Oyo (Yoruba) : The Ancestor Of Tapa (Nupe) Kingdom

 Oyo (Yoruba) : The  Ancestor Of Tapa (Nupe) Kingdom

If a town is conquered, the possibility of reclaiming back is very high, but if your history have been conquered, you become a slave to your conqueror and you will also become an alternative historian.

Yoruba history can never be distort because Yoruba have Aroba and Yoruba history is encoded in Ifa and it was pass from generation to generation. Ifa is not a religion but is encoded with moral cultures, Ifa isn't a history but is encoded with histories, Ifa isn't a medicine but is encoded with medicines,  Ifa isn't a science but is encoded with sciences, Ifa isn't a philosophy but is encoded with philosophies and so on. 

The Oyo Kingdom is standard and popular among historians as one of the greatest kingdoms, and in fact empire of ancient Nigeria. The Oyo Kingdom at the zenith of its influence on the whole of the current south-west Nigeria and moreover  parts of the current Benin Republic and even Togo.

The Oyo kingdom never started as a Nupe kingdom, this disputed claimes by Dr Abdullah Ndagi,  rather Nupe kingdom is one of the kingdom formed  by Oyo people. And remained as such a very long time into its history. In fact there are enough evidence to even substantiate the claim that the Nupe kingdom remained a Oyo kingdom from the beginning to the end of its history.

  Who Are The  Oyo People?

Oyonu or Oyo (Pardoner)  people are one of the great ancient empire in West Africa, which its origin was traced to  Ootu-Ife or Ile-Ife (source of expansionary or land of expansionary), craddle of the yorubas who occupied the western region of Nigeria. And was founded by Oranmiyan ( "The child has chosen to be controversial or a child with controversial nature), the last prince of the Yoruba Kingdom of Ootu Ife or lle-lfe. The Oyo People originally known as Ootu Ife or Ile Ife or Ni Ife (Nyife), Oyo and finally refer as Yoruba people. 

Why Oyo People Are The Ancestors Of Tapa Or Nupe People?

The group of people who also migrated from Egypt/Sudan, passes through present Borno state and settle down around Northern region of River Niger/ River Benue  with the Oya kingdom were refer as Oko or ko people, because of their farming skills by the Ootu Ife People ( Ootu Ife= Root or Origin or Source of expansionary), who already made settlements from Western regions of Kogi State, most especially from Southern bank/ Western bank of River Niger, Lokoja and jebba in present Kwara State to most part of present Niger State, though Oranmiyan the last prince of Ootu Ife didn't stay long in these settlements, but leaves some of his people in these regions. Before Oranmiyan left these regions, to rule over his brothers of the present Edo people, he married the princess of the Oko or Ko people known as Torosi. The princess had many prince and princess for him. Though the grandson of Oranmiyan  also married Ebule a leader from the settlement at the easthern bank of River Niger, many years  after Oranmiyan passed away. Ebule born a prince and princess for Edaranyan. Some of Oranmiyan children and followers that stay in Oya kingdom with their new immigrant relatives  were known  as Ootu Ife or Nyife(from Ife). while others that stay across River Niger, for many years were later known as Bini.The children of Oranmiyan and their followers in Oko land, their motherland, were known as Ootu Ife or Nyife people (from Ife). The Oranmiyan children and their followers, who lives in their motherland  differentiate the Oko or Ko people by their nature, they called those that didn't like putting loads on their heads but at their back or shoulder as Gbarimu or Agbari now present Gbari people, while those that specializes in groundnuts farming as Ta Epa or Tapa or Apa (sell groundnuts). [3] [4] [5] [15] [16] [17] [20] The Ootu Ife or Nyife or Oyo people introduce orisha Oko or Osako (god or deity of Agriculture) to Ko people, which the Ko people strongly believe on and worship, this is the reason why the present Gbari and Nupe people called God Shoko/Shekwo or Soko, derivation from Oshaoko or Sako. [22]

