony during the ine festival).
A lot about the ancient name of Isseleuku has been kept without much publicity,but the first picture shows our ancestral bronze mask given to Obi Oligbo by Oba Esigie and the name Edo’No’ri’isi-ile-uku’ written round it on the walls of one of the palace courts in Isseleuku royal palace.
Although that particular structure gave way for the new palace hall,the hall itself also shown in the picture gallery has the same term and royal mask intertwined.
Now the million dollar question is;if Isseleuku was not originally a Benin distant town,how did it get such a name?
If we met people on ground,what was the name of their town?
Who was their leader?
Where are the relics of the leaders then?(palace or paraphernalia)?
Where are their offsprings?
The fact that these questions have no answers but if throw them the other way round at us mainting the original Benin history,we would be able to answer,shows who is on the truth vs whose back is turned on it.
Peoplesmind