The Aboh Kingdom: Founded by Eze Chima from Aguleri, Not Bini

The Aboh Kingdom: Founded by Eze Chima from Aguleri, Not Bini

The Aboh Kingdom: Founded by Eze Chima from Aguleri, Not Bini

When truth confronts myth, history bows, Aboh’s origin is Igbo, not Bini.

For too long, some so-called historians mostly of Bini and Yoruba have tried to rewrite Igbo history, falsely claiming that Aboh Kingdom in present-day Delta State was a creation of the Bini Kingdom. The truth, preserved in oral tradition and historical evidence, tells a very different story: Aboh was founded by Eze Chima, a prince of Aguleri.

The very name Eze Chima is a marker of Igbo identity. It is linguistically and culturally Igbo, and never Bini. Any attempt to claim otherwise ignores the facts of language, royal lineage, and cultural heritage, and that is theft in a broad daylight.

Eze Chima, seeking fertile lands and the opportunity to establish his own kingdom, led a determined migration from Aguleri southwards into the Niger Delta. With loyal followers, hunters, and settlers, he navigated forests, rivers, and scattered communities until reaching the area that would become Aboh. There, he united the settlements, establishing a kingdom with governance, traditions, and culture rooted in Aguleri Igbo heritage.

The Bini origin story is a myth and nothing more. There is no oral tradition, no historical record, and no cultural evidence connecting Aboh’s foundation to Benin. Festivals, governance structures, language, and social customs in Aboh are all Igbo. The Bini story is an audacious attempt to steal the achievements of Eze Chima and the Aguleri people, just the same way they cut out a large part of the Igbo region in the South East and nearly threw it into the River Niger in the South, and called it South-South just to make sure it is no longer seen as part of the East.

Under Eze Chima, Aboh flourished. Strategic positioning along the Niger River allowed control over trade and fertile lands. Councils of elders, age-grade systems, and royal traditions ensured social cohesion. The kingdom’s identity to this day remains Igbo, reinforced by Aguleri-inspired cultural practices, not borrowed from Bini.

The descendants of Eze Chima are known as UmuEzechima, literally “children of Eze Chima.” This lineage continues to thrive across Anioma and other Igbo regions, serving as living proof of Aboh’s Igbo roots. The very people of Aboh speak Igbo, celebrate Igbo festivals, and uphold the traditions of their Igbo ancestry.

Aboh Kingdom is a monument to Igbo migration, leadership, and resilience. It is not a borrowed Bini creation, nor can myths erase its Aguleri roots. Anyone claiming otherwise is promoting historical falsehoods and cultural theft. The story of Eze Chima and the UmuEzechima is a celebration of Igbo ingenuity and an enduring reminder: Aboh is Igbo, through and through.