After the Agbarimu or Agbari (those that hold their heads) of the Oko people migrated out of Ko land and found another settlements at the upper north central and north west of present Nigeria, some of Oranmiyan children and followers (Bini) at the southern part of river Niger crossed river Niger and joined theirs Nyife blood Brothers. This is why Gbari are found in present Niger State, Kogi State, Kaduna State, Abuja and Nassarawa State, till today. [8] [9] [10] The minority Tapa or Apa people that remain in Ko land intermarried with almost all the Ootu Ife or Nyife or Bini or Oyo prince, princess and their followers and form a tribe called Nyifeko (Nyife + Ko people) known as Nupeko or Nupe today. [3] [12] [13] [14] [18] Some of Ootu Ife or Nyife or Bini prince and their followers migrated out of Nyifeko to have settlements in North East and North West, this settlements includes Kaduna, Zaria, Kebbi, Kastina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kano, Jos, Bauch, Borno, Niger, Chad, Cameron and so on.

One of Ootu Ife or Nyife or Bini or Oyo prince became the king of Nyifeko people with the Tittle Ootu Nyifeko ( Ootu= Root or Origin or Source) now corrupted to Etsu Nyife or Nupe. Many civilization were introduce into Nyifeko tribe by Ife People, this civilizations includes bead works, Blacksmith, art, Clothes Tribal marks, Medicine, Culture and so on, [1][2] [12] [18] [22] which most of these civilizations are not found in the culture of the present Gbari people, formally known as Oko or Ko people, because they left Oko land as Nyife or Oyo princes and their followers develop the land.

Why did Tapa or Nupe Called Yorubas Eyagi ?

"Dr Abdullah Ndagi claim that the name Oyo is a Latinization of the  ancient Nupe name for the River Niger, namely, Eya. As late as the second half of the nineteenth century people were still referring to Oyo as Eyeo or Eyao both of which are merely slight corruptions of the original Nupe Eya. To this very day the Nupe people refer to the River Niger as Eya and its from that the modern Nupe name for a canoe, for instance, is derived as Eya to tis very day. Dr Abdullah Ndagi agree that Oyo was originally located on the banks of the River Niger, who were to later on become known as the Yoruba, were referred to as the Biniya or Bini Eya or the Bini of the River Niger. The Biniya were also known as the Eyagi or the ‘River Niger Ones’ because they lived on the banks of the River Niger right here in Central KinNupe." [23]

Who Were The Bini And Oya or Eyagi or Yaji ?

Oyonu or Oyo (Pardoner) is not a Latinization of any names, this dispute claimes by Dr Abdullahi Ndagi, in fact is a Yoruba word for Pardoner and Oyo is named after Oyo Town.  Oyos were never known as Eyeo or Eyao both of were not merely slight corruptions of the original Nupe Eya as claimed by Dr Abdullahi Ndagi. To this very day the Nupe people refer to the River Niger as Eya.

The Bini People

The Bini people were the  decendant and followers  of prince Oranmiyan of Ife, whom Oranmiyan left on the  southern part of river Niger before  he went to conquered  Igodomigodo following the order of Obalufon Ogbogbodirin. Though  the war ordered  by Obalufon Ogbogboduri was a  dead trap  for  Oranmiyan  because  the  Ogie-iso of  Igodomigodo  were some decendant of Obatala and a relative of  Obalufon Ogbogbodirin. The Bini who formed the largest Nupe sub tribes today  and they were infact the  people solely,  but wrongly referred to as Nupe people today.  They were the most numerous section of the Nupe, who occupied the strip between Rivers Kaduna and Gbako, while others lied at the Western bank of River Niger in present-day Niger and Kwara States respectively. In the past, the Bini were concentrated mainly in and around Bida, Doko, Kutigi, Lemu, [31] Mokwa and Gaba, among others – the areas that are regarded as the core of Nupeland. There were other areas at the western Bank of River Niger where the Bini are believed to have settled in the past. They included Kpada, Tada, Patigi,  Belle, Giragi and Gbere among the Chekpan and Ebangi sub – groups in present day Kwara State. It is however probable that some of the Bini settlements have gone into extinction. Generally speaking, the Bini were noted for their skill in the  medicine and other magical powers.[32]  

