THE BENIN IGALA RELATIONS IN THE 16TH CENTURY: IDAH-EMUEMUE WAR

There is a wealth of material to refute the false assertion made by certain European academics that formal, structured government did not exist in Africa or Nigeria prior to the arrival of colonization. Out of the more than 300 ethnic groups that make up the nation, there is a tendency for the documentation of the pre-colonial political administration in Nigeria to be imbalanced, favoring the three largest ethnic groupings (Hausa/Fulani, Igbo, and Yoruba political pre-colonial system). The Igala had a rather strong system before to colonization, and during colonial and postcolonial times they even joined forces with other ethnic groups to establish the Kabba province. Up until 1967, the province was a part of the Northern region. After that, it was a part of Kwara state, then Benue, and finally Kogi in 1991. Ijoma noted that, of all the accounts, it is the role of Ayegba as the creator of the system of hereditary title on which Igala political organization depends. This is true even though the available literature has shown that there were three (3) proto-dynastic periods prior to the emergence of Attah, Ayegba Om' Idoko