A Brief History of the Orogun People



Story time!!.

Let's dive into a bit of history, shall we?


So, I had an enlightening conversation with my father, Mr. Okwanyionu (a true genius), about our origins. You see, I've often been asked why my surname is Ukwani even though I’m Urhobo. I didn’t have a solid answer, until now. Here's what I learned:

The Origin of the Orogun People

The Orogun people are Urhobo by implication of their local government (Ughelli North). However, history links them to Kwale. Here's the story:

The Ughelli, Ogor, Agbarha, and Orogun people (among others in Ughelli North) are all descendants of Ohwha, who was a Benin prince. Ohwha migrated from Benin to what is now Ughelli North.

During their migration, Ohwha and his children settled at Ogo-Oviri, near the present-day Ogor Technical College. Over time, his descendants moved to different locations, forming the Ughelli, Ogor, Agbarha, and Orogun kingdoms.

The Role of Oriara and Orogun

Orogun was the son of Ughelli's younger sister, Oriara. However, because a woman could not claim ownership of a kingdom, the name "Orogun" was used to establish the kingdom.

While living in Ogo-Oviri, a hunter from Aboh, called Efe, settled among Ohwha’s people. Efe developed a good relationship with Ohwha's family, often supplying them with meat. As a gesture of goodwill, Ughelli gave his sister, Oriara, to Efe' in marriage.

Efe and Oriara later returned to Aboh, where they had a son named Orogun. Orogun’s children were Imodje, Umusu, Unupko, Ogwa (whose children were Aragba and Eboh), Amonu, Ovara, Oromuru (the lineage of Senator Omo-Agege), and Ugono.

Why the Orogun People Left Aboh

The Orogun people left Aboh due to conflict and fear of persecution. Initially, there was a war between the Aboh people and the Idoshuomiri (Rivers) people. The Orogun descendants volunteered to fight, defeated the Idoshuomiri warriors, and gained superiority.

Legend has it that they crossed the River Niger to the war zone using a bridge formed by iguanas. After defeating the Idoshuomiri, the iguanas separated and disappeared into the river. Because of this, iguanas became sacred to the Orogun people and are not eaten to this day.

However, their growing strength caused tension. The Aboh people feared that the Orogun descendants might one day overpower them and take over the kingship (Obi of Aboh). This jealousy forced the Orogun people to leave Aboh.

The Return to Present-Day Orogun

The Orogun descendants returned to their maternal kinsmen near Agbarha. Their first settlement was Imodje (formerly Obiaka). From there, Umusu, the first son, moved to present-day Orogun, as did Unupko and others.

Why Orogun People Speak Ukwani

The Orogun people speak Ukwani because they are paternally Ukwani. If not for the conflicts in Aboh, they would have remained in Ukwani land.



Dearest reader, I hope this brief history of the Orogun people has been as fascinating for you as it was for me to learn.



@favvy_Okwansđź–¤. 


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