As the origin of the Bini confederacy is hidden in the dim past of the Nupe of which we do not have records, [30]

The Oya People 

Ōya or Odo Ōya  means tore or River Niger in Yoruba language and Both Bini and Oya were Yoruba people of Ife. The Nupes known Yorubas as Eyagi, the Gbaris known Yorubas as Yaji, infact their is an area or town were  some ancestors of Yoruba settled in Kano State many centuries ago and it was named  Ayagi.[28][29] The Ōyo or Yoruba originally, were the first settlers in all regions of River Niger,  because of their migrant nature made them to influence most cultures in West Africa and above.

Ōyaji or Ōyagi or Eyagi by Tapa (Nupe) means Yoruba people, the Ancestors of Tapa (Nupe people). Ōyaji or Ōyagi  who were the first to had settlements in all the regions of River Niger . Their is no Vowel  sound Ō in Nupe language that is why Ō was replaced with E , and Ji or Gi means Root or Source which were also used to describe Ancestor in ancient Oko or Ko or Tapa or Apa (Nupe people) e.g Ndako is half description, but Ndakogi or Ndakoji. Ji or Gi were used to describe the Ootu Ife or Ile Ife or Nyife or Oyo or Yoruba people. 

Ọya ( Yorùbá : Ọya , also known as Oyá or Oiá ; Yàńsàn-án or Yansã ; and Iansá or Iansã in Latin America ) is an Orisha of winds, lightning, and violent storms. [25] As a river deity she is also regarded as a deity of children, able to provide children to her devotees or those who come to her banks at the Niger river . A group of race who were known as Oya were decendants of the  Oranfes, Obatalas and largely the Obaluayes of Ife Ooyelagbo and their movement to  this regions and parts of world were since the eras of Ife Oodaye.  These Oya race were the  aboriginal owners of the place called  Nupe kingdom today and Owus, Imakas- Offa and others Yoruba race of Oya kingdom formed the Nupe people. Most the Oya or Biniya(Yoruboid = Bini + Oya = Biniya = ( Oranmiyan Ife + (Owus+ Oranfes+ Obatalas+ Obaluayes) moved backwards home from Oya kingdom  to their present locations. 

The  present Ile-Ife is the Third Ile-Ife according to history and the sayings of Ifa. The first ILE-IFE was named IFE OODAYE (Ife, the Genesis of Creation) and the date of this origination process is unknown to man. The second IFE was named IFE OOYELAGBO (IFE That Survived) and is dated about the 4th Century BC, around the same time as the Christian version of the earth’s destruction by water. The third IFE is the present one called ILE-IFE. And these three Ifes were of three different dynasty. 

Ọya of Yoruba third dynasty lived on Earth as a human from the town of Ira, in present day Kwara state , Nigeria , where she was wife of the Alaafin of Oyo Shango. In Yorùbá , the name Ọya is believed to derive from the phrase coined from "ọ ya" which means "she tore," referring to her association with powerful winds. She is often depicted as a buffalo in traditional poetry, and was believed to have the power to shape- shift into a buffalo. The African buffalo serves as a major symbol of Ọya, and it is forbidden for her priests to kill a buffalo. [26] She is known as Ọya Ìyáńsàn-án, the "mother of nine", because of nine children she gave birth to with her third husband Oko, after suffering from a lifetime of barrenness . She is the patron of the Niger River (known to the Yorùbá as the Odò-Ọya). [27] In the Yoruba religion , Ọya was married three times, first to the warrior orisha or Osa Ogun , then Shango, and finally, another hunting and farming deity, Oko. Oya, Yemaja, Ogun, Oko, Esu, Ojo, Obaluaye, Obatala, Oduduwa and others were not a new names or identities to Yoruba race because these names keep on repeating as a tradition and spiritual essentials throughout the Yoruba dynasties and histories. 

Oya was traditionally worshipped in all Ife-Yorub sub-kingdoms and the areas of Yorubaland once under the control and influence Oyo empire . Because of the Atlantic slave trade , many of her followers were kidnapped and sold to the new world, where her worship became widespread. Oya worship has also spread to other parts of Yorubaland.

 In fact all the  town Oko or Tapa or Epa  or Apa or Ni Ifeko (Nyifeko) or Nupe land were all founded by the Yoruba these includes : Mokwa Eregi, Enagi, Lafiagi, Patigi, Sakpe, Bara, Raba, Kuntigi, Bini, Edogi Gbadegi, Tsaragi and so on, were all founded by the descendant of Nyife or Yoruba Princes and their followers after dispersal from Oko or  Ko  or Nyifeko land. Tsaragi of the Nyifeko and the Shaare of the Eyagi or Eyaji (Ootu Ife or Nyife or Oyo or Yoruba people) in present Kwara State were blood brothers. Osa Ara or Sara (Tsaragi) crossed River Niger to pay homage to his elder brother Osa Aare or Saare (Shaare) who already had his own settlements in the present location of Shaare people of Kwara State. Osa-ara or Tsaragi (Deity of the body), enjoy staying with his brother, this made Osa-are or Shaare (Deity of the Prince) who is an Hunter grant Osa-ara or Tsaragi farmland for cultivation. [12] The present Bini (vexation) people in Oko or Tapa or Epa or Apa or Nupe land were some of Ootu Ife or Yoruba Oranmiyan followers who decided to leave Ibinu (vexation) or Bini or  Benin kingdom to join their brothers in Oko or Ko land known as Nupe land today. The Oko people, now Nyifeko or Nupe people never reach to Benin kingdom(Auchi), not till 19 century during jihad movement, only Ootu Ife or Nyife or Yoruba people live and breeds with Edo kingdom. [11] [21] [24] [26]

The great grand Children of Ootu Ife or Nyife who migrated out of then Ko or Nyifeko land to various regions of present Nigeria and other parts of Africa, traced back their brothers to present Kano State, Kastina State, Nassarawa State, Niger State and so on. Of which the immigrant were Muslims and traders. [19]

Over 300 years after, when Sanko or Shango ( strikes with thunder stones) was called from his Motherland, Nyifeko to become the Alafin Oyo, Soede or Tsoede alias Edegi was born by a Nyifeko princess to Attah of Igala, though Attah Igala and Igala race are descendants of grandson of Oranmiyan and the princess father was one of Ootu Ife or Oyo or Yoruba prince and her mother was a Tapa or Nyifeko princess. This made Soede or Tsoede to be prince of Nyifeko people, Igala people and Ootu Ife or Yoruba people. [12] [18] Soede or Tsoede derived his name from Ife People or Biniya or Yoruba people of Oyo, because he doesn't fully understand Ife or Yoruba language, whenever he travels to Oyo, his difficulty to speak language well, made the people to reply him by saying So Ede (speak language) and he adapted the name. After Soede or Tsoede was rejected by Igala people to become Attah of Igala, he was also rejected to become Alafin Oyo because he doesn't speak Yoruba language clearly and because of his highly despiration for leadership. Soede or Tsoede later settle down in Nyifeko land with the intension to attack his Oyo families because he was rejected. [6] [7] A little misunderstanding occur between Oyo people and Soede or Tsoede followers of Nyifeko land, unexpectedly Soede or Tsoede waged war on Oyo people, because of his familiarities and relationship with Oyo people, the war end up in his favour, though Oyo people later conquer the Nyifeko people and enslave them. 

         The victory of Fulanis in Nyifeko or Nupe kingdom, were successful, because the ancestors of the Nyifeko people were angry with them, because of the war Soede or Tsoede waged on Oyo people. Similar also happen to Ilorin people, though the massages of Islam brought by the Fulanis were real. 

1.^ Nadel, S. F. (2018-09-03). Nupe Religion. doi: 10.4324/9780429487446 .

ISBN 9780429487446 .

2.^ Nadel, S. F. (Siegfried Frederick), 1903-1956, author. (22 August 2018). Nupe religion . ISBN 978-1-138-59670-2 . OCLC 1061313933 .

3. ^ a b c Blench, Roger. 2013. The Nupoid languages of west-central Nigeria: overview and comparative word list .

4. ^ Nadel, S. F. (2018), "The Nupe Creed", Nupe Religion, Routledge, pp. 1–37, doi: 10.4324/9780429487446-1 , ISBN 978-0-429-48744-6

5. ^ Yahaya, Mohammed Kuta (2003). "The Nupe People of Nigeria". Studies of Tribes and Tribals . 1 (2): 95–110. doi: 10.1080/0972639x.2003.11886489 . ISSN 0972-639X .

6. ^ Mason, Michael (1975). "The Tsoede Myth and the Nupe Kinglists: More Political Propaganda?". History in Africa . 2 : 101–112. doi: 10.2307/3171467 . ISSN 0361-5413 . JSTOR 3171467 .

7. ^ Lawal, Babatunde, 1942-. Tsoede, Sango, and the Nupe bronzes. OCLC 57969198 .

8. ^ Smith, B. J. (1981). "SLOPE EVOLUTION IN THE GWARI HILLS, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA" . Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography. 2 (1): 57–67. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9493.1981.tb00119.x . ISSN 0129-7619 .

9. ^ Chigudu Tanko Theophilus (2008), A brief History of the Gbagyi Speaking People, an unpublished Article

10. ^ Mefor, Law (16 December 2008). "Is FCT truly a federal zone?" . Daily Independent . Nigeria: Independent Newspapers Limited (Lagos), via odili.net. Retrieved 2009-12-20. 

11. ^ "Oba Ewuare II Coronation Speech 2016" . Retrieved 2017-07-09.

12. ^ Forde, Cyril Daryll. (1955). The Nupe . OCLC 35809832 .

13. I. S. Jimada, op.cit, p.6.

14. Ibid, pp. 6 and 7.

15 S. Mohammed, “Gbagyi and their South-West Neighbors to 1898,” in A. A. Idrees and Y.A. Ochefu.

16. Sule M., “Gbagyi and their South-West Neighbours to 1898”, in, Idrees, A. A. and Ochefu, Y. A. (eds.), Studies in the History of Central Nigeria Area, Vol.1, Lagos: CSS Ltd, 2002, pp. 513 – 532.

17. Sule, op.cit, p.515.

18. Jimada, The Nupe and the Origins…, pp.7 –9

19. Nadel, S. F., “Social Symbiosis and Tribal Organization”, in, MAN, vol.38, (85), 1938, pp.85-90.

20.  Ibid, p.515.

21. I. S. Jimada “The Foundation of Nupe, Benin and Ife Relations”, in, T. Wuam and M. L. Salahu, (eds.), Aspects of Niger State History: Essays in Honour of Professor Ibrahim Adamu Kolo, Lapai: Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Press, 2013, pp. 37-49.

22. Nadel, Nupe Religion…, p.208.

23. Oyo Is Nupe – by Ndagi Abdullahi | Nupe the Origin by Otedo News Update Dec 7, 2016

 24. The Sun, Wednesday, 17 September 2008

25. ^ Adeoye, C. L. (1989). Ìgbàgbọ́ àti ẹ̀sìn Yorùba (in Yoruba).

Ibadan: Evans Bros. Nigeria Publishers. p. 303.

ISBN 9781675098 .

26. ^ Machacek, David W.; Melissa M. Wilcox, eds. (2003).

Sexuality and the World's Religions . ABC-CLIO .

ISBN 9781576073599 . Retrieved 24 September 2012.

27. ^ A Bahia de Santa Bárbara Archived 22 November 2005

at the Wayback Machine

28. Page no. 55., R.M. Blanch Draft Nupe Dictionary: Main Text.

29. Page no. 53., A Dictionary of The Gbari Language by Roger Blench and Musa Doma.

30. Nadel, Black Byz…, P. 25.

31. H. Abubakar, The Evolution of Etsu Nupe Dynasty, Kano: Tofa Commercial Press Ltd., 2008, p.20.

32. O.Temple, op. cit, p.332.